TIL my old seam roller handle was cracked and I didn't notice until it snapped mid-job in a Denver condo

The plastic gave out while I was pressing a seam in a tight corner, and I had to finish the last 20 feet with just my hands. Has anyone else had a tool fail at the worst possible moment and what did you switch to?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_tyler3mo ago

Come on, plastic handles are fine if you don't abuse them... I've had the same one for years in my Denver garage through all the seasons. Maybe @the_taylor just got a bad batch or something, because my plastic one's outlasted two metal ones that rusted shut.

the_taylor3mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly... I've had the opposite happen. My old metal seam roller is still going strong after 15 years. The plastic ones always felt flimsy to me, like they'd crack in the cold. I switched to a solid cast iron handle years ago and never looked back.

keith90025d ago

You said you switched to a solid cast iron handle and never looked back, but cast iron can be brittle if you drop it on concrete. @charles_mitchell had his hickory handle split in the cold, which is the same risk with cast iron in freezing temps. Steel handles are tougher than cast iron for cold weather work and won't crack like cast or wood.

charles_mitchell3mo ago

My 1987 Marshalltown trowel handle split in half last winter on a basement floor pour. It was so cold the old hickory just gave up. I had to finish the float with a short handled margin trowel, my wrist was killing me for days. That's when I finally switched to a fiberglass handle. It doesn't feel as good in the hand, but it hasn't cracked yet.