Watching a guy in Denver try to stretch a 15-foot room with a 12-foot kicker was the final straw for me.

Now I carry a power stretcher in my van every single day, no exceptions, so what's the one tool you guys refuse to leave the shop without?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_clark1mo ago

That sounds like a nightmare to watch, honestly. Seeing a job go that wrong would make anyone double-check their gear. My non-negotiable is a good knee kicker, actually. The power stretcher is great, but for those tight spots and final bumps, nothing beats a reliable kicker you've broken in yourself.

morgan5121mo ago

Totally get the love for a broken-in kicker. Read a forum post once where an old installer swore his knee kicker saved a whole staircase job when his power stretcher wouldn't fit. Said the feel of the handle told him more about the tension than any gauge. Makes sense, that kind of tool memory is hard to replace with something electric.