masonbell•26d agoMost Upvoted

My $700 power stretcher was a total waste of cash

I dropped $700 on a high-end power stretcher from a big supply house in Nashville thinking it would speed up my jobs. First time using it on a thick Berber carpet, the head kept slipping and left gouges in the backing. I spent two hours fixing the damage and ended up using my old knee kicker to finish the room. The tool just didn't have enough grip for the heavier materials I install regularly. Called the supplier and they said it was user error, no refund. Now it's sitting in my garage collecting dust. Anyone else had a power stretcher that just didn't perform on certain carpet types?

2 comments

2 Comments

sammoore26d ago

Wait, you used a power stretcher on Berber without a pin bar attachment? Because that sounds like the problem right there. The stock head on most of those expensive stretchers is designed for cut pile carpets, not loop piles like Berber. Did the supplier even mention that you need a different head plate or a pin bar for looped carpets before you bought it?

bens8126d ago

Respectfully, I gotta push back on this @sammoore. I've been doing installs for 15 years and used a standard stretcher on Berber plenty of times without a pin bar attachment. The trick is to make sure the carpet is warmed up first and you're not stretching it too aggressively in one go. The stock head can grab loops fine if you angle it right and take smaller bites. Problem usually is people crank it too tight all at once.