Went back to a kicker instead of power stretcher for tight spaces

I had this job in a small bedroom in an old house in Philly last week. The room was maybe 10x12 with weird closets and tight corners. Tried using a power stretcher at first like I usually do but kept fighting with the angle and the furniture I couldn't move. Switched to my old knee kicker after 20 minutes of frustration and had the whole room done in under an hour. The power stretcher is great for big open areas but for those cramped spaces the kicker just works better. Anyone else find themselves going back to older tools depending on the room?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant1301d ago

You know, I read an article in one of the trade magazines a few months back that talked about how older carpet layers really swear by the knee kicker for certain situations. Finleythomas, your point about the bathroom is spot on. I had a similar job in a hallway that was barely 3 feet wide with a radiator on one side and a door on the other. That power stretcher just couldn't get a good bite, and I was fighting to keep it straight. The knee kicker let me work around the radiator and get a tight fit right against the wall without any of that hassle.

finleythomas1d ago

Man, same exact thing happened to me in a rowhouse bathroom in Baltimore. That power stretcher is a beast in a living room but in a tiny 5x8 space with a toilet and pedestal sink it's basically a wrestling match. Knee kicker just lets me sneak into those weird nooks and get the carpet locked in tight without knocking into everything. Plus I don't have to curse under my breath the whole time, which is a nice bonus.