A screwdriver has long been an indispensable part of the arsenal of tools for every owner of a house or apartment. This versatile tool will save time and effort on many types of repairs. But with large volumes of the same type of operations, for example, when performing finishing work on an ongoing basis, the purchase of professional equipment cannot be avoided. One such tool is a tape or cassette drywall screwdriver.
Disadvantages when installing drywall with a conventional screwdriver
If you want to mount the GKL on a fairly large area, then the use of a universal screwdriver will be accompanied by a number of significant inconveniences:
- Low turning speed fasteners results in a significant waste of time.
- Hardware is not always firmly attached to the slots of the bit. This leads to the fact that you have to fix and guide the screws with your free hand. In this case, at least two people will be required for installation: one holds the drywall fragment in the right place, and the second fixes it with self-tapping screws.
Many are familiar with the problems that arise when controlling the position of a screw by hand at the beginning of screwing. The bit sometimes jumps off the head and can stick into a finger or brush. In addition, a rotating self-tapping screw with sharp edges of the thread damages the skin on the fingers. It is inconvenient to use gloves during this operation: they begin to wrap around the hardware. At large volumes, this causes serious damage to the fingers.
- A large number of fasteners have to be kept somewhere near the installation site. Usually they are put in a pocket or an improvised container. All this leads to the loss of self-tapping screws, and it is inconvenient to get them out of there.
Advantages of a professional screwdriver over a conventional one
Tape screwdrivers eliminate the above disadvantages:
- They have a high speed of rotation, which allows you to screw in the screws in just a split second. From the outside, the process is more like the work of a pneumatic hammer than a screwdriver.
- This tool is supplied with a tape, or a cassette equipped with self-tapping screws. Standard capacity is 40-50 pieces. This amount is enough with a margin to securely fix the drywall sheet to the frame.
- The device of the guide nozzle guarantees the position of the self-tapping screw strictly perpendicular to the plane into which it is screwed. The tapered nose makes it easy to work in hard-to-reach places, such as in the corners of a room. Thus, the second hand is freed, and the installation of drywall can be done alone, even on the ceiling (subject to the use lift).
- Nozzle for screwdrivers with a magazine allows you to limit the depth of screwing in hardware, and also protects the GKL from damage by their caps.
In addition, such a specialized tool has high reliability and durability, as it was originally designed and built for large volumes. Manufacturers pay close attention to the ergonomics of the tool.
Types of tape screwdrivers and features of working with them
Structurally, these devices can have two versions:
- The device is equipped with a stationary device for supplying hardware from the store. This is a highly specialized tool that is used only when installing GKL.
- A special nozzle attached to a universal screwdriver. It is clear that at the same time it must have the necessary parameters of rotational speed and torque. This option allows, after removing the nozzle, to use the device for other operations carried out with screws of different sizes suitable for the slots.
According to the method of power, a battery and a corded tool are distinguished.The undeniable advantage of the first is high mobility. Pulling wires to the installation site is inconvenient, and sometimes difficult. But for large volumes of work, batteries have to be recharged quite often, so professionals prefer to use a tool that is powered by the mains.
Working with such a device has its own specifics: the device is launched for the entire installation cycle. The tightening of the self-tapping screw begins at the moment the nozzle is pressed against the surface of the GKL and takes a fraction of a second. After that, the feed mechanism is triggered, and the next self-tapping screw in the tape is under the bat. This cycle continues until the store is empty or the drywall piece is completed.
Some disadvantages
Naturally, any tool, even a professional one, has its drawbacks. They also exist with tape screwdrivers:
- High price. The price varies from 13 to 45 thousand rubles, depending on the model and manufacturer. A nozzle for a universal tool will cost an average of 9 thousand rubles. Therefore, only those who professionally work with drywall buy such a tool.
- Narrow specialization. For the sake of a high speed, I had to sacrifice the amount of torque. For the installation of drywall, a lot of effort is not required, but for working with other material, the torque may not be enough. In addition, use other than for its intended purpose is only possible for models with a removable nozzle.
- The need to purchase consumables: tapes or cassettes. Moreover, the screwdrivers of each manufacturer are designed for the use of "native" products. And they are not always present in the assortment of the nearest hardware stores.
When extruding a self-tapping screw from a plastic tape, it is strongly deformed. Some craftsmen manage to reuse such consumables of certain brands (for example, Bosh). But the reused tape does not provide reliable fixation of hardware. It is still allowed to take it when facing walls, but when lining the ceiling it is better not to try.
Leading manufacturers
In our market, well-known companies represent their professional screwdrivers: Makita, Bosch, Hilti, Metabo. This is a rather expensive tool, and it is purchased for a long time, so it is better not to skimp and choose a really high-quality model.
