My old mentor swore by hand taping, but my new crew laughs at me for it

I learned drywall from a guy who started in the 70s, and he made us tape seams by hand with a hawk and trowel. He said you could feel the mud settle right, and it built real skill. Now, I'm on a job where everyone uses bazookas or automatic tapers, and they say hand work is just too slow. I get that speed matters for tight schedules, but I swear the old way gave a smoother finish, especially on those tricky inside corners. Some guys say the new tools are a game changer and cut down on fatigue. Others miss the control you get from doing it by hand. What's your take? Are we trading quality for speed, or is this just how the trade moves forward? I'd love to hear from both sides.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_eva1mo ago

Used to think hand taping was the only way to get it right, but then I worked on a deadline job with a bazooka. Changed my mind when I saw the finish was just as smooth and my arms didn't feel like jelly.

susan_hernandez461mo ago

Seriously, my bazooka gave me that same smooth finish without the next-day arm ache.

simona771mo ago

Whoa, they said the bazooka finish was just as smooth? I've seen some pretty rough auto-taper jobs... hard to believe it's that perfect.