# Drywall Tools



## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

1. Not in my opinion.
2. Many prefer a roto-zip but again, I would not buy one for just this job. There is a specific saw called a drywall saw which I would get, they're pretty cheap.

Additionally, most sheets are cut with a utility knife.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

I wouldn't buy one specifically for this job, but if you have a saber saw it would work nicely for any detailed cuts.

Then the mud pan and a 6" spackle knife

Bud


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If I was going to go out and buy some tools, it would be an oscillating for the cut out's, and an impact driver for the screws.
Main reason both the oscillating tool and the driver will have many other uses other then for this one job.
For taping you'll need a 6" knife and a 10" knife for the second and third coats, just a 6" will be to narrow.
An impact driver gives you depth control for the screws, but can also drill holes, drive screws, drive nut's and bolts.
A sheet rock gun is just that, it drives sheetrock screws nothing else.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Buy one of the Phillips #2 self dimpling bits for your cordless drill ( lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-2-Pack-1-in-Phillips-Screwdriver-Bits/50056419 ).

For a small job you can use the drywall zip bits in a dremel or cut the holes with drywall saw.

I tape with a 4" blade and bed the tape with a 6" blade.


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## jte1130 (Jan 8, 2008)

Thanks all for the info. I do have a cordless drill and impact driver so I'll give them a shot and definitely pick up the dimpler. The money saved on the screw gun can be put towards the other items.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

If you are not 100% perpendicular to the DW some screws won't sit deep enough in the dimple so keep your drill handy with a regular bit when you start to finish.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

if your only going to be hanging 10 sheets.. just get a drywall screw tip for your cordless drill.. you can get 3 packs of dewalt ones for about $8 which fit in a bit holder at home depot.. and just get a regular drywall hand saw for about $12

if your going to be hanging board regularly or once every couple months then i would actually buy dedicated power tools for it


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## jrp458 (Jun 13, 2016)

woodworkbykirk said:


> if your only going to be hanging 10 sheets.. just get a drywall screw tip for your cordless drill.. you can get 3 packs of dewalt ones for about $8 which fit in a bit holder at home depot.. and just get a regular drywall hand saw for about $12
> 
> if your going to be hanging board regularly or once every couple months then i would actually buy dedicated power tools for it


My thoughts exactly.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

Colbyt said:


> If you are not 100% perpendicular to the DW some screws won't sit deep enough in the dimple so keep your drill handy with a regular bit when you start to finish.


Yes ,a drill driver works good for this. kind of like a hammer or pulse drill. But you have to have light touch on the trigger.


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## JLawrence08648 (Mar 1, 2019)

Dimpling bit as mentioned, Harbor Freight 2 for $1; Harbor Freight for a drywall hole saw; Harbor Freight for an oscillating saw, Knives, 4", 8", 12" also at Harbor Freight. 

Utility knife, saw horses.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Dimpling bit as mentioned, Harbor Freight 2 for $1; Harbor Freight for a drywall hole saw; Harbor Freight for an oscillating saw, Knives, 4", 8", 12" also at Harbor Freight.
> 
> Utility knife, saw horses.


I bought 2 oscillating tools at HF a few yrs back. 1 lasted 1 hour, the other about 3 hr. I now have 1 craftsman and one Ryobi. Use em a lot. I use Level 5 Knives


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

Jab saw for cutting holes. Lots of drywall is still hung with a hammer and nails, too.


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## XSleeper (Sep 23, 2007)

Rotozip is worth every penny, provided you know how to use it. If you don't, you can make more work for yourself (or the taper) real fast. If it saves an hour and does a better job its paid for itself regardless if you ever use it again. Or sell it on ebay when you're done and get half your money back.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

turbo4 said:


> I bought 2 oscillating tools at HF a few yrs back. 1 lasted 1 hour, the other about 3 hr.


I bought mine from HF about 8-10 yrs ago, it still works great. I've used it a lot more and abused it some more so than I would have thought before buying it.

I like to preset nails around some of the perimeter of the drywall before I hang the board. Once the board is set in place knock those nails in and then go back to screw the rest. Once those nails are taped and mudded over it's not very likely they will pop.


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## JLawrence08648 (Mar 1, 2019)

turbo4 said:


> I bought 2 oscillating tools at HF a few yrs back. 1 lasted 1 hour, the other about 3 hr. I now have 1 craftsman and one Ryobi. Use em a lot. I use Level 5 Knives


I've had my $20 HF for a couple of years and use it frequently, sheetrock, trim, wood, flooring, nails.

Few months ago this subject came up and others have had HF oscillating saws for 7 yrs and no problem, some own 3. I'm not fond of much HF has but it seems the oscillating saw is one of their gems.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I bought my HF oscillating tool for 2 reasons; low price and I only needed it for one job. ..... that was before I discovered how handy they are!


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Only problem is the HF blades don't have very good durability, at least IME.


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## JLawrence08648 (Mar 1, 2019)

I always wanted one but thought it would be seldom used. A neighbor moved and gave me his. I now using it often. It certainly is handy. 

I bought blades off Amazon, 25 for about $25. They are ok, works, cheap enough to replace with a new one.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

huesmann said:


> Only problem is the HF blades don't have very good durability, at least IME.


I have the Craftsman for about 5 years and the Ryobi for about 2 . I usually buy HF if i dont anticipate hard use cuz they are at the bottom of the quality chart but also of the cost chart. Iv had good luck with some of of HF tools .The electric jack hammer is pretty good for $500. Probably got 20 jobs out of my current one.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

I do rehabbing of old homes. The most time consuming part of drywalling them is getting the crooked studs and not so plumb walls straight first. Ceilings are murder. The final drywalling is the easy part.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

Screwgun not necessary, but I'd get a drywall bit for your drill.

A multitool comes in very handy for some cuts, but you can get by with a jab saw (keyhole saw) fine as well.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

joecaption said:


> If I was going to go out and buy some tools, it would be ...an impact driver for the screws.
> .
> An impact driver gives you depth control for the screws, but can also drill holes.


I've never understood why people would use an impact driver for drywall. How does it give you depth control? Only a screwgun or drywall bit can give you that. As the screw drives deeper into the wood and the head starts to countersink, the last thing you want is extra power to force that through. You want everything slowing down and disengaging. If the impactor engages, you don't want that, and if it doesn't engage, you don't need the impact driver to begin with.

Also, I don't understand why you'd ever use an impact driver for drilling holes. If the impacter starts to engage that sounds wrong for standard drills, and hellish and dangerous for large bits such as spade bits.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

turbo4 said:


> Yes ,a drill driver works good for this. kind of like a hammer or pulse drill. But you have to have light touch on the trigger.


I think it's better to just have a regular screwdriver handy. When you're done hanging, go over each screw with your taping knife. If the knife contacts the screw, take the screwdriver and screw it down about a quarter turn.


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## Mordekyle (Dec 3, 2020)

You have to have a light touch with an impact driver, that’s for sure. Middle finger on the trigger works good for that.

Impacts are much more useful than drills for all around use. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

mark sr said:


> I like to preset nails around some of the perimeter of the drywall before I hang the board.


Why nails instead of screws?


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

jeffnc said:


> I've never understood why people would use an impact driver for drywall. How does it give you depth control? Only a screwgun or drywall bit can give you that.


. I usually use the drywall gun but find a few screws still standing out a quarter to a half turn.The pulse drive has a nice light touch that lets you nudge it slowly deeper as long as you use the variable speed trigger. Its a bit easier than going over them with a philips screwdriver. Im a stickler for not sinking the screws in too far especially on the ceiling. For some reason my dewalt drywall gun dont seem to do as well on the second pass on the same screw.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

jeffnc said:


> Why nails instead of screws?


Because the nails can quickly be nailed in to hold the drywall in place while you add screws. Especially beneficial if you are working alone.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

Well, I can pretap some screws as well, and they seem to go in very fast, so I've never felt the need for nails.


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

This will amaze you.




__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1414778655526774


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

I always wondered what those hatchet things were for! Of course things are a little easier in some ways with such small sections of drywall. I'm assuming that was going to get plastered.


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## XSleeper (Sep 23, 2007)

Gypsum plaster lathe from the 50s.


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