Power stretcher pins bending after just a few jobs

I had to stop halfway through a 12x15 bedroom last Tuesday because the pins on my power stretcher started bending again. This is the third set in about 8 months and I am getting tired of buying replacements. The pins cost me $22 each time and they should last longer than that. I think the problem is people are using way too much force when they crank the handle down. You do not need to muscle it until the carpet is stretched tight as a drum. If you see the pins starting to curl, you have already gone too far. Has anyone else had this issue with their power stretcher pins or found a brand that holds up better?

2 comments

2 Comments

rayy8326d ago

Dude, "see the pins starting to curl" - that's exactly what happened to me last month on a 12x10 living room. I was halfway through and noticed the tip was already bending sideways, like a little fishhook. I just don't get why some guys think they need to torque the handle down like they're trying to crush a car. I keep telling the new guys at my shop, if you're sweating and grunting, you're using way too much muscle. The pins should last way longer than three jobs, but it's all about that gentle touch, you know?

allen.william26d ago

That 12x10 room is exactly the kind of job where guys get sloppy because they think it's small and quick. I watched a guy on Saturday absolutely destroy a brand new pin on a 10x12 bedroom because he was leaning his whole body weight into the knee kicker like it owed him money. Here's my question for you: what brand of pins were you running when that tip curled? I've noticed the cheap Chinese ones from the big box stores will bend if you look at them wrong, but the American made ones seem to hold up even when you're working at a bad angle in a tight closet.