3M Painter’s Tape Movie Applicator Evaluation – Ideas for Use

As a serial DIYer, I’ve completed numerous portray through the years. And to me, the worst half about it’s all the paint prep work that it’s a must to do earlier than you even pull out a brush. By the point I lay out the drop cloths and masking movie and tape off all my surfaces, it looks like half the day is gone. Portray nearly turns into a aid as soon as I can truly begin. So once I noticed a weird-looking tape dispenser in my Instagram feed, I used to be immediately interested in the way it might minimize down on prep time (if it even labored in any respect). 

The 3M Hand-Masker Painter’s Tape and Masking Movie Dispenser promised to be 4 instances sooner than prepping with the identical supplies by hand, which is a big distinction if true. As an alternative of laying out your masking movie and making an attempt to tape it in place after, you are able to do each on the identical time by pulling your dispenser straight throughout the floor you’re making an attempt to tape off. Movies that includes the software present folks laying down whole rooms in a couple of minutes. It appeared too good to be true, so I needed to put it to the take a look at.

My husband and I just lately put in new flooring and baseboards as a part of a house renovation, and opted to color the baseboards ourselves to save cash. However the daunting job of defending the brand-new flooring pushed this undertaking off for months. I used to be excited to get my fingers on the software to see if it might assist with that psychological hurdle and restrict my prep time so I might truly get to the portray a part of this undertaking.

There are numerous bundles with totally different attachments supplied, however I discovered that evaluations most frequently really useful the set with the straight-edge blade. I’ll observe that the directions that got here with the software had been severely missing. Even 3M movies didn’t get into the small print of the right way to use it. For instance, I couldn’t work out why the blade wasn’t working as proven within the movies till I by accident tore off the guard whereas analyzing it. Right here’s what I realized about the right way to finest use the product in my testing.

When you take away the packaging, fastidiously thread the tape beneath the black tab that retains the plastic masking movie in place and beneath the yellow tab proper on the base of the deal with. The directions didn’t point out going beneath the yellow tab, however many reviewers talked about that this was important for protecting the tape on monitor, which I discovered to be true as properly.

You possibly can regulate the masker to carry masking rolls of various sizes (24″, 48″, 72″, and 99″) and painter’s tape of various widths (18mm, 24mm, 36mm, and 48mm). Loading the masking roll and tape was comparatively straightforward, however aligning the tape with the masking roll was a bit finicky.

Pull some masking movie and tape a bit previous your blade to get began. You’re going to need to stick down that preliminary bit on the floor you’re making an attempt to tape off. Many Reels depict easily working the software parallel to the floor and making use of the tape multi function go. I tried to use it the identical approach and located the method immensely irritating, because the tape wasn’t exactly utilized to the sting of my wall.

After additional analysis and watching extra movies, I observed that 3M truly demonstrates utilizing the software extra like a painter’s tape extension. It was a lot simpler to use the tape with this software once I began occupied with the all-in-one as an additional hand solely there to unwind the tape. As an alternative of making an attempt to put down lengthy stretches of tape and masking movie, run the dispenser in small sections with one hand whereas firmly urgent the tape down and guaranteeing it’s near the floor with the opposite hand.

When you get to the tip of your line, pull the tape and masking movie taut and tilt the blade at a forty five diploma angle in direction of you to make a ending minimize. I might by no means fairly get the identical all-in-one clear minimize that I noticed on Instagram, however in equity, I battle with comparable mechanics in utilizing a cooking cling wrap roll. It might positively be worthwhile to observe a few cuts earlier than beginning. I didn’t, and ended up slicing our ground with the blade on my first try.

After the tape is firmly utilized to your floor, merely pull out the pre-folded masking movie to guard a bigger floor space. That is the place I actually noticed the advantage of the software. Earlier than this, I used to be questioning why anybody would add further steps to primarily put tape down. However with the ability to pull the sheet out and have the flooring fully protected for 72 inches again, understanding it was firmly and securely in place proper as much as my baseboards, felt actually good. The plastic itself feels very sturdy and 3M claims that it’s flake-proof for a number of coats. 

Whereas initially getting the grasp of the software, I felt like I used to be losing numerous tape and masking movie to get into the movement. However after utilizing it in a single room, I might see myself reaching for it once more. I’m undecided that it was 4 instances sooner than making use of by hand, nevertheless it minimize prep time down by not less than half.

So, is it value it? This bundle is often round $85 however can vary between $65 and $90 (sure, for the very same bundle — activate these sale alerts!). The price for the specialty 8.25 ft. x 90 ft. masking movie refills is $20 to $24. (The painter’s tape is identical as what you’ll apply anyway, so I’m not together with that in my value comparability calculations.)

Alternatively, it might take about eight fundamental 8.25 ft. x 90 ft. sheets to cowl the identical space, making the most cost effective no-tool various roughly $35. I used to be shocked to seek out that the specialty rolls had been truly cheaper than shopping for the common rolls, though you clearly should issue within the preliminary value of the applicator.

To me, the $85 upfront value of the software feels too steep should you solely plan to make use of it as soon as. However should you’re an enormous run of paint initiatives — say, should you’re renovating and repainting a complete home — then this could completely be value that preliminary funding while you weigh that towards what you’d pay for simply the movie (in addition to the time you’d save). It’s not shocking to me that I see loads of painting pros using this for their work.

Ultimate verdict: When you’ve got just one paint undertaking on the docket, skip this purchase. However you probably have plans to make use of it a number of instances inside the first yr of buy, it’s positively value it. Simply be certain that to observe utilizing it earlier than you dive in!