Wagner Smart Sidekick paint roller test

[Oldtom]

I had to repaint my 4 bedroom rental and decided to try this powered paint roller. In 10 hours, I did all the rolling in a 1000 square foot townhouse. I still have to cut in the corners with a brush, but 10 hours in one day was enough. The painter worked perfectly except for one "user caused" problem. You MUST strain the paint before use. Tiny particles that you would not notice with a brush and roller can clog the internal passages. Most paint stores sell a mesh bag strainer that goes into an empty 5 gallon bucket. Dump the paint in, lift out the strainer and discard. done.

This is not good for small jobs as cleanup takes about 30 minutes. It is the perfect tool for painting a whole house. I used an off white for everything and 7 gallons completed the job. Cleanup is easy with latex paint, as you put the roller and the intake in a bucket of soapy water and just let the pump run.

Cost about $62 on amazon.

 

[pandus13]

Oldtom,
-how was the "splashing factor"?
-since it was a townhouse, did you reach easily the higher spots? considering the long stick and length of tube

 

[Oldtom]

Pandus 13

The dripping factor was easily manageable if you ran the pump in short bursts while rolling. Running the pump with the roller stationary will guarantee massive drips. The pump has a high output and you cannot roll fast enough to run the pump continuously.

I used an extension pole that adjusts from 2 to 4 feet. Tall enough for a standard 8 foot ceiling without using a ladder. I did use a regular roller and a 6 to 9 foot pole to do a small part of the stairwell. Everything else was power rolled. The flex tube is about 20 feet long and I just placed the pump and paint bucket in the center of the room and started painting.

If you have to do a lot of painting in one color, such as painting an entire rental, this is the hot setup.