There is some kind of roller handle that holds paint so constant trips to the tray aren't necessary. Has anyone here used them?

 

Ever once seen a pro painter use one?
Not likely.
Far more trouble then there worth. Going to end up wasting painting time cleaning it instead of rolling.

 

They are fairly new so I wouldn't have expected to see them in full swing. I'd like to know if anyone has an opinion from 1st hand experience.

 

Actually they have been around for a while. Around 1996 I painted our house using a Wagner power roller. While it did work well, you had to have a person behind you rolling out the roller marks.

I have also seen a roller attachment that connects to a Grayco pump sprayer. That seamed to work ok but the flow was too fast for the homeowner using it.

It think the biggest drawback to anything like that is the cleanup.

All the pros I see either spray it on the wall and then roll it out. Or just use a 5 gallon pail and a screen to paint out of. It also helps to use a good sides roller that holds a lot of paint. I like a 1/2" - 3/4" nap. 3/8" is a waste of time IMO.

 

I have used the Wagner power roller with reasonable results. As I recall, the cleanup time was excessive.

Google auto feed paint rollers and you can find quite a few models. Some have the paint dumped into the handle and then pump it to the roller as needed.

 

Definitely been around a long time. I think I was barely into my teens when I saw an advertisement for one and asked my Daddy about them. Dad was a professional painter and he told me they were a total pain to clean along with also being prone to leaking. That was about fifty years ago.

They may be a bit better made today to reduce the leakage problem but the time and trouble cleaning them would remain.

 

The power roller is great if you're going to do a lot of paining...... like all the ceilings in a house.

They work good if you want to put paint on fast.

 

They've been around a long time - 40 yrs that I know of, probably longer. IMO they are more hype than help. When I was young I could apply paint faster with a good roller cover and a 5 gallon bucket with less clean up. There are 2 basic types; the airless that pumps paint thru the handle and a suction type roller frame that stores/releases paint from the handle.

 

I didn't know that it was called a power roller. Either way, Home Cheapo didn't have it. The job is almost done (vaulted ceiling) so I don't know if it's worth it now. I don't have that much painting these days. I agree that 3/8 rollers are a waste. I like the thicker rollers also.

 

Ya, about the only time you want to use a 3/8" nap roller cover is with enamel on a slick finish wall .... and even then I'd be tempted to use a 1/2" I doubt you'd find an airless roller at a big box store that would be worth owning/using long term. I've never checked but it might be possible to rent a power roller.

 

I'm just going to finish the job & forget about it, unless another paint job appears. The power roller is on the back burner, for now. Thanks for all the replies.

 

A friend of mine just told me that he has an old style power roller. It has a container that holds a gallon of paint. The container has a shoulder strap & is battery powered. It sends paint to the roller & the roller swells. You just keep painting until it's time to hit the button again. The only problem he has was the cap on the container. If that isn't on properly, you'll have paint everywhere. He said that he used to paint entire houses (exterior) in no time.

If it didn't become popular w/ the professionals, I don't know why but it sounds as if you can undercut anyone in price, since the time spent would be cut in half.

 

Power rollers might speed up production for a novice but from what I've seen they are slower than a skilled painter using the right roller cover and a 5 gallon bucket ...... or on really big jobs, an 18" roller and a wheel barrow full of paint. On new work it's more efficient to have one man spray the paint on and another go behind and back roll.

 

You certainly have more experience than I do. At the same time, I'm not a novice either. The job that I just finished was a strange vaulted ceiling. I would still like to try a power roller just to see for myself.

 

I suspect there is a big difference between the commercial duty power rollers and the homeowner type. Hopefully you can borrow or rent one before you plunk down any real cash. The biggest sales pitch the Graco rep had 40 yrs ago was if we poured all our paint in a garbage can or drum, we wouldn't have to stop and refill our roller bucket ..... non stop work until lunch/quitting time

 

The garbage can is something to think about.