Walls and Ceilings - Drywall screwdriver - worth it?

Hi,

I'll be hanging a bunch of drywall over the next couple of months in a basement project - I was wondering whether to invest in a drywall screwdriver. How does it differ from a regular power driver?

Also, if the studs are not quite aligned, do people shim the drywall?

Thanks!
Bob

personally i wouldn't recommend you buy specifically a drywall screwgun. as a diy'er i bought a drywall/deck screwgun. it's a little slower but more powerful and versatile. i have used it for decking, subflooring, stairtreads, and drywall. and they are very handy tools. set it for the depth you want and go. can't tell you how many times i've had to do a 2nd or 3rd screw because the 1st one went too deep to do any good when i used another kind of drill.
certainly you can get by without one but after 30 years diy-ing
i have come to the conclusion that a guy should never pass up a good excuse to buy another tool.

Thanks, that makes sense. One tool for multi-functions.

As my brother told me (a professional cabinet maker), the rule is: every time you start a new project, you get to buy a new tool!

I have actually been happy with the $9.95 drywall bit for the small amount of drywall work I do in my house. I use it on a small cordless drill that is very light.

If all you will be doing is drywall, and not the others as dickh stated, then just get the drywall gun. You are going to put that thing to work as it is, and if you get anything other than an OLD black and decker drywaller, it won't stand up to the test for more than too years before you are taking it in. Before anyone says it, I KNOW B & D MAKES DEWALT, I am a drywaller, I know this, but what most people don't understand is that before the DeWalt line came out the B&D drywall guns were the cream of the crop. The new DeWalts strip out in the recessed edges, the bushings come out frequently after much use, and the depth gauge is inaccurate. Not so with the old B&D's, Plus the drywall guns are specifically designed to with stand the drywall dust that you are going to be kicking up, most other tools are not equipped to handle that kind of dust. No dust is not dust, drywall dust will shorten the life of a tool, used for drywall, but is not made for drywall.

I too am a Professional Cabinet Maker and / owner

It's nice to be able to buy a new tool for each job, but the trades are such an up and down business it doesn't always work that way.

I'm still trying to figure a way to pass a $120,000 CNC machine off on a customer. LOL :)

IMO, I would invest in a screwgun for your drywall project. You can get a decent one that will handle your project for $100 or less & you can always sell it on e-bay if you want when the project is finished.

As to your second question, yes it is necessary when working on a wood stud wall to shim sometimes. If you can look down the framed wall and see a stud that is obviously bowed in you should attach a shim there to bring it out flush with the other studs. By the same token, if you have one that is bowed out badly you should use a wood plane or rasp to shave it enough to bring back into plumb with the wall. I have even pulled out terribly bowed studs & replaced them if the twist or bow is too extreme. If you don't do this your board will have noticeable humps or valleys in it which will require more than normal finishing coats to get a professional looking end result. HTH Bob & good luck. ;)