Patching and Plastering - To Banjo or Not to Banjo?

I'm trying to decide if a drywall banjo is worth it for the home improvement DIYer (not sure what a Drywall banjo is, see here: http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=17843).

The main question is does the banjo allow for better results, or simply faster application? A professional obviously will gain benefits by using tools that allow them to do their job faster, but for the DIYer speed is usually not the main concern. So my question is will my results as an amatuer be improved by use of a banjo or will it simply speed application? If it is only faster, will it be by enough to make it worth it?

Thanks,
Guy

I wish I knew what a banjo was in this regard and your link goes nowhere.

Try to copy and paste into your browser:

http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=17843

http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=17843

Otherwise try to google "drywall banjo", and click on any of the links!

Banjo's are great- be sure you slightly thin the mud you use inside them. They speed the work up a LOT, IMO, but as far as doing a better job, the answer would be no. In fact, you need to be sure the paper coming out of the banjo is completely coated with mud because you might get dry voids behind it otherwise. You can do just as good of a job by smearing on the mud first, putting the tape into the mud, then wiping it down.

The benefit would be putting on a lot of tape in a short amount of time. (such as if you have a 2nd guy coming behind you to wipe it all down)

Cleaning it out isn't too hard. Biggest problem with them is the clips (that hold the door shut) always seem to get loose, but you can always fold a piece of paper tape as a shim to tighten the buckle up.

IMO a diyer has no need for a banjo. They are great for pro finishers that tape a complete house every week but too expensive for diy or repair work. They work best with 2 people - 1 operating the banjo and the other wiping down the mud/tape with a knife.

OK...thanks for the feedback. I bought one for $80, but haven't used it yet. I may give it a shot or may return it...we'll see.

Thanks,
Guy

Return it, banjo's are only good for good for big jobs to speed up the process. Not only that but they make a mess.