Why Drywall Dimplers SUCK!!!

DON'T USE CHEAP DRYWALL DIMPLERS.......unless you like doing more work!!!!

[davidnord]

i put my drywall screws in by hand with a regular screwdriver and then i torque them down to 9 inch pounds with a torque wrench one by one...perfect..

[joemedley]

I just did a whole bathroom with a dimpler and never scored the paper. Don’t know what to make of that. Maybe the brand of dimpler makes a difference?

[timroscoe]

Great tip and I love that you just get to the point and don’t stretch out the video to 10 minutes! Very helpful!

[jayjayhooksch]

Used these for years in an impact driver doing drywall repair, never once tore the paper like that. Was so much more efficient with a magnetic extension compared to a drywall gun that the owners of the company switched to impacts as well. Never seen them shred the paper like that either.

Maybe the problem is using them with a drill rather than an impact; as soon as the impact is finished driving it cams out, so there's no excessive spinning.

[bobwatkins]

Never had any problem with those. The one I use has a "this part right here" that spins independently from the the bit. Although it turns while the screw is being driven, it stops as soon as it makes contact with the drywall.

[stephenholland]

You must have 2 audiences, DIY that want to do a nice job, and pro’s that are moving into drywall. It’s great that you address both groups. I did a ceiling soffit removal and with the techniques I learned from you have a great look with invisible seams. Having gotten confidence with that when we just pulled down kitchen cabinets and found some hidden damage as well as wanting to upgrade outlets and add an in wall water valve, there was little hesitation to pull down 2 sheets worth of drywall. The upgrades are going smoothly and with 3 corners and one flat seam the work will be a breeze! Thanks for putting all this out there!

[chrisdupont]

We drywalled all my brother's house a few years ago using those (and they came from Silverline which is like the European equivalent of Harbour Freight, so cheap stuff). Never had any problem. We used drill drivers (not impacts) on low setting and it was perfect every time.

[danielfinao]

I’m drywaller for 20 years, the gun is better for sure but the dimpler also works well when you do not want to buy a drywall gun .

You are completely right, the dimpler score the paper very often, but that happens only because sometimes when you going to screw, the screw can go sideways scratching the dimpler tip, what causes the scratched dimpler to score the drywall paper, so as soon you realize they start to score the drywall you have to exchange the dimpler or the best and fast solution is just file/sand the dimpler by pressing and spinning the dimpler tip edges for around 10 seconds against a brick, cement board, any hard surface using your drill, the scratch in the dimpler tip will disappear and wont score anymore until you by accident scratch it again.
, so you repeat the proceed.
Great video and tip, I have seen houses with all screws scored, what diminish the drywall resistance and a lots of extra work to mud those screws with a ripped paper sticking out.

[markoshun]

I’ve never used a dedicated drywall gun so didn’t think about the depth ring not turning, makes sense. That said, I’ve never seen ripped paper using a dimpler and it’s seems to me more likely that the stronger reason for it not turning is so you can load the next screw without stopping. If I did see tearing I would assume my helper was just pushing waaay too hard. Fine tool, bad technique.

[matthewhorwat]

They work ok, when they are new, and when you don't push too hard. I haven't seen the paper ripping circles using them.

[johnross]

I found a 3” bit holder with the “dimpler”, but the dimpler is free not to spin with the bit holder. As a carpenter that doesn’t do a lot of drywall it seems like a perfect compromise

[GregoryGuay]

My DeWalt dimpler seems to work just as as well as the new Ryobi drywall screw gun I purchased

[JonnyDIY]

I remember I was so excited when I bought one of those, then I used it for a couple screws and knew it was a piece of junk. I think if the collar around the bit was a little wider diameter they would work fine.

[bay]

Maybe the noise of the constant "on" drywall drill scares some carpenters. You know, "to a hammer everything looks like a nail" but dry-walling is an art that needs the right tool.

[dpgreene]

Just looking at a room I did recently I don’t see any fully concentric paper ripping as you’re highlighting. I only recently switched to these on recommendation from a guy I worked with. If there is a trick to using these well, it would take conscious intentional driving of the screw (as in not push too hard and not driving any more than you need to). Just using a Phillips bit also takes a lot of finesse and is prone to issues too.

[jazzjohn]

For years I've never scored the paper with a dimpler . Maybe you can show us how you do it!

[eols]

I didn't use a dimpler bit. I just used the clutch/ratchet feature on my drill/driver and I had it set light enough to stop twisting before the screw head was flush with the paper. Then I went through all the screw heads with a good quality #2 Phillips screw driver, carefully tightening each screw manually. Afterwards I checked their depth by sliding my 4" knife over each, and tightened a bit more if needed. A few times the paper would tear as the screw was countersunk (not too often, but occasionally). Are you suggesting that I add a new screw next to ANY of the screw holes where the paper tore when the screw was set at the proper depth, or only if lots of them ripped the sheetrock paper?

[IggyPelman]

I've used a dimpler with mixed results. It simply takes more precision to ensure you don't drive through the paper. Spending money on a purpose built tool sounds great if you plan on doing it for a living. Otherwise, not so much.

[turbo]

As a painter/skateboarder it's really cool to watch both your videos. Been skating 30+ years and painting 20+. My paint skills are always improving while my skate skills are not. Lol

[keithpond]

I have never seen that before. What brand are you using, XActo?