power rollers
 

are these things at all worthwhile?

I need to paint about 800 ft2 of ceilings, and then do all the walls too...

they are only $40 ....

Depends. The ones you can hook up to an airless work quite well. But, if you have an airless....

OTOH, there is some junk out there and isn't worth the trouble. Just dip your roller in a 5 gallon bucket, knock off the excess on the bucket screen and roll. A wet roller has less spray coming off than a dry one. Keep it loaded and don't press too hard.

I use a 5' adjustable to about 8' extension handle unless there is not enough room like a hallway.

I would rent an airless sprayer. A power roller just eliminates the need to dip into a paint bucket, not much else. I think Home Depot rents sprayers. If you're shooting ceilings, wear a hood, longsleeves and put Vaseline on your exposed facial area. Makes cleanup much easier.

Buy the one that runs on d-cell batteries. They hold about 1/2 gallon of paint, and let you roll and roll. To do a ceiling, get a broom handle and a couple of hose clamps. You will be amazed at how much less work there is versus regular rollers and how much less mess there is.

I painted a 4 story apartment building with one.

Hand lotion, baby oil and even olive oil work. With latex paint, vinegar is your friend. It will remove even extremely old dried paint.

I've never seen a pro painter use a power roller.

Problem #1- When the paint supply is shut off, paint keeps coming for a while. You have to guess when to shut off the paint before you finish. Too soon, and you've got to start it again. Too late, and you've got a mess.

I used to do some commercial painting a while back, and this is what I heard from a couple guys who tried a power roller, and quickly tossed them aside. Maybe they've improved since then.

hmmmm.....

thanks for the opinions