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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 28 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 There is no shortcut to quality. Jun 17, 2008
By palealien
"I'm not bad, I 'm just drawn that way"
Hard to know how many stars to give here- I mean, if you want a cheap tool to apply a slapdash coat of inexpensive stain, then it's perfect. If you want a high-quality finish to complement all the hard prep work you have done, do not change your plans because of this toy. Tool. I meant "tool".
I completed the first quarter of a 1200 square foot deck project with brush and pad, using Sikkens stain. It is very viscous, somewhat tricky to apply, but done correctly gives excellent results. So on a whim, I picked up one of these Wagner things on sale. As soon as I got it home, I took a look and realized immediately that it was not going to work.
I wanted it to work. The next section of deck included a 30 foot run 5 feet wide and it would have made application a breeze. I was even reluctant to put any of the $40.00/gallon product in the tank, so I tried it first by dipping the head in the pan. It was about what I would expect, and not too bad an application- a little hard to control but I thought I would give it a go. The sectional aluminum handle feels flimsy, like it would break or bend if you pushed it too hard. The Sikkens tends to flow like syrup and needs a lot of manipulation, and this small head and the twisty handle, not to mention the reservoir in the middle, it more wallowed than was controlled.
After putting a quart or so in the reservoir and observing the flow, against my better judgment I gave it a run and soon saw the flow control device and supply holes proved incapable of managing such a viscous coating. I suspect it's made with a typical runny inexpensive stain. Not trying to be a paint snob, I am just trying to get the best finish for my deck.
It took me a little while to backbrush out the mistake with a pad, I drained it and tossed it in the trash. What a waste, but I had to find out. Even if it worked, it would have been nearly impossible to clean- another reason to dislike it, the obvious "disposable by design"= too cheap to clean; we have got to stop making things like this.
In conclusion, if you are using a fairly flow-able stain, and don't really care if the results are the best you could get, then give it a shot. Might be good for a weekend warrior type and I could understand the desire for convenience, but I wanted to approach this deck more as furniture than yard equipment, and the results reflect this. I can see it being used as a rough applicator only, and then maybe having a second person smooth it out, but basically there is no shortcut to quality.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Perfectly good for the job May 01, 2006
By Will Irace
I bought this item at a home improvement store despite the poor review from Mr. Samphire. I'm very glad I did. For twenty bucks, this made my deck staining project go by pretty quickly and painlessly. I'm new at the whole "maintain your deck" business, but I'm perfectly happy with the results I got with this tool, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to attempt the job with pads, rollers or brushes.
It's true: it's hard to precisely control the flow of stain. About halfway through my project (I guess my deck is around 500 sq ft) I got my groove on and figured out a decent technique. Before I knew it, the job was done. Money well spent!
Edit 8/31/2010: After four years I am still using this product and still satisfied. I have looked at other products and I'm sticking with my Wagner DeckMate.
8 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Completes task but not worth price. Jun 14, 2006
By dvond
I recently used this item to do a small deck area 20x12.[...]
You can generally achieve the same results, with one exception, with a short nap roller. The problem with the roller is that it does not get between the boards like this product.
Even after you get the hang of this product (there is a definite learning curve), you will still have to go back and over brush heavy spots and fill in between the deck boards where it missed areas.
I found the product easy to assemble, as long as you read and follow the simple instructions, and durable enough for the task at hand. That said, if you have a very large area, check to make sure you can get replacement pads. The store where I bought it DID NOT have them. That could present a problem.
In response to the comments about the product being flimsy, I found the to be much stronger than a swiffer. Mine does not leak, and that can be caused by improper assembly. There is a certian way to put it together, and if this is not followed it says it may leak.
Lastly, the flow control; takes some getting used to, and it usually needs to be adjusted in small increments DURING the aplication stroke. It takes some coordination and attention to detail.
Wagner website is worthless for suggestions or support.
Most of the advice above is for those who decide to purchase. But, my overall opinion is that a roller acomplishes the same result for less cost.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Save Money Get a Roller Brush Sep 29, 2008
By Stephanie Manley
When I spotted this in my local Home Depot I thought yes, finally something to put stain on my deck with that I won't get real messy, and it will go more quickly. This did not work out as well as intended. The construction of the applicator isn't heavy duty but it should work. It did hold up for the time that I used it.
The largest problem that I had with this applicator is gravity, the waterproofing stain simply poured through the pad. I ended up using over a gallon on what should have only taken a half a gallon. The product poured through without being back to control it, and once you had put the product in, well you had to use all of it, because it continued to pour through. It did do a good job of getting the water proofing stain into the cracks but I think that was mostly a product of so much of the stain simply dripping out of the applicator.
I do not recommend this product. I would suggest getting a roller with a large nap and getting the extender handle for it to aide you in applying your stain. I had to go back and brush out large parts of the deck where the stain pooled up at. This was great in theory, but the actual result weren't so great. I ended up finishing my project with a brush.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Varied results May 25, 2006
By John Burrows
"madjohn"
My experience makes it 2 and 2. I had very good results, even with no instruction booklet. Yes, it took some practice to produce the proper flow, and a brush was still needed in a few tricky areas, but all in all this made the job go rather quickly. This is a light duty tool, but with care it will serve the average homeowner. The area I did so far was only 250 square feet, and I will need a replacement pad to continue - I may have been a bit rough with it. If the surface isn't very smooth, you may want to go with a roller.
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