# Boxes Vs. Buckets of Mud



## Jorg (Jul 18, 2015)

At my location the mud in 3.5 gal. boxes cost 63 cents a gallon less than buying it in the 4.5 gal. buckets.

My next job I'll be trying auto tools and a pump, and will be using about 25 buckets of mud or 32 boxes.

Does using boxes make any sense , having to open them and dump into a bucket for the pump.

The total savings would be $70 or $2.83 more per bucket.

I have never used the boxed of mud before.


Thanks


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## P.E.I.Taper (May 4, 2015)

i have almost never had the luxury of getting mud out of a bucket without dumping it there myself. i would go the cheaper route.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Who don't like an empty ??


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## K&K Drywall (Aug 16, 2015)

I am in northern Maine, I have never even seen the mud in the box before, seen it on tv. Up here we always use bucket mud. I use a combo of two kinds. USG green lid for taping, and rapid coat beige for everything else.


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## cracker (Nov 3, 2013)

Price difference for me is 7.10 box and 13.70 bucket. So I pay around 4.00 just for that plastic bucket. Probably go thru 7k-10k boxs of mud this year. Difference pays for a new truck


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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

cracker said:


> Price difference for me is 7.10 box and 13.70 bucket. So I pay around 4.00 just for that plastic bucket. Probably go thru 7k-10k boxs of mud this year. Difference pays for a new truck


You have to figure that you get more mud (about 25% more) in a bucket. I think that a box of USG AP mud has about 47-48 lbs of material in it. The bucket has about 63 lbs of material in it (if I remember correctly. I have weighed them before). for us the difference is $8.15 per box vs $12.00 per bucket at Home Depot. More from a supplier. So the arithmetic is $8.15 x (63/48) = $10.70 for equivalent amounts of mud. So we get the bucket for $1.30. I will sometimes go this route for 10 or 15 buckets, when I am low on empty buckets. typically I use the boxed mud.


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## gotmud (Mar 21, 2011)

Buckets are a pita to thin down cuz they are full. I like having lots of empties but have not found a good way to thin the mud down without making a mess


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## cracker (Nov 3, 2013)

endo_alley said:


> You have to figure that you get more mud (about 25% more) in a bucket. I think that a box of USG AP mud has about 47-48 lbs of material in it. The bucket has about 63 lbs of material in it (if I remember correctly. I have weighed them before). for us the difference is $8.15 per box vs $12.00 per bucket at Home Depot. More from a supplier. So the arithmetic is $8.15 x (63/48) = $10.70 for equivalent amounts of mud. So we get the bucket for $1.30. I will sometimes go this route for 10 or 15 buckets, when I am low on empty buckets. typically I use the boxed mud.


If you look at the cost per pound. My cost is .14cent/lb for box and .22cent/lb for bucket. If i use 500k lbs of mud per year. box total in 70,000.00 and bucket is 110,000.00. I charge for buckets, but stock all boxes. the difference is 40k per year...I also get a rebate on how much rock i move


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

I just started getting boxed mud,
Its imported from the USA and costs me £8 a box!
If buying buckets of mud here the cheapest is about £14 but if ur not in the trade u r looking at £30 a bucket:blink:
I love the freemans boxed mud that comes from over the pond and its a lot cheaper for me:thumbup:
And they now have started making setting filler which is also very good!


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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

cracker said:


> If you look at the cost per pound. My cost is .14cent/lb for box and .22cent/lb for bucket. If i use 500k lbs of mud per year. box total in 70,000.00 and bucket is 110,000.00. I charge for buckets, but stock all boxes. the difference is 40k per year...I also get a rebate on how much rock i move


our lb costs are around .17 for box mud, and .19 for bucket mud.


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## saskataper (Mar 6, 2011)

I bought some buckets of green lid and plus 3 to try out here as the new sherwin williams stocks it and it drove me nuts, had to scoop some out to make room for water then when the bucket gets to low for the pump crack open a new pail, scoop some over to the last pail, mix it up, once the pail is low enough scoop the other mud back in cleaning out the old pail completely, and on and on. F me what a pita.
Boxes you just have a mixing pail for each type of mud, once it gets low dump as much as you need in mix it up and go. Not to mention having to deal with 15 or 20 empty pails at the end of a job, I like having a few extras but thats it.


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## gotmud (Mar 21, 2011)

saskataper said:


> I bought some buckets of green lid and plus 3 to try out here as the new sherwin williams stocks it and it drove me nuts, had to scoop some out to make room for water then when the bucket gets to low for the pump crack open a new pail, scoop some over to the last pail, mix it up, once the pail is low enough scoop the other mud back in cleaning out the old pail completely, and on and on. F me what a pita.
> Boxes you just have a mixing pail for each type of mud, once it gets low dump as much as you need in mix it up and go. Not to mention having to deal with 15 or 20 empty pails at the end of a job, I like having a few extras but thats it.


My point exactly sask! How long can you keep mud in the plastic in the box? I always figured once you unwrapped the plastic you should mix it all up? Then I have a bunch of partial buckets of different mud!


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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

gotmud said:


> My point exactly sask! How long can you keep mud in the plastic in the box? I always figured once you unwrapped the plastic you should mix it all up? Then I have a bunch of partial buckets of different mud!


Mix the partials of taping and lightweight together. Thicken it with some quickset if necessary. And first coat some sticks of metal. I won't tell anybody.


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## Oldtimer (May 6, 2015)

I usually buy the cartons of Synko pre-mix mud. Since I primarily use all-purpose I don't have to worry about mixing different types of mud together. I do get the odd pail from time to time when I need more pails as I use the empties for mixing cartons of Span-Lite texture. Something I do to keep opened unmixed mud from drying out in a carton or pail is to wet down some paper towel or a small cloth and place it in the container then re-seal it. This creates a bit of humidity in the container and therefore keeps things from drying out too fast. :thumbsup:


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## gotmud (Mar 21, 2011)

endo_alley said:


> Mix the partials of taping and lightweight together. Thicken it with some quickset if necessary. And first coat some sticks of metal. I won't tell anybody.


I've actually often thought about mixing AP and lightweight, not sure how that would turn out lol


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

gotmud said:


> I've actually often thought about mixing AP and lightweight, not sure how that would turn out lol


I use to mix green lid usg with blue top usg and u can end up with some very nice mud to use!:thumbsup:
If u like easy sanding then not so much green in it but the green cuts down any scratch marks when sanding than using just the blue!


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

I always got mud in cartons and we used taping for taping and topping for fill coats. I wouldn't allow Plus 3 on my job, because of the scratching issue. Westpac Black dot was my favorite. The general would shine high powered flashlights on my work so it had to be nice and clean.


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## gotmud (Mar 21, 2011)

VANMAN said:


> I use to mix green lid usg with blue top usg and u can end up with some very nice mud to use!:thumbsup:
> If u like easy sanding then not so much green in it but the green cuts down any scratch marks when sanding than using just the blue!


I'm gonna give it a go:thumbup:


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

gotmud said:


> I'm gonna give it a go:thumbup:


Yea do u will b surprised what u can make out of the 2!!:thumbsup:


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

VANMAN said:


> Yea do u will b surprised what u can make out of the 2!!:thumbsup:


 I use to do that too, One hard mud because it was slick, One soft mud to fluff up and lighten the harder mud and made is easier sand, It sure made a nice mud, But then the softer mud got sorted out and it good stuff now.


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## Iowadrywall (Jan 3, 2015)

I find it much easier to use buckets, the boxes are nothing but a complete mess imo


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## Mudstar (Feb 15, 2008)

I kicked the bucket along time ago. Boxed all the way!


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## gopherstateguy (Apr 8, 2012)

We use 100% box mud. I have an endless supply of paint buckets because our company paints all ceilings and primes walls for some builders. They are nice because they are quite a bit taller than mud buckets and allow more room to mix in water and for your pump. I use leftover taping mud to thin down light mud for boxing. I walk out of the job with two buckets with mud in them. Left over boxing mud and thick mud from bead, butts, and touch up.


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## mld (Jul 2, 2012)

gopherstateguy said:


> We use 100% box mud. I have an endless supply of paint buckets because our company paints all ceilings and primes walls for some builders. They are nice because they are quite a bit taller than mud buckets and allow more room to mix in water and for your pump. I use leftover taping mud to thin down light mud for boxing. I walk out of the job with two buckets with mud in them. Left over boxing mud and thick mud from bead, butts, and touch up.


For new construction I've gotten to the point where I never leave the job with mud. I ain't gonna use it anyway and how many partials do you want? 
When I've got a bunch of remods or patch jobs then I buy it in the bucket and keep it till it's gone.


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## gopherstateguy (Apr 8, 2012)

I use it all. It's like sour mash for whiskey. I use the thick for prefill and save the boxing for boxing. Either bucket is usually less than half full. I know how much to mix.


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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

The guys I work with just walk away from the job leaving 3 or 4 partial buckets of crusty mud drying up. Then they complain they have no buckets on the next job. That's why I get so angry all the time. Or one of many reasons. Don't get me started.


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## gotmud (Mar 21, 2011)

VANMAN said:


> Yea do u will b surprised what u can make out of the 2!!:thumbsup:


Holy chit! This must have been a trade secret. I did as you said mixed USG AP with USG plus 3 and whoa! Let me tell ya, except for taping I will never use anything else. The mud is so workable, great slip and little to zero pocks! And it dries relatively quick. Great tip, thanks Vanman.
On a side note I will have those offsets soon:thumbup:


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

gotmud said:


> Holy chit! This must have been a trade secret. I did as you said mixed USG AP with USG plus 3 and whoa! Let me tell ya, except for taping I will never use anything else. The mud is so workable, great slip and little to zero pocks! And it dries relatively quick. Great tip, thanks Vanman.
> On a side note I will have those offsets soon:thumbup:


Hey that's good u like the mix!:thumbsup:
It makes some difference that's for sure.
O that's great about the knives:thumbup: Just need to get u payed now:yes:


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## Vega (Aug 20, 2015)

Simply I use the box mud I keep my buckets wash them out .. Everyonce in a while I'll ask my painter buddies to give me some empty buckets they use between paint and primer about 40 buckets per house so there's plenty of them .. I like to mix my own mud,bucket mud comes pre mixed don't care for that plus they cost a few bucks more even though they have a lil more mud .. Still not worth it to me ..I use about 30 box of usg plus 3 light weight or Hamilton green dot light weight , and 76-96 box of usg total all purpose or Hamilton red dot all purpose per house ..I'll have about 4 or 5 houses a week right now on the slow season .. No rebates buy them by the pallet but paying 7.45 per box doesn't matter what brand ..I get a good price .. Most people pay 8.98 per box and 13.82 per bucket ..


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## JohnNeggere (Oct 22, 2015)

.17 is quite good i think:-?


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