Stickiest, most heavy duty, best quality duct tape

expfcwintergreen · Jan 8, 2015

I need it to stick to a plastic cover.

My Dad, who was a pipe fitter, used to have some really great duct tape, but I never looked to see what brand it was. It was very strong; the backing was a dark green color. Maybe I haven't been looking in the right places, but all I can find is some thin, half sticky grey backed duct tape.

Any good brands left?

amolaver · Jan 8, 2015

Gorilla tape - will pull the paint off a car (damhik). It's black (not sure if they sell other colors). Available at home depot, not sure where else.

ahm

expfcwintergreen · Jan 8, 2015

amolaver said:
Gorilla tape - will pull the paint off a car (damhik). It's black (not sure if they sell other colors). Available at home depot, not sure where else.

ahm

Thanks, that sounds like what I am looking for. The color wasn't important; I just thought it might jog someone's memory.

CNGsaves · Jan 8, 2015

Well do NOT get the "Duck" brand as it's pretty worthless once the going gets tough. Tried using it to tape down wires on trailer before I drove in rain, and tape came off nearly immediately when wet. With all their colors and ****, they've lost their way of being useful for intended purpose.

Instead bought camouflage colored tape I found at Walmart and it stuck really well in the rain. The brand is Gorilla tape. It WORKS! Even after trip in rain with trailer wires taped down, the tape was still sticky.

Old school gray duct tape is harder to find that actual has stick to it.

Scimmia · Jan 8, 2015

Gorilla tape user here as well. Best I've found.

ishiboo · Jan 8, 2015

Gorilla Tape is awesome. It comes in white on the full-size rolls as well. I tried it when Menards ran out of drain tile tape and it's really good stuff.

Also necessities in your tape aresenal:

1. Gaffers tape
2. Aluminum tape like UL181AP. Great for repairs/etc.
3. 3M VHB (permanent double-sided tape)

The Gorilla tapes that are similar to duct tape are also Made in the USA.

arrowhead · Jan 8, 2015

Gorilla tape is awesome! Just be careful what your taping to!

jakemac · Jan 8, 2015

Another vote for Gorilla Tape.
If possible, warm the tape and the tarp above 50° before applying for a quicker bond.

expfcwintergreen · Jan 8, 2015

It isn't very often that there is such a consensus of thought here or anywhere else. I'm sold. Gorilla tape must be great. Thanks to everyone.

wild cowboy · Jan 8, 2015

The best duct tapes have a name, and that name is gaffer's tape. (it's what the pros use)

expfcwintergreen · Jan 8, 2015

ishiboo said:
Gorilla Tape is awesome. It comes in white on the full-size rolls as well. I tried it when Menards ran out of drain tile tape and it's really good stuff.

Also necessities in your tape aresenal:

1. Gaffers tape
2. Aluminum tape like UL181AP. Great for repairs/etc.
3. 3M VHB (permanent double-sided tape)

The Gorilla tapes that are similar to duct tape are also Made in the USA.

I think I may have used aluminum tape on a muffler. I will look in to the others. Thanks.

General Geoff · Jan 8, 2015

Yeah, someone shattered the rear side glass on my '96 S10 Blazer, and I taped over it with Gorilla tape (used almost 2 rolls, that window is pretty big). The truck was a $200 beater so was not worth replacing the glass. I drove that thing with the tape on it for almost a year, and it was still waterproof and holding fine.

T45 · Jan 8, 2015

amolaver said:
Gorilla tape - will pull the paint off a car (damhik). It's black (not sure if they sell other colors). Available at home depot, not sure where else.

ahm

Gorilla is good :thumbup:

In my experience you don't want the glue to "feel super-sticky", the really good adhesive will take a little bit of tack before it sets up. But once it sets up, it doesn't slip or come-away from the backing. For some reason super-sticky ductape usually means the adhesive is crappy or old, and then its likely to stick to whatever, but won't have the structral integrity you need or want. This stuff usually leaves a mess behind when it is removed, whereas the good stuff will just peel the paint of :lol:

.

eborcim · Jan 8, 2015

another vote for GT.

A little off topic, if you decide to use GT's kin, Gorilla Glue, wear nitrile or similar gloves as it will not wipe off once on your skin. Also it expands like sealant foam from any crevice.

Thumper68 · Jan 8, 2015

another vote for the Gorilla tape, and their line of glues as well. Awesome stuff when you need it to stay stuck.

ncfh · Jan 8, 2015

Gaffer's tape being suggested as "stickiest, most heavy duty duct tape"??? lol wut?

The whole point of gaffers tape is that it is temporary and won't ruin whatever you stick it to.

That tends to mean its NOT the stickiest, most heavy duty duct tape replacement. And as with actual duct tape, there at many brands of gaffer's tape, and many of them are about as sticky as scotch tape.

So no, gaffers tape isn't "what the pros use" in the OPs situation at all. They use the right tool for the job, not just what sounds cool or elite.

Signed grouchy old gaffer

Jure · Jan 8, 2015

gaffer's tape

Fugio · Jan 8, 2015

Gaffers tape is NOT supposed to be very sticky. It's purpose is to leave no residue. In my line of work we call it "Rock-N-Roll tape." Same thing.

Gorilla tape is what you want!

Stuey · Jan 8, 2015

Yup, +1 for Gorilla Tape. It's good stuff, but smells awful.

jakemac · Jan 8, 2015

wild cowboy said:
The best duct tapes have a name, and that name is gaffer's tape. (it's what the pros use)

I was one of those pro's for 15yrs. Gaffer's tape is wonderful for many jobs. Much better than duct tape. BUT, it doesn't adhere as well as Gorilla tape in cold, or moist conditions. And can have issues adhering to some plastics. As another poster stated, the adhesive that is used was intended for temporary installations. Over time, in weather, the cloth backing will break down and the adhesive dries out and becomes chalky. It will last longer than Duct tape, but not longer than Gorilla tape.

I've had Gorilla tape sealing a rip in the cover of my storage tent for almost a year now. I applied it during a rain storm in the winter. It's still holding. As much as I love Gaff tape, it wouldn't have stayed on more than 10 minutes, if that.

KnurledNut · Jan 8, 2015

+1 gorilla tape. heavy duty thickness.

Bigblue&Goldie · Jan 8, 2015

I once used Gorilla Tape to keep a friend's boat from sinking in Lake Havasu. The rearend was under water, so we needed to seal off all of the vents to pump it out. GT worked like a champ! Nobody else there knew it would still adhere under water, but they all ended up buying a roll to keep in their own boats after that. A $5 roll of tape saved a $1,500 vessel assist bill.

Wamsutta · Jan 8, 2015

Nashua USA if you want super sticky.

markbugno · Jan 8, 2015

Shurtape PC 622 (black) is a great duct tape. Not sure how it compares to gorilla tape which I've never tried.

Another great tape is a fiberglass reinforced tape made by tesa tape. When I work for Siemens Westinghouse, it's actually their policy to wrap all impact sockets in this tape when being used with a hytorc (hydraulic torque wrench), in case they shatter. Good stuff.

DennisH2014 · Jan 8, 2015

Definitely Gorilla Tape I would say! I'm not huge on duct tape these days, since I've discovered so many other options, but it works when it needs to!

BFHtime · Jan 8, 2015

I have good experience with 3M duct tape. I have tried many recently that just do not stick and tear easily. Duct tape used to be great, just about any brand.

I have not tried gorilla tape but I have tried a variety of their glues.

Monte · Jan 8, 2015

mrjaw14 · Jan 8, 2015

Nashua is a brand of duct tape. They have several different types. I've used it and it's high quality stuff, but I don't know where to get it locally. I had to order mine. Locally, gorilla tape is the best if you need a thick, durable, high-adhesion tape where you want "duct tape" but need something better. It's 10-12mils thick so it doesn't tear quickly like duct tape, which means it doesn't puncture as easy.

FWIW, I do keep several feet of gorilla tape on an old credit card type of plastic in my bag when kayaking and camping for gear repairs. I wouldn't trust regular duct tape for that...

Strouty · Jan 8, 2015

I use the clear duct tape that I think is made by 3M, it is awesome. I was remaking an upholstered door panel for an excavator and I could not hold the material tight because of the odd shape, I ended up using the clear duct tape on three sides to hold it tight while the adhesive dried. it worked very well and I have used it ever since.

I actually have not used gorilla tape, but I will be getting some.

Dust Devil · Jan 8, 2015

polyken makes great tape, buy the proper one for your application.

Professur · Jan 8, 2015

Anyone know the source of the 300 mph tape Nascar teams use for body panel repairs?

stage20 · Jan 8, 2015

Ivve never used the gorilla stuff, but napa brand duct tape is pretty sticky. Is next to my work so its more convenient than going to lowes or hd

Monte · Jan 8, 2015

Professur said:
Anyone know the source of the 300 mph tape Nascar teams use for body panel repairs?

rockinacummins · Jan 8, 2015

Gorilla tape here

jakemac · Jan 8, 2015

Professur said:
Anyone know the source of the 300 mph tape Nascar teams use for body panel repairs?

It's produced by a company called ISC. Here's an online retailer :
http://pitstopusa.com/c-132885-pit-equipment-tape-racers-duct-tape.html

Monte said:

Sorry Monte, that's just regular HVAC duct tape that 3M paid Nascar an endorsement for.

smiffy · Jan 8, 2015

If you have a proper farm supply store near you try silage tape its very stretchy almost like rubber and annoyingly sticky its used to seal tears in silage bales so is made to last we use it for everything even got it holding together a truck exhaust pipe and its been there for several months and because its stretchy it màkes it easier to get a good seal with

bwringer · Jan 8, 2015

Hey, has anyone mentioned Gorilla Tape yet? :lol_hitti

I'm sure there are specialty tapes that are stickier and stronger, but they're not sitting on the shelf of every Wally World, home store, or hardware store.

bobemmerich · Jan 8, 2015

I will go with the Gorilla. I put it on my convertible top a couple years ago, and it hasn't pulled out yet. It also still hasn't leaked.

garfunkle24 · Jan 8, 2015

Gorilla tape is great, so is Hurricane tape.

warweapon762 · Jan 8, 2015

Another vote here for gorilla tape, I've shipped a box with two cylinder heads in it wrapped in that stuff and it held up GREAT.

I've also used a style that had braided wire mesh in it (stainless maybe?) that I got from one of my HVAC buddies in the early 1990s and that was the most durable tape I've ever used. But I couldn't tell you who made it or what it was used for and have been unsuccessful finding any of it since then.

Stickiest, most heavy duty, best quality duct tape

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