PacTool Gecko Gauge, The Original Home Siding Installation Kit - For Use with 5/16 Inch Fiber Cement Siding and James Hardie Siding, Includes 2 Gecko Gauge Clamps

Brilliant tool. Major time saver. Totally worthwhile tool. It allows you to just lay siding without having to measure and keeps the reveals precise. Also, it allows one person to install siding. It is that third arm you always need in projects like this. I was able to install 12-foot sections by myself using the gauges. It is extremely difficult to install siding solo without the gauges. Very light and durable. However, just a few things to note. It is very adjustable to fit to the siding size and the reveal you want. Generally, for the standard 8-1/4 Hardie lap siding you want 1-1/4 inch overlap with 7-inch reveal. However, when adjusting the gauge for a 7-inch reveal, the actual measurements options you have are 6-7/8-inch or 7-1/8-inch reveal and not exactly a 7-inch reveal. Not a big deal and nothing that would affect anything on the look, but when doing measurements and calculations it does matter. The only minor thing is that the gauge does separate from the wall when you clamp it down, but it still will hold the siding well. Just have to adjust it and make sure the siding is resting on the gauge.

As a homeowner, we recently embarked on a siding project for our house, and I cannot express enough gratitude for the PacTool SA903 Gecko Gauge Siding Mounting Kit! This incredible tool has been an absolute lifesaver for my husband, allowing him to complete the siding installation quickly and effortlessly, all on his own—no need for an extra pair of hands! Before discovering the Gecko Gauge Mounting Kit, my husband was facing the daunting task of installing the siding with the help of a friend. However, this kit has truly revolutionized the way he works. The genius design of the Gecko Gauges allows him to securely hold and gauge the siding boards in place, freeing up both his hands to fasten them securely without assistance. The result? A seamless and professional finish that looks like it was done by a seasoned contractor. One of the most remarkable aspects of this kit is its user-friendly nature. My husband had no prior experience with siding installation, but with the help of the detailed instructions and a few online tutorials, he quickly became a pro. The Gecko Gauges are adjustable and fit various siding profiles perfectly, ensuring a snug fit every time. The time-saving benefits of the Gecko Gauge Mounting Kit cannot be overstated. Without the need to wait for a helper or juggle cumbersome tools, my husband's productivity soared. What once seemed like a never-ending project was completed in record time, giving him more leisure time to spend with the family. In conclusion, if you are planning a siding project and are hesitant about the challenges of working alone, the PacTool SA903 Gecko Gauge Siding Mounting Kit is an absolute must-have. It transformed what could have been a stressful and time-consuming task into an enjoyable and rewarding experience for my husband. I wholeheartedly recommend this kit, and I can confidently say it will become an indispensable part of your toolbox too!

Life saver. Very helpful and essential to install siding on your own. I would recommend. Heavy duty and durable. They seem sturdy.

Being a DYI person I tackled our large tri-level house siding job. We settled on HardiPlank as we originally had redwood planks and we liked the look. The existing reveal for the redwood siding was 6-3/4” which we wanted to replicate. Later we found out 7" is the standard. Starting the job with two people holding the boards and nailing was a pain. A buddy suggested we use the clips he found but those were 7” reveal and we were already many feet up the walls. Looking on Amazon I found these. Description said they were adjustable in 1/4 “ increments so I thought great. Reading the reviews people were upset because they could only adjust them in 1/2" increments. I was very happy to find out that they are adjustable in 1/4" increments but you have to move the adjustment bolt into another hole closer to the bottom of the clamp. I can only assume those complaining were not able to figure it out as there are no instructions but it is really easy. Just pull out the bolt, slide the unit in 1/4" increments and line up the bold hole in one of two locations – slide the bolt in and you are good to go. These clamps made installing the HardiPlank go so much faster, things lined up and I could do the entire job alone now and I think faster. The best part was up high on the ladder the boards were held in the right position and now I could just nail instead of trying to hold the board in the right place, hold the nail, hammer it in all while trying to balance on the ladder 20 feet up. Using a level you can adjust each board if needed just by sliding a clamp down or up with a light hammer tap to get level again. Well worth every penny. If you have a HardiPlank job coming up, pick up a set of these first! If I could do it over again I would buy two sets and use 3 of these to hold the 12 footers. Highly recommended.

Used this to side a new house with 8 1/4" Hardiplank lap siding, with a 7" reveal. Two decades ago we made our own hangers... Glad I found theses for my first Hardi job, because they're fantastic and easily made it a two-person job (one to cut and one to hang). It is also easily a one person job for low work, but climbing up and down from scaffolding for high work will get old. There are many glowing reviews of this product, and you should believe them, so here are some tips and thoughts: - These hangers reference the bottom of each course - definitely the most accurate way to hang siding and much better than hanger/gauge products that reference the top of each course. Hardi can vary in height so if the hanger hangs from/references the top of the board, you are immediately introducing error into the procedure. Geckos do it the smart way. - For blind nailing, some courses will snug up very tight to the wall, certainly short pieces. This will mean that you have to grab the bottom lip of the board and pull out a bit to slip the Gecko in. For the most part, you'll be able to insert a Gecko one-handed. I have no experience using these Geckos with face nailing, only blind nailing. - Geckos have two rails that the Hardi will rest on, you need to keep an eye on how the Hardi rests on the rails so that you know the tool is perpendicular to the Hardi plank. If the tool is positioned off-vertical, you will introduce error. - You must watch the Gecko when setting the Hardi down into the Geckos. It is heavy enough to make the Geckos slip a bit downward and introduce error. The procedure is simple: clamp the Gecko so it is snug to the reference course. Lightly set the next course onto the Gecko rails. Check that you haven't bumped the Gecko downward off the reference course (if so simply loosen the clamp, push Gecko upward against reference course, tighten the clamp, then nail it up). We blind and hand-nailed our Hardi over 1" XPS foam, into OSB/Stud. To get the wind rating we wanted on 24" centers, we had to use 3 ¼" galvy nails with a large diameter head. Gun nails would not work over XPS foam. Too much variance in backing pressure - no amount of air pressure adjusting would solve it - either too far in, too far out, or both. Thus the hand nail. This is a lot of pressure on the Hardi and Geckos while nailing - so we learned to constantly watch for Hardi movement while resting on the Gecko. After a short time it becomes second nature and you can be careful, accurate, and fast at the same time. - You will learn tricks to use if you've developed some course-error, and need to do a correction course. The Gecko can easily be loosened and held lower to tighten a course up. You can also slip a siding nail sideways into the Gecko between the Gecko support rails and the Hardi to introduce a slightly looser course... as a sort of shim. Very quick and easy to do. - They are scary-quick to move - no other similar product will move as quickly. - Yes, these are plastic, not metal. Gecko SA902 is what you want for ALUMINUM gauges, they just cost more... PacTool International SA902 2-Piece Gecko Gauge Fiber Cement Siding Gauge - Yes, the plastic version can break from a fall. One of mine fell 20', hit something hard, and chipped the plastic frame. Luckily it wasn't a show-stopper and we completed the house with the original set. - For little chunks of siding, like 6", we just used one Gecko and eyeballed the plank horizontally. This keeps the course going up nicely, but you've got to really watch what you're doing. - Do not over-tighten the clamps. This will cause the top edge of the plank to kick out from the wall, and your next course will then try to hop off the Gecko hangers. You will quickly get a feel for how much to tighten them to effectively hold, yet not cause the plank to kick out. - We found that if you place the hangers too close to the plank ends, you get a Hardi-sag that will bug you later when that sagging area must be clamped to on succeeding courses. The slight errors will start translating onward. We found placing the hangers a bit over 24" from each end of a 12' plank distributes the load better and keeps the plank hanging with pretty much no sag. - If you insist on accuracy/quality, you still need to shoot reference marks, snap reference lines, and keep track of things. These aren't some sort of miracle tool that will take all the thinking and checking out of the equation. For instance if you're working up a course on each side of a window or door, you MUST run reference and keep track so that when coming over the top of the window, header courses will line up and reveals look good. You should not blindly trust the Gecko to run the courses up perfectly on each side of the window or door. Always keep track of references for accuracy and to avoid gotch-ya's. - If you are a professional, I would recommend having a spare set of Geckos if you use plastic version, as one will eventually break with enough long falls. They will not last forever if you're doing high scaffold work. A fall will eventually break one. I was lucky with my break, as it was non-essential plastic, and we kept working. If you can't afford down time (professional), then buy two sets and work the price into your costs. This will give you two spares and allow time for ordering/shipping the next backup set if necessary. As a pro, I simply would not hesitate to have four SA903 Geckos on hand at all times, or just get the SA902 aluminum model. All this verbage may make it sound these are a pain to use. That couldn't be farther from the truth. These tips mostly apply to using the Geckos smartly while addressing the error-translation issues that arise on all siding jobs. You can really fly along with the Geckos and I wouldn't consider hanging fiber-cement siding without them.

I started siding my shed without these clamps and ordered them about halfway through the project. Buying these clamps was some of the best money I’ve ever spent. I’d say the company’s estimate of saving half the time during labor is conservative, and your accuracy is 100% with these clamps. I can easily hang 12’ lengths of Hardie plank alone with these. I’m in the process of replacing all the siding on my home and these clamps are a lifesaver. They’re easy to adjust the face reveal, which locks in with the bolt and nut. I’m glad it’s an adjustment that locks with a bold and but because you wouldn’t change your face reveal in the middle of a job typically, and the way the tool is designed you never have to worry about the clamps coming out of your setting. The clamps are plastic, but it’s a very high quality plastic and the clamps are extremely well made. Excellent design and extremely well made product. These make hanging siding so much easier I’d buy them even for a small project. For the amount of time and effort they save these clamps are awesome. Neighbor brought me over a competitors product, the aluminum round ones if you know which ones I’m referring to, but after using both these gecko grips made his look cumbersome and slow. Best product on the market for hanging siding. I have no idea why anyone wouldn’t rate these at 5 stars. Probably one of the best tools I’ve ever owned.

What a game changer for running hardie plank siding! It makes it so simple to set and forget and get the job done!

I would never side a house without these ever again! No having to hold up a template key while fastening. Could not do solo siding work before them…now I can! Working really well with James Hardie fiber cement planks which are fairly heavy, but these Gecko clamps perform perfectly with that product.

Indispensable pour bien poser son bardage. Fiable et facile d'utilisation

I had to purchase these through Amazon US as these couldn’t be purchased anywhere in the U.K. when I wanted to buy them. Somebody told me about these clamps at work. I had a look On the internet and found them here on Amazon. They are plastic but well made, they’re light and they clamp into the boards very well. You do not need to push the lever all the way up, just up enough so they nip up onto the board. I read somewhere if you keep pushing the lever all the way up it prematurely wears out the pads that grip into the board so bear that in mind. They make fitting cladding a breeze it’s so much easier, just pop your board on the clamps and you have both hands free to fix it and check your running straight and level etc. Totally eliminates the need for a second person. No regrets at all with this purchase they’re brilliant.

una excelente calidad

Für die Verlegung von Faserzement-Paneelen sehr gut geeignet und sehr hilfreich.

The versatility of these is awesome, optional 4 to 8 inch spacing. They’re good quality, their light, and they fit in your tool pouch when you’re taking them on and off. I have used these on a few projects, and very happy with them. If you’re gonna be mounting any hardie board, I strongly suggest you get these.