For a big project in Phoenix, I mixed my mud with a drill and paddle for the first three days. It was fast but left a lot of air bubbles that showed in the finish. On day four, I switched to hand mixing in a mud pan for just five minutes longer per batch. The finish was way smoother with no bubbles, and I saved time on sanding later. That extra mixing time up front made the whole job look cleaner. Anyone else find hand mixing gives a better finish than power tools?
Wait, you were mixing mud for a whole house with a drill? How big of a paddle were you even using? I can't imagine the arm workout from that, let alone dealing with all those bubbles in the finish.