Remember when we used to mix all the mortar by hand in a wheelbarrow?

I was on a job in Cincinnati about fifteen years ago, and we'd spend the first hour of every morning just shoveling sand and Portland cement into a barrow, adding water, and turning it over with a hoe. My shoulders would ache by 9 AM. The big shift for me was getting a small, used mortar mixer for $800 about six years back. It cut that setup time down to maybe fifteen minutes and gave a much more even mix every single batch. I held out for a long time, thinking the old way built character or something, but honestly, I just got tired of being worn out before I even laid my first course. The mixer lets me focus on the wall itself, not on my back. Anyone else make that switch later in their career and wonder why they waited so long?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.reese8d ago

Tbh, I bought a cheap mixer years ago and it was the best money I ever spent.

charlescraig8d ago

Remember my buddy's cheap mixer? Still works.

spencer_park268d ago

Cheap tools force you to learn the basics better.