I used to hand trowel everything, now I power trowel most flatwork. What changed for you?

Back when I started 15 years ago in Phoenix, I did all my finishing by hand because that's what the old guys taught me, but about 5 years ago I picked up a used power trowel and it cut my finishing time in half on warehouse floors. Has anyone else switched from hand to machine finishing, and did you notice a difference in the final product?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_sanchez4922d ago

You ever have a buddy who swore by hand finishing no matter what? My friend Mike was the same way, stubborn as a mule. He finally broke down and tried a power trowel on a big basement slab last summer. After that first job, he told me he wished he'd switched years ago because his back wasn't killing him and the finish was way more consistent. Now he won't touch a hand trowel unless it's a tiny patch job.

the_taylor22d ago

Right there with you, Mike sounds like every old school finisher I know! My buddy Dave was the exact same way, swore hand finishing was the only real way to do it, then I finally talked him into trying my power trowel on a 3,000 square foot warehouse floor last fall. He grumbled the whole time he was learning it, but after that job he went out and bought his own the next weekend and hasn't looked back since.

wood.faith21d ago

Huh, did your buddy Mike ever figure out how to avoid the power trowel bogging down on wet concrete? My cousin Tim was the same way, totally old school. He finally caved on a big garage pour last spring and tried my ride-on. He spent the whole first pass cussing at me, but at the end he just stood there staring at the finish like it was magic. Now he won't even let me borrow his hand trowels when I need to patch something small.