Power trowel vs hand trowel on a 40 degree day in Phoenix

Tbh I ran a crew out in Phoenix last week and we split the slab, half finished by hand and half with the power trowel. The hand trowel side had way better cream and no washout, but it took us 2 extra hours and my knees are still mad. Anyone else think power trowels are only worth it on huge pours, or am I just old school?

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aaroncampbell6d ago

120 degrees on the slab surface is a whole different animal than the air temp. Your hand trowel crew likely caught it at the right moisture window, but the power trowel on that mix will pull fines to the top and burn the cream if you're not running it light. We did a 5,000 square foot pour in Scottsdale last month, same split, and the power side had that gray washout until we switched to a lighter pan and slowed the RPMs way down. For anything under 3,000 feet, hand finishing is still the play, but you gotta have the right guys. Your knees will hate you either way, so pick your poison.