Spent $150 on a power trowel float plate and it was junk

Bought a cheap aftermarket float plate off Amazon. Figured it would save me some cash on a small garage floor job in Phoenix. First pass with it and the blades started chattering. Left a wavy finish that took an extra hour to fix with a hand float. Gotta stick with the name brand stuff even if it costs double. Anyone else get burned by cheap trowel parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan_thomas8428d ago

Maybe the problem wasn't just cheap steel, maybe the float plate wasn't flat out of the box. Worth checking with a straight edge before you even mount it next time.

seth_singh2028d ago

Did your buddy try putting the plate on a glass surface to check for rocking?

joel_jones28d ago

Is there a specific way you check for flatness on these cheaper plates? I've always just slapped them on and hoped for the best, but I'm starting to think that's why my last build had that annoying wobble. A straight edge makes sense, but do you also look for any twist in the plate or just check it on a flat surface? I'd be curious to know if there's a trick to telling if the plate is warped from the factory or if it just needs to be torqued down right.