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I switched from hand troweling to power trowels about 5 years back and it changed my whole approach to finishing slabs
Back when I started out in the trade around 2008, I used to do everything by hand with a magnesium trowel. It took forever and my knees would be shot after a big pour like a 30x40 garage floor. Then I worked a job down in Austin in 2019 where the foreman had us using a power trowel for the final passes. I was skeptical at first because I thought hand work gave you more control. But after three tries with that machine, I noticed the surface came out way flatter with less effort. I still use a hand trowel for edges and tight spots, but for the main area the power trowel saves me about 2 hours per pour. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a difference in their finish quality?
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williamb293mo ago
Did you run into any issues with machine weight on wet slabs or was that never a problem for you?
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stellaa693mo ago
Read somewhere that the curing process is more of a factor than the weight itself, @viola_ward basically nailed it by saying just walk it carefully.
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viola_ward3mo ago
Machine weight on wet slabs? Yeah, if you're trying to do donuts on fresh concrete it's a bad time. Otherwise just walk it like a normal person and you're fine.
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