Made the switch from hand troweling to power trowels on flatwork and I'm never going back

I fought it for like 5 years because I thought power trowels were just for big crews and lazy finishers. Finally rented a 36 inch ride-on for a 4000 square foot warehouse slab in Akron last month. The difference in density and flatness was insane - we did in 3 hours what would have taken 12 with hand floats. My knees and back are thanking me too. Only downside is you gotta watch the corners still, you'll always need a hand float for those tight spots. Anyone else make the switch later in their career and feel stupid for waiting so long?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan2891mo ago

That 36 inch ride-on is the sweet spot for sure. Had the same fear about tipping but once you get a feel for the balance it's pretty stable, just gotta take it easy on the first pass.

hayes.tara1mo ago

I was reading an article about this in Concrete Construction magazine a few months back. They had a whole study on how power trowels get a way better finish than hand work every single time. Makes me wish I'd tried one sooner, though I'm still scared of flipping the thing over on a wet slab.