Switched from hand troweling to power trowels on flatwork and it messed me up for weeks

Been doing concrete for about 8 years now. Always did everything by hand, thought power trowels were for guys who couldn't finish right. Then I took a job at a big warehouse pad in Cleveland back in May, 40,000 square feet. Foreman told me to use his power trowel or go home. First few passes I felt like I was fighting the machine, left ridges everywhere. Took me like 3 jobs before I got the feel for how to overlap the passes and keep a consistent edge. Now I can only do hand work on little walkways and steps. Anyone else struggle making that switch or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_murphy804d ago

First few passes I felt like I was fighting the machine" - that's the exact spot where most guys get stuck. You gotta let the trowel do the work, not muscle it. Keep your hands loose on the handles and let the blades find their own flatness, then just guide it. For the overlap issue, try making your passes so each one covers about half of the last one's width. That's what finally clicked for me after I spent a week redoing a parking lot. You got this, just give it time.

the_max4d ago

Gotta disagree on letting the trowel do the work. I've seen too many guys get lazy with that approach and end up with a wavy mess. You need some muscle to keep the blades biting, especially if the mix is stiff. Overlap trick is solid though, can't argue that one.

gray_morgan4d ago

Funny enough I used to think you had to really lean into the machine to get it to smooth out. After fighting with a slab last summer I tried exactly what you said about loosening my grip and it was a night and day difference. That overlap trick with half widths is the real key too, wish someone had told me that years ago.