Vent: Experienced finisher told me to stop using a trowel machine on small residential jobs

I was working a driveway in Akron last summer, maybe 30 yards. Had my power trowel out and this old guy who's been pouring since the 70s walks up and tells me I'm killing the surface by running the machine on such a small pad. Said I'd get a better finish by hand with a fresno and a little patience. I argued that it saved time. He just laughed and walked off. Next time I tried his way, got a way smoother finish without the burn marks. Has anyone else had an old timer straight up call them out on using power tools for small pours?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_roberts414d ago

Machines ain't always faster, seen it with snowblowers too lol.

jamiew5313d ago

Did you catch that thread where @nancythomas said the same thing about hand finishing saving her ego?

nancythomas13d ago

That power trowel on a small driveway is like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture. I learned the hard way too, got so frustrated I almost threw my machine in the dumpster after seeing the swirl marks. Hand finishing saved my ego, and honestly, it made me look like I actually knew what I was doing.