Finally switched from a standard trowel to a Marshalltown 14-inch for a big foundation job

The extra length and balance cut my time by a solid hour and my lines are way cleaner. Anyone else have a go-to tool that just makes the work flow better?

3 comments

3 Comments

joelwells10d ago

My old boss swore by his 16-inch Marshalltown for slabs. That extra reach lets you fix a low spot without moving your feet, which saves a ton of small motions over a day. It just makes the whole rhythm of finishing feel smoother.

johnson.daniel10d ago

Yeah, the part about the lines being cleaner really hits home. I heard a guy on a jobsite podcast say a longer trowel acts like a bigger straightedge, so it naturally flattens out more area with each pass. Makes total sense why it would speed things up. My game changer was finally getting a good magnesium float, it just glides over the concrete differently.

the_wesley5d ago

You guys are talking about trowels like they're sports cars. My back hurts just reading about a 16 inch model. Sounds like you're one step away from just strapping a pool float to a broom handle and calling it a day.

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