Switched from mortar bags to a 22-pound hopper, now I can't go back on big walls

I used to mix and haul mortar in bags up on scaffolds for years, especially on that big wall in Dayton. Last spring I finally tried a powered hopper on a job in Cleveland, and it cut my setup time by half. The old way felt more honest, but my back was done by noon. Has anyone else switched to a hopper for big walls and stayed with it?

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nora_dixon1d ago

That 22 pound hopper on the Dayton wall saved my shoulder for about three weeks, but I went back to bags after that. I get it, your setup time drops and the math looks great on paper, but I found the hopper needs a level spot and a generator, and on those old scaffolds in downtown Dayton we never had either. Plus, every time the hose clogged I was stuck cleaning it out while the crew stood around, and that ate up any time I saved. My back still talks to me at the end of the day, but at least I know the mix is right and I'm not fighting a machine that fights back. If you're on a clean, flat job site, fine, keep it, but for the rough stuff I'll take the honest ache over the equipment headache.