Trowel handle snapped on me mid-pour yesterday

I was finishing a driveway in Phoenix yesterday afternoon, about 80 square yards of 4000 psi mix, and my Marshalltown bull float handle just cracked right at the threads. Thankfully I was still in the floating stage and not finishing, but I had to run to the truck and grab my old wooden handle. I rigged it up with some duct tape to get through the job, but man it threw off my rhythm and the owner was watching me. The handle was only about 3 years old and I treat my tools decent. Has anyone else had a handle fail like that on a modern trowel, or was mine just a fluke?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda5003d ago

Can't believe a Marshalltown snapped on you. That's a big brand name, supposed to be the good stuff. I've had cheap handles go but not one like that in the middle of a pour. Duct tape rig is a lifesaver though, been there myself. Three years ain't that old for a handle, sounds like a bad batch or something. Sucks when the owner is watching too, adds all that extra pressure.

grant_foster793d ago

Hang on, let's not act like the world ended because a trowel handle broke. Yeah it's a bother, but three years of daily abuse is pretty decent for any tool honestly. Duct tape gets you through the day, you finish the pour, nobody's gonna remember that handle snap next week. Owners don't really care about that stuff as much as we think, they just want the slab flat. I've seen way worse messes from guys trying to baby old handles and then damaging the concrete instead. Is it really that big of a deal or are we just looking for something to complain about today?