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The difference between a $40 trowel and a $90 one is way bigger than I thought

I used the same cheap, stiff trowel for years because I figured steel was steel, right? Last month I finally bit the bullet and got a premium one, a Marshalltown 13 inch. The first day I buttered brick with it, I felt like an idiot for waiting so long. The flex is perfect, it holds the mortar just right without it sliding off, and my wrist doesn't ache at the end of the day. That cheap one would leave little gaps I had to go back and fill because it wouldn't spread as smooth. I mean, it's just a tool, but it changed my whole pace on a chimney rebuild in Tacoma. Has anyone else had a tool upgrade that felt like a cheat code?
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4 Comments
luna261
luna26128d agoMost Upvoted
Wait, you used a stiff trowel for YEARS? That sounds like actual torture. I can't even imagine the wrist pain, @kim_mason55 would probably have a fit hearing that. A good trowel bending right is everything, it just does the work for you. It's not a cheat code, it's just finally using the right tool. I'm shocked you put up with that for so long.
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kim_mason55
Right? My new drill felt like that.
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park.eric
park.eric2mo ago
So your new drill felt weird right out of the box?
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wendym87
wendym872mo ago
Did you check if the battery was fully seated? Mine did that weird thing until I pushed it in harder than I thought I needed.
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