Just realized my old magnesium float was slowing me down on every pour in Phoenix last summer.

Switched to a 14 inch aluminum fresno last week and the finish time on a 20 yard slab dropped by a full hour, so what's your go-to finishing tool for hot weather concrete?

4 comments

4 Comments

joseph_bailey1mo ago

Switched to aluminum years ago. Never looked back. That magnesium just bakes and sticks.

laura_wilson1mo ago

My uncle's crew in Tucson swears by aluminum tools after noon. They said magnesium just bakes in the sun and grabs the paste. I watched them use a wide aluminum fresno on a driveway last July, and they were done before the next truck even arrived. The metal stays cooler and doesn't stick as bad when the slab starts to flash. It's a simple switch but it makes a huge difference when you're racing the heat.

kai_foster1mo ago

Ever try a magnesium float in that dry heat? It felt like dragging through wet sand for me too. My aluminum fresno just glides over the surface when things start to set up fast. I keep a spray bottle handy to mist my tools now, it stops the concrete from sticking. That combo shaved a ton of time off my last few pours.

garcia.mila1mo ago

Yeah, that spray bottle trick is a lifesaver. Total game changer for the afternoon pours.