Just realized spending $60 on a cheap mag float was a total waste

Bought one of those thin mag floats from the hardware store for my last driveway pour and it bent on the third pass. Ended up borrowing a buddy's $150 Marshalltown and now I get why you don't cheap out on that tool. Anybody else get burned by a budget float?

3 comments

3 Comments

davidshah19d ago

That thing about it bending on the third pass makes me wonder what kind of concrete you were working with. I've been using a $40 plastic float for years and it's still straight. Maybe the issue is more about technique than the price tag.

william_craig719d ago

A stiff mix with low slump will definitely show you if your float has any give in it. On a hot day when you're chasing that first pass before the bleed water sets, I've seen plastic edges grab and curl under just from the drag of a 3/8" slump. Grab a $50 magnesium float with a wooden handle, it won't flex and you'll feel the difference in how the cream comes up smooth. Ever tried running a plastic float over a 5-sack mix on a 90 degree day?

blake_kelly1919d ago

Plastic floats are fine for standard flatwork, but they soften up in the heat over time if you're doing heavy pours all day. A good mag float stays rigid no matter how hot the concrete gets or how much pressure you put on it. Not saying technique isn't part of it, but the tool does matter when you're dragging across a 20-yard slab in July.