Changed my mind about using a mortar mixer after 12 years of hand mixing

Last week on a job in Cleveland I had a 300 brick retaining wall to do solo and my shoulder was killing me by lunch. My helper kept pushing me to try his mixer and I finally gave in around 2pm. Honestly it cut my time by almost half and the mud was way more consistent than anything I ever got by hand. Anyone else switch later in their career and feel stupid for waiting so long?

2 comments

2 Comments

nina_jenkins1mo ago

You said "my shoulder was killing me" and that's the thing that gets me. I've been mixing mud for 12 years by hand myself and my left elbow has been giving me trouble for the last three years. Did you notice any difference in how your arm felt the next morning after using the mixer compared to your usual hand mixing, like maybe the soreness was in a different spot or not as bad? Because I'm wondering if switching would save my joints some wear and tear long term, not just speed up the job. I've got a 400 brick wall coming up next month and I'm seriously thinking about renting one for that week to see how it goes.

shaneb1629d ago

Nina, are you sure you're not just getting old and blaming the tools?