eva908•1mo ago

Switched from trowel-and-board to a mixer cart after 18 years and it took some getting used to

For almost two decades I carried my mud on a hawk and loaded my trowel by hand like most guys. Last spring my foreman at a job in Austin insisted we all use those rolling mixer carts with the tub. I argued about it for a week, thought it was just extra fuss. Finally gave in and after about three days I could lay brick way faster without stopping to scoop. My shoulder didn't ache at the end of the day either. Has anyone else made that kind of switch and felt weird about it at first?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonl111mo ago

Is it really that deep though? Man, you been slinging mud by hand for 18 years, and one week of bching about a mixer cart and you're already sold? Don't get me wrong, I get the appeal of not scooping, but I see guys all the time who can't work without their fancy cart now. They've got no feel for the mud, no idea what it's like to actually judge a batch by hand. My grandad troweled for 40 years, never touched a cart, and his work is still standing just fine. I just think sometimes we overcomplicate things that didn't need fixing. But hey, if it saves your shoulder and you're happy, more power to you.

clairem471mo ago

Yeah the part about "my grandad troweled for 40 years" hit home for me. I get that completely, some guys just have it in their blood and they make it work without all the bells and whistles. But I think we gotta remember not everyone's built the same, and 18 years of slinging mud by hand is no joke on the body. It's not about losing the feel for mud, it's about wanting to still be able to do this job when we're 60 without needing a surgery every few years. Your grandad was a tough guy no doubt, but some of us just need a little help to keep going.