Switched from bull floats to mag floats for driveways about 5 years ago

I used to swear by bull floats for everything. Then I did a big driveway job in Boise back in 2019 and this old finisher told me to try a mag float instead for the initial pass. The difference in how flat the slab came out was night and day. Less chatter marks and way easier on my back too. Has anyone else made that swap and stuck with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden_butler2721d agoTop Commenter

Funny you mention Boise, I grew up near there. Actually made the switch the other way a few years back. I was doing a garage pour and my mag float kept sticking and dragging, felt like I was fighting the concrete the whole time. Switched back to a bull float mid pour just to get it done. In my experience it really depends on the mix you're working with. Some batches are just finicky and will fight you no matter what tool you grab. I keep both in my truck now and just test a small section first to see how the slab behaves. Your mileage may vary obviously.

elliotadams21d ago

So did you end up sticking with the bull float after that pour?

samwalker21d ago

Nope, stuck with the bull float the whole way. I think I'd rather fight a bad mix than switch tools mid pour and look like I don't know what I'm doing. @hayden_butler27 makes a solid point about testing a small section first, which is smarter than my approach of just hoping for the best and dealing with the consequences. My truck's got a bull float and a mag float in it too, but mostly so I can tell myself I have options while stubbornly reaching for the same one every time. Learned that lesson the hard way after a driveway pour where I switched tools three times and ended up with a finish that looked like a toddler did it.