Overheard a foreman say power trowel blades matter more than the machine

Was on a job in Tampa last Tuesday and the lead finisher told a new guy that spending $300 on good blades beats dropping $5k on a fancier trowel. I always just grabbed whatever was cheapest at the supply house, but he showed me the finish difference on a 12,000 sq ft slab. He said his set lasts 40% longer too. Anyone else notice a big jump switching to premium blades or is he just picky?

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taylorhunt21d ago

That 12,000 sq ft slab you mentioned is the real test right there. I ran the same experiment a couple years back on a warehouse floor and the cheap blades left those little washboard ripples no matter how slow I went. Swapped to a set of decent ones and the finish was glassy, plus they held their edge about twice as long before I had to flip them. One thing though, he's not totally right about the machine not mattering. The blade does most of the work, but if your trowel has a busted spider or worn out gearbox, no blade in the world is gonna save you. You still gotta keep the machine squared up and running smooth or you're just polishing a turd with a $300 razor.