Just realized I've been mixing mortar wrong for 10 years

Everyone swears by the drill mixer attachment, but last week on a job in Columbus I switched back to hand mixing with a hoe and trowel. The consistency was way better and I didn't burn out my drill motor. Anyone else find old school methods work better sometimes?

2 comments

2 Comments

roseb474d agoTop Commenter

My uncle taught me masonry back in the 90s and he swore by mixing with a flat shovel on a sheet of plywood. He would do this little dance step thing while he worked the water in, called it the "mortar mambo." I laughed at him until I tried a paddle mixer on my first solo job and ended up with a batch that was all crusty on the outside and soupy in the middle. Had to redo an entire garden wall because the joints kept cracking. Now I only use the machine for big pours like sidewalks where consistency is less critical. Sometimes the old timers just know stuff that gets lost.

the_spencer4d ago

Hold your horses, paddle mixers give way more consistent batches every time once you figure out the right water ratio.