Mixing mortar by hand vs paddle mixer, never going back

I spent 6 years mixing mortar in a wheelbarrow with a hoe on jobs around Cleveland. Last month my foreman made me borrow his paddle mixer for a big retaining wall job and now I feel dumb for not getting one sooner. The difference is night and day, the mix comes out way more consistent and I cut my mixing time down from 20 minutes to maybe 5 if I measure the water right. Hand mixing always left dry pockets or wet clumps that would mess up my joints and cause cracking later on. The paddle mixer also lets me do smaller batches, like half a bag, which is perfect for repairs when I only need a few bricks done. I bought a cheap 800 watt one off Amazon for $65 and it's already paid for itself in labor time. Anyone else switch over and notice their shoulders hurting less at the end of the day?

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wesley_hart15d ago

Gonna admit I was the same way for way too long, back in my brickie days I hand mixed everything and my right shoulder sounded like a bag of gravel by noon. My foreman finally made me use his mixer on a tiny patio job and I felt like an idiot for not stealing the idea sooner. The dry pockets were the worst, I'd be halfway through a wall and hit a clump that just ruined the whole line. Now I got a cheap one too and my joints actually thank me at the end of the day, plus my wife says I don't groan as much getting off the couch. Wish I could get my six years of sore arms back but at least I'm not young and stupid anymore.