Tried a roller buggy on a big slab, went right back to hand floating

Did a 2,400 square foot warehouse floor in Tucson last month and figured a power trowel was overkill for the budget, so I rented a roller buggy instead. That thing beat me up for two straight days, my back was toast and the surface still came out with those little roller lines I had to chase with a float anyway. A guy I sub for swears by them on big pours, but I honestly hand floated the whole thing in less time than I wasted trying to fix the buggy's mess. Now I'm wondering if I just had a cheap rental or if these things are only good for certain mixes, what's your experience with them on drier concrete? Has anyone else found hand tools still beat power gear on anything under 3,000 square feet?

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carter.jennifer1d ago

Yeah I think the mix had a lot to do with it. Roller buggies really like a wetter slump, 4 or 5 inches, and if your floor was on the drier side for troweling, that thing just drags and leaves those lines no matter how new the rental is. Ran into the same thing on a 1,800 square foot garage slab a few years back, dry mix, and the buggy just bounced and chattered the whole time. Hand floating sucks on your knees but at least you control the pressure and can feel the surface. Under 3,000 feet, I'm with you, it's not worth the setup and cleanup for most pours unless you're running a super wet mix and someone else is finishing behind you.

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