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Had to choose between a 4 foot and 5 foot bull float for a big garage slab in Boise.
The pour was 30 by 40 feet and I went with the 5 footer to cover more ground. It worked great but my arm was pretty tired by the end. What's the biggest float you guys will use before you switch to a walk-behind?
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the_holly25d ago
Saw a good point in a forum thread about this exact thing. The general rule was to switch to a walk behind for any slab over 500 square feet if you're working alone. Your 30x40 is 1200 square feet, so you're a hero for finishing it with a 5-footer. I agree with seanlee that a helper makes hand floating possible, but that's a lot of concrete to move. My personal limit is a 4-foot float for anything bigger than a patio.
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seanlee25d ago
Honestly, that's a solid size for a 5 foot float. I start thinking about a walk behind when I'm doing anything over 40 feet in one direction. Tbh, once my arm feels like it's gonna fall off halfway through, that's my sign. For a 30x40 slab, I'd probably still hand float it if I had a helper to swap with.
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bettyfox24d ago
A 5 foot float on 1200 square feet is just a workout, not a superhuman feat. @the_holly's 500 square foot rule seems way too low for anyone who does this regularly. Swapping with a helper makes it totally manageable, you just can't rush it. Calling someone a hero for basic finishing work is a bit much. It's just concrete, not a marathon.
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