Wasted $350 on a cheap power trowel that died after 3 jobs

I bought a no-name power trowel off Facebook Marketplace back in March because I thought I was saving money. It worked okay for the first two driveways but on the third pour the blades just started wobbling and then the engine started smoking. Took it to a shop and they said the whole gearbox was shot and it'd cost more to fix than what I paid. Has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way with budget equipment?

2 comments

2 Comments

henderson.kim1mo ago

Read that exact same story in a concrete finishing group on Facebook last week. Some guy bought a cheapo trowel off Amazon for $300 and it grenaded the gearbox after four small slabs. The shop told him the same thing - fix it for more than it cost new. These bargain machines just don't have the metal quality where it counts. The castings are weak and the bearings are basically garbage right out of the box. You're better off hunting for a beat up used Wacker or MBW that still runs than rolling the dice on new junk.

iris_mason881mo ago

Four slabs and it died, @henderson.kim, that makes me rethink those cheap trowels I was eyeing.