Trowel Machine Blades

Black steel or polished steel trowel machine blades

Our trowel blades are typically manufactured from either black steel or polished steel. Both provide a similar finish however the black steel blades are typically used in domestic and commercial applications such as house slabs, driveways, car parks etc. Polished steel blades will give a slightly smoother finish and are typically used in industrial applications such as factory floors.

Combination trowel machine blades

Combination blades typically have a beveled edge or edges and the carrier bar is typically offset to one side of the blade. They are used to break concrete in the initial passes or to provide a light textured or stippled finish. Combination blades are available for most trowel machine sizes however they are not typically available for 24” and 30” machines.

Finish trowel machine blades

Finish blades are a flat blade with the carrier bar located in the centre of the blade. Unlike combination blades, both sides of the blade can be used, once one side is worn, the blade can be rotated 180 degrees providing a new finishing edge. Finish blades are normally manufactured from heat treated steel and give the concrete a polished finish.  They are normally used in the final stages of finishing to create a burnt finish.

A burnt or burn finish normally refers to a darkening of the concrete during the finishing process. The finish blades are pitched up to an angle to close the surface, this results in the blades wearing down due to the abrasion of the concrete. As the blades wear, the metal filings darken the surface of the concrete resulting in a dark, dense and extremely hard surface. 

Wide finish trowel machine blades (flat finish)

Similar to the above mentioned finish blades, wide finish or flat finish blades are wider and marginally thicker than standard finish blades and are typically used on ride on trowel machines to provide a burn finish to concrete. 

Blue steel trowel machine blades

Available in both combination, finish and wide finish styles, Blue steel blades are specially treated to provide up to 25% longer service life than regular steel blades. They are slightly thicker and marginally more flexible than standard blades improving blade performance and prolonging blade life. 

Gold steel trowel machine blades

Similar to blue steel, however these blades are made from a heavier weight steel and tend to be more stiff. As a result they are only recommended to be used on ride-on trowel machines. The high chrome and carbon content increases abrasion resistance resulting in 25-50% longer life than most silver steel blades. 

Plastic or teflon trowel machine blades

Plastic blades have only emerged on to the market in recent years and are a specialised blade used for burn finishes. As mentioned above in the finish blade section, when burning with steel blades, the concrete is darkened by the metal filings wearing off the blades and being troweled into the concrete. Whilst this finish may be desirable, it can result in inconsistent colouring of concrete. Conversely, when burn finishing with plastic blades, the plastic wears leaving in a lighter burn finish which tends to be more consistent than steel burn finishes. 

However, finishing with plastic blades requires a different finishing process. The concrete needs to be closed up with steel combination or finishing blades to the point that it begins to burn. At this stage, the plastic blades can be used to burn the surface.  

Caution needs to be taken using the plastic blades as they will heat up during the finishing process. If the blades are stationary on the surface at any point, they will burn an unsightly burn mark which will be very difficult to remove. It is recommended to lift the machine off with a crane whilst the blades are still rotating or build a platform at the edge of the slab to run the machine onto. 

Float Pans

Float pans clip on to the blades of a trowel machine without any extra fasteners. They are typically used to “break” a slab in the initial passes. The pans create suction and pull slurry to the surface. They also fill or cut any imperfections left from screeding and bull floating. Once the surface has been floated, the pan can be unclipped from the trowel machine allowing the concrete to be finished with the combination or finishing blades fitted to the machine. 

The smaller 24 and 30” pans can be used to create a low stipple finish, a great alternative to hand stippling. 

In the sizes from 36-60” pans there are 2 different types, flat pans and super-flat pans. Flat pans have a small dish in the pan which puts less load on the machine but won’t leave as flat finish as a super flat pan. As the name suggests, super-flat pans are totally flat creating more suction and leaving a flatter surface. 

These pans can be identified by the lip at the edge of the pan. A 45 degree lip means a flat pan, a 90 degree lip means a super flat pan. 

In the larger sizes, there are 2 options for attaching the pans to the trowel machine. Z Clip pans feature a raised Z shaped clip which the blade clips into locking the pan on the machine. However, these pans are not suitable for use when crane lifting machines on site as the pans could slip off and fall and could cause serious injury. 

Pin and clamp fittings are slightly different and feature 2 angle brackets fixed either side of the blade and arm. These angle brackets have a hole in which a pin is passed through, over the top of the blade carrier and through the hole in the opposite bracket. This locks the pan onto the machine providing safe crane lifting with pans. 

Finally, 46” pans are available for both 4 and 5 bladed machines.