There are three different types of power trowel blades.
- Float Blade: Wagman float blades are designed to clip onto a finish blade bar, or a trowel arm. With the blade set in the flat position, high spots are broken down while suction and engine vibration will bring paste to the surface, all producing a uniform and level slab.
- Finish Blade: Wagman finish blades are designed to product a smooth and polished finish on concrete surfaces. They have two usable sides. After a slab has set up, trowel pitch is increased to a greater blade angle resulting in a smooth or polished finish.
- Combination Blade: Wagman combination or “Combo” blades are made from a heavier gauge steel and are designed for those who wish to use one blade for both float and finish operations. The blade has angled sides in the front and sides so that it can be used flat for floating the concrete without digging into the fresh concrete. Once the concrete starts to harden, you can pitch the blade and produce a smooth or polished finish.
This will depend on concrete mix design, environmental conditions, weight of the equipment being used, and general expertise of the concrete finisher. On average a set of trowel blades will last approximately 40,000 square feet.
Wagman manufactures trowel blades using three different types of steel. They are as follows:
- Silver Series: Wagman manufactures its silver line from torque flex steel specially formulated to provide the most wear-resistant, high-performance power trowel blade available.
- Blue XL Series: The Wagman Blue XL blade was designed to provide a perfect balance between longer life and maximum operating smoothness. The Blue XL is thicker than the silver series, and combined with its ability to flex slightly, performance is improved and blade life prolonged. The Blue XL blade will give you 15% to 25% longer life over a silver series blade.
- Gold Pro Series: The Wagman Gold Pro blade is a blade build tough to meet the demands of ride-on power trowels. It is constructed using extra thick high-performance tool steel and is the longest lasting blade on the market. Due to its thickness it has less flexibility and should only be used on heavier equipment like ride-on trowels. High chrome and carbon content increases abrasion resistance. The Gold Pro blade will give you 25% to 50% longer life over a silver series blade.
Wagman manufactures a full line of poly plastic blades for use on colored concrete. Steel blades will leave dark burnish marks on any type of concrete of epoxy.
Float pans have a proven record of improving the overall flatness of the slab. They are used in the initial stages of the concrete finishing process. They are used to open the slab and move material from high spots to low spots in your floor.
Wagman Pro Float pans are available in both z-clip and safety-catch styles. The z-clip is the easiest to use, but the safety catch is a must if you are working on elevated slabs and/or lifting your machines high in the air. A float pan can make a very deadly Frisbee if it comes lose from a machine.
Wagman also manufactures both the Mild Dish and Regular Dish pans in most sizes. The Mild Dish is used on super-flat floors and features a 1/8″-1/4″ rise from the center of the dish. The regular pan is much easier to steer and control as it has a 3/8″ – ½” rise from center, but will not give you as flat a floor.
Once again, that depends on a lot of the same factors we covered above for trowel blades. An approximate number we use for steel pans is 100,000 square feet per pan.