Transport Wheel Kit for Walk-Behind Trowels #A151
Trowel Blades
& Float Pans
Superabrasive produces a variety of trowel blades and float pans for walk-behind and ride-on power trowels, inclluding Allen, Bartell, Champion, Dart, ESI, Essick, Kelley, MBW, Morrison, Muller, Oscar, Rhin-O-Tu©, Toro / Stone, Wacker, Whiteman.
Float pans with clip-on or safety catch attachment in 36″, 46″ and 60″ diameter.
Finishing and combination blades from 24″ to 60″ size.
Concrete Finishing FAQ
Is pan and blade quality important?
Both float pan quality and blade quality matter a lot when finishing concrete with power trowels. Skimping on either usually shows up directly in the floor.
Float pan quality (early finishing stage)
The float pan is what sets the foundation of your finish.
- Flatness & rigidity: A high-quality pan stays flat under load, helping you achieve better FF/FL numbers. Cheap pans can flex or warp, creating waves.
- Material thickness: Thicker steel distributes weight evenly and resists deformation, especially on large slabs.
- Balance: A well-balanced pan reduces machine chatter and operator fatigue.
- Wear resistance: Better steel lasts longer and maintains consistent performance across jobs.
Blade quality (final finishing stage)
Blades determine the final surface appearance and density.
- Edge consistency: Precision edges produce a smoother, more uniform finish without streaking.
- Steel hardness: Higher-grade steel keeps its shape longer and delivers a tighter burnish.
- Flex characteristics: Good blades flex just enough to follow the slab without digging in.
Finish quality: Inferior blades can leave swirl marks, lines, or uneven sheen.
How they work together:
Pan = structure + flatness
Blades = smoothness + polish
If either one is low quality, it limits the other.
Why use pans to float concrete?
Float pans are used to remove surface imperfections, improve flatness and to compact concrete before the finishing operations. Unlike blades, floating pans distribute pressure evenly, which is essential in rebar fabrication and large-scale concrete projects.
When to start pan floating?
Correct timing is crucial when using power trowels and floating pans. Floating should never be done when bleed water is present, as this can lead to surface scaling and dusting.
When a finisher walking on the surface leaves only a 1/4-inch indentation, the concrete is ready for floating. Since walking on soft concrete can affect the surface quality, pan floating is most commonly done with riding trowels. However, smaller walk-behind or edging machines up to 36 inches are beneficial for floating edges and slab penetrations.
How to use float pans for best results?
- Use low speed to prevent damaging the surface
- Apply a forward-backward technique to minimize turn marks
- Avoid high-speed, uncontrolled floating, often called cowboy floating, as this reduces flatness
- Always make the first pass perpendicular to the direction of screeding
- Work the edges in a backward pass because forward passes can cause the concrete to rise, creating additional edge work.
- The number of passes is also important – a minimum of two passes is required, but four passes are preferred, with each pass perpendicular to the previous one.