My mortar mixer decided to quit halfway through a backyard patio job in Phoenix last Thursday

The belt snapped with a loud pop and sent a glob of half-mixed mortar straight up into a client's lemon tree. I had to finish the batch by hand with a hoe in 95 degree heat, which was about as fun as it sounds. What's the weirdest way your gear has failed on you?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.ruby3mo ago

You said you had to finish by hand in 95 degree heat, but honestly, that's a pretty normal Phoenix fall day. The real killer is when it happens in July during a 115-degree heat warning. That's when mixing by hand becomes a genuine safety issue.

the_wesley3mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, 115 is a whole different kind of misery.

shah.shane2mo ago

A buddy of mine from Flagstaff got sent down to help on a job in Goodyear one July. He was finishing a slab by hand in full sun, temp hit 112, and by noon he was puking behind the Porta-John. Foreman told him to sit in the truck with the AC blasting for an hour, but the damage was already done. He said his arms felt like wet noodles for two days after.