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Just realized I threw $300 at a power trowel blade set that never fit my machine
Back in 2019 I was finishing a 40x60 slab in Bakersfield and figured I'd save time by ordering a set of combo blades online instead of driving to the supply house. The listing said "universal fit" so I didn't think twice, but when they showed up the bolt holes were off by maybe a quarter inch and the arbor was a different size. I tried to make them work for two days and ended up borrowing a beat up set from the guy on the next pour, which honestly ran smoother than anything I owned. Lost about $300 on the blades plus a half day of screwing around, and the return window had closed by the time I gave up. Now I trace every blade on a piece of cardboard before I buy, and I still feel dumb about it. Anybody got a brand that actually fits what they say it fits, or do you just bring your arbor to the counter like I do now?
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blakem821mo ago
My buddy Dave ran into the same thing two summers ago on a job in Modesto. He ordered a set of 36 inch combo blades off some site that swore they fit his old Whiteman, holes looked close in the picture so he hit buy. They showed up and the bolt pattern was off just enough that he could only get two bolts started, and the arbor hole was sloppy so the whole thing wobbled like crazy. He ended up eating the cost too, I want to say it was around $280, and the return shipping was almost as much as the blades so he just kept them in his trailer as spares. Now he keeps a little cardboard template he cut from his old set and traces it over every listing photo before he pulls the trigger. Might be worth doing the same thing so you have it on hand when you're ordering at night.
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