Any Plasterers here? Which Trowel to get?

[owsnap]

I have about 80m2 to plaster now and probably another 110m2 in a couple of months when I get more time, started already with some cheapo £6.99 trowel , got the basics down and did 2 very small walls, came out pretty decent for a first-try however... I'm getting frustrated with my cheapo trowel ,because well it's a £6.99 trowel and I'm not really sure what i was expecting out of it when buying it, I guess I just didn't knew what to look for when buying one..as plastering is something totally new to me.

Since I will be saving quite a bit of money doing it myself, might as well buy something decent to help me along the way.
So could anyone suggest me what should I get? I'm after the standard sized 13-14inch ones.
I see there are 2 kind of trowels, ones for everything and ones for just the last part of leveling off?

so What would be the best trowel/trowels to get if,
A: If I want to do everything with 1 trowel
B: If I want to do first coat with 1trowel and the last leveling part with another trowel specially for that?

Also if there are links to the specific products that would be cool as well ,as I see some trowels have almost the same name but different release years/upgraded models etc..

 

[porker]

I'm not a professional plasterer but have done a lot for myself and friends. Get a Marshalltown pre-worn around 13-14". They are expensive but cheap trowels don't compare. I only use this trowel for all plastering and rendering. Even with a pre-worn, it is worth rounding he corners off as well. I would also pay the little extra and get a stainless one and you will have a trowel for life. Something like this one http://www.screwfix.com/p/marshalltown-permashape-finishing-trowel-13/57284

 

[Distinterior]

Search for "worn in plastering trowel". They do vary in price quite a bit, but you should be able to get one for about £30 to £35. Some of them are Stainless Steel but the blade is a bit stiffer than a mild steel sprung blade.

I use a cheapish one for my first coat then finish off with the better quality Stainless Steel on my finishing coat.

 

[owsnap]

I'm not a professional plasterer but have done a lot for myself and friends. Get a Marshalltown pre-worn around 13-14". They are expensive but cheap trowels don't compare. I only use this trowel for all plastering and rendering. Even with a pre-worn, it is worth rounding he corners off as well. I would also pay the little extra and get a stainless one and you will have a trowel for life. Something like this one http://www.screwfix.com/p/marshalltown-permashape-finishing-trowel-13/57284

Thanks, yup you don't need to tell about the cheap trowels

Found that same trowel for about £37 after coupons at http://www.toolstop.co.uk/marshalltown- ... nch-p32928 looks pretty good.

Is there anything better I should get or that's the best all-in-one there is? I have heard that marshalltown is one of the best brands and should last a looooong time, but while watching some videos I saw people using all kind of other brand trowels as well.
Just want to make sure I get the best there is at the start.

oh btw 13 or 14inch? hardly any difference in price but was just wondering which is a better all-rounder.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ragni make reasonable stuff that's not as expensive as Marshalltown (iirc).

 

[porker]

Ragni make reasonable stuff that's not as expensive as Marshalltown (iirc).

+1
Not used them but they are pretty well regarded I believe.
As for 13" or 14", I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference. Plastering can be hard work so if you're a strong lad go for the bigger one! I would like to get a wider trowel for finishing but I would go a fair bit bigger. I don't think 1" will make much difference.

 

[owsnap]

Ragni make reasonable stuff that's not as expensive as Marshalltown (iirc).

+1
Not used them but they are pretty well regarded I believe.
As for 13" or 14", I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference. Plastering can be hard work so if you're a strong lad go for the bigger one! I would like to get a wider trowel for finishing but I would go a fair bit bigger. I don't think 1" will make much difference.

I had a look at the ragni as well, didn't really felt much difference from the cheapo £7 I bought,probably would have been better in real use.
I did saw a difference in build quality for the marshalltown however, right off when picking it up.

 

[owsnap]

what about the nela/refina trowels? steel ones not the plastic ones. Saw some videos where they compare the marshalltown vs those and they said they are much easier to work with, although the traditional marshalltown still provides great results?

 

[n0legs]

Marshalltown all the way.
In stainless, it'll last you ages.

 

[owsnap]

Alright thanks guys
Well just ordered the marshalltown porker suggested, £35.09 from toolstop with their 5% coupon and 3% cashback through quidco, every penny counts
Just checked on ebay they are selling for around £30 when used... Can use it to do all I need and sell it on to someone else with a fiver loss.
Not bad...

 

[MIGNAL]

How do they 'wear' these trowels in? Do they abrade the edges or is the whole thing crowned, perhaps both?

 

[Adam9453]

Marshalltown pre worn without hesitation.
Might still find it a bit sharp at first but give it some work and it'll soon be lovely.
Also if you leave it a long time make sure its bone dry to avoid it rusting dreadfully (assuming its the mild steel one).
I gave mine a smoothing with some 1200 grit wet and dry as I found it was dragging more than I liked.
Perseverance is all plastering needs, or a bloody good sander lol!!

 

[porker]

How do they 'wear' these trowels in? Do they abrade the edges or is the whole thing crowned, perhaps both?

The blades are slightly crowned along their long axis which is what I think makes the biggest difference. The long edges also have a bevel on them. The only thing they don't do (or didn't when I bought mine) is round the corners which is worth doing.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[RogerS]

How do they 'wear' these trowels in? Do they abrade the edges or is the whole thing crowned, perhaps both?

You have to put a rounded bevel on them

 

[owsnap]

well got the marshalltown trowel today ,and wow what a difference in quality vs the cheapo trowel I had bought!
I covered 2x more area today in 2x less time, hardly any marks/streaks, what a pleasure to work with

it didn't made me a professional but being a total beginer I can get a finish that I don't have to be embarrassed about =D>

thanks porker for suggesting me that trowel, worth every penny.

If anyone is looking for a trowel don't buy this screwfix crap
http://www.screwfix.com/p/forge-steel-p ... -x-4/3581c
It has very good reviews, but it's a total garbage..Just goes to show that you can't really trust the online reviews..

 

[skipdiver]

My mate, who is a bricky/plasterer always has various plastering and bricklaying trowels in his armoury that he spends months, if not years getting to just the right amount of wear for particular tasks. He treats his best trowels with the utmost care and won't let anyone else touch them. Buying a new trowel is easier now with pre-worn ones but getting them 'just so' takes a while. He always buys Marshalltown.