That $80 mortar mixer paddle burned me twice before I returned it

Bought a cheap paddle off Amazon thinking it'd save my back on a big retaining wall job in Austin, but it warped after three mixes and threw mortar everywhere. Anyone else stick with a mortar hoe after trying the budget paddle route?

3 comments

3 Comments

sage_moore371mo ago

Holy cow, @aaron_perry said it threw mud all over his truck AND the driveway?

aaron_perry1mo ago

Man, that $80 paddle burn is a classic trap honestly. I went through the exact same thing on a paver base job outside San Antonio - bought one of those supposed "heavy duty" paddle mixers that looked beefy in the listing photos, first few batches of Type S mortar were fine, then on the fourth mix I heard this nasty groan and the whole thing started wobbling. Threw wet mud all over my truck bed, my clothes, the guy's driveway, it was a mess. What I've learned (the hard way) is that a quality paddle from a real tool store is worth the extra cost if you're doing more than a couple bags, but for one-off jobs a mortar hoe is honestly more reliable even if it's slower on your shoulders. Those cheap paddles don't have the shaft thickness to handle thick mortar for more than maybe three mixes before they start flexing and spitting.

taraross1mo ago

Heard a guy from my framing crew say the cheap paddles are basically just stamped tin, they can't handle the torque from thick mud. Said he went through three in one afternoon before just grabbing a hoe. Honestly the hoe is slower but at least it won't warp on you after a couple batches.