Unpopular opinion: Hand mixing mortar is better than using a machine for small jobs

I used to use a mixer for everything, but after a 20-square-foot garden wall last month, I tried mixing by hand on a board and the mortar felt way more consistent. The machine seemed to leave dry pockets in the batch no matter how long I ran it. Am I crazy or does hand mixing actually give you better control on tight work?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael_bennett1129d ago

Yeah that dry pocket thing is real. Hand mixing fixed it for me too.

betty_white391mo ago

A dry mix just means you didn't hydrate it enough beforehand.

wade_perez1mo ago

@betty_white39 what temperature water are you using to hydrate then?