TIL the $180 I dropped on a used 8 foot straightedge was the best money I ever spent on tools

Hugo Ellis · 2026-09-23T22:20:04.877051+00:00

Bought a used magnesium 8 foot straightedge off a retired finisher in Fresno about 4 months ago. Paid $180 cash, which felt like a lot at the time for what is basically a long piece of metal. First pour after I got it was a 30 by 40 shop slab and I caught a low spot about 12 feet in that I would have never felt with a screed board alone. Fixed it before the bleed water even showed up. A month later I was doing a driveway in Clovis and the same thing, edge of the form was off by almost half an inch over 20 feet. The last guy on that job told me he used to just eyeball it and hope for the best, and I believe him because you can see it in his old work. It has already saved me from at least one call back, which would have cost me more than the tool. Anyone else got a cheap tool that ended up being the one you reach for every single pour?

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TIL the $180 I dropped on a used 8 foot straightedge was the best money I ever spent on tools | Concrete Finishers - HW Forums