Mixed my own mortar for the first time on a real job, never buying pre-mix again

I was on a patio job in Columbus and my pre-mix bags ran out, so I mixed lime, sand, and cement on a tarp using my own ratio from an old foreman's notes. The stuff set up way tighter and I could actually feel the difference in the trowel, but it took me 2 tries to get the water right. Any of you guys mix your own on small jobs or is that just a fool's game for the time?

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blair_dixon23d ago

Used to think mixing your own was just for old timers with too much time, but that first batch changed my mind. The feel on the trowel was night and day, and it set harder than anything out of a bag. Water is the tricky part, took me two tries too, but once you get it, it’s worth it. Now I only buy pre-mix for tiny patch jobs where it’s not worth breaking out the tarp. There’s something about controlling the mix yourself that makes the work feel more solid.