Vent: Saw a crew in Phoenix using a new mud pump setup on a big job

I was working on a house next door to a big apartment build. They had this whole trailer setup with a pump feeding mud through hoses. Not the usual boxes and pans. The guy running it said they were doing 150 sheets a day with three guys. Three. I always thought pumps were for huge jobs only. But he said the setup cost about $8,000 and they got it back in saved labor in under six months. They were using a specific brand, a Columbia. It made me rethink how we do things on our 30-sheet custom homes. Maybe the old way isn't the only way anymore. Has anyone here switched to a pump system for smaller crews? Was the learning curve bad?

3 comments

3 Comments

willowh203d ago

Ever try running one on a two story?

uma_taylor473d ago

Our crew ran a pump on a two story for @willowh20, and honestly the learning curve wasn't bad at all.

barbarah193d ago

Running a pump on a two story can be a real bear the first time. We had a job where the pressure just WOULD NOT hold steady, and the guys were running up and down stairs all day. It takes a minute to get the feel for it, for sure. Getting that rhythm down makes all the difference.