Power Screed: Which One Is Best To You [5 brands]

To strike off excess concrete, power concrete screeds can replace man-powered tools like screed bars.

Water, cement, and aggregate are mixed to pour concrete.A smoothed surface should be achieved before the mix dries. By leveling out and/or vibrating the wet mixture, a power screed assists in smoothing out the process.

The concrete can be leveled by friction screeds or “roller” screeds that can be powered by gas, electricity, or hydraulics. Power concrete screed compaction is primarily determined by the vibration force and to a lesser extent by the static weight.

In this article, we will be discussing various power screeds from different brands. This will guide you to choose the best one. We will be describing the specifications, power source, and price. In total five big manufacturers of concrete power screeds in the USA will be covered.

vibrating concrete screed,start from $300

MBW 

MBW is an American brand manufacturing construction equipment since 1967.

With every new engineering project, MBW assumes significant progress can be made toward improved productivity, lower maintenance, longer life, enhanced user safety, or lower long-term expenses.

It offers two options for vibratory screed. One is gasoline-powered and the other one is electric-powered using a battery.

SCREEDEMON™ POWERED BY HONDA GX35 (Gasoline)

Rubber isolators are used to power the eccentric in ScreeDemon.   To use it, a special bar must be attached to the ScreeDemon.

The screed bar does not have any holes that could weaken it. There are no threads to complicate assembly and disassembly. It takes just seconds to assemble and disassemble the ScreeDemon.

SCREEDEMON POWERED BY M18 REDLITHIUM (Electric battery)

It is quieter than an engine version. Visibility is improved in darker work areas with lights. Indoor use is ideal because of the zero emissions. It is easy to assemble and disassemble using the clamp system. No maintenance is required for sealed exciters. Our hands and arms vibrate 50 to 90% less than the competition.

Marshalltown

Marshalltown is a legendary American company producing concrete handling products since 1890. It has two models available for power screed. Both of them are gasoline-powered.

Shockwave Power Screed (Gasoline)

A vibrating screed ensures a quality finish on any concrete project. It is equipped with a Honda GX35 4-stroke engine and features fully adjustable handlebars and grips. This dampens vibrations extremely well.

The throttle lever is powered trowel style, so it doesn’t require stationary contact. A direct drive shaft extends the life of the motor. Maintenance of the screed is monitored by an onboard tachometer and hour meter.

Speed Striker (Gasoline)

Smoothes and extends the life of concrete slabs by vibrating over them. Vibrations are absorbed by the dampening frame so that operators see very little vibration.

The engine is a GX35 Honda 4-stroke. With Power Trowel style throttle levers, contact is not necessary all the time. A direct drive shaft extends the life of the motor. Handles are completely adjustable. A blade of 4.5 feet is available with or without an optional handle.

Allen Engineering

With beginning operation in 1964, the US base company Allen Engineering has championed in make concrete handling and finishing machines. It offers two concrete power screed models. One is electric powered and the other one is gasoline-powered.

MAGIC SCREED / HD7070 (Gasoline)

Designed for single-operator concrete strike-off, the Magic Screed offers precision engineering, lightweight construction, and ease of use.

This high-frequency screed is fast and easy to use, and it ensures uniform distribution over its entire blade length, increasing the concrete’s structural integrity. It is powered by a 1.5HP Honda GX35 Engine with a vibration frequency of 7500 rpm. It offers a consolidation depth of up to 6 inches.

MAGIC SCREED / E-Screed (Electric)

Magic Screed E-Screed is a lightweight, precision-engineered wet screed for striking off the concrete with a single operator.

By consolidating the concrete and distributing its weight evenly over the width of the blade, this quick and easy-to-use screed delivers high distribution rates across the blade.

With the longest autonomy in its field, you can expect the same power and performance from the electric version as you would find in a conventional Magic Screed. Designed with a comfortable fit and made of durable, easy-to-clean material, this harness is suitable for the most demanding job sites.

Tomahawk

With a simple mission, Tomahawk Power was founded in 2012: to provide the best tools and customer service possible. The Tomahawk family of products is designed to be used every day by contractors, tradesmen, and homeowners alike.

Among Tomahawk Power’s products are outdoor power sprayers, construction equipment, and portable power equipment. It only offers gasoline-powered models.

37.7cc Gas Vibrating Concrete Power Screed Motor (Gasoline)

This TVSA-T concrete screed assembly is easy to operate and provides low maintenance. With an incredible 37.7cc engine, the TVSA-T delivers uniform vibration throughout the blade for excellent concrete finishing. Compared to conventional finishing methods, Tomahawk’s labor costs are reduced by about 75%. Screed boards are available to be used in conjunction with Tomahawk E-Line joists.

Built with a powerful 5.5 HP Honda Engine, this concrete vibrator is ideal for construction, formwork, patching, and other repair jobs.

The Tomahawk TVIBH is the perfect hand-held concrete vibrator for removing air bubbles to quickly settle concrete. Specially designed for backpack use, Tomahawk backpack vibrators offer superior padding as well as adjustable backpack straps and a cushion to reduce fatigue on the operator. This 1.6 HP motor allows you to reach speeds of 12,000 RPMS quickly.

Multiquip

Multiquip has been making quality products and providing solutions since 1973 for markets including construction, industrial, telecommunications, government, non-commercial, aerospace, entertainment, and oil & gas exploration.

In addition to light to medium construction equipment, Multiquip offers power generators and lighting systems. It offers only gas-powered concrete screed.

DuoScreed (Gasoline)

In addition to providing a rapid return on investment, DuoScree is perfect for small-to-medium jobs. With its versatile design, it can be used as a wet screeding machine or as a form-to-form machine. Vibration is transmitted to the slab by an extruded aluminum alloy blade with excellent durability.  With its high maneuverability and functionality, the DuoScreen is well suited to a wide variety of jobs.

Driveshafts with flexible shafts do not require any maintenance. Because of its straight design, there is no wrinkling.

The vibrator speed is controlled with fingertip control.  Blades can be manufactured in lengths ranging between 6 and 16 feet.  The blade is lightweight – made from one piece of extruded aluminum, weighing less than two pounds per linear foot.  Easily maneuvered around obstructions such as pipes.

An operator’s handle can be positioned at waist level to utilize the form-to-form edge. For use of wet screed edge, raise handle at knee level before operation. With this design, the blade can be quickly removed without tools; the handles can be folded for storage.  A Honda engine of 1.5 HP powers this four-stroke machine.

vibrating screed,start from $300

Conclusions

To conclude, there are various alternatives available for power screeds that can be either gasoline or electric powered.

In this article, we have explained the pros and cons of each model. Your choice depends on the price and what specifications you are exactly looking into. The price can range from as little as around 400 $ to as high as 2300$.