Refina finatex 2

Plasterers1StopShop said:
The way these trowels are made are as follows:

FLEX Trowels with the additional bracket, the tang of the trowel is riveted to the support blade which is bonded to the blade

The MT is fully riveted, hence the rivets popping occasionally. The others have part rivet welded to the tang of the trowel
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Is the new nela spat stiff or just a flexi blade
 
1st impression . Needs bit more work. Tends to drag a bit . Sounds like plasters gritty .
Ceiling wasnt flattest to be fair for a new trowel but gonna give it a chance.
f**k*d it of half way through last pass and got nela out
 
Started to use this Kraft trowel seems very nice still early days but pisses all over the nela premium much better quality steel and for £15 you cant complain
 

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Plasterers1StopShop said:
Sadly not - the NELA Premium has the bolt welded to the blade and it is pressed under high pressure through the bracket/handle and the bolt goes into the wall of the Aluminium shank

With the Refina - same as the NELA PROLINE Range in style, The bolt is welded to the blade and then is pressed into a small hole within the handle

I think Jodie maybe wrong ;-)

I have been to the factory hundreds of times and seen these styles of trowels made
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Just noticed a very recent (Jan 6, 2020) youtube vid from Level 5 tools, showing one of their trowels in production (in Poland), apparently much like your decription of the Nela manufacturing:






There's also a couple of vids from BeroXpert, on youtube, discussing how their trowels are manufactured (by Maurerfreund, in Germany, who, as many spreads know, also make many of Refina's steel trowels). No sniggering at the back of the classroom, but the vids are entitled 'Anatomy of a Tool'.
 
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MakeItSmooth said:
A year later, how did you get on with this trowel, @Burt Reynolds ?

I'm looking for a 16" laying-on trowel at the moment, and considering Kraft, amongst the other usual suspects.
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I didn't use it too much if your going stainless and like it a little stiffer then i say go for it but it's one of them trowels I have never chucked huge sets on with like a MT

However I have finally got my 14inch Kraft carbon it feels like the business little bit stiffer then marshaltown extra lite and lighter but not wrist breaking like the stainless steel one I have!

Highly recommend 16inch MT Permashape SS for laying on if you haven't already used it
 
Burt Reynolds said:
I didn't use it too much if your going stainless and like it a little stiffer then i say go for it but it's one of them trowels I have never chucked huge sets on with like a MT

However I have finally got my 14inch Kraft carbon it feels like the business little bit stiffer then marshaltown extra lite and lighter but not wrist breaking like the stainless steel one I have!

Highly recommend 16inch MT Permashape SS for laying on if you haven't already used it
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Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated.

If it's stiffer than Permashape, it may not be for me, as I see no reason for that, for my use.

I currently use a 13 inch MT Permashape SS for laying on, so I may just stick to the same model and go up in size. Just been asking around to see if anyone likes any of the competition. Ox don't do a 16" (even though they're made by Nela), Nela's newest ('Elite') seems too early to call, Ragni Feather Edge looks OK, but a bit less width than MT, which might feel stiffer (and it's 0.8mm thick - I think MT Permashape is about 0.7mm). I like Refina's flexi 3, but their Finatex 1/2 (0.6mm/0.5mm)laying-on trowels don't seem to have many fans in the UK, so I don't feel all that inclined to risk it.

Permashape, as you've suggested, may end up being the default choice for me, after all!

Cheers.
 
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MakeItSmooth said:
Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated.

If it's stiffer than Permashape, it may not be for me, as I see no reason for that, for my use.

I currently use a 13 inch MT Permashape SS for laying on, so I may just stick to the same model and go up in size. Just been asking around to see if anyone likes any of the competition. Ox don't do a 16" (even though they're made by Nela), Nela's newest ('Elite') seems too early to call, Ragni Feather Edge looks OK, but a bit less width than MT, which might feel stiffer (and it's 0.8mm thick - I think MT Permashape is about 0.7mm). I like Refina's flexi 3, but their Finatex 1/2 (0.6mm/0.5mm)laying-on trowels don't seem to have many fans in the UK, so I don't feel all that inclined to risk it.

Permashape, as you've suggested, may end up being the default choice for me, after all!

Cheers.
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NELA only make a Flex trowel for Ox, nothing else. To my knowledge, OX have 16” Flex trowels on the market
 
MakeItSmooth said:
Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated.

If it's stiffer than Permashape, it may not be for me, as I see no reason for that, for my use.

I currently use a 13 inch MT Permashape SS for laying on, so I may just stick to the same model and go up in size. Just been asking around to see if anyone likes any of the competition. Ox don't do a 16" (even though they're made by Nela), Nela's newest ('Elite') seems too early to call, Ragni Feather Edge looks OK, but a bit less width than MT, which might feel stiffer (and it's 0.8mm thick - I think MT Permashape is about 0.7mm). I like Refina's flexi 3, but their Finatex 1/2 (0.6mm/0.5mm)laying-on trowels don't seem to have many fans in the UK, so I don't feel all that inclined to risk it.

Permashape, as you've suggested, may end up being the default choice for me, after all!

Cheers.
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Hi mate I do believe the new nela black will be a real challenger however If I had 16inch or 14 i would be able to say but the steel feels ace imo

I have the refina finatex 2 it feels very nice however it was very flexible felt good for patching and small gauges but not my thing

I have the Refina flex 3 it was nice but very heavy still just seems pointless compared to a riveted trowel
 
I was given a tyzack ready to go trowel to try when they first came out, i didnt like it but now realise they may have been ahead of thier time. The flexy trowels wernt out then if im right and the tyzack was not as wide as my MS and the blade was a bit more flexy. Does anyone use the tyzack, i think Eddie(irishspread) had one?
 
jamesthefirst said:
I was given a tyzack ready to go trowel to try when they first came out, i didnt like it but now realise they may have been ahead of thier time. The flexy trowels wernt out then if im right and the tyzack was not as wide as my MS and the blade was a bit more flexy. Does anyone use the tyzack, i think Eddie(irishspread) had one?
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Ive got one but not a fan seems a bit stiff to me but thats just me i like a little bit more flex in the blade
 
madmonk said:
Ive got one but not a fan seems a bit stiff to me but thats just me i like a little bit more flex in the blade
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They didnt seem stiff to me at the time but that must be at least 6 or 7 years ago. Do they do different widths as at the time there was only one size about 4-41/2
 
jamesthefirst said:
I was given a tyzack ready to go trowel to try when they first came out, i didnt like it but now realise they may have been ahead of thier time. The flexy trowels wernt out then if im right and the tyzack was not as wide as my MS and the blade was a bit more flexy. Does anyone use the tyzack, i think Eddie(irishspread) had one?
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Yes me had them for years now . Great trowel great price aswell
 
Burt Reynolds said:
Hi mate I do believe the new nela black will be a real challenger however If I had 16inch or 14 i would be able to say but the steel feels ace imo
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I'll watch what happens with forum feedback on that, but in the meantime, I'm going to go with what I know - a 16" Permashape.

Burt Reynolds said:
I have the refina finatex 2 it feels very nice however it was very flexible felt good for patching and small gauges but not my thing
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I'm not surprised, what with the Finatex 2 having a 0.5mm blade.

The Sup3rflex 3 has a 0.5mm blade, but obviously with a stiffening layer in between it and the shank - it's quite weird that Refina made one of their flexi trowels stiffer than one of their laying-on trowels!
Burt Reynolds said:
I have the Refina flex 3 it was nice but very heavy still just seems pointless compared to a riveted trowel
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Fair enough - flexis aren't for everyone, and I'm not suggesting them as a replacement for a laying-on trowel, I'm just saying, as far as flexis go, I like the Superflex3. I've tried the Superflex2 and find the Superflex3 more convicing - I don't feel it's all that heavy, either.
 
MakeItSmooth said:
I'll watch what happens with forum feedback on that, but in the meantime, I'm going to go with what I know - a 16" Permashape.



I'm not surprised, what with the Finatex 2 having a 0.5mm blade.

The Sup3rflex 3 has a 0.5mm blade, but obviously with a stiffening layer in between it and the shank - it's quite weird that Refina made one of their flexi trowels stiffer than one of their laying-on trowels!


Fair enough - flexis aren't for everyone, and I'm not suggesting them as a replacement for a laying-on trowel, I'm just saying, as far as flexis go, I like the Superflex3. I've tried the Superflex2 and find the Superflex3 more convicing - I don't feel it's all that heavy, either.
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I use the ox Ultraflex sometimes feel very nice the rest I just dont rate personally
 
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