What tools to use for applying microcement?

[grubblar]

I am going to refresh a bathroom by applying microcement over existing tiles. Which tools should I invest in?

The manufacturer of the microcement sells their own tools on their website. A package with three tools ("DBC Finish Trio") contains a "hard trowel," a "soft trowel," and a corner trowel for a neat 1,300 SEK.

Can I manage just as well with a "repair trowel" from Biltema for 65 SEK? What is the difference between a "hard trowel" and a "soft trowel"?

 

[Peter2400]

Fun project!
I did my own bathroom a couple of years ago.
I tried trowels but quickly gave up, instead used a couple of regular wide putty knives. 100, 200, and 300 mm.

 

[DBC-Marcus]

The blade on the hard ones is more or less rigid. This is good when spreading the material. However, if you smooth the surface with it, marks from the trowel can easily be left, especially if you are inexperienced.

The soft one is made of thinner spring steel and is therefore more forgiving. If the surface is under 20m2, you might as well use cheap trowels from Biltema, rather than half quality. But after 20m2 (approximately), the blade stretches and becomes wobbly. Theoretically, you can switch to a new cheap one, but I think it will affect the appearance.

The flexible one is more important than the hard one. So it's better to buy a cheap hard one and invest in quality for the soft one. That is, if the surface is larger than 20m2.