Egon
Epic Contributor
Looks nice but the chances are you will end up shovel mixing. most of your concrete in the tub.
Mixing concrete - "Mud mixer" alternative. Steele mixer
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I never heard of this, so I went to their website to see some video's of it being used. I couldn't find any, but to buy it, there is a link to Amazon with a few videos.
From what I saw, it's one of the dumbest things out there. Mixing a sack of concrete in a wheelbarrow with a shovel would be faster and easier. Plus you can move it to where you need it and cleaning the wheelbarrow looks like it's a lot easier too.
When I'm doing a job for a client, I mix 60 pound sacks of concrete in a five gallon bucket with a Spade Drill. It's geared heavy duty for mixing stuff. I can do half a sack in a bucket and easily carry the bucket to where I'm working. I've done a dozen or more sacks like this without any issues.
For my place, I mix and pour pads up to 12x12 without too much issue. I start early in the morning, and I'm usually done by noon. It usually takes a pallet and a half for most pours like that. My shed is 10x30, so I did it in three pours. I put the mixer next to where the pad is, and the pallets are right next to the mixer. In my opinion, the hardest part is getting the sacks of concrete into the mixer. The closer it is, the easier it goes.
I have the Imer Minuteman II Mixer
IMER Minuteman II Portable Multimixer
I bought it at Home Depot 20 years ago and it's still running strong. It's gear drive, all metal, and parts are easy to get for it. I busted the cover for the motor and switch, so I keep it covered with a plastic bucket to keep everything dry.
I think I paid around $400 for it back then, and it looks like the price has doubled. I saw several copies of it on Amazon that look identical, except for the color for under $400. I have no idea what the difference is between them, the look so similar in the pictures.
For big projects, like my 30x52 garage addition, I hire the pros. Concrete trucks have a 3 yard minimum, and they rarely show up first thing in the morning. They do the big jobs in the morning, and then they show up when everything else is done. I hate pouring in the afternoon, especially when you have no idea when the truck will show up.
Another reason for doing it yourself is the location. My septic tank is just to the left of this picture, and there is a big oak tree that would make it hard to get a cement truck to the pad. For me, it's just easier to get it done myself, then deal with others and a massive cement truck.
quicksandfarmer
Elite Member
Thanks Eddie, that's good first-hand knowledge. The website says it will take up to 250 lbs per batch, do you find that's accurate? I've found with mixers they often they work better if you don't fill them all the way. A pallet is 42 bags 80-lb bags, so a pallet and a half would be 63 bags, which would be 21 pours at 3 bags per pour. Does that sound about right? And maybe 15 pours an hour, so 90 minutes +/- to get it poured? I think that's about the limit if you're by yourself to leave yourself enough working time to finish the slab.
Of course, I try to get 60-lb bags. I agree that moving the bags is most of the work and with my body I'd rather move smaller weights than fewer trips.
Of course, I try to get 60-lb bags. I agree that moving the bags is most of the work and with my body I'd rather move smaller weights than fewer trips.
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Shenandoah MF1760
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I watched a video of the Steel Mixer and my back immediately started asking if I was considering using something like that for more than a half dozen 80lb bags.
I like the idea of the Mud Mixer, but the cost is really difficult for me to justify.
I have a wheeled plastic bucket with a drill-motor-powered auger I bought from a magazine 40 years ago that's good for small jobs like fence posts.
As much as I'd like something better I guess I'll stick with "good enough" and hire out the bigger jobs.
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At 249 bucks, it's not cheap. In fact it's a ONE BAGGER as well and the HF 110 volt motorized mixer (it will take 3 bags) is about half the price and no manual labor either. Thing is way over priced....
Rockbadchild
Elite Member
That steel mixer looks very good from what I saw in the advertisement, and I believe they went on shark tank?
I just want to point out that 1 hours for the closes concrete plant is not that far at all... they can put set-retarding admixtures in it and that would keep concrete to a liquid state for up to 6h without problem. I would call you local concrete plant and ask if you haven't done so.
I just want to point out that 1 hours for the closes concrete plant is not that far at all... they can put set-retarding admixtures in it and that would keep concrete to a liquid state for up to 6h without problem. I would call you local concrete plant and ask if you haven't done so.
Sprinkler Fitter
Gold Member
I didn’t read everything but I rented a mud mixer about a month ago to pour a slab to put a heavy outdoor fireplace on. now my slab was about 10 inches thick so what I would do if I did it again would be to rent two mud mixers because we still did 40 bags in an hour, but it started drying a little quicker than we wanted so we just made the cement a little wetter than we wanted to overcome the lower part drying
MossRoad
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About 28 years ago I needed to pour a small section of sidewalk. Maybe 2/3 yard at most. Local concrete company had a 4 yard minimum or there was a penalty.
I bought a Harbor Freight mixer and enough bags of concrete to do it myself for less than the 4 yard minimum plus penalty.
Very similar to this one on sale for $199.
I think mine was $129 at the time. Since then, I've used it many times, most recently pouring 16 footings 4' deep X 12" sonotubes for our garage addition.
It'll run off of my portable generator if needed, too.
I bought a Harbor Freight mixer and enough bags of concrete to do it myself for less than the 4 yard minimum plus penalty.
Very similar to this one on sale for $199.
I think mine was $129 at the time. Since then, I've used it many times, most recently pouring 16 footings 4' deep X 12" sonotubes for our garage addition.
It'll run off of my portable generator if needed, too.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
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The only thing I'd change on it is larger tires for easier rolling. Even with that, I was able to roll up and mix right over each footing. No shoveling required.
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I only buy 60 pound sacks. I did the math and the price per pound was within 1 cent of each other. 56 on a pallet gives you the bulk discount and Lowe’s adds my military discount for $229 last week.
I put three sack in my mixer. If I mess up and it’s too wet, I can fit a forth sack in it, but I prefer 3 sacks at a time.
I sort of get into a pattern. I spray water into the mixer. Turn it off and add concrete. Then I turn it on and add more water. When the mix is right, I start spreading what I had just dumped. Then I dump the mixer again, add water, turn it off, add concrete and then more water. I just keep going until I’m done.
When the pad is thick enough at the far part of my pad, I start screeding it and even troweling it smooth between each dump.