Concrete project PICs

Slamfire · Oct 26, 2003

When going slow on a two wheeled vehicle you do turn right to go right. At speed though, you have much better control by pushing on the bar in the direction you want to go. Precession of the front wheel makes the bike lean. Not too important on a bicycle, but a whole lot easier on a hog. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

bmac · Oct 26, 2003

When you catch a bump and the thing hangs a hard ninety and throws you off. It stops. Your hand is no longer squeezing the go bar. 

Harv,

Until you posted this, I hesitated to relate my one and only experience with a concrete buggy. Now that I've seen that this kind of thing has happened to others.... well let's just say that my embarassment level has dropped a notch or two.

I was pouring a little slab for a patio on the back of my house. Didn't think I wanted the truck driving across my lawn, so I had the buggy on hand to move the concrete from the street to my back yard. As it turned out, we decided to accept a few ruts in the lawn for a faster pour so I didn't need the buggy after all.

That doesn't mean I didn't drive it (or try to drive it). Yes, it threw me off. No, I didn't let go. Actually, I tightend my grip to keep it from getting away from me. You see where I am going here. Felt like a fool runing along side of this crazy thing going around in circles. Centrifigul force working against me as I tried to remount. Instinct telling me to hold on. Common sense abandoned me the second it did its hard turn to the left. The idea of releasing the throttle thingy just didn't occur to me. Eventually got back on, straightened it out and brought my chariot to a safe stop. Three years later my now 12 year old son still reminds me of the concrete buggy demonstration I provided him and several neighbors. Something I would just as soon forget.

dfeck · Oct 27, 2003

Junkman,

The cost of renting the buggy was $91/day. That included tax, insurance, fuel and trailer. I picked up the buggy and transported it myself with my V6 Ford pick-up. I don't know what the delivery cost would be but the unit isn't very heavy. So if you have a 2" ball, hitch and 4 wire harness you're all set to go.

I considered using a pump truck but the cost was very expensive. That's because in our area the concrete companies do not offer pumping. You need to contact another company that offers pumping. Thier cost was a min. of $200 bucks plus the priming of the pump is another logistical problem.

The buggy was very easy to operate once you understand the left/right thing. We had 3 people working the concrete. One operating the buggy and 2 moving and screeding the concrete. It took about 40 min. to move 3 yards 150ft. Most of that time the buggy operator (my brother) waited for us to move and screed the concrete. After the concrete was moved, we spent another hour floating and finishing the edge. Then once it set-up a little I broom finished the top.

Thanks,
Doug

Mark_D · Oct 28, 2003

Everyone is overlooking the obvious here....use the loader on your tractor....just spray it out good when you're finished.

wroughtn_harv · Oct 29, 2003

The concrete buggy is a great tool. They hold a yard or close to it each load. The dump is via a hydraulic system. And they don't splash much and their tendancy to rut isn't near what the average tractor does.

Your typical FEL on a CUT can haul half a wheelbarrow's worth per trip without losing half of it along the way. Even a one and a quarter yard big FEL, Cat 416--Ford 555, etc can haul only a fraction of their capacity.

The other thing is manueverbility and working in close quarters. The buggy can get in small places usually only accessible to wheelbarrows.

The buggy wins hands down in a haul concrete with FEL's.

Of course this bucket I've made and use is the best of both worlds.

I'll use it today setting posts. I've also got to go look at a job for a pier drilling company. The job's location restricts using anything but a pump truck. Unless of course they have me drill the piers with my tractor and haul in the concrete for them too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I sell these to local concrete contractors by the way. What is interesting is I'm talking to a dairy right now about making them a couple of these with off to the side spouts. They think it might be the cat's meow for feeding calves.

dfeck · Oct 29, 2003

Mark,

I considered using the FEL. But after careful consideration I decided to rent the buggy. I almost used the FEL and at the last minute I changed my mind. This was due to having rain for 3 days straight before the pour was going to happen. I thought the lawn was too soft to run the tractor over it 10-12 times.

Doug

dieselsmoke1 · Oct 29, 2003

( this bucket I've made and use[/url] is the best of both worlds.)

NICE!

Would you change anything about the bucket design if starting over?

wroughtn_harv · Oct 29, 2003

Would you change anything about the bucket design if starting over?

I got real lucky on the design first time out. I've sold one to a guy who did one that he thought was like mine. His didn't work worth a flip.

Here's the points I thought important.

1. Keep the weight as close to the tractor as possible.

2. Put an anti splash lip around the top.

3. Have the outlet higher than the splash lip when bucket is level.

Mine is a third of a yard capacity. I make and sell a half yard capacity for the guys who have larger skid loaders.

It's finer than frog hair when it's needed.

Streetcar · Dec 16, 2014

Sealing would be with silene, for table top ,can get at HD. The other sealing would be when you placed concrete to prevent shrinkage cracks in fresh concrete. It is more of a curing situation

kneedeep · Dec 17, 2014

Streetcar said:
Sealing would be with silene, for table top ,can get at HD. The other sealing would be when you placed concrete to prevent shrinkage cracks in fresh concrete. It is more of a curing situation