Electric Cement Mixer

[WVBill]

Wharv:

I was wondering what Maximizer is so I surfed on over to <A target="_blank" HREF=http://txi.smithmicro.com/default_3.tpl?id1=2&id2=17&id3=97> Their web page </A> and, hey it looks likd Bob Vila is involved with them too. Wow, our own wroughtn_harv and Bob Vila! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Thanks for the update Bill. I haven't been to that site since last week when I went looking for an email address to complain loudly and often. They've updated it since then.

I suspect they're not going to like what I'm going to tell them. But oh well, life in the city for a country boy. That post setting Maximizer won't hunt for a professional fence builder.

 

[BB_TX]

Well, Harv. Thanks for the tip, but as usual I was a day late or a dollar short. It was gone by the time I got there. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Guess I'll keep looking.

 

[steved]

I've mixed hundreds, if not thousands, of batches of concrete and mortar in a 3 cu.ft. electic mixer. I've done a lot of stone work. It sure beats mixing by hand, when you need small batches.

But, how do you prevent buildup of contrete/mortar on the inside of the barrel over time? I've tried many things, but nothing seems to work. Yet, many other mixers I've seen seem to be nice and clean inside.

Is there some trick i'm missing, like vinegar, or acid, or virgin sacrifice to the masonry gods?

Steve in PA

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Is there some trick i'm missing</font color=blue>

If there is, I haven't found it yet. We kept my brother's rig nice and clean, but it was simply time and effort after each use; never gave it time to harden for more than a few hours. When we were building my brother's house, he rented a mortar mixer. I did the mixing and my two brothers did the block laying. And we returned the rented mixer cleaner than when we got it, and the rascals charged him a "surcharge" for not returning it completely clean with no dried mortar on it./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I guess we should have taken a picture of it before we started using it, and I suppose they make money by hitting each renter with that little extra charge.

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>how do you prevent buildup of contrete/mortar on the inside of the barrel over time?</font color=blue>

I used the same electric mixer for a number of years, back when I had time for a lot of cement-oriented projects, and managed to keep the inside clean and almost shiny. All it takes is to hose it out as best you can after your last mix, and then toss in a shovel or two of sand/gravel mix and a little clean water. No cement, of course, and just let it run for a little while. Dump and rinse. Repeat if necessary. Usually about 10 minutes total, during which time I was cleaning the other tools.

Learned that technique from a neighbor who had been using the same mixer for a couple of decades, and it was one crusty son-of-a-gun on the outside, but clean as a whistle on the inside.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I had a Montgomery Wards 3.5 CU FT electric mixer with a cast iron ring gear for 20 years or so. I used it to mix concrete for many projects. My brother-in-law and I even used it once to mix concrete for my Neice's basement floor. It was a lot of work but we got the job done. I don't recommend it for a project that size. However, if you have two people loading the mixer and two people working the concrete it will mix concrete as fast as you can handle it. I usually used a 1 2 3 mix, mixing a half sack of cement per batch. It would take a larger load but the 1/2 sack mix was easy to measure. I cut the cement sack in half with a pointed shovel and dumped it into the mixer. Used buckets to measure the sand and gravel.

I mixed a lot of concrete in my mixer and I never had a problem keeping it clean. After each use, I put a bucket of water and a shovel full of gravel in the mixer. Ran it for a few minutes, dumped the water & gravel, then hosed out the the inside.

Great tool for small jobs.

John

 

[ScottAR]

WHarv, How'd it go? Can't keep us in suspense!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

First thing that happened was I found myself in a world where I was the oldest one in the whole darn neighborhood. Most of the guys were of the age where my hackles came up from just having a mid twenties daughter /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We had a great lunch. They were very polite. I demonstrated mixing concrete in the wheel barrow and it was obvious to everyone that doing with good mixed maximizer was physically easier and there was the obvious that the product was better. I did some regular sacrete too as a comparision and as before the good mixed maximizer shown.

I was impressed with the people and the production process. And yes, I got out of there with some free t shirts and a little product, I might be easy but I can't be had for free. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seriously, Maximizer is a product of the future. It will become the benchmark for small project concrete.

Oh, and they loved Lucy, she's such a hussey. The plant manager mentioned that he'd seen his guys climbing all over her. I pointed out that some folks will go to extremes to induce suicide.

 

[ScottAR]

They ever figure out the problem? Just curious, I find it unique (unfortunately) that a major company would actually give a hoot these days about one complaint.