Paddle or drum style mixer for concrete?

[mwb]

I have been debating buying or building a cement mixer. One of the options I am considering is to build one that fits in place of my loader bucket (SS QA) and uses remote hydraulics to mix.

If I was to build a mixer it would be much easier to build a paddle "mortar" mixer than a drum. Does anyone have any experience with using this style for mixing concrete? I am concerned about the paddles jamming with different sizes of aggregate. I know rubber tipped paddles would be required but that won't help if a three inch stone made it into the mix.

Here's a link to what i would like to build
Who Needs the Monolithic Portable Concrete Mixer? You do. | Monolithic

 

[RogerMc]

I think you answered your own question. If you going to mix concrete (which has aggregate) you need a concrete mixer.

Roger

 

[montejw]

I have been debating buying or building a cement mixer. One of the options I am considering is to build one that fits in place of my loader bucket (SS QA) and uses remote hydraulics to mix.

If I was to build a mixer it would be much easier to build a paddle "mortar" mixer than a drum. Does anyone have any experience with using this style for mixing concrete? I am concerned about the paddles jamming with different sizes of aggregate. I know rubber tipped paddles would be required but that won't help if a three inch stone made it into the mix.

Here's a link to what i would like to build
Who Needs the Monolithic Portable Concrete Mixer? You do. | Monolithic

They weren't mixing "concrete" with that mixer, there wasn't any aggregate (stones) in it, just sand and portland cement. At least in my understanding of the definition of concrete it has to have sand, aggregate and portland cement.

I don't think a paddle type mixer would work well with any real concrete mix, paddles are for mortar and grout, drums are for concrete. At least that's what I would think. Been in construction since '76 if it matters. But I do have to say I've never tried to mix concrete in a paddle type mixer. I've tried to mix grout/mortar in a drum mixer and that doesn't work unless you are shooting for a real wet mix because you have to add so much water to get it to mix in the drum.

 

[Mace Canute]

A few years ago I bought a concrete mixer from a friend. It sorta looks like this one, but much older.

It's quite good for small jobs, and sure beats trying to mix by hand. It wouldn't take much to adapt this to a FEL mount especially if you had a QA, or sit on forks if you have them.

 

[gwjd]

hello

i have used this type be for

1-1/4 Cubic Ft. Cement Mixer
they work well for concrete you tip the drum on an angle and get a mixing acton like a drum


we have one here at the house and have mixed a lot of bag concrete with it

how ever not sure how it would handle 3 inch rock

 

[JFS2295]

These things are just screaming 3pt hitch and PTO drive.

 

[ecoslik]

I have a drum stye concrete mixer and have used it for approx 1000 sacks of quickcrete. For pouring slabs, I always call in the concrete trucks, but it works great for column piers, repairs, setting pipe fence posts, aprons in front of doors, and misc projects. I have put it on a trailer with a generator and driven around the property for projects, and I have wheeled it around trailing 1000' of extension cords.

What I like best is that when I hire day labor, I don't mind setting them to work with this equipment versus other alternatives such as giving them the keys to my tractor (no way!!!!) if I had a PTO driven mixer.

 

[CurlyDave]

I've tried to mix grout/mortar in a drum mixer and that doesn't work unless you are shooting for a real wet mix because you have to add so much water to get it to mix in the drum.

I have had better luck using my drum mixer for grout and mortar -- it may be that some are better than others at this task.

I got mine at Lowes about 3 or 4 years ago. It has a plastic drum with stamped steel baffles bolted inside. It is obviously an economy mixer.

The only non-standard thing I did was to use Locktite on every nut & bolt during assembly, which might have added an hour or so to the assembly time of 3-4 hours. I also took my time during assembly, laid everything out on a piece of plywood, and put it together with a lot more care than the average el cheapo mixer gets.

What I have noticed is that cheap, assemble-it-yourself equipment usually gets rickety and wobbly after only a few hours of use. The Locktite prevents this and while no one will ever mistake it for a professional mixer, I have mixed at least a hundred sacks of mortar, grout, and concrete with no problems at all, and it is still going strong.