Recommendation for cement mixer

[flusher]

I have one of the bigger HF ones (they sell two one 1.25 cf and one 3.5 cf )

I have mixed a lot in it now. I put 3 60lb bags in it at a time, mixes it no problem.

Very happy with mine.

Same here. Used one of these on three projects so far. Get 60 lb sacks of concrete mix at the lumber yard (they do the loading into the F150), back up to the mixer and work off the tailgate. Cut the bags in half with a utility knife and dump into the mixer--minimizes the amount of grunt work schlepping those bags around.

 

[sparc]

Same here. Used one of these on three projects so far. Get 60 lb sacks of concrete mix at the lumber yard (they do the loading into the F150), back up to the mixer and work off the tailgate. Cut the bags in half with a utility knife and dump into the mixer--minimizes the amount of grunt work schlepping those bags around.

Be sure and do a thorough clean up when you are done or you'll have a concrete mess on your tailgate and bumper for a long time to come. Might pay to put a cheap plastic tarp down over the tailgate and bed to keep the concrete from getting into hard to clean areas.

 

[ultrarunner]

There was an old guy that I used a couple of times to pour short residential driveways...

He had a one tone 1970 GMC 4wd pick-up with a dump bed... pull up to the redi-mix and put a yard right in the back of the pick-up and then go 15 blocks back in the drive and dump while my brother and I spread and finished.

Did several driveways that way and the guy had been doing it like that for years... truck didn't look like much... but, it worked.

 

[Combustix]

I have a Kulshan from HD I bought several years ago. I have used it for projects around the house and in remote areas of my property were I can run it off a 2500 w generator. Great tip I got off this site and tried last week was strap it to the bucket of the tractor so I can dump it into the forms better. Worked like a charm. Still got a pallet of cement to go through building my hearth for a pizza oven

 

[pclausen]

I have this one:

It takes 3 80# bags at a time. Probably mixed close to 500 bags with it so far. Still going just as strong as when I bough it 4 years ago. I forget if I got it at Lowes or HD. It was in the $200-$300 range.

I'm amazed that the bearings on the gearbox, which hold all the weight, are not showing any signs of stress.

 

[woodlandfarms]

So without starting another topic, I wanted to get some opinions on this idea.

I have a fully hydraulic tractor, much like a skid steer. I have a hydraulic post hole digger that I would / will attach some sort of a bucket / barrel and am going to make a cement mixer.

So to the barrell. I have seen plastic 50 gallons being used, and washing machine drum. What else do you guys recommend and how many bags of pre mixed can I get reasonably into each. My arms are rated at 1200lbs so I will not be exceeding 500lbs of crete in the mix, which to me seems like a heck of a lot. I generally mix 300 lbs in my bucket by hand but that is getting tiring.

 

[newbury]

My arms are rated at 1200lbs I generally mix 300 lbs in my bucket by hand but that is getting tiring.

If your arms can lift 1200lbs you are REAL strong!.

So without starting another topic, I wanted to get some opinions on this idea.

Actually that looks like a good subject for a clean thread, since I was only asking about brand.

I have a fully hydraulic tractor, much like a skid steer. I have a hydraulic post hole digger that I would / will attach some sort of a bucket / barrel and am going to make a cement mixer.

I would think it would be just as easy to use a plain PTO hookup, especially since digging post holes and pouring cement/concrete are often done at the same time.

So to the barrell. I have seen plastic 50 gallons being used, and washing machine drum. What else do you guys recommend and how many bags of pre mixed can I get reasonably into each. My arms are rated at 1200lbs so I will not be exceeding 500lbs of crete in the mix, which to me seems like a heck of a lot. I generally mix 300 lbs in my bucket by hand but that is getting tiring.

Since 5 gal of concrete = about 100 lbs, and 500lbs about 25 gallons, I think a 50 gallon barrel would be overkill but doable.

And by the way I just bought the Lowes model, they finally got it in stock in Tupelo, MS.

 

[newbury]

As mentioned - bought the Lowes model, $298.

Assembled fairly easy, only two nitpicking things -
Use of cheap bendable cotter pins instead of hairpin cotter pins, especially on the drum.
Listed 18 of a nut, provided 16, only needed 16. I looked and scrounged a long time for the extra two, but didn't have any spares in the shop. Only to not need them. Probably won't use it for a couple of months.