Transfering cement

Grand_Pooba · Apr 30, 2012

Has anyone ever used their FEL to transfer cement from the truck to form. I've done this lots of times with a wheel barrow but the tractor would be way easier on my back.

newbury · Apr 30, 2012

I've used it to mix bag cement. I'd be careful on overloading though.

FredH · Apr 30, 2012

Not from a truck , but from a portable mixer . Had mixer set up in driveway next to old pick-up that had the sand / gravel mix in it . 4 shovels of cement , then 16 of sand / gravel , let mix then dumped batch into the bucket on my tc-30 . Repeat second time , then entire load down driveway into field to set corner posts for fence . Beat the heck out of a wheel barrow when you are talking traveling 300 to 500 feet depending on which posts I was planting . Just keep load low if , like on my property you are side hill while traveling .

Fred H.

BeezFun · Apr 30, 2012

Grand_Pooba said:
Has anyone ever used their FEL to transfer cement from the truck to form. I've done this lots of times with a wheel barrow but the tractor would be way easier on my back.

Yes, make sure you have rear weights or fill slowly to see how much you can carry. I made a form to dump the concrete because I was doing post holes and the bucket is 60" wide, so most of it would wind up on the ground otherwise. I've also used the bucket to fill wheelbarrows, if you tuck one wheelbarrow in right behind the other it's the same width as the bucket and you can fill them both without spilling.

Stimw · Apr 30, 2012

Not a problem BUT make sure you keep the bucket washed off or it will always remind you what you did with it! A good stiff brush will help too.
Or you will be using muriatic acid to clean it.

Egon · May 1, 2012

If the haul is long or bumpy You will get segregation and improper water distribution in the concrete.:thumbsup:

LD1 · May 1, 2012

I guess I'd ask:

How much concrete do you plan on moving this way????

Because you said "off the truck" I am assuming it is a good bit of concrete. And I doubt the driver is going to want to wait around on you to unload his truck, one bucket load at a time.

I dont know how it is around you, but the concrete guys around me are only allotted a certain amount of time to unload. If they go over, you get charged extra.

Why is it that the truck cannot get to the form to pour in directly???

RDrancher · May 1, 2012

The FEL will work fine. I do it all the time. Spray the bucket (inside and out) with diesel to keep the concrete from sticking. And be sure to position your tractor off to the side so the concrete doesn't splash all over your hood and grill.

Grand_Pooba · May 1, 2012

LD1 said:
I guess I'd ask:

How much concrete do you plan on moving this way????

Because you said "off the truck" I am assuming it is a good bit of concrete. And I doubt the driver is going to want to wait around on you to unload his truck, one bucket load at a time.

I dont know how it is around you, but the concrete guys around me are only allotted a certain amount of time to unload. If they go over, you get charged extra.

Why is it that the truck cannot get to the form to pour in directly???

I'm putting in head stone foundations in a cemetery. Each one takes about 3/4 of a yard, give er take. If I only have 1 or 2 to do I'll mix it by hand, but anymore than that and getting it delivered makes more sense. The longest distance I would have to go is maybe 150 ft from the driveway to the hole.

LD1 · May 1, 2012

Grand_Pooba said:
I'm putting in head stone foundations in a cemetery. Each one takes about 3/4 of a yard, give er take. If I only have 1 or 2 to do I'll mix it by hand, but anymore than that and getting it delivered makes more sense. The longest distance I would have to go is maybe 150 ft from the driveway to the hole.

I see now.:thumbsup:

slowzuki · May 1, 2012

Moved 2-3 yards last fall, two tractors, stiff mix. Worked well but we didn't clean the buckets fast enough and there is residue. It will wear off soon enough.

GLyford · May 1, 2012

slowzuki said:
Worked well but we didn't clean the buckets fast enough and there is residue. It will wear off soon enough.

You might be able to speed that up a bit with a few whacks of a hammer.

rsewill · May 2, 2012

A suspended 55 gallon drum with a locking midpoint pivot might be worthwhile.

beppington · May 2, 2012

I have an electric concrete mixer that can mix 3 80-lb bags at once. We mounted it to my dad's FEL using ratchet straps. Mix it then drive to where it needs to be dumped, & dump it using the FEL :thumbsup:

CurlyDave · May 2, 2012

Grand_Pooba said:
Has anyone ever used their FEL to transfer cement from the truck to form. I've done this lots of times with a wheel barrow but the tractor would be way easier on my back.

I have done this and it works well. I borrowed my neighbor's tractor since I have a 4-n-1 bucket, and he has a standard one. I washed the bucket really well afterwards and there is no residue.

Since you are doing it a lot, you might consider buying a well used bucket just for this job since I suspect you will get concrete stuck to the bucket.

flusher · May 3, 2012

beppington said:
I have an electric concrete mixer that can mix 3 80-lb bags at once. We mounted it to my dad's FEL using ratchet straps. Mix it then drive to where it needs to be dumped, & dump it using the FEL :thumbsup:

Clever:thumbsup:

JohninCT · May 4, 2012

beppington said:
I have an electric concrete mixer that can mix 3 80-lb bags at once. We mounted it to my dad's FEL using ratchet straps. Mix it then drive to where it needs to be dumped, & dump it using the FEL :thumbsup:

I was thinking about doing that with my mixer and tractor. Thanks for the proof of concept!

3238dpw · May 5, 2012

There is always this
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/182296-when-you-dont-have-all.html

Redbug · May 5, 2012

I have a stump bucket and it works good for cement work. It has a narrow front...good for filling post holes with cement, ect.

crazyal · May 5, 2012

If this is something that you'll be doing sort of often have you thought about a 3pt mixer? I would love one but I just don't do very much cement work. It seams to me that you could drive to the parking lot and fill the mixer. As you drive to where you want it your tractor would be mixing it up. Then back up and pour it where you need it. Plus it would put the weight on your rear tires that are wider and would do less damage to the ground.