Using FEL to cart concrete

[rdbrumfield]

I use a 55 gallon drum. I have a 2X2 angle iron about 2 ft long welded to the bottom of the drum so it faces the cutting edge of the bucket. I have a chain hook welded to that so I can hook a chain bring it up the backside of the bucket around the front of the barrel and tighten with a binder. In this fashion I have packed a lot of concrete. I am able to pick it up and pour it in forms or place it most anywhere I need.
It is only good to a couple of ft high though. As the bucket is all the way over the bottom of the bucket is straight down but the drum is horizontal.

This works well for me. My tractor is a 5300 JD. 50hp.

 

[AndyMA]

$600 is cheap for a pump truck. They're $900 by me. It's worth it man. Waaaayyyyy quicker and neater than you could ever dream of being with the tractor. Some things you just have to bite the bullet for.

And I suspect you'll get a better job. It's a real messy pain to carry concrete in a bucket and it won't spread anywhere as well as you think. Chisseling off the bucket and the front of your tractor is also no fun.
You will also have a time problem which will very probably create weak seams.

Andy

 

[Usta]

The more you mess with concrete the more it separates the cement and stone. Like vibrating it in excess is not a good thing. I would pump it. Concrete trucks like to empty the truck as soon as possible. Like stated already, you may be looking at alot of idle truck time charged at their hourly rate.
Save the seat time for other related projects.

 

[herringchoker]

I drive a ready mix truck in the summer. I haven't seen it all, but I've seen lots. I've dumped into wall forms, footing forms, column forms, way too many sonotubes, concrete buggies, craned hopper buckets, excavator buckets, skid steer buckets, CUT buckets, many, many wheelbarrows, steel chutes, aluminum chutes and wooden chutes. They all work, some better than others, depending on the situation.
Using your FEL bucket will definitely work, but it will be very slow. You don't want to dump any more into the chute at a time than the wheelbarrow at the bottom will hold. If you overfill your FEL bucket or you move too fast over rough ground, it will slosh overboard, wasting product and making a mess. There's potential for lots of things to go wrong. I've seen it happen too many times. Considering all this, plus some good advice posted by others, I think you would be better off to hire the pump. It may even be cheaper if you are hit with a time charge for holding up the truck.
Whatever way you go, good luck with it. If you do go as you plan, brace yourself for things to go wrong.

PS...Make sure the plastic is well fastened to the chute. More often than not, I see it slide down with the first wheelbarrow load.

 

[tommu56]

See if the ready mix co has a conveyor truck we used them a lot were I use to work.
We even had them bring just stone to back fill a tall retaining wall that we were going to use a concrete bucket and fork lift to back fill and boy it was fast with that conveyor.

Check with the ready mix co is going to charge while they wait for you to drive back and forth (time is money for them) the pump might be cheaper.

tom

 

[scott_vt]

.

Standby time for the truck might be a consideration, you might see what their rate is for that. In these parts it is loosely based on the quantity delivered, any time over a per yard allotment is charged.

Been there, done that, have fun, and enjoy your new basement!!
Sherweld

I drive a ready mix truck in the summer. I haven't seen it all, but I've seen lots. . Considering all this, plus some good advice posted by others, I think you would be better off to hire the pump. It may even be cheaper if you are hit with a time charge for holding up the truck.
.

Check with the ready mix co is going to charge while they wait for you to drive back and forth (time is money for them) the pump might be cheaper.

tom

Good Evenin Deaf,
These three posters hit the nail on the head ! Stand by time $$$ !!! Im thinking of possibly driving a concrete rig this year for a local company and I know that time is money to them ! If they are carrying your concrete plus someone elses concrete, they have only so much time to deliver to you and then the next customer ! I would check to see how much time you have and how much it will cost for standby !

 

[jake98]

it depends if it's a small load or not. if it's a couple few yards...

 

[gpflepsen]

Just to dispell a few comments I've read on this board about pumping and the need for a high slump concrete...

IF, you use a quality concrete supplier and order a quality mix (well graded aggregate) you can pump a low slump that nobody would want to work. Any modern pump that is well maintained can handle the job. Use a rock mix if you can and a minimum 3000psi strength (you shouldn't be using less on a slab anyway). Ask the pumping company for suggestions on suppliers and mixes that pump well in your area. Not all locations have similar aggregates that go into the concrete. Reducing for small diameter placing hoses lends some restrictions on mix designs. Communicate with the concrete and pumping company so fiascoes can be avoided. I speak from 10 years of pumping experience. A pumper hates to be put in positions when he is given marginally pumpable mixes with unrealistic expectations on the customer's job. Nobody wins on those days.

If you have the means, pump the floor with some experienced finishers.

 

[skidoo]

I wouldn't try the wet stuff. But, here is the limit for my FEL and cured concrete.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/139461-new-jd110tlb-almost-wasnt-big.html

 

[Deaf]

Good Morning and thanks for all the reply痴

The job is ~9 yards and figured it would be best to pump based on your input. Just too many factors need to be perfect for it to go well so figured the pump is the way to go. The two finishers I have working for me are the best and very fair price wise.

This home was built in 1917 and has sandstone foundation with a very thin floor. We broke it all up and added floor drains and now pouring the new floor. I rehabbed these two homes on one lot 18 years ago with the thought I would do the floor later. Well later never came and I just completed a rehab/rebuild of a 2500 sqft 1888 farm house in town. Also added a 25x60 garage(boy that was a lot of cement). So we are preparing the 2 old homes for sale and new the floor had to be done to sell or rent( if it does not sell).

Always enjoy reading this site, you all have a lot of 電one there did that expertise I need.

Thanks again

Deaf