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View Full Version : 2 Buy or not 2 buy...Cement mixer



Bill Lewis
05-22-2006, 6:57 AM
Ok, I'm getting ready to start on my deck construction. The lumber is scheduled to be delivered this friday.

My dilemma is that I've got 7 posts to dig holes and set footers. Unfortunately the requirements have changed, they are now required to be 20" square or 22" diameter by 8" thick (used to be 12" diameter).

It works out to be a little over 3, 80# bags per hole. So I'm thinking I'd like to make my job a little bit easier I'd get a mixer. It's alot of concrete, but not nearly enough to get a premix truck in here.

So here are my options.
1. Do it by hand in the plastic morter tray and hoe. Hard work and can only mix one bag at a time.

2. Rent a mixer. Haven't checked prices yet, but could be expensive.

3. Buy this HF Mixer (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=31979) that's on sale.

Anyone used the HF or similar mixer. Will it survive the job? Is it worth getting it? Will it make my job easier or harder.

BTW, I do have a compact tractor with a loader so moving material or the mixer around will be easier.

Rob Russell
05-22-2006, 7:43 AM
15+ years ago when I built our shed, I borrowed a similar mixer from a coworker. It made life a whole lot easier. My piers took 2+ bags each - remember that they had to go down at least 42".

The mixer looks pretty similar to what you have there, although that was awhile ago. The nice thing about buying the mixer is that you can stop in the middle of the day and not worry about your rental. Still, check out rental prices. I'll get it's under $100 for a weekend and with your loader to move materials around, you won't be lugging the stuff in a wheelbarrow the way I was.

If you do but one, do you have other uses for it or would you just sell it in the local paper for $125 and call it a "rental"?

Rob

Frank Pellow
05-22-2006, 7:48 AM
I would not use any of your alternatives.

Instead, I would get an old wheelbarrow and an old spade and mix it that way.

39089

In the 37 years that I have owned the wheelbarrow shown in the above picture, I must have used it to mix the equivalent of 600 30 kilo (66 pound) bags of concrete. And, I have used it on much bigger jobs than the one that you describe. You can mix two bags at one time.

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
05-22-2006, 8:11 AM
Whatever you do, if you do buy one, make sure that you don't tell anyone until after you have finished using it, because once your friends/neighbours find out you have one, you will seldom see it at home :D

My Uncle had one, and I think that thing lived at everyone's house for years!!!

He made up for the price of the mixers in BEER over the years :rolleyes:

Frank, you are a better man than me, that shovel thing is HARD work!! :p

Cheers!

Frank Pellow
05-22-2006, 8:27 AM
...

Frank, you are a better man than me, that shovel thing is HARD work!! :p

Cheers!
Please take it from one who has done a lot of hard work, that this mixing is really is not very hard work at all. Mixing a two bag batch takes 5 minutes or less of stiring the stuff around with a shovel. And you are going to need to shovel the stuff into a hole/from/tube anyway once it has been mixed.

tod evans
05-22-2006, 8:32 AM
i`d call out a truck and be done with it.....02 tod

Frank Pellow
05-22-2006, 8:44 AM
i`d call out a truck and be done with it.....02 tod
I fail to see what the big deal is about this small job. And, Tod, getting it delivered by truck certainly seems to be overkill.

Steve Ash
05-22-2006, 9:06 AM
I'd agree with Frank. Mixing a small batch by hand in a wheel barrow works just fine for me. Now on the bigger jobs I just get a Redi-Mix truck to deliver.

Jeremy Gibson
05-22-2006, 9:10 AM
Bill,

I bought that mixer (well, actually it was my wife that insisted) from my local HF when it was on sale at the same time I bought their dust collector - also on sale. I was also building a deck and had 8 sono-tubes to fill. We found that 2 80# bags works very well in the mixer and the machine ran without a hitch. After mixing we dumped the concrete into a wheelbarrow and then shoveled it into the tubes. For the sale price we both really liked it over mixing by hand in the wheelbarrow.

That said, Frank it also right that a large barrow can handle 2 bags and it's not too bad. But now that I have the mixer I'm glad I do.

Only one word of caution! The drum is rotated by an exposed gear over the motor. After I assembled it I was explaining how it worked to my wife. I grabbed the drum by the outside rim (also has slots to receive the gear teeth) and twisted. My right right finger tip got between the gear teeth and the slots - ouch! I had a black nail for about a month, so be careful.

So, if you are going to do more cement work in the future I would recommend buying it. If this is the last bit you plan to do then use the wheelbarrow or mortor tray.

Frankie Hunt
05-22-2006, 9:31 AM
I think it about as easy with a wheelborrow and a hoe. There is a special concrete hoe that has a bigger blade with 2 holes it it. You dump the bag of ready mix into the deep end of the wheelborrow. Add water to the shallow end and start mixing along where the 2 meet. You stand between the handles. When at the correct consistency has been achieved you wheel the wheelborrow over to the hole and dump it out.

To me it is easier than fooling with a mixer. Getting the mud from the mixer to the hole would be a pain too. You will need a wheelborrow for that anyway.

Dont forget having to clean up the mixer. And having to store it until you use it again in 5 or 6 years.

Frankie

tod evans
05-22-2006, 9:37 AM
I fail to see what the big deal is about this small job. And, Tod, getting it delivered by truck certainly seems to be overkill.

by my math it works out cheaper to call a truck- 21 bags at 3-1/2 bucks each+ either a mixer or barrow-n-hoe or a minimum 1 yrd order 100 bucks here. no gas to go fetch 21 80#bags, no sweat mixing.......guess maybe i`m just lazy....02 tod

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
05-22-2006, 9:43 AM
by my math it works out cheaper to call a truck- 21 bags at 3-1/2 bucks each+ either a mixer or barrow-n-hoe or a minimum 1 yrd order 100 bucks here. no gas to go fetch 21 80#bags, no sweat mixing.......guess maybe i`m just lazy....02 tod

Maybe....? :D

Some would call it smart ;)

.......some.......... :D

Allen Bookout
05-22-2006, 9:43 AM
If you have a place to store it get it. You will not be sorry. I had one for years and a couple of moves ago left it behind. Have been sorry ever since. Do not get a cheap one hike Home Depot rents. They do not hold up and slow down with a good size load after a bit.

Like Stu said, don't tell your neighbors untill you get your first job done. When they do find out they will be very happy.

Allen

Frank Pellow
05-22-2006, 10:09 AM
by my math it works out cheaper to call a truck- 21 bags at 3-1/2 bucks each+ either a mixer or barrow-n-hoe or a minimum 1 yrd order 100 bucks here. no gas to go fetch 21 80#bags, no sweat mixing.......guess maybe i`m just lazy....02 tod
Your math looks good Tod. I did not know that you could get a truck to deliver that cheap. :o

But, there is another consideration. I doubt that I would be ready to handle all that wet cement at once.

Of cousre, I can't get a truck for any price to the site that I showed in my picture (Pellow's Island). And I am very glad that I can't ;)

Mark Rios
05-22-2006, 10:16 AM
For fence posts I generally always use bags. That way I can mix as much and/or as many as I need. Over about 30 or more 80# sacks though and I will buy it mixed.

Over here in CA. there is usually a minimum of 2 yards that the big trucks will bring out. You can sometimes talk the dispatchers into having the drivers give you the extra leftovers from bigger jobs but yo never know when the truck will get there. If it's alot of concrete then you might be up very late finishing if the truck gets to your place at the end of the day.

Don't you folks out there on the East Coast, and the midwest for that matter, have the yards that sell you up to around 1 to 1 1/4 yds. of cement in it's own trailer? A concrete u-haul type of service? There are four that I can think of just around my town and it's very common here in Ca. You tell them how much cement you want and they hook a trailer up to your truck and fill it with the amount you tell them. Again, they only let you tow 1 to 1 1/4 yds. depending on the place you buy from but you can of course make more trips. I use this whenever I'm pouring more than about 1/2 of a yard. If you only have a smaller truck or SUV they will still let you pull 1/2 yd. or 3/4 yd. at a time.

tod evans
05-22-2006, 10:21 AM
Your math looks good Tod. I did not know that you could get a truck to deliver that cheap. :o

Of cousre, I can't get a truck for any price to the site that I showed in my picture (Pellow's Island). And I am very glad that I can't ;)


touche`! i`d mix by hand too for the privacy frank..02 tod

Kenneth Hertzog
05-22-2006, 10:25 AM
Bill
I bought a three point hitch cement mixer a number of years ago. I put it on the back of my compact diesel tractor. I can dump it into the the hole from the back of the tractor. works VERY well. As for the truck the minimum charge is you buy 4 yrds of concrete. If you want one yard you still pay for 4 yards. happy mixing
ken
slippery rock, pa

Ken Fitzgerald
05-22-2006, 10:30 AM
Our minimum purchase here is 3 yards or you pay a light load fee......

Wes Bischel
05-22-2006, 10:40 AM
Bill,
Years ago, my Dad said "we" didn't need a mixer - "we" could mix the 30 or so bags needed by hand - after "we" went over to the lumber yard (pre borg) to buy it. :D ;) I have a few projects that need concrete - I'll need to wait 12 years or so, by then my 4yo can help - and "we" can mix it by hand.:eek: :D

Oh, when I was away at college, Dad borrowed a mixer from a friend.:rolleyes:

So far, I haven't had any project big enough for a mixer, but if I did, I wouldn't hesitate buying one - if for no other reason than the time factor when renting one.

Wes

PS - sent you a PM

Don Baer
05-22-2006, 11:02 AM
Bill,
Don't know about MD but in California we can get a small towable trailer with up to a yard of premixed from a local building supplier. It looks like a mini cement truck and works out quite well. You might check into that.

Steve Ash
05-22-2006, 12:26 PM
Our minimum purchase here is 3 yards or you pay a light load fee......

Same here, even myself having an account with the Redi-Mix company and using lots of crete during the course of a year they still don't cut me any slack on the minimum charge.

Frank Chaffee
05-22-2006, 3:12 PM
Our minimum purchase here is 3 yards or you pay a light load fee......
Same here in rural Wisconsin, with the added caveat that they don’t do homeowner deliveries ‘till after 5p, so doing flatwork alone can take most of the night.

For some posts, I’d use a mortar hoe (big holes in it), and mix in a wheelbarrow, not a boat on the ground. The height is easier for mixing and the load is on wheels and ready for delivery.

Done hodee for a living too and I really like mixers, but I wouldn’t buy one for a small job like this.

Frank

Lopaka Garcia
05-22-2006, 9:58 PM
Frank please don't be offended by this, but you are a dinosaur :D It's like using a handsaw to cut all the wood for your house! Yes people do it, but why? :rolleyes:

I would 100% absolutely definitely positively rent a mixer if it's cheaper that than the cost of a new mixer. But if you ask me, that HF price doesn't seem too bad. If you have storage space for it, it'll more than pay for itself even after just one job.

And like Stu said, you'll be the most popular guy in the neighborhood that's for sure.

But my memories of a cement mixer aren't very good. When I was a teenager, my dad decided to do all the work renovating our house and guess who got to mix all the concrete? :mad:

Randy Meijer
05-23-2006, 3:35 AM
Not having any experience in this area, I may be way off base?? According to the HF ad, that mixer has a 1/3 HP motor. My little JET mini lathe has a 1/2 HP motor and my el cheapo lawn mower has as a 3.5HP engine. Seems like that HF mixer might me seriously underpowered??? What do the experts have to say??

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
05-23-2006, 3:46 AM
Not having any experience in this area, I may be way off base?? According to the HF ad, that mixer has a 1/3 HP motor. My little JET mini lathe has a 1/2 HP motor and my el cheapo lawn mower has as a 3.5HP engine. Seems like that HF mixer might me seriously underpowered??? What do the experts have to say??

I'm no expert, but I think it has to do with gearing, or pulley size. the mixer does not exactly "Spin" it's more like it "Rotates"...... slowly.

But, what do I know :p

Frank Pellow
05-23-2006, 5:46 AM
Frank please don't be offended by this, but you are a dinosaur :D It's like using a handsaw to cut all the wood for your house! Yes people do it, but why? :rolleyes:

I would 100% absolutely definitely positively rent a mixer if it's cheaper that than the cost of a new mixer. But if you ask me, that HF price doesn't seem too bad. If you have storage space for it, it'll more than pay for itself even after just one job.

And like Stu said, you'll be the most popular guy in the neighborhood that's for sure.

But my memories of a cement mixer aren't very good. When I was a teenager, my dad decided to do all the work renovating our house and guess who got to mix all the concrete? :mad:
But, I am an informed and experienced dinosaur. :)

Lopaka, I have participated in the construction of a large barn, two medium size cabins, several outbuildings, and and have also done many building modifications without the use of power tools, so I do understand your analogy.

I have also used cement mixers, both powered and non-powered so I really do know what I am talking about. I claim that, for small jobs, it is easier and faster to mix the cement in a wheelbarrow because there is less equipment to deal with and less cleanup at the end of the job. Mixing cement in a wheelbarrow is relatively easy and fast.

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
05-23-2006, 6:06 AM
Question for you Frank.

Do you think you get as good a mix in the wheelbarrow, as can be had with a mixer?

Cheers!

Frank Pellow
05-23-2006, 6:23 AM
Question for you Frank.

Do you think you get as good a mix in the wheelbarrow, as can be had with a mixer?

Cheers!
With experience, yes. But, I grant you that it is probably more likely that one will "screw up" when using a wheelbarrow.

Bill Lewis
05-23-2006, 6:38 AM
Wow guys thanks for all of the responses and opinions! I didn't know this would stir up so much discussion.

Let me take a minute to follow up with some of the comments.

I've been looking for an affordable 3 pt mixer for the tractor. but such a beast doesn't exist. I did see one on ebay that was perfect, it was sized for a compact tractor. However, it was local only pickup (in CT), and was still $500. Otherwise they seem to run about $800 new for one that'd be too large.

A redi-mix truck is not an option. There's not enough concrete to justify the expense or minimums. Otherwise I'd do it in a heartbeat.

1 yard towables are not real popular around here. I did know of one rental place that did them, but that was some time ago, and I haven't checked back with them for some time. However I also expect to be pouring these footers on Sunday or Monday (memorial day).

I'm getting my material delivered by the lumber yard. I don't deal with the Borg's on these type of projects. I have an account at the lumber yard and the contractor sales guys know me. Yes, they did have to start charging for delivery, but I think I can swallow the $5 they now charge. Plus they are going to put it all on the forklift truck so It'll be delivered directly where I need it.

Digging footers, mixing and handling concrete is about my least favorite job in the world. BTDT! So just about anything I can do to make this job less painful, well you get the picture. I was going to dig the holes using my 3 pt. post hole digger (multiple holes/footer) But a friend offered to come over and dig them with his skid loader and 24" auger. That should make it a bit easier.

So the end result is that I'm leaning toward getting the mixer. Unless someone comes along and has an overwhelming story to convince me otherwise, or has one to lend me for a few days. OTOH, I know what's going to happen, HF will be out of stock and I'll end up doing it by hand anyway. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Norman Hitt
05-23-2006, 6:41 AM
You might want to inquire at HD if they have a loaner policy there at their store. Here, they have a sliding scale of a given amount of time free per bag of sakrete that you buy, and you only have to pay rental on any time you keep it over the allotted "Free" time, which usually isn't any, unless you screw around doing the pour.

Cliff Rohrabacher
05-23-2006, 10:03 AM
Unless you have a heart condition I'd suggest you just grab a hoe.

I've thought about getting a mixer. Then I think about how often I'll use it and where i'll store it. Each time the hoe wins.

Allen Bookout
05-23-2006, 10:51 AM
Not having any experience in this area, I may be way off base?? According to the HF ad, that mixer has a 1/3 HP motor. My little JET mini lathe has a 1/2 HP motor and my el cheapo lawn mower has as a 3.5HP engine. Seems like that HF mixer might me seriously underpowered??? What do the experts have to say??
I am one that recommended buying a mixer vs hand mixing. I did rent one from HD last year and it was underpowered but I do not remember the hp. After about an hour with normal loads it really slowed down, almost ot a stop, and I had to hand assist the turning. Because of that I would be leary about one that was selling too cheap. I had read not to buy anything form HF that had a motor but did buy a HF small angle grinder knowing that it would probably selfdestruct and sure enough after 20 minutes it was gone. For that reason I would really be leary of the HF unit. You might want to shop around. Then again it might last a while. If you have an extra motor laying around with more hp and/or better quality that you could swap out you could still be ok in the long run.

I think that the Northertool stuff is better quality than the HF stuff overall and would not worry so much about buying a mixer there. Here is a page with their mixers.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=cement%20mixer&Nty=1&D=cement%20mixer&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial

If you have a Tractor Supply around they have some pretty good stuff at good prices also. Below is the only small one that I see. Have to put in your zip code to get a price. With my code in it showed about $270.

http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=1&paID=1012&sonID=689&productID=1489

I am sure that there are other good options as well.

Good Luck no mater what you decide. Allen

Jeremy Gibson
05-23-2006, 12:22 PM
So the end result is that I'm leaning toward getting the mixer. Unless someone comes along and has an overwhelming story to convince me otherwise, or has one to lend me for a few days. OTOH, I know what's going to happen, HF will be out of stock and I'll end up doing it by hand anyway. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Bill, I'd happily lend you mine - same model from HF - but it's a bit of a hike from CO. I mixed 2 80# bags with this mixer and it worked just fine. After pouring my 8 post piers for the deck I poured a small pad for the dog house. The motor spins slowly with a large pully. It probably makes 12-15 rotations per minute (just thinking back and trying to imagine). You could push it to 3 60# bags, but it might be harder to empty.

BTW, I mentioned this thread to my wife who is better at mixing concrete than me. She said "absolutely, buy it. It was 100% better than using the wheelbarrow and hoe method".

Lopaka Garcia
05-23-2006, 5:25 PM
Hmm 1/3 hp does seem a little weak and maybe that's why it was so cheap. But hey, if you can get a few projects worth out of it, then IMHO it was worth the price saved in sweat. Stu is correct that it's in the gearing that you get the torque needed to turn the mixer barrel and not necessarily in hp alone. Gearing is essential to torque and with the amount of weight you're mixing, that's more important than hp alone. But combined together, oh boy, you'll be a mixing fool. You might end up redoing the driveway after that. If you don't want to purchase, try renting. I'm sure it doesn't cost a whole lot to rent one of those things for a day or even a weekend. I rent things all the time if I think I'm only going to use it once or twice. Especially on high ticket items. Good luck.

Joe Mioux
05-23-2006, 8:17 PM
Here, the Ready Mix truck is the easiest and most efficient way to go. Even with a small load fee tacked on it is cheaper than buying your own mixer. A few years ago, we set 32 posts for a greenhouse. We kept the mix dry in the trucks mixer and added water as we proceeded through the pour. right or wrong it worked.

Frank Pellow's method does have an added benefit....aerobic and probably some anaerobic excercise.:)

Now, if you buy this thing, you have to ask yourself what will you do with it after you have this project finished.

Welll........ Those mixers make a great potting soil mixer, you can custom blend your own potting mixes, add fertilizers such as Osmocote, add other ammendments to raise or lower Ph, add real mineral soil to the potting mixes ( really a great thing to do btw).

Hmmm....what else, wash the cat? NO NO JUST KIDDING!!!!!

Joe

Mike Evertsen
05-24-2006, 1:12 AM
wasn't there concrete that you dug the hole poured in dry mix then poured in water alittle mixing let it harden
I remember using that years ago.

Vaughn McMillan
05-24-2006, 2:59 AM
...Frank Pellow's method does have an added benefit....aerobic and probably some anaerobic excercise.:) ...

Very few Creekers know this, but Frank is actually 117 years old. He's stayed so young looking, healthy and strong by keeping active and finding beneficial exercise in any task he does. :D

I've mixed a lot of wheelbarrow concrete at various times in my past, but I think these days if I needed to mix more than half a dozen or so bags, I'd likely buy the HF mixer (which is currently on sale, apparently) if I had the room to store it.

- Vaughn

Bill Lewis
05-24-2006, 6:03 AM
Storing the unit after the job isn't so much of a problem exactly. We've got 2.25 acres, but along with that we also have a number of "toys" we used to maintain it. Currently most of my bigger implements and accessories sit outside. We have an oversized 3 car garage, and I can get three cars and the tractor just fine, but sometimes it takes a bit of shuffling to get things in and out. Consequently our next big project will be a second garage or a pole barn. This will also give me a better lumber and sheet goods storage, and a place for my panel saw to live. So If I buy the mixer, it may have to sit outside for awhile. BTW, I find that BBQ grill covers work pretty well for these things.

Lopaka Garcia
05-26-2006, 5:51 AM
I have to agree with you there Frank. For a small job, it is easier to use a wheelbarrow than to drag out the mixer. But here in lies the question. What is considered a "small" job? Actually for smaller jobs, if you know what you're doing, mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow can be pretty fast. But for most homeowners, they're not very familiar with mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow.

Frank, why don't you do a small tutorial here since we're on the subject? Sorry if I'm putting you on the spot :D BTW. A good wheelbarrow makes a difference too, don't you think Frank?

Lopaka Garcia
05-26-2006, 5:53 AM
You're right Mike, there is such a thing. I've never used it personally but I know it's available.

Frank Pellow
05-26-2006, 8:14 AM
I have to agree with you there Frank. For a small job, it is easier to use a wheelbarrow than to drag out the mixer. But here in lies the question. What is considered a "small" job? Actually for smaller jobs, if you know what you're doing, mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow can be pretty fast. But for most homeowners, they're not very familiar with mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow.

Frank, why don't you do a small tutorial here since we're on the subject? Sorry if I'm putting you on the spot :D BTW. A good wheelbarrow makes a difference too, don't you think Frank?
I will think about doing a tutorial.

A whellbarrow of sufficient size and shape is important. But, I don't think it has to be that good. The one that I showed in the picture near the start of this thread is very old and has seen a lot of use and some repairs. No one would now call it "good".

Marty Walsh
05-26-2006, 9:04 AM
I've been following this thread with tremendous interest since I'm breaking ground on my new shop today. (Well actually the backhoe is...)

I have to pour 28 2'x2' pads that will have 4' long 12" diameter concrete tube forms atop them. I'm having a redi-mix truck do the columns since it'll be about 4 yards of concrete. But, I'm doing the pads 'by hand' before the truck shows up.

I have 60 bags of concrete being delivered today and was planning to do the wheelbarrow thing. After reading this post and seeing the mixer on sale, I took a trip to HF in Savannah and picked one up.

Unfortunately, I think my review will be too late to help Bill, the original poster of this thread, but I'll go ahead and post anyway for those that are interested.

By the way, redi-mix in this area is $100/yard, with a $100 delivery charge for anything under five yards. (Ouch)

- Marty -

Frank Pellow
05-26-2006, 9:10 AM
Marty, I hope things go well for your and your new mixer. And, by the way, I do consider 60 bags to be a "big" job. I too, would be tempted to get a mixer for a job of that size.

Frank Chaffee
05-26-2006, 9:19 AM
Bill,
After yesterday’s pour I must change my vote.

If ever you have a project that involves digging earth, mixing and pouring concrete, hire some young guys to do it all.

Still hurtin’,
Frank

Allen Bookout
05-26-2006, 11:22 AM
One thing that no one has mentioned is the uniformity of the mixture. It is my understanding that this issue is important for the strongest final concrete product. It always seemed that the mixture was just not as uniform if I hand mixed it rather than useing a mixer.

I know that it will all harden even if there are some parts that are not throughly mixed, or not mixed at all, but how strong is it really as compared to a properly mixed batch? Is it really worth it, for a couple of hundred bucks, to make sure that the mix is good and to save a bunch of labor on top of that? I say yes.

Allen

Frank Fusco
05-26-2006, 4:17 PM
More than thirty years ago I bought an electric operated cement mixer at a yard sale near my home. In that time I have never once used it for cement. I mixed cattle feed in it for a couple years but never concrete. But here it sets. I know if I sell it, the week following I'll have project that will require a cement mixer. I paid $25.00 for it back then and it isn't costing anything as a yard ornament. SC friends can borry if they want. ;)

Marty Walsh
05-30-2006, 8:49 PM
Well folks, as I said, this is probably coming too late for the original poster of this thread, but here's my mini-review of the 3.5 cu/ft HF cement mixer currently on sale for $189.99:

First off, assembling this thing was the WORST experience I've ever had assembling anything!!!! If I didn't need it for my new shop construction project, and I didn't mind blowing the almost $200, I would have gotten extreme pleasure from taking one of my shotguns to this thing and its inards!

The assembly problems started with step two, adding the wheels. They supply four rather large washers the instructions say to slip over the 'axles'. I figure, sure, I can do that. No I can't!! The washers inner diameters are too small! They don't fit over the axles..and they're not even really close.

Since my shop is still packed from our move, I don't have access to any of my tools, aside from a small tool box I packed for 'emergencies'. I tried a small file, but gave up and had to take a trip to town to get new washers.

Back in business, and moving right along, I get to the page in the instrucions where it says, and I quote: "Glue the Connector Seal (26) to the Upper Drum...". Well, they don't supply any glue, and I can't really understand why you'd glue a rubber gasket that might have to be replaced to a metal drum, so I stop, pick up the phone and give HF a call.

I spoke to the store manager who said he never heard of using glue for that rubber gasket. I ask if he'd ever assembled one of these beasts, and after he lets out an evil chuckle, he admits to never having done one start to finish, only helping others at stages. His evil chuckle told me I wasn't done with the 'fun' :mad:

To make a long painful story short, and since the TOS of this forum prevent me from using the sort of language I'd need to to complete the tale, here's the rundown on the parts I had to supply since those supplied were either wrong or simply missing:

4 - 1" I.D. steel washers (wrong size supplied)
14 - 3/8" split washers (missing, yet called for in instructions)
4 - 3/8" x 1" hex bolts, nuts and washers (missing)

Ok, so I get the thing assembled and start to work on my pads. As I show in the new shop thread, I got as far as three pads (out of 28!!!)

The &*^&%* mixer DIES a sudden death with two 80 pound bags of half mixed concrete in its belly!!!! :eek: :mad: :eek:

I took the motor housing off thinking that maybe the belt slipped. No such luck. The motor os so hot I could fry eggs on it. Nothing I could do would bring this thing back to life. I guess the motor fried itself!

I finished the third pad using a hoe and wheelbarrow. I didn't start the fourth pad since I now KNOW FOR SURE that I'm not a hoe and wheelbarrow kind of guy...especially when there are still 76 bags of concrete in the pile to be mixed.

39773

I learned two important lessons today:

1 - Sometimes the old adage that says "If it's from HF and it has a cord, avoid it" is true. Today it certainly was!!

2 - I *will* be renting an industrial strength mixer to finish the job!

To anyone contemplating the purchase of one of these beasts....better luck to you if you go for it. I wouldn't though, based on my experience today.

- Marty -

Steve Clardy
05-30-2006, 9:24 PM
And we've been thinking of getting one of those from HF or the Orange Borg. Not now though.

I went to a farm sale, bought a nice heavy duty, all steel, needs a motor fixer upper, for $20.00
No another sole bid on it. Guess everyone else shyed away because it is actually work to run one of these buggers.

Sorry to hear about your HF dieing so soon. I know yer anxious to get going on your shop.

My thoughts also on HF stuff. If it's got a cord, not for me. [Plus a whole lot of non-cord stuff]

Allen Bookout
05-30-2006, 9:53 PM
1 - Sometimes the old adage that says "If it's from HF and it has a cord, avoid it" is true. Today it certainly was!!
- Marty -
I was afraid of that!!! From what I have read and the one experience that I had with a small angle grinder from HF (an emergency for a 15 minute job - good thing as it burnt up in 20) I did not expect that the motor would be any good. That is why I said earlier in the thread that if you had an extra motor laying around that you could use it might be an OK purchase.

If you are thinking about renting from Home Depot the ones that they rent, at least around here, are underpowered also. Will run for a couple of hours and then overheat. Have to help them by hand to finish the day. You would think that they would have enough sense to send out better units. I guess not as they got their money anyway. Profit at any cost I suppose.

Sorry for your problems!!!!! At least your warning should save some others from the same fate.

I think that Steve has the best economical solution. Find a used heavy duty mixer. Even if you have to repair it, at least you know what you have.

Allen

Kyle Kraft
05-31-2006, 9:41 AM
For me, being cheap and able bodied, I'd go for the Armstrong mixer. Borg had bag stuff $1.99 @ 5 miles from home. Local ready mix hits you for less than 5 yards/truck plus a generous fuel surcharge plus a charge for Saturday delivery (I have to work during the week:) ). It's nice to get out and do some real work once in a while. I recently passed up giving away a huge sugar maple tree felled in my yard just for the pleasure I got from cutting and splitting it. Am I a nutcase or what?!!!

Kyle in K'zoo

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
05-31-2006, 10:18 AM
............I recently passed up giving away a huge sugar maple tree felled in my yard just for the pleasure I got from cutting and splitting it. Am I a nutcase or what?!!!...........

Absolutely, but our kind of nutcase :D

Allen Bookout
05-31-2006, 10:30 AM
Am I a nutcase or what?!!!Kyle in K'zoo

See a Psychiatrist as soon as possible!

Marty Walsh
05-31-2006, 5:35 PM
Well folks, I guess I spoke too soon. It seems that the HF mixer just needed a rest after an agressive break-in period yesterday afternoon.

This morning while having coffe on the deck, I decided, just for grins, to plug the mixer in and see what happened. Well, much to my amazement, it fired right up and has been running all day.

The only hitch has been that the itty-bitty set screw holding the pulley on the shaft of the mixer decided it had had enough. It fell out, followed by the key from the pinion shaft. Of course, both fell into the very heavy bed of pine needles under the mixer.

After about a 15 minutes search, I located both, pressed the key back into the shaft and replaced the set screw, and I was back in business.

I've been giving the mixer a break after every 15 or so bags, just to let it cool down. But so far today, it's been a true blessing. Maybe I shouldn't have bad-mouthed it so soon. I have another 15-20 bags to go today though, so we shall see. I'm still leary that this thing will last beyond this project.

Oh, and the mixer I had planned to rent is a huge gas powered monster from the local rental place, not the borg. Nearest Home depot is about an hour away anyway.

Oh well, back to making concrete...
- Marty -

Frank Pellow
06-01-2006, 6:36 AM
For me, being cheap and able bodied, I'd go for the Armstrong mixer. Borg had bag stuff $1.99 @ 5 miles from home. Local ready mix hits you for less than 5 yards/truck plus a generous fuel surcharge plus a charge for Saturday delivery (I have to work during the week:) ). It's nice to get out and do some real work once in a while. I recently passed up giving away a huge sugar maple tree felled in my yard just for the pleasure I got from cutting and splitting it. Am I a nutcase or what?!!!

Kyle in K'zoo

Yes Kyle you are a nutcase. :D This comes from a fellow nutcase who has often done something similar. ;) But wait, maybe we are not the nutcases, maybe the nutcases are the ones who do not get lots of excercise. :confused: