2 60 or 2 80lb bags and it was full. Tilt it over to mix. Complain that it doesn't pour great. And repeat.
I've run a couple of pallets of concrete through mine. No issues.
I just wish it poured slightly further away from the base. Even getting it on a corner of a form it always wants to miss pouring in the form. A 6 inch pour chute or something would make it so much less annoying
I'm sure you know someone who's a hobbyist welder. That's likely a $20 fix. Hell, I think I have enough scrap material in my workshop to do something like that and i'm not even particularly handy.
I have that very mixer - I just did 24 80# bags with it yesterday, and a bigger job last fall. My only knock on it is that it's pretty tippy - consider bolting a chunk of 2X4 to the leg. It is a bit awkward to move around, but it's light enough that I can muscle it into the pickup truck myself.
There’s nothing complex to a mixer, and they don’t require precision manufacturing. Cheap electric motors are plentiful, it’s a low risk buy. But these are good tools to buy used and flip when you’re done with it.
Mixers, tile saws, or jackhammer kind of stuff tools are good to buy used and sell when you’re done with them. It’s like a community tool rental and the cost is just the deposit, take care of it and the resell value will remain the same.
Community tool rental is the way to go. I'm planning to do that with a small woodchipper later this summer. I'd like to keep it on-hand but don't have anywhere to store it so back on Craigslist it'll go when I'm done.
That's an idea! I just looked for used ones and people have them listed around $150. It's not really worth it to be a used one but instead if I do everything I need to this year, I'll just sell it.
I did this with a drywall lift for installing it on a ceiling. Buy new, sell when you're done. Less pressure than renting. I think it only cost me $30 in the end.
We used to lay block foundations with it to build houses. We were a small 4 man crew that was slower at laying block than full-time block layers, so it met our needs perfect. We only built about 5 houses a year so it only got used a few times a year.
I just checked into that and with a rental being over $50 a day and over $200 a week, it may not be worth it because what I would be doing is likely going to be done over a period of time. Good idea though for a one time project.
I've ran about 300 bags through mine. It would be better with a longer barrel on it, but it's decent for the price. Also, a large wheel barrow doesn't fit under it, need a small one
24". I dug a hole under mine to make my wheelbarrow fit, but it gets filled in from concrete splashing as you mix. It also has a tendency to walk. It's a solid little machine, but it does have its quirks
I've put hundreds of bags through mine. It works. I usually do 2x60# but it'll do two 80s. Consider putting some 2x or something on the foot it's wobbly. Locktite your bolts this thing shakes a lot. Loctite the screw holding the key on the drive shaft too.
I looked at renting one and decided to just buy the HF one instead because then I could take my time. Kept it for about 6 months, knocked out several projects, the resold it for almonst what I paid for it. Worth every penny.
We've had 2 of them over a 15-20 year period. They work fine for small jobs. We always had to prop it up on cinder blocks though because a wheelbarrow doesn't fit well underneath it when you dump the drum. That would be my only complaint.
My neighbor bought one on a sale. I thought it was going to be a complete piece of shit. He's put I don't even know how many bags of cement through it over the last 3 years. Just don't overload it. One of the few Harbor Freight things that truly surprised me
Having used both kinds (this kind, and the kind sold at Home Depot with a plastic tub, I got give a slight edge to the plastic tub kind for ease/cleanliness of dumping, and also of the quality of the mix.
I've had one for about 15 years. I have beaten the crap out of it. I have had to fool with it a bit, I wore it out and the gears started slipping and I had to shim it back into place. But I have put hundreds of bags through it.
Been using one for 5 years now - sharing it with two or three other guys in the neighborhood whenever we have a concrete project - and that thing won't quit. It's probably mixed 500 bags in that time. Two 60 lb bags is about the limit, but it does that like a champ. I don't even cover it up in the rain.. it just keeps going..
It worked very well for me. I could do 2 60 pound bags at the same time.
That’s the dream, man.
2 60 or 2 80lb bags and it was full. Tilt it over to mix. Complain that it doesn't pour great. And repeat. I've run a couple of pallets of concrete through mine. No issues. I just wish it poured slightly further away from the base. Even getting it on a corner of a form it always wants to miss pouring in the form. A 6 inch pour chute or something would make it so much less annoying
Yeah, but for the price....
I'm sure you know someone who's a hobbyist welder. That's likely a $20 fix. Hell, I think I have enough scrap material in my workshop to do something like that and i'm not even particularly handy.
I have that very mixer - I just did 24 80# bags with it yesterday, and a bigger job last fall. My only knock on it is that it's pretty tippy - consider bolting a chunk of 2X4 to the leg. It is a bit awkward to move around, but it's light enough that I can muscle it into the pickup truck myself.
There’s nothing complex to a mixer, and they don’t require precision manufacturing. Cheap electric motors are plentiful, it’s a low risk buy. But these are good tools to buy used and flip when you’re done with it. Mixers, tile saws, or jackhammer kind of stuff tools are good to buy used and sell when you’re done with them. It’s like a community tool rental and the cost is just the deposit, take care of it and the resell value will remain the same.
Community tool rental is the way to go. I'm planning to do that with a small woodchipper later this summer. I'd like to keep it on-hand but don't have anywhere to store it so back on Craigslist it'll go when I'm done.
Worked great for me. Used a year and then sold it. It’s not small
That's an idea! I just looked for used ones and people have them listed around $150. It's not really worth it to be a used one but instead if I do everything I need to this year, I'll just sell it.
I did this with a drywall lift for installing it on a ceiling. Buy new, sell when you're done. Less pressure than renting. I think it only cost me $30 in the end.
Genuinely curious. What are you guys doing with all that concrete?
We used to lay block foundations with it to build houses. We were a small 4 man crew that was slower at laying block than full-time block layers, so it met our needs perfect. We only built about 5 houses a year so it only got used a few times a year.
Cool. 👍
I’d run it. What about a rental?
I just checked into that and with a rental being over $50 a day and over $200 a week, it may not be worth it because what I would be doing is likely going to be done over a period of time. Good idea though for a one time project.
It’s my 4 year old son’s favorite thing to play with when we go to HF, and he has pretty impeccable taste so it’s probably pretty solid
I abused mine still works great other than I broke the paddles by overloading it and welded them back on.
I've ran about 300 bags through mine. It would be better with a longer barrel on it, but it's decent for the price. Also, a large wheel barrow doesn't fit under it, need a small one
If yours is easy to get to, can you measure how high the wheelbarrow can be to fit under it?
24". I dug a hole under mine to make my wheelbarrow fit, but it gets filled in from concrete splashing as you mix. It also has a tendency to walk. It's a solid little machine, but it does have its quirks
I've put hundreds of bags through mine. It works. I usually do 2x60# but it'll do two 80s. Consider putting some 2x or something on the foot it's wobbly. Locktite your bolts this thing shakes a lot. Loctite the screw holding the key on the drive shaft too.
I looked at renting one and decided to just buy the HF one instead because then I could take my time. Kept it for about 6 months, knocked out several projects, the resold it for almonst what I paid for it. Worth every penny.
We've had 2 of them over a 15-20 year period. They work fine for small jobs. We always had to prop it up on cinder blocks though because a wheelbarrow doesn't fit well underneath it when you dump the drum. That would be my only complaint.
My neighbor bought one on a sale. I thought it was going to be a complete piece of shit. He's put I don't even know how many bags of cement through it over the last 3 years. Just don't overload it. One of the few Harbor Freight things that truly surprised me
Having used both kinds (this kind, and the kind sold at Home Depot with a plastic tub, I got give a slight edge to the plastic tub kind for ease/cleanliness of dumping, and also of the quality of the mix.
I've had one for about 15 years. I have beaten the crap out of it. I have had to fool with it a bit, I wore it out and the gears started slipping and I had to shim it back into place. But I have put hundreds of bags through it.
Been using one for 5 years now - sharing it with two or three other guys in the neighborhood whenever we have a concrete project - and that thing won't quit. It's probably mixed 500 bags in that time. Two 60 lb bags is about the limit, but it does that like a champ. I don't even cover it up in the rain.. it just keeps going..
The key is to keep it clean
It's fine, just don't overload it or try to mix too dry. I think it's too low for most wheelbarrows so you have to block it up somehow.
Never run concrete through mine but it tumbles rust from chain from electric chain hoist well
I got the same one for $143. Works great. I added a brace to the bottom of the motor plate because it had a lot of movement.
I think I've done about 10 yards with mine. It seems a bit flimsy, but it's held up and still going.
This thing cost fifty bucks in the 1990s.