3-point cement mixer

[Runningalucas]

I searched for this topic, and didn't find one, if one exists, then if an admin wants to move this, that's okay.

So on the topic, I just bought a 3-point, class 1 cement mixer from Agri-Supply out of NC(that state sure does do a lot of implement sales, just interesting fact). 

It looks like a great tool, I've got an older Kubota 7030N I picked up at auction for $1,700 in good mechanical condition, and plan to put this mixer on it; as the tractor will turn 360 degrees almost in it's own footprint, and figure it would be about the best thing short of a concrete truck for pouring spot piers, and more. 

I figure at a central mixing station, I'll have the rock, sand, and cement. I can dig a ramp down a couple feet, to back the tractor into; so as to almost just push the raw ingredients into the mixer; I don't even want to have to life the shovel a foot.  I found no bad reviews, only a couple suggestions for this contraption.  Anyone here familiar with them?  

It looks like most gas powered mixers are priced in the $3k, and up range, while the electric ones are all over the map with perhaps wide ranges of actual quality.  Both would necessitate a lot of wheel barrow loads so again really like how this is a 'load, and dump where needed' contraption.

Here's a video of it:

NEW 3 POINT LINKAGE CEMENT MIXER - YouTube

and

OUR 3 POINT LINKAGE CEMENT MIXER WORKING. - YouTube

On that note, I'll probably not be using this until a couple months out, but that'll give me time to get it put together, and work out any kinks, as I've read about a few, and the man in the video goes over.

[YellowHammer]

I used to have one of those.  They work well. 

[Tom King]

I have an ancient one that my Dad used when he had a well boring business, right after WWII.  The motor has been Long gone off of it.  I welded a PTO spline on the drive shaft, and run it with my tractor.  Works Great!!

[Nebraska]

I missed one on Craigslist  the other day similar thinking as you. Another small way to be self reliant.

[sawguy21]

That is interesting! My back hurts just thinking about a mixer and wheelbarrow.

[scsmith42]

I have a one yard tow-behind mixer that has come in pretty handy at times.  It's hydraulically operated, and we've run it off of an engine driven hydraulic pump mounted to the mixer (and also remote hydraulics on a farm tractor when the engine was inoperable)

One of the best enhancements that we made to it was an elevated loading trough.  Basically it's a 9' wide, elevated trough with a steep taper down in the middle and it has a short chute that drops into the mixer bowl.  What it allows us to do is load the mixer directly from a backhoe or skid loader bucket by dumping the sand and aggregate into the chute, where it slides down into the mixer bowl.  This beats the heck out of having to hand load it.  

When I was using it a lot, I would paint reference marks on the inside of the loader bucket for the proper amount of sand and rock.  We would scoop up some sand, dump out what we needed to in order to hit the marks, and then raise the bucket and pour it into the trough.  Then we would do the same thing with the rock, and pour the cement on top of the rock and dump it into the chute.  After mixing everything for several minutes we would use 5 gallon buckets to measure out the desired amount of water, pour them into the loader bucket and then dump it into the chute too.

This method eliminated most of the backbreaking work (just had to open up the cement bags), and allowed us to hit a 4.5" ideal slump just about every time.

I also have a 1/4 yard mixer that goes onto a skid steer.  That thing is very handy for smaller pours, especially if we are using something like Sakrete with small aggregate.  It does not like larger rock though.

[farmfromkansas]

I have a small mixer that sits on the ground, and my thoughts were to pick up the cement in my old truck, and pick up a load of concrete sand, and then shovel the sand and cement out of the truck into the mixer.  Then pour the mixer into the form.

[Runningalucas]

I used to have one of those.  They work well.

Thank you, it does help me; the reassurance.

I have an ancient one that my Dad used when he had a well boring business, right after WWII.  The motor has been Long gone off of it.  I welded a PTO spline on the drive shaft, and run it with my tractor.  Works Great!!

Awesome, I thought about building one out of a barrel, but after reading about these, and contemplating the price, it worked.  Thanks for commenting, and that you use something similar. 

I missed one on Craigslist  the other day similar thinking as you. Another small way to be self reliant.

Yup, self reliance is important, and on the top of my thinking at all times.

I have a one yard tow-behind mixer that has come in pretty handy at times.  It's hydraulically operated, and we've run it off of an engine driven hydraulic pump mounted to the mixer (and also remote hydraulics on a farm tractor when the engine was inoperable)

One of the best enhancements that we made to it was an elevated loading trough.  Basically it's a 9' wide, elevated trough with a steep taper down in the middle and it has a short chute that drops into the mixer bowl.  What it allows us to do is load the mixer directly from a backhoe or skid loader bucket by dumping the sand and aggregate into the chute, where it slides down into the mixer bowl.  This beats the heck out of having to hand load it.  

When I was using it a lot, I would paint reference marks on the inside of the loader bucket for the proper amount of sand and rock.  We would scoop up some sand, dump out what we needed to in order to hit the marks, and then raise the bucket and pour it into the trough.  Then we would do the same thing with the rock, and pour the cement on top of the rock and dump it into the chute.  After mixing everything for several minutes we would use 5 gallon buckets to measure out the desired amount of water, pour them into the loader bucket and then dump it into the chute too.

This method eliminated most of the backbreaking work (just had to open up the cement bags), and allowed us to hit a 4.5" ideal slump just about every time.

I also have a 1/4 yard mixer that goes onto a skid steer.  That thing is very handy for smaller pours, especially if we are using something like Sakrete with small aggregate.  It does not like larger rock though.

Man, some great replies to this thread, and love the chute idea, as well as the markings on the bucket.  I've got the old Kubota, and then a JD 110tlb, which would work great to do similar as you say. I'm really digging the thought of no back issues while playing with concrete lol

That is interesting! My back hurts just thinking about a mixer and wheelbarrow.

Man, I hear you!!!!! lollollol My back was hurting thinking about it, and then the thought of what a concrete truck was making my pocket book whimper lol

I have a small mixer that sits on the ground, and my thoughts were to pick up the cement in my old truck, and pick up a load of concrete sand, and then shovel the sand and cement out of the truck into the mixer.  Then pour the mixer into the form.

That's not a bad idea either. I really liked @scsmith42 idea, but until I can get metal together for a chute, I may do the truck method as you suggest.  Thanks to all for posting, I appreciate the assurances, and insights; greatly!

[Steve Crook]

They are handy. we have one for the 3pt on a new holland that we do a fair amount of cement for our projects around here. love it for the large mixing capacity. it holds 58 # 2 shovelfulls of exercise at a time. the only gripe I have is it will not dump high enough to load a wheelbarrow. so you get to dump it into a tub and get more exercise to load it up into a barrow. 

[Haleiwa]

Assuming you haul the cement in bags, build yourself a platform the same height as your truck bed.  You don't want to store the cement on the ground next to the sand and stone and have it get wet.  The hardest part of moving heavy bags is picking them up.   With a platform, you just move them across instead of up and down. 

[kantuckid]

I have Kushlans largest mixer, electric and runs easily from my Honda 2000 generator. It's wheelbarrow style and bought new, freight deal from a guy in OH who gets them from the terminal and sold on CL. It's very high quality & used as stationary into a barrow and leaves my tractor free for other tasks. I'd buy it again!

[Runningalucas]

They are handy. we have one for the 3pt on a new holland that we do a fair amount of cement for our projects around here. love it for the large mixing capacity. it holds 58 # 2 shovelfulls of exercise at a time. the only gripe I have is it will not dump high enough to load a wheelbarrow. so you get to dump it into a tub and get more exercise to load it up into a barrow.

Thank you, that's some good intel. regarding shovel loads.  My overall plan is to not have to do much shoveling.  I've got a back hoe, and enough land I guess to build a small 'station' for my own concrete manufacturing.  I'm stuck with a couple different cost factors that are difficult to control.  I guess inflation, or is it supply, and demand for labor, and actual redimix delivered; actually all materials. 

My back is about 'blown', and for good, I don't really have a 20 year plan, more like a 5 year just get what I need done plan, and I think this mixer with careful forward thinking will facilitate most of my concrete needs, without extra expense.

Assuming you haul the cement in bags, build yourself a platform the same height as your truck bed.  You don't want to store the cement on the ground next to the sand and stone and have it get wet.  The hardest part of moving heavy bags is picking them up.   With a platform, you just move them across instead of up and down.

Yes, I was curious as to how long I could store actual cement for in a covered shed.  I had someone tell me that the ambient moisture in the air would harden most anything over a few months in short order, but was considering building a small 'dog house', or shed to store a few pallets at a time, while I build.  I totally agree with your logic on moving across, rather than lifting.  I'm also seriously considering building a shoot like other posters above had stated.  Pacific Steel prices here are going up, but you can still get great deals on scrap; I've seen a few concrete shoots in their yard from time to time, and am now on the hunt.  It would be nice to load the mixer from another tractor, without any shoveling.

I have Kushlans largest mixer, electric and runs easily from my Honda 2000 generator. It's wheelbarrow style and bought new, freight deal from a guy in OH who gets them from the terminal and sold on CL. It's very high quality & used as stationary into a barrow and leaves my tractor free for other tasks. I'd buy it again!

Thanks for letting me know this.  I don't know that I'll need another mixer at this point, but will keep in mind, the market for the electric ones, or even gas powered mixers seems to be all over the map.  My biggest concern was the actual strength of repeated loads in the barrel, and how well it'd hold up.

As to tractors, the extra one I got at auction, my intention was to pull the motor, which I believe is rated around 90ish-hp, and put into an old FJ-40 that's sitting around.  After I got the thing, even though it looked rough, it's solid as can be, and all mechanical; so I'm not tearing it down, but gonna use it as is. 

My thought is to be able to mix it at a preset, and built station, and to dump exactly where i need it without a wheel barrow, or my back wearing out, lol.  Thanks for the comment.

[kantuckid]

Bag mix storage: My nearest Lowe's persists in keeping a couple of pallet piles of various sizes bag mix under their material loading, open roofed area and I've told them twice that it simply a waste my time and money, and theirs too, to deal with hard bags from their sitting the stuff next to the eaves where rain blows in. I haul them all the way back to get more and they count them too not just my word. 50 mile RT.  Over time it also get hard from ambient air moisture but not in the immediate first few weeks if well off the ground.