Cement Mixer Buyers Guide

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How Big of a Concrete Mixer Do I Need?

Finding the right size for your concrete mixer is often difficult because it is hard to gauge your project needs.  Since the project does not a large mixer truck the breakdown will be based on smaller options.  Mixing concrete by hand or in a bucket will be a near impossible task at a larger scale.  We are here to make things a little bit easier by breaking down the sizes and options for you.   Many times a large size is needed for big outdoor projects and that helps reduce the amount of time to complete a project because you are able to mix more concrete.  Using smaller sizes are also beneficial for those who are working in a tighter space and do not need to have a lot of concrete readily available.  Medium sizes are also available if you want the best of both worlds. 

Size Recommendations

Popular Sizes: 3 cubic feet to 5 cubic feet

3 cubic and 5 cubic foot concrete mixers are perfect for small batch mixing.  This size range is ideal for pouring concrete into post holes, building a deck or barbecue pits, creating a concrete slab and other use cases such as mixing stucco or even farm feed!

Our Recommendations:

Imer Minuteman 5 Cubic Portable Concrete Mixer

·         Mixes 275 pounds of mortar, stucco, grout or concrete

·         Very portable – It can break down into 3 components for transporting in a car or truck

·         Lightweight design makes it easy to maneuver in any work environment

·         Mixes 275 pounds of material every 5 minutes for fast production

Cons:

·         Limited mixing capacity for larger batches

Medium Size

Popular Sizes: 6 cubic feet to 9 cubic feet

This is the most popular concrete mixer size that most people look for since it is compact and big enough for most projects.  

Our Recommendation:

Crown 609856 C6-CGH5 6 cu ft Concrete Mixer w/5.5HP Honda Engine

Pros:

·         Welded drum with high-abrasion resistant steel gives the mixers longer life and reduces maintenance costs

·         6 cubic feet gives you ample size for larger batches of mixing at a time reducing project times

·         Multi-position drum lock makes it easier to clean and adds flexibility

Cons:

·         Not as portable as the 3 cubic foot mixers and a bit more difficult to maneuver

Large cement mixer

Popular Sizes:   12 cubic feet

Our Recommendation for a Large Mixer:

Crown 609491 C12-CE2 12 cu ft Concrete Mixer w/ 2HP Electric Motor

 Pros:

·         12 cubic feet for ample mixing space

·         Great for large projects

·         Laser cut steel blades for precise and quick mixing

·         Vented engine helps engine stay cool when in use

Cons:

·         Heavy.  Limited portability

·         Large size means you will have to tow them to your job site

Suggestions: How to Buy the Right Mixer

When calculating what your mixer can produce you must understand how cement is being batched. Ensure that the concrete mix ratio is correct.   When making cement in your cement mixer you start off with one bag (usually 80 lbs.) of Portland cement. Next you add sand gravel and water to your mixture in the cement mixer. The breakdown of this combination is as follows so remember this calculator for future reference.

1 bag of Portland cement (80 lbs)
Sand (180 lbs)
Gravel/P-Gravel (240 lbs)
______________________
= 500 lbs of material in the cement mixer

Please note: 1 bag of Portland cement is equal to about 6 (80 lb) bags of Pre-mix ready mix concrete (Pre-mix is a mixture of Portland cement, sand and gravel to which you only add water)

You must look at what the overall cubic feet of the mixer is. Most manufacturers will say that the total volume of their mixer or drum capacity is 9 cubic feet. Thus a 9 cubic foot size is really 6 cubic feet of batch output for the mixer (remember mixers do not mix straight up and down they mix on an angle which means the entire drum is not used all at once, only about 2/3 of the capacity).

If a concrete mixer rates its capacity at 250 lbs of cement, then you must remember that 1 bag of Portland cement requires 500 lbs of material. This means that it will be able to handle a bag (80 lb) of Portland cement plus sand, gravel and water in the cement mixer.

BE CAREFUL: Some people get confused between Portland and Pre-Mix and some manufacturers will base batch capacity on Pre-Mix since a lot of consumers will purchase Pre-Mix. Pre-Mix is more efficient for almost all jobsite applications.

So you must ask or realize that if the mixer has a rating of 1-2 bags and it is only a 5 cubic foot size it is based off of pre-mix bags. Because 2 bags of regular cement would require a 1000 lbs of mixing material to complete the job and any towable mixers cannot handle that, only in industrial sized batch plant.