Daftar isi:
If you have come this far, it is because you may be interested in buying a concrete mixer. Are you a handyman and do you have work to do in your home? Do you have a company and need material to undertake certain projects? In this article you will find all the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the concrete mixer.
Even if you are a person who has never used this machinery, but you want to know it in case at any time you think it can be useful to you, this is your article. We anticipate that its operation is simple, that the complications are minimal and that the prices you will find on the market are very variable. Let’s begin?
- Concrete mixers have been developed to free man from the effort required to make mixtures such as concrete.
- On the market there are models focused for home use and for professional use.
- At the end of the article you will find useful purchase criteria to be able to make a positive choice.
The best concrete mixers on the market: our selection
The first thing we will do is offer you four models of concrete mixers with different characteristics and for different budgets. We don’t really know what it will serve you for and with what aspirations, so the intention is that you may have options to choose from. With this first contact you can draw your first conclusions.
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- The best concrete mixer for home use
- The concrete mixer with the best value for money
- The best concrete mixer for professional use
- The largest concrete mixer
The best concrete mixer for home use
The 70 L concrete mixer proposed by BOUDECH is the best-selling in the lower price range, thanks to the very low price and compact size, qualities that make it the ideal solution for small domestic jobs. The drum has a maximum diameter of 45 cm and a mouth of 26 cm, and rotates up to 36 times per minute thanks to a 275 W motor.
Its weight is 29 kg, and reaches a height of 88 cm and a width of 70 cm. Buyers generally judge it positively, knowing that it is not a product intended for professionals, and appreciating its good value for money.
The concrete mixer with the best value for money
The Maberg CM120 is a robust and reliable option, suitable not only for home use but also for small professional interventions. It has a 550 W motor and a 120 L drum (for about 90 L of dough), with a 33 cm diameter opening.
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It reaches the dimensions of 73.5x58x43 cm and a weight of 45 kg. Considering the price, the reviewers are very satisfied with it and express a positive opinion on the robust materials and the simplicity in mounting and dismounting.
The best concrete mixer for professional use
The concrete mixer in question, produced by VidaXL, has a weight of 52 kg and a 140 L drum. The drum reaches a speed of 26.6 rotations per minute, and has a 38.5 cm opening. It has a 650 W motor, while the wheels are 10 “.
It enjoys numerous positive reviews, including from industry professionals, which place it at a higher level than the cheaper options. Assembly takes a little patience, but once you get up it will be worth it.
The largest concrete mixer
The Maberg CM180 is a concrete mixer equipped with a large 180 L drum, capable of mixing about 135 L of mix. The motor is 800 W and the switch is resistant to dust and liquids, with IP55 category. The total weight is 60 kg, and is equipped with a crown gear and cast iron gears for better longevity.
It is certainly a robust and bulky product, intended for professional and intensive use, as also testified by users.
Shopping guide: Everything you need to know about the concrete mixer
As you have seen in the previous paragraphs, there are concrete mixers with different characteristics and are recommended for different profiles of people. Since you now know what you can find in a fairly large market, we’ll dive into them. We will try to answer the most common questions that may arise when buying a concrete mixer.
What is a concrete mixer?
It is a machine whose mission is to mix different materials for the composition of concrete and other useful mixtures. All those materials that are used for the composition of a mixture are generally heavy and require significant handling. Thanks to the concrete mixer today this job is much easier.
There is a wide variety of concrete mixers on the market, which can be intended for domestic or professional use. The characteristics may vary depending on its capacity, the diameter of the tank or drum, the type of concrete mixer, the type of engine and its weight, among other important specifications.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a concrete mixer?
A conventional concrete mixer is not something too complex to use. Furthermore, the specifics that are given when asking about it are perfectly clear. Even so, and depending on how you want to use it, it goes without saying that they have a number of advantages and disadvantages. We go to see them in the following table.
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How many types of concrete mixers are there?
Now that you know what concrete mixers are, the options on the market and their advantages and disadvantages, you will learn about their main variants. Since we think you might be interested in some other type of concrete mixer, we would like to mention them and briefly explain what their main features are.
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- Fixed or semi-fixed: they are permanently placed in the place where the work in question is intended to be carried out, as long as there are no very adverse weather conditions.
- Portable: they are equipped with wheels so that they can be transported. They are characterized by being lighter, but also by a lower capacity.
- Self-loading: They usually have two engines, one diesel and the other electric. They are normally used in large-scale works. They have a water tank and a loading tank to automate the production process.
- Towable: they are reinforced in their structure and equipped with large tires. They can be attached to other vehicles.
What parts make up a concrete mixer?
We have reached a point where we have already dealt with different models of concrete mixers and you have also been able to know the types by structure. To learn even more about how it works, it never hurts to know the main parts that make it up and their function. We will make everything concise and easy to understand.
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- Glass or drum: this is where the materials to make the mixture are deposited.
- Crown: it is a ring on the outside of the glass. It is part of the gear, together with the pinion and the reducer, which transmits the energy from the motor to the drum itself. Needs maintenance.
- Engine: the engine is the heart of a concrete mixer. It is responsible for transmitting all energy to the drum.
- Handlebar: serves so that the glass can be overturned without too much effort.
- Frame: it is, so to speak, the structure that supports the movement and weight of the drum itself and of the possible mixtures.
What transmission can the concrete mixers have?
There is something you should keep in mind after knowing the most prominent parts of a concrete mixer. It is the transmission itself, as there are several types on the market. In fact, you can find this machinery with a direct transmission or through the crown itself. The differences are substantial and you better know them.
With the crown gear transmission, the motor delivers its energy to the drum through the pinion, the gearbox and the crown itself. With direct drive, the motor transfers its energy directly and with the help of a gearbox and some belts or sprockets. Since there are fewer parts that are activated by the movement of the drum, they are much quieter.
How is concrete prepared in a concrete mixer?
Concrete is one of the main building materials. Its composition is based on a mixture of water, binders and some aggregates. It can be made with Portland cement, perhaps the most widely used, gravel and sand along with other types of additives that modify, depending on convenience, setting times and other types of variables.
The most practical way to make concrete in a concrete mixer is to incorporate the different elements in an orderly manner. First the gravel and half of the water to use. Subsequently, the cement, sand and the remaining part of the water. From here the mixture should be ready in a few minutes.
Although proportions can vary to achieve a specific type of texture, concrete can be made as follows:
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- 1 part of concrete
- 0.5 parts of water
- 2 parts of sand
- 4 parts of gravel
Purchase criteria
As you will have read throughout the article, the concrete mixers, although almost all very similar, are offered with different types of structure and different characteristics. For this final part we will focus on the most important aspects when making a choice. Don’t worry, it’s not cumbersome, but a few short notes that will help you a lot.
- Use
- Drum
- Fixed or portable
- Engine
- Power
Use
The first thing you should understand is that the type of use you want to make of it is very relevant. Mainly due to the benefits and the fact that the value will vary considerably in the case of home or professional use. If in your case you need it for home use, concrete mixers dedicated to this are more convenient.
In addition, they are also simpler and weigh a lot less. The effect of this is that the capacity of the drum is considerably less. Conversely, those for professional use are more robust, have much more capacity and can have different types of engines. As a general rule, diesel or gasoline. They will also be much more expensive.
Drum
This is a criterion that you need to take into consideration a lot. The total capacity of the glass is always greater than that useful for mixing. Once that is cleared up, you are faced with a key factor, as a concrete mixer that doesn’t have the right capacity for your needs is a nuisance. A bad choice can get you doing double the work.
If you are going to use it for housework, one that fluctuates between 60 and 140 liters may suffice. However, if the purchase is being made for highly regarded work and a professional approach, then you’d better look for models from 160 liters and up. It is common to find them with a capacity of up to 350 liters.
Fixed or portable
When a concrete mixer has limited capacity, its structure is lighter and can incorporate wheels. With these features, you can move it around at will and with relative ease. However, there are also transportable industrial concrete mixers.
Fixed concrete mixers are characterized by their robustness and their great mixing capacity during the working day. They are obviously heavier and cannot be easily transported. It’s up to you to choose between comfort or full, uninterrupted performance.
Engine
In addition to the many types of existing concrete mixers, there is also another type of classification that has to do with the type of engine. And you ask yourself, does this affect the operation and performance of the concrete mixer itself? Of course, as the type of engine used provides a number of clues as to what you’ll be able to do.
- Electric: they are usually used for housework or, in the absence of anything else, even by small professionals.
- Diesel: They run on diesel and are generally large.
- Petrol: it is one of the most used engines, as it can be put into operation without the need for an electrical outlet. They are obviously professional in nature.
Power
This feature is also important, since it determines the strength that the mixer itself will be able to develop to carry out the mixing. However, this would be of no use if the rest of the mechanisms were not of quality. Remember that “uncontrolled force is useless”. In this case, without quality parts, the power would not be the same as an advantage.
For an unpretentious domestic concrete mixer, about 220 W of power may be enough. You will need more time to mix, but if the work to be done is modest, there will be no problem. In the case of a concrete mixer focused on professional use, from 550 W you can already find machines with good performance.