Using a Portable Cement Mixer

Small portable electric cement mixers are suitable for completing many types of small scale building work. Their uses include preparing concrete for installing fence posts, building garden walls and laying garden paths. An electric cement mixer will ensure that the concrete is well mixed and will not dry out too quickly. They cannot however keep the concrete in a condition where it is ready to be used for long periods of time. You will need to have some idea how much concrete you will need to complete specific tasks in order to avoid situations where too much concrete has been prepared and you are not ready to make use of it all.

There are many different ways you can mix concrete to provide varying levels of strength. You should find what kind of mix you will require and then obtain the correct amounts of cement, sand and water before beginning any work. The consistency of the mix can be affected by the way the materials are added into the cement mixer. One method you can use is to first add three quarters of the water needed for your mix and then half of the sand or aggregate. You will then add all of the cement followed by the remaining half of the sand and finally the rest of the water. This will generally provide good consistency for a medium strength mix such as C20 which can be used when building garden walls, installing fence posts or other small jobs in your home or garden.

Pricing

These devices can be purchased from suppliers relatively cheaply in building stores or over the internet. Replacement cement mixer parts are also widely available and it is worth shopping around before committing to buy anything. There are various respectable companies who produce these machines so you can choose something like a belle cement mixer or another brand name product and still pay a reasonable price. A mini belle cement mixer will start at around £250 or $400. If you would like to pay the lowest possible amount then you can approach a hire company or a buy a used cement mixer instead. If you will not need one again in the future then used cement mixers can easily be sold on to someone else when you have finished using them. You can use the internet or local papers to offer your cement mixer for sale and should be able find a buyer relatively quickly.

Gas Vs Electric

One major decision you will need to make is whether you would like to purchase a gas or an electric cement mixer. Both options have strengths and weaknesses so it is important to consider them carefully while keeping in mind the kind of work you will be carrying out. Most electric cement mixers for sale are cheaper than the gas models and they will not require any refuelling. Their usage is however limited because of the need to access to a power socket. If you cannot reach the electric concrete mixer with an extension lead from a power socket then you will simply not be able to use it in the desired location. This limitation will cause serious problems on many building sites or in remote areas where sockets are not close by. For this reason the electric cement mixer is most often used by small builders and homeowners completing DIY work. They will not be seen as often as gas powered machines on larger construction sites. It is however worth noting that many manufacturers are now producing stationary and portable electric cement mixers that are aimed at larger scale building projects. They are often advertised using various terms such as ‘contractor grade’ machines that are powered by electricity.

The gas cement mixer is often the choice of the professional builder or any construction worker on a large site. They are usually more heavy duty machines which may be portable or stationary. You will not need access to any power supply when using one of these mixers but gas will of course be required. The machine will need to be refilled periodically which will cause problems if you do not keep a supply of gas near by. These machines will be more expensive than the electric concrete mixers but are often designed for use in tougher conditions such as those on construction sites. The gas powered machines will therefore be more durable and longer lasting in general.

Pricing

A small portable cement mixer can be purchased for under £150 or $250. These machines will however only be suitable for light building work such as small home and garden improvements. You can purchase some of the slightly better models by manufacturers such as Kushlan and Belle as used electric cement mixers for similar prices. Many slightly heavier duty electric mixers are also available with prices often around £250 or $400 and upwards. Both gas and electric machines which are aimed at large building contractors and are designed for use on the biggest construction sites will often be considerably more expensive. These can cost anything up to £3000 which is over $4500. The internet is a good place to begin looking for mixers as well as gas and electric cement mixer parts.

Types of Cement Mixer

In general you have the choice of using a small portable cement mixer, a larger stationary one or for the largest construction sites a cement mixer truck can be utilised. The small or ‘mini’ devices are best suited to DIY or other small building jobs. These may include building garden walls and patios or securing fence posts into the ground. An electric cement mixer will be the most common type currently used but an older diesel or petrol cement mixer may still be seen. A mini belle cement mixer is an example of a popular brand name device that is commonly used in small construction projects and many DIY jobs. These electric cement mixers are very mobile and can be moved either by hand or by using a vehicle to tow them. They can be purchased relatively cheaply from new or as used cement mixers. It is also easy to sell a used cement mixer to someone else if you will no longer need it.

A stationary concrete mixer will often be seen on a larger construction site. These devices are not designed to be mobile and so tend to be used where quantities of cement need to be mixed in one place for a length of time. A lot of the time these mixers will be used to dispense concrete into moulds when creating pre-casting process for large construction projects. There is a large range of both mobile and stationary cement mixers for sale and the internet is a good place to begin looking.

Transportation by Truck

A large concrete mixing truck will be used on the biggest construction projects and also on smaller ones that require the delivery of large quantities of concrete. These trucks store the concrete in a rotating drum which is located on the back of the vehicle while it is on route from the production plant to the site where the concrete is needed. The drum allows the concrete to be mixed continuously using a spiral blade until it needs to be poured. The blade has a very interesting design as it can be used to keep the concrete inside the vehicle as well as discharge it when necessary. When in transport the blade is rotated in one direction and this ensures that the concrete is constantly pushed further into the drum. When the concrete is ready to be used the blade begins to spin in the opposite direction then which will expel the concrete from the vehicle. A chute is then often used to guide it to its final destination where it will set. Where more precision placement of the concrete is required then a pump may be used to dispense it. This will also have a longer reach than a concrete chute.