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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer

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Pooh Bear

10-19-2006 22:13:18




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I'm looking at a sales paper for HF and it has a 1.25 CF concrete mixer in it for $99. And a 15% off coupon on the last page. I want to make paving blocks. 1ft x 1 ft x 3.5 inches thick. I want to make lots and lots and lots of these blocks. It will take about 1500 to do our driveway.

So what do you think of this mixer. Is it up to the task, and hopefully more. My guess is the motor will be underpowered. But that is an easy problem to fix. What about the rest of the mixer construction.

I have been working on building a mixer out of a polyethelene 55 gallon drum. But this thing is monstrous and EXTREMELY heavy. I am thinking this mite be too much mixer for my needs. Sure has been an interesting project tho.

I need opinions on the HF mixer.

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

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NE IA DAVE

10-22-2006 09:47:06




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Pooh Bear, 10-19-2006 22:13:18  
We use alot of old and new mixers that most farmers have setting around. I would guess 99% are running to fast and will not mix unless it is like water. If your mixer is going the correct RPMs the order you put the rock sand and cement in makes no differance. When a mixer turns to fast it sticks to the outside and does not fall down as it should. The fast mixers will mix feed and vitamins etc for the farmer, just not concrete. Even with the smallest pulleys on the electric motor they still turn to fast. I should also mention that when putting a motor on and using a small pulley that cast iron pulleys will slip far less than others.

My son bought a new one from Menards (a large building box store in our area). It is a direct drive and I gave him heck when he got it as it looked like a cheap toss in the corner type. Yea he sure points that out when I borrow it often as it works great and is very light weight. NE IA Dave

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rgvtx

10-21-2006 16:47:37




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Pooh Bear, 10-19-2006 22:13:18  
Pooh, I have a cheap mixer that is probably about the equivilent to the HF model, maybe a little better. My FIL bought it for a job 15 plus years ago, used it and covered it up and never used it again. One day I was over there in my truck and he asked if I wanted to buy his old mixer for 50 bucks so I did..... ..mostly because it was about a week before his SS check came in and I think he needed the money but wouldn't admit it. Long story short, I have used it probably 50 to 100 times over the years and have never had any trouble with it other than a bad on off switch long ago. Oh and I had to weld the frame once as I unloaded it off the trailer without the ramps...oooops. I had the same trouble others had of it not wanting to mix completely and after many uses I realized it was always on the first bag. Duh, I started wetting the inside of the drum first....problem solved. Oh, mine has a grease zerk fitting on the gear and I ALWAYS grease it prior to using it.
As another thought, a lot of the HF items have a warranty available. Sometimes it seems silly to buy it as it can cost half what the item costs. But it might be a good idea in this case. I bought a small water pump and it lasted just over a year. I went back and bought another one just like it and they asked if I want the warranty, this time I bought it. I was told if it breaks during the normal warranty (in this case, it's one year) I can bring it in and they will send it out for repair. Ha, I'm sure it would be months before you get it back. BUT, once the original warranty runs out (after one year) then you just return it and they replace it no questions asked. So I bought the warranty, came home and installed the new pump. Cleaned up the old pump, put it in the new box and taped the warranty paper and receipt on the box and tossed it up on the shelf. When the year is up (in about 4 more months) I'm returning it and getting a new one and probably buying the warranty again. At least I'll have a replacement here ready when I need it. The pump costs over 100, the warranty was 30.

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Pooh Bear

10-21-2006 19:11:41




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to rgvtx, 10-21-2006 16:47:37  
The first time I ever mixed concrete in a mixer on my own I made the same mistake. I had always mixed concrete in a wheelbarrow or tub. Put in the sand, put in the concrete, mix it, add the gravel, mix it, then add water, and mix it. Pour it where needed.
So I figured it was the same sequence for a mixer.
I put in the sand, then the cement, and let it turn.
Then added gravel, and let it turn some more.
Then added water, and let it turn some more.
Then I went to dump it. Dumped out only water.
The rest of the mix was stuck inside the bottom of the drum.
That's when I stuck a shovel in there to break it up.
Trust me, that will smack some sense into you quick.
And I learned when using a mixer, the water goes in first.

We live and learn (just barely).

If I can get some warm dry days
then maybe I could finish my mixer.

Pooh Bear

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Don L C

10-20-2006 19:54:29




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Pooh Bear, 10-19-2006 22:13:18  
Look for a older cheep mixer..... you will need larger batch size....just make up more forms.....



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JackT

10-20-2006 08:49:00




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Pooh Bear, 10-19-2006 22:13:18  
I've got one of those cheapie mixers and it just doesn't seem to mix very well. Unless I add a lot of water and make soup I always get a good sized lump in the center of the mixer that just sits there and won't mix. I've tried changing the angle of the drum, reversing rotation, changing speed, you name it nothing seems to work. I end up sticking a shovel in the mixer to break it up. Of course, like an idiot, at first I didn't shut the mixer off. Getting smacked a bunch of times by a rotating shovel handle learns you real quick!

Other problem with it is that the pinion gear doesn't mesh very well with the ring gear. No shims or anything to remove to fix that either. Think my casting may have been bored wrong.

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RusselAZ

10-20-2006 18:28:17




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to JackT, 10-20-2006 08:49:00  
I have one of those cheap mixers. I've had it about 15 years. Like you I couldn't get it to mix. I cut two 1 inch angle irons about 6 inches long and bolted them to the back or bottom of the drum depending on how you look at it. Then the mixers that came with it in the sides of the drum were too high off the metal can and the material just slid under the mixers. This one had two mixers which I left in. I also made two more out of that pierced steel angle stuff (just because it was handy and lightweight) and bolted them in between the factory mixers putting the short side to the drum.

It's a great little mixer now. OH, I also mounted a caster wheel on the drum drive on the flat side so the drive can't skip.

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Pooh Bear

10-20-2006 12:04:04




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to JackT, 10-20-2006 08:49:00  
In that case maybe I should just
finish my home made mixer.

I've done the shovel in the rotating drum thing.
That literally smacks some sense into you quick.

Pooh Bear



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jmixigo

10-19-2006 22:48:14




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Pooh Bear, 10-19-2006 22:13:18  
1.5 cubic feet will make you bout 5 pavers. If it last through 300 batches then you've "broke out". 300 is a lot of batches for any home owner quality mixer. Still, for what 85 American bucks will buy these days(not too much) it's prolly worth a shot. If it craps out on ya though what ever part broke will be the same one ya need to finish the home made one.



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Pooh Bear

10-19-2006 23:57:49




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to jmixigo, 10-19-2006 22:48:14  
At this point my home made mixer needs a motor.
I have one that might work. Not sure.
It is currently on a big squirrel cage fan and it
will run for 10 minutes and get hot and shut down.
I am thinking the mixer will be less load on the motor.

I have a 50:1 right angle reducer gear box for it.
Put the motor on the input side and a pulley on the
output side and size it to get about 25 RPM.

Need to add paddles inside the barrel to do the mixing.

And I need to build a stand for it to set on.
The stand is actually the hardest part.
The mixer is so heavy I have no idea where to
put the pivot point. Too far forward and I won't
be able to dump it, and too far backward and it
will dump itself probably without warning.
And how will adding the mix change the balance point.

And once it is mounted on a stand how do I move it.
I have several ideas for a solution to this problem.
One of which is to just leave it in one place
since it will only be used to pour molds.
But still, it would be nice for it to be mobile.

I'm exasperated enough at this point to consider
buying a smaller mixer for $85.

If I finish the home made mixer I will get pictures.

Pooh Bear

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Gerald J.

10-20-2006 20:09:21




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Pooh Bear, 10-19-2006 23:57:49  
Your blower without any restrictions is overloading your motor from moving too much air. A centrifugal blower takes more horsepower when running by itself.

That motor also may be depending on being in the blower with air moving over it and may overheat when run without being in the blower.

Gerald J.



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Gerald J.

10-21-2006 20:37:24




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Gerald J., 10-20-2006 20:09:21  
Dirt on the squirrel cage reduces its efficiecy, but not having back pressure makes it move more air and takes more horsepower than the motor can supply continuously. That's what causes it to trip the thermal overload.

But the motor without lots of air blowing over it will probably overheat with no load.

Internal motors for squirrel cage blowers are designed to be cooled by the air they move but to have some backpressure from the ducts to keep them from moving too much air.

Gerald J.

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Pooh Bear

10-20-2006 23:27:23




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Gerald J., 10-20-2006 20:09:21  
I see two other possibilities.
The blower and motor came out of an old HVAC unit.
The blower is extremely dirty. Makes it work harder.
Also, the electric cord I have hooked up to the
motor is undersize and probably causing a low
voltage condition in the motor.
I'm thinking if I remove the motor so it runs
without a load and put a proper electric cord on it
then it should run just fine. May need cleaned and oiled.

Otherwise I should be able to scrounge up another
old HVAC unit from a heat and air shop.
They give the old units away for scrap metal.

Pooh Bear

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504-1

10-20-2006 17:38:40




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to Pooh Bear, 10-19-2006 23:57:49  
P.B.,Where are you at? I have a mixer that just needs a moter. North East Missouri



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Pooh Bear

10-20-2006 23:14:56




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 Re: 1.25 CF Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer in reply to 504-1, 10-20-2006 17:38:40  
I live in Dunlap TN, 25 miles north of Chattanooga.
Map to my house.

So picking it up is probably out of the question.
And it would probably cost too much to ship.
We could look into it tho.

Pooh Bear



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