How to choose a concrete mixer for a private house and villa - expert reviews

In a special equipment for the production of a solution necessary for pouring a foundation or brickwork, any construction site is needed. Before pouring concrete with garden paths or erecting a three-story cottage, you need to select a concrete mixer so that you do not throw money away on an unnecessarily powerful device. At the same time, one should not allow the lack of a solution to restrain the construction or improvement of the territory. What equipment will meet all these requirements? Make the right choice will help the article.

Most manufacturers of concrete mixers - which firm to choose

to the acquisition of the mixer should be taken responsibly, because the quality of the cookedmixture depends on the reliability of the erected building.

The best manufacturers of concrete mixers include the following:

• Lebedyan;
• Denzel;
• Inforce;
• ZITREK;
• Profmash.

The rating of the best concrete mixers will help to choose a specific model that meets the requested requirements.

Principle of operation and construction of a concrete mixer

Regardless of the type of concrete mixer, its structure includes the basic elements:

1. Drum - a cylindrical, biconical, barrel or pear-shaped container in which a concrete mortar or other construction mixture is prepared;

2. Blades - metal plates that mix the solution, prevent the sticking of the working mixture on the walls of the drum;

3. Frame - welded steel structure, on which the loading capacity and the control unit are installed;

4. Electric motor - drives the mechanism elements( drum or blades) through the drive mechanism;

5. Control unit - serves to turn the device on and off, adjust the speed.

The principle of operation depends on the type of concrete mixer, which can be gravitational and forced.

In the forced-action equipment, the drum remains stationary during solution production - the mixture is formed due to the rotation of the blades or screw located inside the container. To unload the finished solution, open the slide gate located in the bottom of the drum.

In a gravity device, the mixture is prepared with a rotating container. The blades located inside the tank remain stationary.

The mortar, when mixed, rises due to the rotation of the drum, it falls under the action of gravity. In this case, the fixed blades divide the cement-concrete base, improving the process of solution preparation and forming a more homogeneous mass.

Unload the finished building material by changing the angle of inclination of the container using the lever or the control wheel.

For the convenience of moving around the building site, most of the concrete mixers are equipped with wheels that are mounted on the frame.

Types of concrete mixers

Concrete mixers of forced action

The main application areas of the equipment:

1. Manufacture of low-mobility and hard concrete mixtures;

2. Manufacture of solutions on dense and porous fillers;

3. Manufacture of mixtures for blocks, curbstone, paving slabs and bricks, made by the method of semi-dry vibrocompression and vibration.

Advantages:

• Mixing to high uniformity in a short time;
• Efficiency at work with both liquid and fixed mixtures;
• Long service life.

Disadvantages:

• High level of power consumption;
• The composition of the prepared mixtures should include components of approximately the same density.

Gravity concrete mixers

Advantages:

• Uncomplicated operation;
• Versatility of Stirred Substances;
• Democratic cost;
• Reliability and simplicity of design.

Disadvantages:

• Long stirring times for a homogenous mixture.

Reduction mixers

Reducer concrete mixers can be used to produce a wide range of mixtures with different size fractions. Most often equipment is used in professional activities, but it can be used in individual construction.

Advantages:

• Rare failure due to inability to contaminate the gearbox during operation, due to its location( under the bottom of the drum);
• Low noise level.

Disadvantages:

• In the event of a failure of the device associated with the failure of the gear transmission, its recovery is difficult and expensive.
• Require more careful operation in comparison with coronal equipment.

Concrete mixers

Concrete mixers of this type are most popular in private construction, as well as in small companies that perform repair and construction work.

The circumference of the drum circumscribes the crown - a gear wheel with a large internal diameter, which during the preparation of the solution is subject to heavy loads and contamination, which can cause the equipment to fail.

An important factor affecting the maintainability and life of the device as a whole has the material from which the crown is made.

Variety of crowns, their features, advantages and disadvantages:

1. Polyamide - a polymer that withstands considerable mechanical loads, is not exposed to harmful environmental influences. During operation, the noise level is negligible. Economical at repair: the polyamide crown is made, as a rule, from four elements that simplifies its restoration - it is enough to replace the damaged part;

2. Cast iron - most models are equipped with cast iron wreath. If the operating conditions are violated( strong vibration caused by an erroneous installation of a concrete mixer, an accidental fall or impact by an improvised tool), the crown gives a crack and breaks down. The sprocket element can not be repaired, but it can be replaced with a new one.

3. Steel - this version is the most expensive, which is related to the specificity of the production of the gear element. The steel crown is reliable and durable, but the overly labor-intensive production process limits the production of equipment with a steel crown.

Advantages:

• Low price and quick payback in heavy use;
• Efficiency - consume a small amount of electricity;
• Suitable for the formation of mixtures containing large-fraction components;
• Convenience of unloading ready-made mortar and easy maintenance of the drum after completion of work.

Disadvantages:

• Low efficiency when forming viscous mixtures;
• Small volume capacity in comparison with equipment forcible action.

Concrete mixer selection parameters

Drum volume

1. For work with a small consumption of mixtures and solutions: up to 100 l;

2. With an average flow rate: from 100 to 150 liters;

3. More than average consumption: 150 to 300 liters;

4. With a significant consumption: more than 300 liters.

Drum Wall Thickness

Models intended for private construction have a wall thickness of 1.5-2 mm all-welded containers, welded - 3-4 mm.

The volume of the finished solution

The indicator should be approximately 2/3 of the volume of the drum of the concrete mixer( partial loading optimizes the operation of the device: improves the quality of the ready mixes, prevents engine overloads).

Number of revolutions per minute

The indicator of most consumer-grade models is from 23 to 28 rpm. It should be borne in mind that the higher the value, the faster the ready solution will grasp.

Crown material

Preference should be given to devices with a crown of polymer materials. The polymeric crown is more practical, subject to repair.

Engine power

1. Optimum choice for low-rise construction: power up to 700 W;

2. For large objects: from 1000 W or more.

Voltage

1. For private construction, equipment with a voltage of 220 V;

2. On construction sites that are able to connect to a three-phase network, 380V concrete mixers can be used.

Which concrete mixer to choose

1. Up to 100 l / up to 700 W - repair work;construction of bathhouses, arbours, garages with the use of concrete mixers not more than 12 hours a day;

2. From 100 l / more 700 W - repair and erection of small buildings, conducted in intensive mode( more than 12 hours of continuous work per day);

3. From 100 to 150 l / to 700-800 W - low-rise construction under normal operating conditions;

4. From 100 to 150 l / to 1000 W - low-rise construction under intensive operating conditions;

5. From 150 to 300 l / 700 to 800 W - the construction of two- and three-story houses in the normal operating mode;

6. From 150 to 300 l / more 800 W - erection of houses with two or three floors in an intensive mode of operation;

7. From 300 l / more 1500 W - for large-scale construction of multi-storey houses, where a construction team of several bricklayers is engaged.

How much does the concrete mixer

1. Equipment of gravity type with a small engine and a drum up to 100 liters can be purchased from 7 to 15 thousand rubles.

2. Concrete mixers with corona transfer for low-rise construction, equipped with a drum from 100 to 150 liters are located in approximately the same price range - they can be purchased from 8 to 16 thousand rubles.

3. The prices for more efficient and productive equipment in the range of 15 to 45 thousand rubles.

4. Concrete mixers of compulsory action cost from 50 thousand rubles and above.