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How to choose a concrete mixer and how to operate it correctly, to maintain its performance
If you do all the basic work with your own hands, you can save a lot of thousands of rubles and not really strain your body if all the cement work is done using a concrete mixer.
Content
- What is a concrete mixer for? video
- What a concrete mixer consists of
- Types of Concrete Mixers video
- Which concrete mixer is better - with a cast iron or polyurethane crown video
- Which drum to choose: extruded or welded
- What to look for when choosing a concrete mixer video
- How to work correctly using a concrete mixer video
- Useful tips from a specialist
What is a concrete mixer for?
If you are not going to improve your figure by shoveling tons of cement mortar and concrete, and the work is to build a foundation, brick or masonry - you need to take care of the concrete mixer (concrete mixer).
To work in a private compound, this mechanism in the form of a compact electric model of a gravitational type is a necessary thing.
The people, such concrete mixers, nicknamed pears and even erected a monument to this mechanism in Krasnoyarsk.
What a concrete mixer consists of
The standard gravity-type concrete mixer has two cones that are directed towards each other and together comprise a steel drum.
Inside the drum of the concrete mixer are steel blades.
Outside, the drum of the concrete mixer is encircled with a crown of cast iron or poleuritan.
Steel blades are used so that during the rotation of the drum, the cement-sand mortar does not slip along the walls, but is captured by these blades, rises to the top and from above, under the influence of gravitational forces, falls down - thus the solution is mixed.
After the solution is ready, the stopped drum is tipped over and the solution is unloaded.
When working on small concrete mixers, such unloading occurs manually.
If the concrete mixer has a large volume - unloading occurs with the help of an electric go gasoline drive.
The concrete mixer itself is installed and mounted on a welded frame.
The welded frame at the bottom has wheels, with which the concrete mixer can be easily moved around.
To increase stability, additional supports are sometimes included. If there are no additional supports, and stability needs to be improved, craftsmen build pads from improvised material.
A flywheel mounted on a concrete mixer allows you to manually change and fix the unit in the desired position.
Types of Concrete Mixers
The most common type of concrete mixer is a crown type concrete mixer.
From the outside, the drum of this concrete mixer is encircled by a cast-iron or polyurethane ring gear, which consists of sectors.
In such concrete mixers, rotation from the electric motor is transmitted to the gear, it pushes the ring gear and spins the drum.
Such a concrete mixer has a disadvantage, since the crown is open, sand and cement dust constantly fall on it, and the crown quickly wears out.
Gear-type concrete mixers have a longer service life, since the gearbox is able to protect itself from dirt with its own housing and such concrete mixers are less noisy during operation.
It is difficult to break such a reducer, but if it breaks, then it will have to be completely replaced.
There are mixed-type concrete mixers, for such concrete mixers the rotation is transmitted from the electric motor spindle to the small pinion shaft, then to the large gear wheel, which is fixed to the mixing drum.
This concrete mixer is easy to repair, all parts can be easily replaced.
The disadvantage of this concrete mixer is the insecurity of the mechanism from ingress of sand and concrete.
In addition to the above types, there are compulsory concrete mixers.
Here, the mixing of the solution occurs using a system of active blades, and the container itself is motionless.
Such concrete mixers have a special device for the exact dosage of cement and aggregate.
Loading work is carried out using a mechanical bucket and such concrete mixers, having a volume of up to 750 liters, are often located in the arsenal of small construction crews.
Which concrete mixer is better - with a cast iron or polyurethane crown
Between concrete mixers with cast iron or polyurethane crowns, there is not much difference in service life, since cast iron is brittle material and polyurethane is quickly worn away.
When exposed to sand and concrete dust, cast iron material and polyurethane material are quickly destroyed.
Both cast iron and polyurethane can be easily broken when cleaning the concrete mixer.
But when operating a concrete mixer with a polyurethane crown, there is a slight advantage in the form of reduced noise during operation.
You can also buy a concrete mixer with a strong steel crown, but these concrete mixers are more expensive, less common, and ordinary concrete mixers with a cast iron or polyurethane crown are suitable for a small construction site.
Which drum to choose: extruded or welded
The design of the drum may make a difference when choosing a concrete mixer model.
Some concrete mixers are equipped with tanks with welded steel plates, which are cut in a special way.
Other concrete mixers have a drum made of a single piece of steel, such drums are made on deep-drawn presses. Beautiful, aesthetic drums come out from under the deep-drawing press, but their wall thickness is only 1.5-2 mm.
Welded drums usually have walls up to 4 mm.
It is clear that the thicker the wall, the more reliable the concrete mixer, since frozen pieces of concrete are often removed with a chisel.
What to look for when choosing a concrete mixer
When choosing a concrete mixer, pay attention to the volume of the mixing drum.
If you plan a small amount of work to repair or build a small house or garage, you can purchase a gravity-type concrete mixer with a volume of up to 150 liters.
If you are planning a larger construction, such as a two-story cottage - get a concrete mixer up to 250 liters.
Pay attention to the strength of the drum, for this, clap your palm on the drum and listen to the sound, a duller sound indicates a thicker wall of the drum.
Choose an electric motor from a trusted manufacturer, thereby you will ensure more reliable operation of the concrete mixer.
Pay attention to the manufacturer's warranty.
Get in stock the most worn out parts of the concrete mixer: crown, pinion gear and drive belt.
How to work correctly using a concrete mixer
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After pressing the start button, water is first poured into the drum and only after that cement, sand and gravel are poured.
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After mixing, without turning off the concrete mixer, lower the neck of the drum and the finished mixture is thrown out.
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The ring gear and pinion gear cannot be lubricated with grease or other grease, since there should always be no slipping between it and dry friction - this will prevent the erasure of the teeth from sand and cement.
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Dimensions of crushed stone should not be higher than 40 mm. if the dimensions are not maintained, crushed stone should be sieved.
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Do not put your hands and head into a working concrete mixer and hold the shovel firmly.
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Do not leave the finished solution in a concrete mixer, otherwise you will have to gnaw it.
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At the end of the work, using water, remove the remaining cement from the walls of the drum and blades.
Useful tips from a specialist
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To facilitate care, you can lubricate the inner surface of the drum with a special tool based on mineral oils.
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There are means not only to reduce the adhesion of the mortar to the working surface, but there are also means that gradually destroy the already set cement stone.
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Such protective equipment once a day, before starting work, is applied to the inner surface of the drum.
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Without fail, only with a rotating drum, cement, sand, gravel is loaded, and the finished mortar is unloaded.
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If you load the concrete mixer first, and then put it into operation, this leads to heavy loads on the engine and it simply burns out.
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If the concrete mixer is not equipped with a mixture heating system, such a concrete mixer can operate at temperatures above + 2 * С.
The more affectionate and attentive you are to the mechanism, the longer it serves you.
