Anyone use a $275 Home Depot style cement mixer?

[rusty]

I'm physically worn out from mixing mortars, concrete & plasters in a wheel barrow with a shovel.

Will a $275 Home Depot style mixer hold up to the task of a single earth plastered home followed by general small projects around the homestead for a few years or longer?

[sweetpea]

I'm in the US, and Husky brand products have held up well for me. They have a commercial-type mixer for a lot of use. Also check out Northern Tools, but you'll have to have it shipped. If you want to be even greener, you can make your own tumbler by building a table and mounting 4 caster-type wheels upside down on the top (wheels facing the sky) that will fit under whatever kind of metal tub you choose to use, and the tub will rotate on the casters. Put a 4 by 4 under the front two wheels so the tub is higher on the open end and won't spill out, or fashion a lid for your tub. Put a handle on the front edge of it so you have to turn it manually. Smaller loads are easier, but maybe you need bigger loads for the work you do.

[rusty]

Thanks for the info, Sweetpea. I like your idea of the tumbler. Do you know of any on-line pics I could check out?

rusty

[sweetpea]

Rusty, there used to be a picture of a tumbler like I explained for seedballs, but that website is not there anymore.

But it's very straightforward, a 3-D cube of 2 by 4's onto which you could lay a metal garbage can (can on top of it) that would sit on its side on four upside down casters, two per side, one near the front, one near the back, the open end of the can is higher than the bottom end. A Z shaped handle somewhere near the opening where it's sturdy so you can spin it.

The ones I've seen have the can high enough so that you can put a wheelbarrow up to it and pull the cement out with a hoe, and this is an easier height to turn it at, rather than a low height.

You might search on seedball tumbler, but I tried that and I couldn't find anything quickly.

[mutley]

Mate,
Do yourself a favour & buy a mixer. you will never regret it.
Mutley