Do-it-yourself concrete mixer - how and from what to do it yourself. Homemade concrete mixer or make a mortar effortlessly Making a concrete mixer with your own hands drawings

Many people like to carry out repairs on their own plot with their own hands. To fix the foundation of the house, fill in the paths, put up a fence on the posts, you need such an aggregate as a concrete mixer. There is no point in purchasing an industrial model, because it will be very expensive. In this case, an excellent solution would be to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, which does not require large financial costs. So how do you make a concrete mixer yourself? Thanks to the presented video, you can clearly see the whole process of such manufacturing.

What is a concrete mixer for?

Many find that a small amount of mortar can be easily mixed with a shovel. However, this results in a mixture of very poor quality. The fact is that it is very difficult to mix the solution in the trough with a shovel. Such physical activity is not for everyone, therefore easier to install concrete mixer, collected by hand from a barrel. In addition, if you knead a large amount of the mixture, then in the end the composition will turn out to be dry. The solution begins to lose moisture much faster than it has time to stir to the desired consistency.

Good quality concrete will not work even if you use a drill. When fixing it on the bracket, lumps of sand remain in the mixture. The drill should not only spin, but also move back and forth and in a circle. Often the tool cannot withstand such stress and breaks.

To understand the principle of operation of a do-it-yourself homemade concrete mixer, which is made for a small amount of work, it is necessary to consider the process of mixing the solution. There are 3 ways:

gravity method;
vibration method;
mechanical method.

Gravity Method. In industry, this method is not used, because the resulting cement is of poor quality. As a result of gravitational mixing, the container rolls over, the components begin to "flop" on top of each other and mix into a relatively homogeneous mass.

vibration method. Counts the most reliable way of production concrete in industry. In the fixed bucket, the vibromixer begins to move, resulting in a high-quality solution.

mechanical method. Used only in conjunction with gravity. In this case, either the mixer starts to rotate in a fixed tub, or a tub with protrusions inside rotates.

Manufacturing technology of concrete mixer

There are a large number of home-made units that are adapted for the manufacture of concrete. The simplest design can be made from an ordinary milk can, a large pot, an old boiled water. Its drawing is quite simple, and the manufacturing technology is even simpler:

weld the container to the axis;
a stick, a piece of pipe or a rubber band is pushed into the lid and the lid is pulled very strongly to the handles;
to simplify the design couplings are not used, and arcuate recesses are cut in the frame and the axis is laid on them.

To make a more practical unit, you need to use other drawings.

Do-it-yourself concrete mixer manufacturing steps

Container manufacturing

Before you start creating a concrete mixer with your own hands, you should choose a container. It is best to use metal barrels for this, which can hold at least 200 liters. Exactly this volume is considered optimal in order to knead the required amount of concrete at a time. It is better not to use plastic tanks, as they will not last long.

To make a concrete mixer, you need a barrel with a lid and a bottom. If the container does not initially have a lid, then it should be welded by cutting it out of a sheet of metal. After that, flanges with bearings should be attached to the bottom and lid of the barrel. A hatch is cut out in the side, through which the components of the solution will subsequently be poured. It is best to make such a hole closer to the end of the tank, which will be lower during the operation of the concrete mixer. The cut out part of the barrel will be used as a manhole cover. It is fixed with the help of hinges and some kind of locking device.

In order for the solution to mix better, the blades are welded to the inner walls of the barrel at an angle of 30 - 40 degrees. The angle of inclination is calculated in such a way that during the mixing process, the concrete can be "pushed" out. In addition, such blades can be fixed not on the walls, but on the shaft of the device itself.

If you cannot find a suitable container, then you can make it yourself. To do this, you will need the following tools and materials:

sheet metal 1.5 - 2 mm thick;
welding machine;
rollers;
wooden mallet or hammer.

Before cutting metal drawings to be prepared indicating the required dimensions. To make a concrete mixer body, you will need a central round section, a tank bottom and two truncated cones that make up the lower and upper parts of the structure. Parts cut according to the markup must be bent into rings. It is more convenient to do this with the help of rollers. After fitting all the details, the seams are securely welded.

Base mounting

A homemade concrete mixer must have a reliable and stable base. Otherwise, the structure may turn over during operation. If it is not intended to load a large amount of concrete into it, then the skeleton is best made from a square wooden beam, having a cross section of 10x10 or 15x15 cm. So that the base of the structure cannot suffer from vibration during operation, you should use half-tree or spike connections. After assembly, all joints must be properly glued and tightened with self-tapping screws.

If you want to create a more reliable and durable unit, you should give preference to a frame that welded from metal not less than 45x45 mm in size. You can also use a channel. If there is no gas welding machine, then the frame is fixed with rivets or nuts and bolts.

If there is such a desire, then the base can be equipped with wheels. This will require an axle without bearings and the wheels themselves. This concrete mixer is easy to turn over and move. When assembling the base, it is necessary to provide handles. With their help, the device can be moved.

During the assembly process, the frames must provide a place for the engine. Also will need a counterweight so that when the concrete is unloaded, the structure does not tip over. If you plan to unload the solution with a shovel, then in this case the counterweight will not be needed. All these points must be provided during the creation of the drawing.

Engine mounting

To make the concrete mixer more efficient, you need any single-phase motor, the rotation speed of which is not more than 40 rpm.

Many craftsmen who create a home-made design advise using electric motors from old washing machines that are out of order, such as the Wave or the Seagull. Such motors are able to work for a long time and not overheat. When choosing an engine, it should be remembered that the optimum rotation speed of the tub is 20 - 30 rpm. For this, various gearboxes are used. However, the best and simplest option is to use a pulley and a drive belt.

Instead of a washing machine engine, you can use a motor from a motorcycle or a gasoline-powered moped. In this case, the concrete mixer will not need power supply and can be used in any conditions. The engine is fastened with 4 bolts to the bracket or to the frame, which are welded to the gearbox housing.

However, a home-made concrete mixer is able to work with manual control. In this case, neither electricity nor gasoline will be needed for it. Such a simple device is mobile, easy to assemble, and anyone can manage it. Its only drawback is the presence of an assistant for mixing the solution.

Finally, a shaft is threaded through the container of the structure. To make the device more stable, it should be dug into the ground at an angle of 30 degrees.

Thus, to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, no special skills are needed. More clearly the manufacturing process can be seen in the video. Before you start assembling such a device, you should use the drawings. They will help to correctly and accurately create a home-made design without serious financial investments.

It is even difficult to imagine any building without technological processes using cement mortars. And for the owners of their own country house, with their constant state of “permanent” repair and landscaping, concreting is generally a very popular operation - either you need to fill in the garden paths, or the foundation for the gazebo, or renew the blind area, or put up a fence ... In a word, literally on every step requires the manufacture of concrete - the difference is only in the scale of the event.

Many individual builders prefer not to bother with self-mixing of the mortar - this can be avoided if there is a concrete goods plant nearby or another company that provides services for the manufacture of concrete and its delivery to the place of work. But, firstly, it costs a lot of money. Secondly, not everywhere such an opportunity is present. And, thirdly, it does not always make sense to use such services for reasons of a small scale construction or repair task - it will be either simply ridiculous or extremely unprofitable. It’s easier to make the right amount of solution yourself. This, of course, can be done manually, but it is better to purchase (rent) a concrete mixer or show yourself to be a real owner: for the future, make yourself a concrete mixer with your own hands.

The article will discuss several homemade models concrete mixers - from the simplest to those that already differ little from the samples presented in stores.

Brief excursion - what are concrete mixers

By and large, you can cook without any equipment at all. Some masters even like to work in the “old fashioned way” mixing cement nt with sand and other components (if necessary), and then gradually adding the right amount of water. For this, large containers with low sides are used, factory-made or even home-made, knocked together from boards and sheathed with thin metal.

Mixing by hand - how much time do you have?

Some people prefer to do without containers altogether, by preparing the solution simply on a prepared flat area. However, in any case, the procedure of mixing with a shovel or hoe, first dry components, and then with water, is a very laborious process that takes a lot of effort even at the preliminary stage, before concreting. And if the work is planned on a fairly large scale, then this approach will not justify itself.

Prices for concrete mixers Whirlwind

concrete mixer Whirlwind

Construction mixers or drill attachments - they will go more for dry mortars or composite polymer materials. Sand with cement for them is already a rather difficult “test”, and if there is still a need to add gravel, gravel or expanded clay of a large fraction, then the mixer or drill can be safely put aside: not only can you not achieve a high-quality, homogeneous batch, but also and there is a high risk of overheating the gearbox or the electric drive of the device.

Concrete mixers (concrete mixers) cope with this task, which differ not only in size, capacity and drive power, but also in the principle of their operation.

Forced mixing principle

Forced principle - the mixing of the components of the solution is carried out in a fixed container. It is carried out due to circular movements of the shaft with blades connected to a mechanical drive. (Working with a construction mixer or a drill with a nozzle can also be safely attributed to the forced kneading principle).

The layout of the installation may be different. So, the working drum can be a vertically located cylinder of small height, in which blades-blades rotate on a vertical axis (as in the figure above).

Another option is when the container itself is located horizontally, and the shaft with blades is also oriented in a horizontal plane. Below is a schematic diagram of such a concrete mixer - who knows, perhaps someone will use it as a prototype for self-production.

In the drawing, the numbers indicate:

1 – drum body, which solution is mixed.

2 - a frame on which all units of the unit are mounted.

3 - Electric drive. In this case, with such dimensions of the mixer, the power of the order of 5 ÷ 6 kW will be optimal.

4 – control and management elements: toggle switches, indicator lamps.

5 - Lower hatch (shutter) - for unloading the finished solution into a container substituted from below.

6 - lever to open the shutter.

7 - safety grill installed during kneading.

8 - a gearbox for transmitting rotation from an electric drive to a working shaft.

9 - Protective casing of the belt drive.

10 - safety clutch.

11 - a working shaft with blades installed on it for mixing the solution.

The unloading of the finished solution can also be organized according to a different principle - the working drum is mounted on the frame not rigidly, but pivotally. When mixing concrete, it is locked in working position. And in order to extract the finished solution, the container removed from the stopper, and with the help of a special lever it rotates in the suspension trunnions. The solution is unloaded into the substituted container through the top loading hatch.

Another scheme is somewhat simpler, with a lever for capsizing the container

Forced-action concrete mixers achieve very high levels of mortar homogeneity. They are actively used in industrial conditions, in construction, in private practice. However, they are not without significant drawbacks:

In the working tank, it is often impossible to avoid the creation of "dead zones" - along the walls, especially in the corners. It is not easy to fit the blades with a minimum clearance to the inner walls of the cylinder, especially since under such conditions there is a constant increased wear of rubbing parts.
Structural complexity - reliable hermetic protection of rotation units (bearing blocks) on the working shaft from the aggressive effects of cement mortar is necessary.
It is almost impossible to prepare a solution with a filler of medium or large fraction in such a concrete mixer. But on the other hand, for plastering and finishing works, using ready-made building mixtures, this the most optimal option.

Gravity mixing

The gravitational principle of mixing - the components of the solution are mixed under the influence of their own gravity. A good example - put two different products in a glass jar, for example, two types of cereals, close the lid and start rotating - mixing will begin.

It is clear that such an approach in a "pure" form does not provide high-quality preparation of the solution, or it will take too much time to achieve an acceptable consistency. In industrial conditions, this method is not used, but for domestic needs, a small simple concrete mixer can be made.

The drawing shows a can - it is convenient in terms of tightly closing the lid. But, in principle, almost any container can be used, if the owner thinks well about the issue of its reliable closure while mixing the solution.

The axis of rotation can be fixed outside the container - in this case, it is not necessary to ensure the sealing of the assembly when it passes through the wall. But still, it is better to make it through - such an artificial obstacle during gravitational mixing of the solution will somewhat increase its quality.

On the Internet you can find many interesting solutions for the manufacture of such simple concrete mixers from improvised means. Very often old iron barrels are used. To make a stand - probably, not a single good home craftsman will have any special difficulties.

The most difficult thing, probably, again, is to think over the issue of a tightly fitting hatch, which, when open, will allow loading the components of the mixture and pouring water, and when closed, with stirring, will not allow the liquid solution to flow out. Approaches here can be different, but most often they use a door on welded hinges, the opening for which is sealed with rubber around the perimeter.

Some creative masters complicate the design somewhat in order to improve the quality of concrete mixing. So, for example, to increase the amplitude of differences in height, the barrel can be placed not along the “correct” axis of the cylinder, but diagonally.

Of course, it is somewhat more difficult to rotate such a concrete mixer, but on the other hand, the uniformity of mixing the solution will be achieved faster.

Combined principle

So, it was mentioned above that the gravitational principle of mixing in its “pure form” does not differ in productivity and high quality of the batch. Surely there will be objections - after all, it is believed, and many sources state that most of the usual concrete mixers with an angled rotating drum use the gravitational principle. One can agree with this, but only by making one very important remark.

In such mixing devices, the blades are necessarily rigidly fixed on the inner surface of the working drum. Their configuration and size are thought out by the designers. During rotation, these blades move relative to the solution tending downward under its own weight. Thus, in this case, it would be more appropriate to talk about the combination of two principles - both gravitational and forced. And indeed, this is how the vast majority of cooking devices are arranged.

There are several advantages right away:

No sealing is required, neither the drum itself (it is constantly open at the top), nor the rotation unit (since no contact with the solution is expected here).
Part wear is much less.
Such concrete mixers are simple and reliable in operation, easy to maintain.
There are practically no restrictions on the component composition of the solution - crushed stone, gravel, expanded clay, etc. can be used.

The manufacture of a concrete mixer of this type will be discussed in more detail.

By the way, let's return for a minute again to those simple concrete mixer-barrels, which were mentioned above. If you show a little ingenuity, then they are also very easy to upgrade, dramatically improving both their productivity and the quality of the mixed solution. To do this, it is enough to triple the blades or some other artificial obstacles on their inner surface.

One of the options is shown in the diagram. In this case, a comb was used, which is easy to weld from a corner and trim a reinforcing bar. Two such combs will immediately transfer the concrete mixer from the category of gravity to the “family” of more advanced, combined ones.

Vibratory mixing of mortar components

Not so often, but still, some enthusiasts try to apply the principle of mixing the concrete solution using vibration. In industrial conditions, such installations give excellent results, they are used for the manufacture of highly precise reinforced concrete parts with the highest performance characteristics.

And at home, the craftsmen try to use a powerful one as a drive (the main thing is that its vibrational action is independent, it does not require pressing the cartridge against an obstacle).

It turns out something like this scheme:

1 - the body of the container in which the components of the solution are mixed. Preference is given to round, not too large in radius, but high tubs (barrels).

2 - a bracket is rigidly attached to the body, in which the vibro-impulse generator is located, in our case - a perforator (pos. 3).

The power of the perforator should be at least 1.3 - 1.5 kW. Even this will not give a guarantee of success, and with less drive force, it is not worth trying.

A long rod (pos. 4) is inserted into the perforator chuck, which is connected to a vibrator (pos. 6). This rod must be of such length that the disk vibrator is approximately in the center of the prepared solution layer height (pos. 5).

It seems that everything is simple, but far from always such a scheme shows good results. Mistakes, most often, lie in the neglect of seemingly small nuances:

A flat vibrator simply will not work. A shape is needed that will propagate vibrations in a dense medium from a central point almost spherically to the periphery. It should be something spindle-shaped, like two plates connected together with the bottoms out. In principle, this is one of the solutions - two metal plates mounted on an axis.
The vibrator diameter depends on the drive power. In calculations, one can proceed from their approximate proportions: 150 ÷ 200 mm per 1 kW of puncher power. So, if we take a 1.5 kW puncher, then we prepare "plates" from 225 to 300 mm in diameter.
The diameter of the cylinder itself should be such that from the outer edge of the vibrator, placed exactly in the center, to the wall of the container there is a distance approximately equal to the radius of the plate.
To create vibration waves that can cope with the mixing of the cement-sand mixture, the level of the solution above and below the vibrator must necessarily be approximately equal to the diameter of the "plates".

Vibratory kneading of concrete mixes gives excellent quality of a solution. The process is very easily monitored visually - from active stirring, movement, bubbling - to a flat, rippling surface (ready-made solution). But, you must admit that for this you need to observe a lot of specific “whims”. And yet - "heavy" solutions with gravel or gravel in this way are also problematic to prepare. So this method does not find wide application among private traders - it is easier to make a concrete mixer according to the "classical" scheme.

Independent production of a "classic" concrete mixer

It is necessary to immediately warn "hot heads" - not everyone can take on the manufacture of such a concrete mixer. Although in many articles there is a “bravura motive” that it is both easier and cheaper than buying a ready-made one, you should not believe it.

- Firstly, you should not start such work if the owner knows about the art of welding only by hearsay or does it in this field.

- Secondly, the work will be profitable if most of the components for the manufacture of concrete mixers can be found among unnecessary things in their own household, from neighbors or even in a landfill.

- Thirdly, the existing experience in design, production of plumbing, welding, electrical work and the available inexpensive or generally free materials should be multiplied by the expressed desire to make a concrete mixer on their own. There is a fairly large category of people who are eager to try to do everything with their own hands - this is a task just for them. If you start work without fulfilling such conditions, simply cherishing the ephemeral hope of saving something, then it’s better not to start. Time and materials will be wasted, and it will be much cheaper and easier to purchase a small and inexpensive concrete mixer - fortunately, the choice is quite large.

The general scheme of concrete mixers is approximately the same

If we consider almost any of these concrete mixers, then three main structural units are always clearly distinguished:

The container itself (badya), in which the solution is mixed, with all the additional mixing devices in it.
Frame (frame, frame), which serves to accommodate the mixing tub, electric or manual drive, controls and, if necessary, means of movement. The frame must provide a movable hinged fastening of the container, the degree of its freedom both around its own axis and relative to the horizon with different angles of inclination. The structure itself may be stationary, or it may be wheeled for movement around the construction site.
The drive is a mechanism that ensures the rotation of the mixer tank around its axis. In most cases, an electric drive is used. For small concrete mixers, a manual drive may be sufficient. It is possible (infrequently) to meet options for installing internal combustion engines (gasoline or diesel) - then the concrete mixer will not be dependent on the power source. Any drive transmits torque with the number of revolutions necessary for the kneading technology through the gearbox (there are no restrictions - the craftsmen use any type of gear - gear, belt, worm, etc.).

Now consider the manufacture of all these nodes separately.

mixing tub

In the manufacture of a mixing tank, it is assumed that it is usually filled during operation with a maximum of 30 - 40% of its total volume. Usually these tubs are made with a volume of 100 to 200 liters. If these limits are exceeded, it will be difficult to independently create a reliable stable frame and supply a home-made concrete mixer with such a powerful drive. With small tank volumes, both assembly and operation of the concrete mixer often become simply unprofitable.

Prices for concrete mixers Enkor

concrete mixer Enkor

The easiest way, of course, is to find a ready-made container that is suitable in terms of volume and dimensions as the main mixer. Immediately asks for se the same metal barrel.

The easiest approach is again a metal barrel

This option is quite possible, however, for a good concrete mixer, the cylindrical shape of the tub is not optimal. A lot of unmixed solution may remain in the corners around the bottom, and splashing out of the solution from above during stirring is not ruled out.

Making a smooth transition to the walls is a very difficult task, but probably any master can give the barrel a pear-shaped shape. Triangular cutouts are made on top, and then the remaining "petals" are welded so that a uniform narrowing is obtained.

Improved barrel - made narrower in the upper part

An interesting solution was found by a craftsman who decided to adapt a plastic barrel. And why not? Smooth curves of the form - what is required for the capacity of the concrete mixer. It is quite possible to attach the blades to its inner surface, and from the outside below - an axis with a rotation transmission mechanism not by welding, but by screw connections. But what a huge gain in terms of the mass of the device itself!

The original approach - a plastic barrel

As a result, the designer of this model even managed not with a steel frame, but with a mobile wooden base - a cart on wheels.

The height of a standard barrel for use as a concrete mixer tank is still too big, complicating the alignment of the entire unit. Please note that in such cases, support rollers are usually used for stabilization - a high tub, as it were, rolls along them, resting on its upper part.

If there is no suitable container, but sheet metal with a thickness of 2 ÷ 3 mm is available, then you can try your hand at making the container yourself, giving it all the necessary shapes.

In order not to be unfounded, for those ownerswho consider themselves a master in welding, you can offer an interesting drawing for the manufacture of a "classic" concrete mixer with a drop-shaped bucket.

The general dimensions of the container, without the connection unit with the reducer - 400 ÷ 500 mm. It would seem - a little, compactly, but even only in the cylindrical part about 30 liters of mortar are placed - a completely acceptable indicator for a household concrete mixer.

1 - automotive wheel hub. You can make this part yourself, but it’s still easier to use the finished one.

2 - the bottom of the tub. It is cut from a steel sheet, preferably 5 mm thick. In the figure below, this position is shown separately in an enlarged view. Holes (8 PCS, with a diameter of 6.5 mm) must exactly match the holes on the hub (pos. 1 ).

3 - the cylindrical part of the tub (shell) is welded from a steel strip bent into a ring, 2 mm thick, 150 × 1580 mm in size. All welds during the assembly of the tub are made solid, sealed. It is advisable to reinforce the shell from above with a metal bandage ( tape).

4 - the conical part of the tub is welded from four identical parts. Their dimensions, including the radii of curvature in the upper and lower parts, are shown in the figure.

5 - along the upper edge, the edge of the tub flares outward, and on circle, a steel bar with a diameter of 10 mm is welded (well shown in the diagram - node BUT ).

6 - “blades” are welded inside the tub - solution dividers. In this case, the structure shown in the diagram, made of a reinforcing bar with a diameter of 16 mm, will be quite enough. Such dividers are made in 3 pairs and welded evenly around the circumference, through 120 °. By the way, they should give the tub additional strength. Each pair has one straight divider coming from the bottom in the neck, and one curved at a right angle.

bottom node ( B), which includes, among other things, the already mentioned hub and bottom, is better shown in a separate, enlarged drawing.

7 - bolts connecting the hub to the bottom. The nuts are on the outside. Between the parts there is a rubber gasket at least 2 ÷ 3 mm (pos. 11).

8 – a screw with a washer that secures the hub to the gearbox output shaft (pos. 9 ). A key prevents the hub from turning on the shaft (pos. 10 ).

Lower connection block ( B) is prepared, tried on, but mounted only after the frame is assembled and the drive and gearbox are installed on it. In principle, this will be one of the final operations - on the node already mounted to the gearbox B will "sit down" on the screws concrete mixing tank.

All welds must be free of scale and carefully checked to ensure that full impermeability tubs.

Video: homemade concrete mixer with a bucketwelded from a steel sheet

concrete mixer frame

In the manufacture of frames or carts for concrete mixers, the ingenuity of craftsmen is also quite welcome, who can adapt metal parts and wheels that are unnecessary in the household for this design.

Frames can be wheeled - that is, it will not be difficult to transport them to the right place. You can also make a stationary, fixed frame - it is easier to manufacture, and in a suburban area, usually any large movements of the concrete mixer are not planned.

The frames may also differ in the degree of freedom provided by the mixing tub. So, the container can be installed pivotally, with a change, as necessary, in the angle of inclination of its axis to the horizon - for solutions of varying degrees of "severity", for pouring ready-made concrete, for washing the container, etc.

A simpler option is when the bucket on the frame always occupies one position, and the entire concrete mixer leans forward to unload the solution - like a wheelbarrow (as shown in one of the figures above) or children's rocking chairs on arched skids.

Video: homemade concrete mixer with a swing frame

However, we will continue to consider the drawing of a concrete mixer, the manufacture of the mixing tub of which was described above. It is possible to go this route as well. Drawing, for ease of perception and for greater clarity in the dimensions and layout of parts, is presented in two projections.

Concrete mixer - front view

To assemble such a frame from ordinary and shaped pipes and sheet metal scraps - for an experienced locksmith - welder will not be something extremely difficult at all. Meanwhile, this design has been well tested - it is not heavy, but it ensures reliable stability of the concrete mixer in the transport and working position, ensures maximum ease of operation.

She is a side view.

1 - this is the same tub that was described in the last section of the article.

2 - handle-lever for setting the bucket in the desired position and for tipping it when unloading. You can use ½ inch (½ʺ) steel pipe for the lever.

3 – a gusset cut out of 3 mm steel (s 3) ensures that the lever is securely fastened to the swivel subframe (pos. 18 ).

4 – metal wheels Ø 350 mm. Usually they are taken from decommissioned agricultural machinery.

5 – persistent legs with thrust bearings, for stable installation of the concrete mixer in the working position. They are made of ½ʺ pipe (pillars themselves) and s3 steel (thrust bearings).

6 - the cross beam of the frame of the concrete mixer. A profile pipe with a cross section of 60 × 20 mm is used.

8 - an inclined beam (pipe 60 × 20 mm), and for its rigidity - a brace (pos. 7 ) connected to the cross beam. For strut - pipe ½ ʺ.

9 – a panel to which the electric drive control elements will be attached. The panel is cut from s3 steel.

11 - wheel axle. It is made from a metal circle Ø16 mm - according to the size of the mounting hole available wheels.

12 - longitudinal beam of the bed of the concrete mixer. Profile pipe 60 × 20 mm.

13 - vertical stand. Profile pipe 60 × 20 mm.

14 – an eye of hinged fastening of a rotary subframe. Two parts are made, from s5 steel.

15 - transmission gearbox. In this version - a ready-made assembly, worm type, with a gear ratio i = 17.

16 – safety clutch on the drive shaft.

17 – . Specifically, in this concrete mixer model, the developer used a three-phase drive (380 V), with a rated power of 1 kW, and a rotation speed of 950 rpm.

18 - a swinging subframe, on which both the electric drive with the gearbox and the mixing tub itself are mounted. It is made from the following parts: two spars from a ¾ʺ pipe, four crossbars from a corner 35 × 35 mm.

19 , 20 and 21 – electric drive controls: start button, capacitor box and power cord with a three-phase socket, respectively.

Now - a slightly larger node BUT, which ensures the installation and fixation of the mixing tub in the desired position.

On the stretcher (pos. 18 ) welded eyelet (pos. 22 ), and on an inclined rack (pos. 8 ) – sector (pos. 10 ). Both the eyelet and the sector can be made of s3 steel. The selected position is fixed with a pin (pos. 23 ), and so that it does not get lost, it is recommended to hang it on a chain.

The number of fixed positions in the sector may be different. However, it is usually sufficient t rex:

- at an angle of 50 ° to the horizon - for mixing heavy concrete mortars;

- at an angle of 30 ° - for the preparation of light mortars (for example, masonry);

- horizontally - for washing the tub.

After the frame is assembled, all welds are beaten off from slag, the parts must be cleaned of corrosion pockets. Then it is recommended to cover the structure with high-quality paint for metal. The rubbing components of the frame (subframe suspension in the frame lugs, wheel axles) are generously lubricated with ordinary hinged grease.

In the considered version, the drive and the gearbox unit are attached to the subframe (so that exact alignment is observed). After checking the performance (trial run), you can finally assemble the concrete mixer by putting it in place and fixing the mixing tub with bolts.

A few words about the drive

In the example under consideration, the electric motor and gearbox already recommended by the model developer were used. However, in the practice of self-manufacturing concrete mixers very widespread there is a situation when the master “on the go” selects a drive from what is available and comes up with a way to transfer torque to the mixing tank.

It is customary to calculate the required power of the electric drive, based on the ratio of 20 W per liter of solution for a scheme with an inclined bucket. (In a horizontal arrangement, for example, in models with a barrel on a horizontal axis, 15 W / l will be sufficient). You should not forget about this ratio so as not to overload the drive. For example, if the engine in our case has a power of 1 kW, then more than 50 liters of solution should not be mixed, regardless of the size of the tub itself.

Thus, often they begin to manufacture the tub itself, starting from the parameters of the drive, which is planned to be put on a concrete mixer.

The rotation speed of the mixer tub must also be within certain framework . So, it is considered optimal from 30 to 50 rpm. To make the speed less - to deliberately delay the process of making the solution. And if the speed is too high, then spraying of the solution will begin.

Finding a ready-made gearbox that would meet the requirements both in terms of dimensions and gear ratio is not always possible. Therefore, many craftsmen find their own, sometimes very original ways of transmitting torque while providing the desired angular velocity. In the variant that was considered, the mixer is planted directly on the driven axle of the gearbox. However, often the bucket is mounted on a free axle, and the torque laneeaten on it with a gear, belt, chain drive. For example, here are some original solutions:

Instead of pulleys - bicycle wheels

Homemade gearbox - drive from an old washing machine transmits the rotation of belt drives through the pulleys of their gears and old bicycle wheels.

The simplest frame with a homemade gearbox

Fixed frame for a concrete mixer with a homemade gearbox.

Homemade gearbox, which combines a belt and two chain drives. Again, not without bicycle parts.

A small-sized concrete mixer, the rotation of which is transmitted to the bucket directly through a belt drive. The pulley is structurally placed on the mixing tank itself.

Very often, car parts that are unnecessary in the garage are used. A popular solution is to use a flywheel with a ring gear. By the way, it is very easy to find a drive gear in a pair for it - from the bendix of a car starter, since they are " made for each other".

The flywheel can be fully assembled welded to the bottom of the tub.

Another option is when only the ring gear is used. Probably, it is not necessary to say that in this case, its very careful centering will be an extremely important point.

In a word, a thrifty owner can very often find parts for his own original solution to the issue of manufacturing the desired gearbox. Perhaps the options shown will be a good hint for someone.

Video: another design option for a concrete mixer

Prices for concrete mixers Stroymash

concrete mixer Stroymash

If everything worked out, then the owner can be congratulated on the successful acquisition of a good “assistant”. But in order for the concrete mixer to last longer and not cause any emergencies, you need to follow certain rules:

Like any equipment associated with the consumption of electricity, a concrete mixer requires compliance with electrical safety rules. And in this case, this issue is even more acute, since operation is always carried out in conditions of high humidity and a high probability of water splashing. That is, all cables and contact connections must have the most reliable insulation, which completely excludes electric shock or short circuit.
The operation of a concrete mixer is always associated with high levels of vibration. This leads to loosening of threaded connections, which means that they need to be checked and tightened regularly. At the same time, one should not forget to control the safety of other assemblies and parts, welds, etc.
Before starting work, you need to make sure that the installation of the concrete mixer is reliable. It should rest firmly on all of its standard stands. If the structure is mobile, then wheel chocks (wedges) are placed under the wheels.
Never, under no circumstances not Do not leave a working concrete mixer unattended. Curious people should not be allowed near it, and even more so - children.
When working, it is better to use protective equipment for the skin and eyes - since the cement acts quite aggressively on tissues and mucous membranes.
Checking the quality of the resulting solution with a shovel or stick while the concrete mixer is running is the height of imprudence! Very often, such actions end in a serious injury to the hands or face.

And in conclusion of the article - proof that there are no limits to creativity when creating home-made equipment.

Video: homemade concrete mixer based on an old T-16 tractor

This article is suitable for any amateur builder who, in his free time from his main job, is trying to equip life in his summer cottage. Construction is indispensable without concrete. Even if you are building a house from wooden beams, you will definitely need a reinforced concrete foundation or piles. And having kneaded a concrete solution a couple of times with your hands in a bucket or trough using a drill or a shovel, an inquisitive mind begins to look for less labor-intensive ways.

There are several options. You can order home delivery and the next day the truck mixer will bring the required number of cubic meters. Perhaps this option is not entirely economical. More hardworking owners can buy a concrete mixer, it is compact and equipped with an electric motor for mixing the solution. Throw cement, sand, water and gravel into it in the right proportions, and only manage to release the concrete mixer by pouring the solution out of it. It is cheaper, but you still have to buy such a concrete mixer.

But there is another option: to make a concrete mixer with your own hands. Yes, it is possible if there are drawings. You will spend time on this, but it will more than pay off for you. Moreover, the device is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. The concrete mixer has a simple principle:

there is a tub or something like a flask where the solution is mixed;
drive, that is, the mechanism by which the tub rotates and mixing occurs;
frame that holds it all together.

The concrete mixer has additional small parts, which will be discussed below, but these three are the main ones. And now let's delve into the nuances of making a homemade concrete mixer.

What is a concrete mixer

According to the mixing method, concrete mixers are mainly divided into four types: gravity, mechanical, vibration and combined. Let's talk a little about each, so that you have a little idea about it and so that you can choose the right one for yourself. After all, it can be used for completely different needs: basically it is the foundation (of a house, a fence, and much more), but it can be used to cast different building materials in shape. Blocks of cement, wood concrete and other things.

Gravitational

A unit of this type is the easiest option both to manufacture and to use. Do-it-yourself manual concrete mixer, the tub of which simply rotates along the axis, and the components of the mortar are mixed under the action of gravity. For large volumes, this option is not suitable, because it does not provide good mixing. But if you always knead the solution in small quantities and you didn’t need more, then this option may well be suitable.

Mechanical

Such a home-made forced-action concrete mixer in its pure form is rarely used, because it has a number of disadvantages. It looks like this: a barrel in a horizontal position with a hole at the top for the entire length. The axis runs along the center of the barrel, and metal parts are welded to it, which mix the solution. The hole does not allow you to turn the barrel in only one direction and have to swing it from side to side. Compared to gravity, it has a larger volume, which is a plus. The disadvantages are: poor mixing in the corners and splashing of the solution at high vibrations.

Sometimes mechanical concrete mixers are made absolutely motionless, only the axis inside it moves, to which metal dividers are welded. This design is well suited for the manufacture of wood concrete blocks. We will talk about this below.

Vibrating

Making this type of manual concrete mixer with your own hands is not such a simple matter. The basic principle is that the solution remains stationary and all the mixing work is done by the vibrator. There are many nuances here, which, if not taken into account, will only lead to wasted time.

The tub must be round, not wide, but high, similar to the shape of a Soviet washing machine. The vibrator should be of a strictly defined shape, similar to two low plates stacked together. Actually, at home, two metal plates are the best option. The vibrator should not be too large, its size depends on the volume of the mixing vessel. If you overdo it in choosing the size, then even with visible work, it still will not mix. And the last thing: the location of the vibrator inside the vessel is strictly along the axis, the distance to the bottom of the barrel is equal to the diameter of the vibrator.

If all these conditions are met, the ideal solution from your barrel is guaranteed. But with poor quality sand or cement, it will take a little longer to mix. One minus: high power consumption. And in no case do not try to use a perforator as a barrel vibrator. Many craftsmen tried to make a concrete mixer, but most often failed.

Combined Concrete Mixer

This type of concrete mixer is a combination of gravity and mechanical installation. The solution rotates in a horizontal or inclined plane, and protrusions are made inside the vessel itself, which additionally help to mix the components. They are usually made of metal plates of various shapes, which are welded to the inside of the flask. This type of concrete mixer allows you to mix a large volume of mortar, the mixing quality is also good. Welding plates into a concrete mixer is not difficult, so this type is the most widely used. In the future, we will talk about this type of concrete mixers.

We manufacture a concrete mixer

The theory is over. Let's get down to practice. Now let's take a closer look at how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands. This process must be divided into several stages. We know that a concrete mixer consists of three main components: a mixing bucket, a drive, and a frame. If everything is clear with the drive, it can be either manual or mechanical, when a concrete mixer uses a gearbox and an electric motor, then we will dwell on the manufacture of the tub and frame in more detail. If there are drawings at hand during work, it will be generally wonderful.

Making a bucket

The most popular item used as a mixing vessel is standard 200 liter drums. With some reservations, it is suitable for any type of homemade concrete mixer. You can use the body of the washing machine if it is strong enough. But that would be too easy, our goal is to make the tub ourselves.

First, the material. For walls, we take metal with a thickness of at least 2 mm, for the bottom - at least 5 mm. Secondly, the form. It is cylindrical, but at the top in the neck area should narrow in the form of a cone.

Let's write down the sequence of actions point by point:

We make a flange-hub. You can find her drawings and make it yourself, but it's better to buy a ready-made one. The detail is important, but not easy to manufacture.
We make the bottom of sheet steel with a minimum thickness of 5 mm. In the very center we drill holes and attach the flange-hub.
We cut out five main parts of the body from metal 2 mm thick - a shell (it folds up and a cylinder is obtained) and four petals, which are then fastened together to form a cone.
We connect the bottom, the shell and the cone with the help of a welding machine and get the base of the barrel for mixing.
We strengthen the neck so that later it does not deform. To do this, we weld a reinforcing bar of 10 mm to its circumference.
Inside the barrel we weld crosswise cutters. Usually two or three is enough. They are also made from reinforcement, but more durable, or from metal plates. The main thing is to bend them at a right angle. They will mix the solution. In addition, due to them, a homemade concrete mixer will be stronger.

When the tub-mixer is ready, you can start making the frame.

Frame manufacturing

The frame is the backbone of the entire structure. A bucket, a drive and a gearbox are attached to it. For good stability, the legs of the support are welded, and to make it easy to move the concrete mixer, even when filled with mortar, wheels are installed. The frame design itself can be different, the main thing is to maintain stability during the operation of the entire device. Many craftsmen for this adapt various unnecessary metal parts collected in the corners of their summer cottage.

The concrete mixer is based on a T-shaped design, due to which a home-made concrete mixer will stand steadily on the surface. The first post is vertically welded to it.
A transverse beam is welded to the second rack, along the edges of which wheels are attached.
Both racks are fastened together at the bottom with a beam (this makes the structure more stable) and at the top with a stretcher, which will subsequently serve as the basis for attaching the tub.
The frame is reinforced with an inclined rack, to which the capacitor box and the starter are attached. These two devices serve to turn on the rotation mechanism.
The subframe is made of two pipes and a corner. It looks like a double frame, fastened with jumpers.
An electric motor and gearbox are installed on the subframe.
The hub flange, which is already attached to the tub, is put on the gearbox. To fix the mixer, a key is used and it is finally fixed with a bolt through a hole in the shaft.
A handle is attached to the subframe, which allows you to tilt the mixer tub at different angles.
At the end, the frame is protected from scale and covered with paint for metal. The tub can also be painted, but only on the outside, inside the barrel is not necessary.

Now the do-it-yourself concrete mixer is ready for use! You can pour the foundation, install pillars, pour forms of building blocks from wood concrete and much more.

Drive for homemade concrete mixer

In practice, it often happens that the master already has an electric drive and a gearbox of a certain power, and the concrete mixer and its parameters are selected based on this. The ratio of the volume of the mixed components and the power of the electric motor should be approximately as follows: 20 W per 1 liter of solution.

That is, if you have a 1 kW engine at your disposal, then the maximum volume of the mixture should be 50 liters. Given that the tub must be loaded by 30-40%, then its approximate volume can be from 125 to 160 liters. For a standard 200 liter barrel, a gearbox with a 1.2 kW electric motor is suitable, the load will be equal to 60 liters of solution.

The number of turns is also important. Optimum value: from 30 to 50 rpm. If you do more, then the solution may splatter. You can do less, of course, but then the mixing process will be long, and excess electricity will be consumed.

If there is no electricity

There are times when you need to start construction on a site where electricity has not yet been installed. Then we do not need the engine, but we will use manual power. The sequence of actions in the manufacture remains exactly the same, only the drive is replaced by two handles - on one side and the other. The disadvantage is that it takes more effort to mix and it will take more time. But for short and small works, this option can be considered quite acceptable.

Washing machine tub

You can make a tub out of a washing machine if you have it lying around since Soviet times. Moreover, the body of almost any washing machine is suitable for this. You just need to solder all the holes in the drum of the old washing machine. For this, a machine with both horizontal and vertical loading is suitable. There is another feature of this option. If the amount of mortar that you are going to mix in the future concrete mixer is not too large, then the washing machine engine will fit perfectly as a drive.

Using a concrete mixer

A concrete mixer is rarely used in one place. Often you have to drag it or roll it around the site, so prepare an extension cord of sufficient length in advance. Components are loaded into a tub with an inclination of 20-40 degrees in the following order: water, cement, sand, and lastly crushed stone, gravel, expanded clay are poured.

It takes 3 to 5 minutes to completely mix the concrete solution or a mixture of wood concrete, then the bucket is tilted with a handle, and the solution is poured into the place prepared for this. You can immediately fill in a new portion of the components and continue working.

After a hard day's work, the device, all its connections and seams must be thoroughly rinsed. Usually this happens already in the evening, when there is not much strength left and you want to leave everything, because the next day it will again have to be dirty. Don't be lazy. Even in such a situation, it is better to rinse the concrete mixer, this will increase its service life.

Wood concrete blocks consist mainly of two components. In addition to various chemical additives, these are sawdust and wood chips, as well as Portland cement, a hydraulic binder. Such blocks are valuable because houses made of them perfectly retain heat. Therefore, wood concrete blocks are an excellent solution for building walls of a warm house. As for the properties of wood concrete, it is low thermal conductivity, increased bending strength, does not support combustion, and is easy to process.

Imagine that everything worked out for you and now you are the owner of a very useful thing in construction - this is a concrete mixer. But so that its service life does not end with one foundation or a set fence, and the thing serves you for a long, long time, you will have to follow the safety rules and take care of it:

Pay close attention to cables and contact connections. They must be securely isolated. The work takes place in conditions of high humidity and water splashing, so the requirements of electrical safety rules come first;
The vibration that accompanies the work of the concrete mixer loosens the threaded connections of your makeshift bucket. Therefore, periodically check them and tighten them. And do not forget about the welds, they can also be broken;

Before turning on the machine, make sure it is stable. All regular stands should rest firmly on the ground, and it is desirable to install wheel chocks under the wheels;
It is impossible to check the quality of the solution during the operation of the concrete mixer, there are frequent cases of serious industrial injuries;
Use skin and eye protection;
Never leave a running concrete mixer unattended.

Conclusion

In conditions of total savings, when the budget for construction work is limited, and this is no wonder these days, many people save on the quality of building materials or on the services of third-party craftsmen. But there are craftsmen who also save on construction equipment. Of course, making a drill or an electric planer is a dubious occupation. But the concrete mixer, despite its apparent complexity and bulkiness, is ideal for this, even for the home production of wood concrete blocks. You could see this in our article.

Let's summarize. A small number of parts, some of which can be found right on your site. A homemade concrete mixer has a simple diagram, drawings and manufacturing sequence. You will also need a few tools: a grinder, welding, work with a drill, and, possibly, a soldering iron. From consumables: bolts, nuts, washers, metal sheet and corner. The main thing is to clearly define in advance why you need it and what you want to see as a result of your work. Then your concrete mixer will not be inferior to any industrial production, even if it is made from the body of a washing machine.

A good concrete mixer at a construction site is as essential as air. A simple device allows you to get rid of the lion's share of physical activity, at the same time significantly improve the quality of the batch and speed up the mixing process. For a private house, you can buy a Chinese concrete mixer, rent a unit or make a concrete mixer with your own hands. Each of the options has its pros and cons, but it may be more profitable to make a concrete mixer, since it makes no sense to give ten thousand for a relatively simple design that is available in a do-it-yourself construction.

Working principle of concrete mixer

When choosing a scheme and method of how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, you need to focus on the main characteristic of the concrete mixer - the quality of the batch. Despite the external simplicity of the design and the principle of operation of the device, when mixing the components of the solution in the mixing tank, several rather complex processes occur:

The distribution of sand and cement in the batch is leveled and becomes as homogeneous as possible;
The heaviest components of the concrete solution, gravel and sand, rise from the bottom of the tank and are transferred to the upper layers of the mixture. With proper mixing, heavy particles are broken up, poorly mixed water and pulverized cement are converted into cement milk;
At the final stage of mixing from an already homogeneous mass of concrete mortar, it is necessary to squeeze out air bubbles as much as possible, at the same time not to allow the mixture to delaminate.

In fact, during the mixing process, a properly made concrete mixer mixes the components, activates the cement microparticles and splices them with water, while simultaneously squeezing air out of the concrete solution.

Important! Therefore, to obtain the maximum quality of the cement mortar on a manual or electric concrete mixer, cutting blades are installed in the tank, working to shear the mixed mixture.

The quality of mixing is primarily influenced by the main parameters - the shape of the mixing tank, its angle of inclination relative to the horizon and the speed of rotation. Therefore, not every self-made concrete mixer built with its own hands is capable of producing a decent quality of concrete mortar.

Options for homemade concrete mixers

Before proceeding with the development and manufacture of a home-made concrete mixer with your own hands, it will be useful to look not only at diagrams, photographs or drawings of the device, but also to get acquainted with their work in practice, or at least on video. This will allow not only to understand the principles by which the best home-made concrete mixers are made, but also to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of most of them, as in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LadkBUK5Zu8.

Everyone who at least once in their life prepared a concrete mortar manually with their own hands will be able to confirm that cylindrical or rectangular containers are not suitable for proper mixing. No matter how hard you try to mix sand and cement with high quality and correctly, there will still be a zone of pure sand or cement dust in the corner joints of a tub, barrel or bucket, which will be lost to the bulk of the solution.

From this point of view, the design shown in the diagram below looks more than problematic.

Typically, such a home-made design attracts with its simplicity and affordability in manufacture. In practice, the quality of the resulting concrete solution will be significantly lower than the batch in a trough from a cut two-hundred-liter barrel.

Higher mixing quality can be obtained on a homemade concrete mixer with a diagonal axis of rotation.

It is not easy to work with such a concrete mixer, but the quality of the concrete solution obtained on a home-made mixer will be much higher. Such a concrete mixer has a significant drawback that limits its use - the unbalance of the structure and the high load on the tubular supports welded into the bottom of the barrel. So that the home-made structure does not crumble in the tenth batch, steel rings from a pipe bent by a donut will need to be welded into the bottom of the barrel. Tubular supports should be welded to these rings.

If the possibilities in the design and construction of a home-made manual concrete mixer are limited, you can make the simplest blade version of the mixer. There are practically no drawbacks in such a design, in addition, using such a device it will be physically difficult to prepare heavy grades of concrete.

The best option for a homemade concrete mixer

Despite the large number of home-made concrete mixer designs, nothing new has been invented for high-quality mixing of concrete solutions. Almost all of them are copies of an industrial concrete mixer.

The reason is quite simple - the principle of mixing concrete mixtures in an inclined rounded bucket in practice turned out to be the most efficient and productive. Forget vibrating options and trying to get a quality concrete mix with a drill and mixing attachment. Home-made vibration structures, even at a very high level of manufacture, “live” for a very short time, and a maximum of half a bucket of solution can be mixed with an electric drill.

The best option for a homemade concrete mixer

The main problem faced in the process of manufacturing a homemade concrete mixer is to select the optimal design characteristics in such a way as to ensure the reliability and endurance of all its components.

A reliable and durable home-made concrete mixer design will only be subject to the following conditions:

Note! For a concrete mixer of small displacement, for 15-25 liters of mortar, the mount can be made according to the cantilever scheme without roller bearings.

Often, when building home-made concrete mixers with a capacity of 50-70 liters, the craftsmen neglect the installation of rollers, motivating their decision by the fact that the bulk of the solution is in the lower, bottom part of the tub, so the large weight of the concrete solution does not lead to an overload of the gearbox bearing.

In practice, if you are making a cantilevered bucket with an inclination angle of 45 degrees, for a batch weighing 70-100 kg, then be prepared for the fact that rotational overloads can break the drive shaft and, as a rule, quickly destroy the bearing cages. To increase the resource, many "experts" advise reducing the slope of the mixing tank of the concrete mixer to 60 degrees, as in the photo.

Such a solution will really help reduce skew, but the quality of mixing will decrease significantly, so a home-made concrete mixer will work at least two to three times longer.

The optimal angle of inclination can be seen in the kinematic diagram of a self-made design of a small volume concrete mixer, published in one of the printed publications.

Design features of a homemade concrete mixer

The frame of the concrete mixer can be built as a four-bearing frame, as in the diagram above, or in a two-bearing version, as in the photo.

The dimensions of the corner or channel are selected based on the weight of the bucket and the volume of the mixed solution. The height of the side racks, as a rule, is 110-120 cm. In the upper part of the vertical supports, knuckles must be installed to allow the tub to be tilted into a receiving container.

The tub is hung on a swinging frame, in the lower part of which support rollers are installed, as in the photo.

As a rule, on the swing axis of the frame, a gear drive for capsizing the container is made. This is an extremely useful element if you need to carefully tilt the bucket and drain the solution in parts. If you try to simply overturn the container, then the thrown out concrete mass will sweep away the buckets and splatter everything around.

The most critical part of a homemade concrete mixer is the drive and reduction gear. There are a variety of options for manufacturing the drive unit. For heavy concrete mixers, a gear or chain drive from a gearbox is usually used.

For lighter models, transmission through a toothed belt is used.

Advice! Power take-off from the electric motor is organized only through a V-belt transmission, this greatly simplifies the assembly of the drive and reduces the load on the motor.

For a home-made concrete mixer, with a bucket load of up to 40 liters, an electric motor power of 500-700 W will be enough, for heavier mixers an electric motor of up to 1000 W will be required. The optimal rotation speed for a homemade design is 40-70 rpm.

Conclusion

The easiest way to build a homemade concrete mixer is to copy its design from a finished sample that has already proven itself in work. This will simplify the selection of spare parts and assemblies for a specific design and significantly reduce the cost of its construction. The cost of building a homemade concrete mixer, as a rule, does not exceed 2.5-3 thousand rubles without an electric motor.

Any concrete mixer (including a mixer based on a Kamaz truck) is designed to optimize, facilitate and speed up the workflow at a construction site. Sometimes it is more expedient to order Kamaz with a ready-made solution. In some cases, you can prepare concrete manually. But even if the volumes of the solution you need are small, and you have enough strength to mix the mixture in the trough with a shovel, our good advice to you is to buy a concrete mixer or rent it. The device of a concrete mixer depends on the expected load, the time of continuous operation and the amount of mortar.

Classification of concrete mixers

All devices designed for the preparation and mixing of concrete mortar, according to the principle of their operation, can be divided into two main types:

gravity;
forced type.

The principle of operation of a gravity-type concrete mixer is based on the rotation of the drum, on the walls of which the divider blades are rigidly fixed. When the drum rotates, the blades pick up the mixture and lift it up, preventing it from sliding over the surface of the container; under the force of gravity, the components fall down and again rise up with the blades. Thorough mixing of the solution is carried out by repeated repetition of the process.

How does a forced-type concrete mixer work: the container for mixing the mortar is stationary, and the mixing of the mortar occurs due to the rotation of the blades fixed on the axis inside the drum. But such devices consume a large amount of energy (for example, a standard 250 liter concrete mixer has an engine with a power of about 5500 W), which makes their use in household plots problematic. Therefore, these concrete mixers are considered professional and are rarely used for domestic needs. In addition, their price is much higher than that of gravitational ones.

Gravity-type concrete mixers with a tank capacity of 100 to 200 liters allow you to get from 60 to 120 liters of ready-made mortar in one batch. They are quite simple and easy to use, which is why they are very popular.

There are two types of drum rotation drive for gravity models:

coronary;
gear.

In the first type, the rotation from the engine to the drum is transmitted through the drive gear and ring gear, which is located around the entire circumference of the container from the outside. The disadvantages of such a drive include the wear of the ring teeth that are not protected from external influences, however, the replacement of this structural element is not very difficult.

Gravity-type gear concrete mixers are considered more reliable, since all drive elements are inside the protective casing. However, if the gearbox itself fails, it is necessary to replace this element completely, which leads to financial costs. The models with a gearbox themselves are 30-40% more expensive than similar concrete mixers with a crown drive (with the same performance).

The design of a gravity concrete mixer with a drum crown drive

Let us consider in more detail the device of a gravitational concrete mixer with a crown drive, which rotates the drum using an electric, gasoline or diesel engine. Of these, the most common type is an electric motor powered by a 220 V network. In the case when complete autonomy of the concrete mixer operation is required (for example, when networks for supplying electricity have not yet been connected), models with internal combustion engines are used.

The main part of the concrete mixer is the drum. Blades are fixed on its walls. An axle is attached to the bottom of the drum, which is mounted on the traverse through the bearing. Around the entire circumference of the drum in the central part, a crown (encircling round gear) is fixed, through which the rotation from the engine will be transmitted to the drum.

The traverse with the drum fixed on it is fixed to the support frame (through bushings and rolling bearings). On one side of the frame there is a container overturning mechanism with a latch to create the required working angle and the possibility of unloading the finished solution. On the other side, an electric motor block and a working gear are attached.

The rotation from the engine is transmitted to the working gear (usually by means of a belt drive), which is engaged with the ring gear of the drum. Thus, the rotation of the gear sets the drum in motion and the solution is mixed.

The circuit diagram of a household concrete mixer is quite simple and consists of:

electric motor;
starting capacitor;
start-stop switch;
automatic protection against short circuits and overloads (for some models combined with a switch).

The electrical part of the concrete mixer is shown in detail in the video:

For many models, the frame is equipped with 2 (sometimes 4) wheels, which greatly facilitates the movement of the device around the site.

The difference between concrete mixers with a gear drive is that an engine and a gearbox are attached to the bottom of the traverse. The rotation from the engine through the gearbox (reducing the engine speed and increasing the torque) is transmitted to the axis of the drum. In all other respects, the design of the frame and the tipping device does not differ from models with a corolla drive.

Some models of concrete mixers are sold unassembled. Detailed instructions for self-assembly are included in the package. If you have any questions, watch the video:

Some manufacturers offer concrete mixers in the form of ready-made car trailers. This greatly simplifies their transportation and subsequent operation.

Main technical characteristics

When choosing a concrete mixer, it is necessary to be guided by its technical characteristics, which include:

drum volume (the finished mixture will be from 40 to 60% of this value);
power, on which the time of continuous operation at maximum load depends;
weight that must be taken into account for transportation and movement around the construction site.

The volume of the drum of concrete mixers intended for individual use, as a rule, varies from 100 to 200 liters. Models of large volumes (250-300 liters) have significant dimensions and rather impressive weight (up to 150-200 kg), which greatly complicates their use. Usually, the owners of their own suburban housing choose concrete mixers with a volume not exceeding 150 liters (the weight of such products is up to 70 kg). The motor power for such devices is 700-1000 watts. Such a load is quite acceptable even for networks of holiday villages (for example, a conventional electric iron consumes from 1000 to 1500 W).

Of course, to speed up the process of large-scale concrete work (for example, pouring the foundation of a future house), you can order a Kamaz (mixer), which will deliver a large amount of ready-made mortar. However, this requires the presence of access roads.

In custody

Having in the arsenal such a unit as a concrete mixer, you are completely independent of the capabilities of the organization that supplies the automobile concrete mixer. You can prepare a concrete solution at any time when it is needed. Moreover, a concrete mixer is a necessary thing in the household.

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