How to Fix a Harbor Freight Concrete Mixer
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2018
- My Harbor Freight Mixer would no longer turn with sand and water in the drum. It was making a clicking noise, but the drum would not turn. This video explains what was wrong and what I did to fix the concrete mixer. It also explains, what I recommend, if you are trying to assemble one and what I recommend you do or check before your mixer stops working.
Very informative video. My mixer quit over the weekend after about 1/2 dozen mixes. I found the flat key for the gear had fallen out and was lying in between the two lips of the drum. I was searching the internet to see if anyone else had this issue when I found your video. Thanks!
Glad you found your key. I lost mine and had to order a longer than specified off of ebay and then cut with a hacksaw. Got me back in business and no problems since putting thread lock on my bolts.
Thanks for the video. On my mixer, the bolt and washer that held the keyway had come loose after mixing about about150 bags of concrete, fallen out and got lost, along with the keyway. I bought a set of keyways on Amazon for $12 to make sure I would have one that would fit. Another 100 bags of concrete to go...
You were right on the money with this repair. i just took mine apart and the gear screw was off. GOOD JOB thanks
Another video showed how to bend the tub rim to a more level revolution to get much of the gear noise out.
This saved us a buying a new mixer! We took ours apart and we were missing both keyways. As a note, you have to take off the black box and the metal-toothed gear to get the bolt off on the flywheel. The washer they installed under the flywheel was about the only thing being used to hold the assembly together and had eaten away at the surface of the flywheel. We replaced it with a larger washer.and it runs great.
Thanks for the video. I couldn't find the size of the keyway. huge help.
I just got this same mixer and used lock tight on the motor shaft pulley and this gear also. Great share!
Great video, thanks for the tips. I just bought this mixer yesterday. Too bad I already put it together before I saw this video. But it gives me something to keep an eye on. Thanks again.
Have you had any problems with yours? Mine quit yesterday, I think it's probably the same issue that he describes at about the 1-minute mark into this video.
Thank you for taking the time to tell me the video help you. Nice to know!
Thanks for the warning, I'll be sure to get some thread locker when I pick this up. Saw a few other great vids where a guy welded on a bag splitter across the mixing paddles with a piece of square tube and a small piece of sharpened flat bar, another guy added his own larger inflatable tires across a wider axle for better stability and easier to move around. Thanks again.
Thanks for the comment. I think the wider axle and larger tires is a really good idea. I failed to mention in this video, that this mixer is top heavy when it is mixing to capacity, (around 1.8 Cu. Yds). As it comes from the factory, it must be pretty level, (side to side), with the tires chocked, if you are going to mix full capacity. I think 3 1/2 Cu. Yds. is the full capacity of the drum and you can only mix about 1.6 to 1.8 Cu. Yds of concrete per mix. With 1.8 Cu. Yds in the mixer it is very top heavy and must be level side to side and less important front to back. Excellent idea if one is going to use it alot.
Thanks
@@johntube2525 Mine has two holes on the bottom of the front stand. I think you can bolt it down to a piece of wood to give it side to side stability I am going to bolt it down to a 4 ft. 2X4 before I mix again. I noticed that it wobbled while under load. The wheel axle (if it can be called that) has two holes for the cotter pin to hold the wheel in place. One is close to the OEM wheel and the other further out. The axle extends about three inches past the end of the wheel. I think you can put a fatter wheel and use the second outer hole for the cotter pin. I am going to look for larger sturdier and more backyard friendly wheels as replacements. I don't want to have to add an axle and go through the trouble of having to find an adapter to run a new axle through. Mine was outside for over a year with a tarp over it. I think if it was not covered it wouldn't have lasted outside before completely corroding. I may look at repainting it. I also noticed all the bolts rusting. I may get new ones and paint them or try to find SS bolts for it. As long as the motor doesn't die it may be worth investing a few bucks into it. Do you know if anyone has replaced the motor on these with a larger better motor? I remember seeing a video on this mixer last year and the person had the same problem with the missing key. He used a square concrete nail that he ground down to size and got it to fit. My son is going to make me a handle to be able to roll it better when moving it. The two handles it comes with under the motor are a joke to pull that mixer and move it more than a few feet. I saw a video on some mods and one was a long handle welded to be able to pull the mixer better. I think I will see if I can weld a hitch so I can lift it and move it with my tractor. Someone posted below that his old one has the drum bearing wearing and needing replacement. Mine does not have a bearing on the drum. It is just the long shaft with the big bolt holding it in place. My bolt had a lock washer that I noticed would work the bolt off. I put thread lock on it but left the lock washer off. I used the blue thread lock instead of the red so it won't be that difficult to take off if I need to. I am also going to put grease fittings on the spindle shaft which has holes in it for oiling. There is a hole on either side of the drum arm. I am also trying to think of a way to put a grease fitting on the drum shaft so I can grease it regularly without having to take it apart.
Glad I found this video, thank you sir. I've had mine for about 5years. used it a number of times. loaned it out a number of times. just got a call from the guy I loaned it to this week; it stopped working after a few pours. I will look at it tomorrow night. I suspect this is the issue though I will update this comment once I know. thank you.
If you have to take the drum off, just be careful and try to not drop it on the floor like I did, with mine. LOL! Hope yours is also an easy fix and thanks for the comment. I would be interested in a follow up on what you did to fix yours.
You helped me out alot, thank you!+
Thank you for the heads up about these critical bolts. I just bought and assembled one of these mixers. What a challenge it was! I will go down tomorrow and get some threadlock. I've already had to take my mixer apart a couple times to redo things. The instructions were poor and I also made some mistakes. I added some beefier hardware with lock washers to most of the connections, including the motor pully. But I'm going to do this one last step with the threadlock. Hopefully this mixer will last awhile
The lock washers (10 mm) on the shaft (both gear and pully side) and bottom drum attachment (14 mm) are very flimsy and deform easily. So I just updated them with some new ones from Tractor Supply and also Blue (medium) threadlock. Hopefully this will keep my cement mixer working for awhile, without any problems. This cement mixer is supposed to be a tool, but unfortunately it has turned into an extra two-day project that I don't need. What I need to do is finish my fence project with tools that I can count on. If this mixer still breaks down after all this work, I may make a video of it going off a cliff.
Thanks for the thank you. Seems most people are seeing the video after they have assembled the mixer and thank me for the video, but wished they had seen the video before they assembled theirs without thread lock. I thought about renaming it to something like: Watch this before assembling your Harbor Freight Mixer, but since it only had a couple views at the time, I never did.
Do you think that would be a title that is more appropriate and would help people out more?
I like my HF mixer! The bolts coming loose and losing the key way is the only problem I have had.
Just have to be careful to not over load it and try to keep as level as possible because it can become top heavy.
Definitely has some design flaws, but if you do not overload it, I feel it beats wheel barrel mixing and renting a mixer.
Good Luck,
@@JohnHenry-er4wu how has it been since then? Mine just stopped working on me yesterday, the exact place where he describes in this video at about 1 minute in.
John, I have one of the HF concrete mixers that has lasted almost 36 years with no problems except a setscrew loosening up one time on the large pulley. Drum bearing will finally need replacement soon as the drum gear does skip a slot every once in awhile. The older ones do not have a bolt which retains the large pulley and the drum hear has a split pin driven into a hole vice a bolt to hold the gear, shaft and keyway on place.
Nice to know. As with most mechanical things, If one takes the time to inspect and maintain them, they will last a long time. Thanks for sharing.
Helpful video.
Detailed explanation that will help me figure out why my mixer stopped spinning and how to troubleshoot it. Thank you, Sir.
I had hoped this video might help someone with a similar problem. Thank you so much for the positive comment, it helps reinforce whether I should make DIY videos someday in the future. I really think these HF mixers are so much better than making concrete in a wheel barrow.
Good adviser man thank you
Hope my poor camera work did not make you sea sick. Thank you for watching and a nice comment!
Just purchased this mixer, thanks for the heads up. ThreadLocker is your friend.
Thanks for the comment! I do not know if you have ever mixed concrete with just a shovel in a wheel barrel, but if you have, you will love this mixer. It is so much better.
One more quick comment. Be sure to try and level the mixer and chock the wheels. Especially if you mix around 1.5 to 1.8 cu. ft. of concrete at a time. It will be very top heavy with that much concrete in it and could try to turn over on you unless you have it pretty level. Extending the foot with thick plywood or putting heavy cinder blocks on the foot could help minimize the top heavyness. Or just mix smaller batches to minimize the top heaviness.
Good luck
How has the mixer worked for you since then?
@@johntube2525 one drawback I noticed with using the mixer, just having to lift the bags up a little bit higher to get them into the mixer. Give them into wheelbarrow is easier. But lol of course then you have to do all the mixing yourself.
@@kbanghart perfectly, no loose parts yet. Built deck support columns, repaired crumbled driveway entrance, made shed foundation supports, etc. This little mixer has been very convenient for a lazy retired guy like me.
@@br549fried4 Good news. I'll pick up some threadlocker soon :)
very good vid. thank you.
Thanks for commenting and thanks for subscribing. Funny, how now and then, I think, wow, seems like everything is fixed. But that feeling doesn’t seem to last long. Garage door opener stops working, get some wood rot on the house. Something goes wrong on someone’s vehicle. Sometimes, I have no idea what to do to fix it. Therefore, off to TH-cam, I go.
Thanks again
thank you, this is something I am going to be looking at soon... my crap farted on me after 2 uses as well.
If like me, you lost your key, try googling 5x12 key. I know amazon carries kits with several different sizes. If you get prime free shipping it might be cheaper to buy the kit than paying 4 time the cost of one key from someone that actually has the right size. I bought a larger size and cut to right size with a hacksaw, then ground the corners smooth. Good Luck!
long story short
problem was bolts was all loose
solution was put threadlocks on and torque all the bolts down
Yep, pretty much sums it up in a sentence. Unfortunately when something breaks years after putting it together, you kind of wonder what happened. I was able to buy the new key that disappeared on ebay Video was made to hopefully help someone fix theirs.
Great video helped me a great deal. Same issue with mine. Did you ever get the key way?
Yes I bought one, but cannot find my notes or where. Mine had to be cut to proper length. There was a comment by Kris about 4 months ago and he bought a 12” long key to cut to proper length from Granger. Here is a copy of that comment with a link to EBay Grainger. You can find others on ebay, but most of them come from China and that shipping will take months to get here.
EBay> GRAINGER APPROVED WWG310505305 Keystock,Under,12 In L,5 x 5mm. www.ebay.com/itm/252720730041?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3ad7544fb9:g:irUAAOSwaX1iVwZc&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAAA4EySfzaD%2BEH5ehmzWgZ1IYSOQgRxxIiTX4FV8TLT658tb%2FDu%2FQyJ%2Fa%2F8pUA833REuf%2BwQFfgs%2FquD4tOawK36SwtSHQw5%2FBVfRWav7rcdDr%2Bxz59hxiM%2Bt2ud47NqmcbPzldzjdnA1DcoTlkbc6WtRO8Gxh%2BBQLc668EkM4okCwojC4zq0jVkqWOhacGYGWsZrh%2FtRFxczppK%2BqAA%2FYyGeR%2FImfDy4fo4mIIJ5oUAOFG1ymjYF0nwUdfk4mz%2BI6lB3DGd%2B8cfbJNBITIvW1X5xdv8c8Hbsfqyr0%2BQzmLQ0hK%7Ctkp%3ABFBMjrLa8pNg
Only $3.33 plus $5.99 shipping. There may be others, I stopped there. Good luck!
We’re you able to get a replacement key for the drum gear?
Yes I did. I think I bought it off eBay, but I do not remember.It has been 5 years and my memory is not that good. If you google 5mm x 12mm keyway or key stock I think you will find lots of them. I think I bought one longer than 12mm and cut it with a hacksaw and then rounded the edges with a grinder. It worked fine and I still use that mixer now and then. I just looked for my extra piece I cut off a longer piece and of course, after 5 years I have no idea where I put that extra long piece. Google and you will find them. Good luck.
Same issue here , can’t find the key or the bolt both lost I guess while I was mixing . Any idea where to buy them ?
It is really hard to see what they are pointing at in the parts diagram, but there appears to be 4 things by parts number as follows: 22- Cross head screw M6x15; 23-Spring washer 6; 24- Flat Washer 6; 38- Flat Key 5 x 12.
Part numbers 22, 23, 24, you should be able to get these metric parts at any Hardware Store. The Flat Key 5x12, I ended up buying a longer one from EBay and then cutting it to 12mm length with a hacksaw, then rounding the edges with a grinder.
Suggestion, there was a comment made not too long ago where someone, Lori, 13 days ago, told me they bought a 12 ft. long flat key. Perhaps you can find that comment and try to ask that person if they will make you a key for a price. There are lots of 5mm keys on EBay, but most are located in China and will take a while to get here. There are also kits with many different sized keys in the kit. I believe I found a kit on Amazon. Just have to google or shop around, 5mm x 5mm key. Good
Found this on EBay>
GRAINGER APPROVED WWG310505305 Keystock,Under,12 In L,5 x 5mm.
www.ebay.com/itm/252720730041?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3ad7544fb9:g:irUAAOSwaX1iVwZc&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAAA4EySfzaD%2BEH5ehmzWgZ1IYSOQgRxxIiTX4FV8TLT658tb%2FDu%2FQyJ%2Fa%2F8pUA833REuf%2BwQFfgs%2FquD4tOawK36SwtSHQw5%2FBVfRWav7rcdDr%2Bxz59hxiM%2Bt2ud47NqmcbPzldzjdnA1DcoTlkbc6WtRO8Gxh%2BBQLc668EkM4okCwojC4zq0jVkqWOhacGYGWsZrh%2FtRFxczppK%2BqAA%2FYyGeR%2FImfDy4fo4mIIJ5oUAOFG1ymjYF0nwUdfk4mz%2BI6lB3DGd%2B8cfbJNBITIvW1X5xdv8c8Hbsfqyr0%2BQzmLQ0hK%7Ctkp%3ABFBMjrLa8pNg
Only $3.33 plus $5.99 shipping. There may be others, I stopped there. Good luck!
Jesus man, they got monkeys putting these dang things together, I tell you. I just bought an identical one and made it through two loads before the motor crapped out. They seem to be projects rather than tools. I've got plenty of those already. Great vid, BTW.
Wow, my motor still doing good. but I only mix about 1.8 to 2.0 Cu. ft per mix. A little over 1/2 the stated 3.5 cu ft. capacity. I know from reading reviews that some people seem to get lemons or problems with various tools from HF. Hope you are still in the return policy period. I bought the extended warranty on a floor jack and i am on my 4th year with no problems. Extended warranty was never used and has expired now. I have bought alot of tools and have never returned any of them. Just lucky I guess?
What you're describing right at the one minute mark into this video is exactly what my mixer just did on me yesterday, motor and pulley are turning fine, but the spindle or key or whatever you want to call it is probably loose cuz it's not turning the drum with any power.
Ya I lost my key too 😂🤪
I bought a 5mm x 5mm x 56mm off of ebay and cut it to 12mm to replace mine. Now I was looking for the left over piece and looked everywhere I can think of and just cannot find it. LOL! Mine is still working, but I wanted to find that key so I could confirm the dimensions are 5mm x 5 mm x the length. Never found it, but I took the cover off and measured and it is 5mmx5mmxlength and they do sell them on ebay. Some of the sellers are in China and that generally takes quite a while to receive the part from China. I am hoping I stumble across my left over piece before I actually need another. Hope this helps you out of your bind.
What are some possible causes of a gas leak on a concrete mixer?
Wow! You got me there, since mine runs on electricity. Am I right, assuming you have a gas engine mixer? Anyways if you do have a gasoline-powered mixer, is the tank leaking? If so I have had luck with JB Weld fixing tanks. Just let the JB Weld cure for 24 hours or longer. Perhaps the carburetor? I have had to put three carburetor kits in my old 1994 Homelite weed whacker. Still running after all these years. Perhaps a hose leak from the tank to the engine? I also had to replace that hose on my weed whacker. Sorry, just throwing out ideas here! Not sure I can actually help since mine is electrical.
@@johntube2525 no you're totally fine I appreciate you trying!💙
Many hardware and home stores have keys in different sizes. Worth a check
My key is missing. Any idea of how to get a replacement?
I bought my replacement from eBay. I looked for some notes on the seller and even looked for my left over part, but could not find any notes or my left over part. I think I bought a 5mmx5mmx55mm length and then cut it to the length I needed.
Look on ebay for 5mm keys. Mostly you will find sources from China, but I bought mine from a USA seller, probably made in china, but I paid more, since I did not want to wait a couple months for a key to be shipped from China. Good luck!
@@johntube2525 Thank you! I looked but was only finding 5x5x30mm as the longest so I bought a 5x5mm 12' rod that I will now have to cut down. I'm pretty sure it needs to be 40mm, from the manual I pulled up on line. At least there is extra in case I mess up :)
you need to learn to hold the camera still made me motion sick watching as long as i did to see issue so thanks for that insight to know what to locktite if i decide to buy this mixer
Totally agree! My first TH-cam video ever. I felt I had a message for people that bought this mixer. This video would have made my fishing friend seasick. I think I have gotten a little better, but still have a ways to go. Thanks for trying to watch and this mixer is so much better than trying to mix concrete in a wheel barrel with a shovel. Just need to keep an eye on certain bolts. I am glad I took the plunge and bought this mixer and managed to fix it. I am trying harder to just pause the videos if I am going to move around, or trying to move the camera much slower. Thanks for watching or trying to watch and commenting! Good comment!
7018 will fix that
The Harbor Freight concrete mixer is terrible. Don't buy it, way too noisy and just plain poorly built. Their mixer is a joke.
I can agree that if you plan to pour a lot of concrete that the harbor freight concrete mixer is probably not the way to go and it will take up some storage space in between pours and seasons.
I had poured approximately 50 cubic feet of concrete with mine before the bolts came loose and I lost the little key way.
I did buy a new key way on ebay and the mixer is running fine again.
I have to do all my concrete work by myself and I only tackle small pours at a time, about 7-9 cubic feet of sidewalk concrete at a time. That way I can mix, pour, mix some more, pours some more until my forms are full, screed, finish, spray curing compound and cover it and clean the mixer all by myself.
So yea, it is noisy and somewhat of a poor design. I hate the little wheels on it, but it can get the job done if you take better care than I did to check all bolts and keep them tight.
Or usethread locker from the bieginning.
Don’t try to mix 3 ½ cubic feet of concrete per mix as it is top heavy and can tip on you unless perfectly level.
I made the video to try and help some other poor soul that might have the same mixer and might have had some of the same issues I had. Hope it might help someone.
I've done 100's of cubic yards of concrete over 36 years with the original one with little problems to speak of......about $150 back in 1980's!
I strongly disagree, if you are handy and clever you can make this very affordable mixer become a little workhorse. If you are not mechanically inclined, this unit is DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU. For those people, please go spend a couple of hundred dollars more on something well built. I’m sure anything American made shall do.
@@zjedinite I agree with you. I've mixed nearly 100 bags in mine.
@@Jhovan33 the one issue most people complain about is the screw that hold the bearing pin comes loose and drum won’t spin. When I purchased it, I took it apart before using it to grease the bearing and all moving parts. Then I used Thread lock on that darn bolt. Machine works like a charm!