As others have said, a little water in before adding the bags will help the caking of the dry mix. Also, the mixers are designed to be left running while dumping the mixed concrete out. It goes much easier with it running. 19 year veteran ofhauling redy mix concrete in a front discharge truck.
Agreed. Many people can have negative things to say, but they are usually the people that aren't 'doers', and just like he said, "this is how we learn, we do." The difference between success and failure is the the people that succeed just try again after failing.....or, they do, instead of sitting on the sideline.
It's really nice to see someone who didn't rehearse their whole, TH-cam video and cut out every scene that is useful for the beginners… Kudos to you my man for being the pioneer and letting it all hang out for us to see… Just bought one of these myself to mix up garden soil and I know everything I need to know. Thank you again !!
I suspect that if you keep it running and tilt slowly the dry concrete will come out in a more controlled manner and not splat. I did love that trial and error part.
Thanks for the video. Like some others have said, you need to add water first, then the mix, I'd say about 1/3rd of the water that you're planning to put in for the whole batch, but watch out, it may want to splash back at you if you dump the first bag really fast. Be sure to stand upwind, that dust is bad news to breathe, trust me. Use a big measuring pitcher for the water, and keep track of how much you put in for each load, then you'll know how much to add for the next because you'll know that it will turn out, it's faster, and you won't have to tend it as much. From what I've found, the amount of water it shows on the bag isn't going to be enough. It might be enough if you're mixing it in a wheelbarrow, but it won't pour out of a mixer very well if it's too firm. I'm not sure if you can on yours, but I added another hole on the tilt adjustment on the side that lets me drop the front one click more and it's been working well that way. One other thing, one of the first things I did was to make a trough to lean against the front of the mixer so when you dump it, it goes where you want. Just a piece of plywood with 2x4 sides on it that narrows down as it gets to the bottom is fine. Good luck, have as much fun as you can making concrete, and that won't likely be much, but it sure makes it nice when you can stop doing it and watch the game!
Sitting in the truck watching this as my wife and daughter are shopping at some foo foo expensive store somewhere along 30A this evening. Nice mixer. I’m sure it will come in handy for your many projects to come.
Great video, you sold me on buying one from Lowes. I have a 10x12 pad me and my husband need to fill so this will definitely save his back from aching so much.
They're handy. We fabbed up some brackets and rectangular tubing on ours so that we can pick it up and move it around with the forks on the front end loader bucket. The portable generator and a 55 gallon drum of water sit in the loader bucket.
Nice job, sir. I find that it helps to put a little water in the drum first - that way the concrete gets wet as soon as you dump in the mix. It helps to avoid getting a dry wall of it at the bottom/back of the drum and makes the mixing go just a little bit quicker. Take care and God Bless. And, Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I have never tried to put one of these together but it seemed pretty simple! Your flag pole project came out nice! Pretty soon you will be making stepping stone walkways to the pool!😊 Stay warm and stay safe in the coming days!
This is pretty timely. We just set that same one up a few days ago lol. Got hubby an early xmas present. Got it at H Depot $299. We are doing a bunch of projects too! Those mixers are also excellent for mixing potting soil and animal feed! (rinse them out well after each use). We had an older one but it broke down a few yrs ago. They come in handy
I enjoyed your video. I just ordered one of these from HD along with a bunch of concrete. We have several projects to do around our little farm and I'm hoping this machine makes it easier. You did great for the first time...I'll be in the same boat so I can relate to this video quite well. Thank you!
Mine from amazon is a Bilt Hard. Same mixer but blue. First job I did in my Little building remodel paid for it. Decent mixers at a good price point in my opine. Same as you: 160ish pounds of dry mix is about all you want to mix in them.
First!! Looks like a good little workhorse! Glad to see u leave the "fails" in the video just to keep people from getting discouraged. So many videos make everything looked too easy, like there isn't a learning curve. 👍
Thanks for posting. I reviewed it because I got frustrated trying to install the fins. The rubber gasket BTW is supposed to go in between the barrel and the fin. They had the post on the motor side installed backwards. The holes to insert the bolt didn’t align. I was tempted to drill new holes but noticed the last minute it was assembled backwards. Removed the C-ring, popped it out and reassembled it the correct way … The holes aligned. The top of the fins where you bolt it to the top of the barrel are straight while barrel is rounded. How did you deal with that?
Great video, I'm getting ready to do a few slabs on my property and was researching mixers and came up on your video... nice review, keep up the great videos. God Bless!
Good purchase, that one’s a workhorse. Cleaning any of them after using them can end up being ridiculously tedious if any of the concrete cures. You did a great job with your mix, just a fraction beyond a dry pack
@@TKCLI’m not kidding, you’re way ahead of the curve. Now bear in mind that I’m on jobsites all day every day, and I get to witness Pookie and Ray-Ray’s skill set…
Another fantastic machine to add to your arsenal of tools for all your projects Merry Christmas to you and Tiffany and of course your puppies old and new
Andrew, found your channel a few days ago, binged watched your outdoor kitchen series, after Ep 2, I became a subscriber. Currently watching your pole barn house series, not bad for someone who has never framed a house. I'm rather impressed. Keep up the good work. You may want to give Perkins Builder Brothers a watch. Take care and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I've definitely watched some of their content. Sadly I make so much content and spend so much time editing, I don't watch nearly the TH-cam content I wish I could. Thank you for watching and the support. Merry Christmas!
I just put one of these together today. I'm about to pour the footings for my deck. Renting something similar costs $55/day or $220/week. I'm not pouring the pad for the stairs until framing is in place so I can see where the stringers land, and I have a couple of other projects coming up I want to do. If I sell it for $150 when I'm done, it'll be cheaper than renting anyway. Glad to see I'm not the only one who struggled to get that bolt through the handle with that spring! The hardware packet was incredible. Thanks for showing this. I think I'm going to build a chute to catch the spillage and funnel it down into the hole. How's the mixer holding up to repeated use?
Hey Kelly watched you using your Yardmax I bought a Yardmate rear tire tiller, these names maybe kinfolk. Anyway the garden tiller I bought from Home Depot has screws and bolts that have begun to rust even though it's barn kept and I'm not using any water like your cement mixer will. Good luck on your product!
Question: how is this a better mixer than the Harbor Freight model? It is the same exact model but with a different motor cover. It apparently comes with a much better assembly manual than HF, but your mixing blades are installed upside down just like in the HF manual flip those around and it'll mix up better and faster, it even grinds exactly like the Harbor Freight model the two tone paint job is kinda neat though. Always start with some water first then add your dry mix it'll keep it from sticking to the bottom!
I've not ran both, just looking at in the store certain things stand out with this model. Thicker materials, overall look, larger capacity ect. The blades were originally tightened in the opposite direction but then spun 180 degrees to exactly match the manual.
Excellent video on assembly and use of the mixer for a beginner! Would be even better if it was more step by step instructions when filming the assembly with close up shots of each step. Like if you were an employee of Yardmax !!! Lol Thx
Loosen up the spring on that handle so it's easy to move and you can get a smooth dump while it's running. The pros never stop that drum turning, but they work at a don't try this at home level.
If you put stuff inside a mixer at 90 degrees it tends to glue in the back and mix terrible without a lot of water. Especially when they are not new and lose paint create cavities. You gonna notice this if you want to make a dryer mix of mortar to sit sidewalk or stones.
You left out the part of connecting the blades to the top...they were just magically attached. That's the part I'm having a problem with, unless I'm supposed to bend them.
THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY: (1) Always start the motor before you start loading the drum. (2) Do not turn the mixer off if you have content inside the bin. Always empty the drum completely with the mixer arms rotating. - - However, I think if you load the drum when it is completely vertical and then turn on the motor before tilting it, that should not cause a problem. Also, empty the mixer into a wheelbarrow and then you can easily dump the concrete into a hole or shovel it where you need it. - - Also, the reason I came here was to see how the mixer arms had to go but you skipped the part that shows in detail how you got them aligned properly.
I use a model that has blades that are more horizontal that makes it easier to use a small shovel to remove the concrete I'm not liking the mixing blades on this one at all setup for failure
Leave it to FedEx. They USE to be the best. Anymore, at least, their quality of service has really went down the shitter. They misdelivered my package to the wrong address. I called their number, and all I was told is that the package was delivered.
The concrete industry makes mixers for men. Women can’t lift 80 lbs up that high, and stores don’t sell smaller bags. I’ve looked high and low. I can mix 2 bags at a time in my big old wheelbarrow with a shovel or a hoe. Done it a few times.
As others have said, a little water in before adding the bags will help the caking of the dry mix. Also, the mixers are designed to be left running while dumping the mixed concrete out. It goes much easier with it running. 19 year veteran ofhauling redy mix concrete in a front discharge truck.
Thank you for the feedback, I need it.
Kudos to you for posting your whole trial and error process. It’s so much more helpful for other beginners.
Thank you for watching
Agreed. Many people can have negative things to say, but they are usually the people that aren't 'doers', and just like he said, "this is how we learn, we do." The difference between success and failure is the the people that succeed just try again after failing.....or, they do, instead of sitting on the sideline.
It's really nice to see someone who didn't rehearse their whole, TH-cam video and cut out every scene that is useful for the beginners… Kudos to you my man for being the pioneer and letting it all hang out for us to see… Just bought one of these myself to mix up garden soil and I know everything I need to know. Thank you again !!
Glad you enjoyed it
I respect the hell out of this review. Very thorough.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thx for the 411 makes me feel more confident on just getting one
Mine is still going strong
The hardest part is always finding a rhythm that works for you. Project looks great by the way!
Hey, you're a good guy demoing this and speeding up the learning curve for the rest of us. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
You have the gift of explaining things, I am sure people who need this will appreciate it. I hope you got a warm blanket for Bullet:))) Be well!
Thank you for watching
I suspect that if you keep it running and tilt slowly the dry concrete will come out in a more controlled manner and not splat. I did love that trial and error part.
They also work exceptionally well mixing soils for raised beds.
Thanks for the video. Like some others have said, you need to add water first, then the mix, I'd say about 1/3rd of the water that you're planning to put in for the whole batch, but watch out, it may want to splash back at you if you dump the first bag really fast. Be sure to stand upwind, that dust is bad news to breathe, trust me. Use a big measuring pitcher for the water, and keep track of how much you put in for each load, then you'll know how much to add for the next because you'll know that it will turn out, it's faster, and you won't have to tend it as much. From what I've found, the amount of water it shows on the bag isn't going to be enough. It might be enough if you're mixing it in a wheelbarrow, but it won't pour out of a mixer very well if it's too firm. I'm not sure if you can on yours, but I added another hole on the tilt adjustment on the side that lets me drop the front one click more and it's been working well that way. One other thing, one of the first things I did was to make a trough to lean against the front of the mixer so when you dump it, it goes where you want. Just a piece of plywood with 2x4 sides on it that narrows down as it gets to the bottom is fine. Good luck, have as much fun as you can making concrete, and that won't likely be much, but it sure makes it nice when you can stop doing it and watch the game!
Excellent job young man. Be nice if THEY added a Pour Lip of some kind to help with the unloading part of the process.
Sitting in the truck watching this as my wife and daughter are shopping at some foo foo expensive store somewhere along 30A this evening. Nice mixer. I’m sure it will come in handy for your many projects to come.
Oh really, 30A?? I was in your neck of the woods not long ago. You ever eat at the donut hole?
Great video, i have never poured concrete but im going to start making some mistakes myself this month, appreciate these videos.
Mistakes are the best teachers.
Great video, you sold me on buying one from Lowes. I have a 10x12 pad me and my husband need to fill so this will definitely save his back from aching so much.
I've been loving mine, that's going to be a big project.
They're handy. We fabbed up some brackets and rectangular tubing on ours so that we can pick it up and move it around with the forks on the front end loader bucket. The portable generator and a 55 gallon drum of water sit in the loader bucket.
I've been kicking around the portable water myself.
Nice job, sir. I find that it helps to put a little water in the drum first - that way the concrete gets wet as soon as you dump in the mix. It helps to avoid getting a dry wall of it at the bottom/back of the drum and makes the mixing go just a little bit quicker.
Take care and God Bless. And, Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you very much for the tip! Merry Christmas and God bless!
Great video, learning curve and all! Thank you.
Thank you for watching
"Get out and do!" The phrase that pays.
I have never tried to put one of these together but it seemed pretty simple! Your flag pole project came out nice! Pretty soon you will be making stepping stone walkways to the pool!😊 Stay warm and stay safe in the coming days!
Oh yeah! I have many concrete projects in mind.
This is pretty timely. We just set that same one up a few days ago lol. Got hubby an early xmas present. Got it at H Depot $299.
We are doing a bunch of projects too! Those mixers are also excellent for mixing potting soil and animal feed! (rinse them out well after each use). We had an older one but it broke down a few yrs ago. They come in handy
Mixing seed and grains is a excellent use for one of these.
Hi, Andrew! This concrete mixer will be useful for many of your projects.
It sure will
I enjoyed your video. I just ordered one of these from HD along with a bunch of concrete. We have several projects to do around our little farm and I'm hoping this machine makes it easier. You did great for the first time...I'll be in the same boat so I can relate to this video quite well. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it
Mine from amazon is a Bilt Hard. Same mixer but blue. First job I did in my Little building remodel paid for it. Decent mixers at a good price point in my opine. Same as you: 160ish pounds of dry mix is about all you want to mix in them.
First!!
Looks like a good little workhorse! Glad to see u leave the "fails" in the video just to keep people from getting discouraged. So many videos make everything looked too easy, like there isn't a learning curve. 👍
Got it again!
Congratulations 👏🎉
@@5150cash thank u sir!
I got a smaller Yardmax mixer a few years ago. I poured a single car garage floor (78 80# bags) it did great... me, not so much. :)
Wow that's a huge job!
Thanks for posting. I reviewed it because I got frustrated trying to install the fins. The rubber gasket BTW is supposed to go in between the barrel and the fin. They had the post on the motor side installed backwards. The holes to insert the bolt didn’t align. I was tempted to drill new holes but noticed the last minute it was assembled backwards. Removed the C-ring, popped it out and reassembled it the correct way … The holes aligned. The top of the fins where you bolt it to the top of the barrel are straight while barrel is rounded. How did you deal with that?
Great video, I'm getting ready to do a few slabs on my property and was researching mixers and came up on your video... nice review, keep up the great videos. God Bless!
Thank you for watching, God bless!
Good purchase, that one’s a workhorse. Cleaning any of them after using them can end up being ridiculously tedious if any of the concrete cures. You did a great job with your mix, just a fraction beyond a dry pack
Thank you, still figuring this all out.
@@TKCLI’m not kidding, you’re way ahead of the curve. Now bear in mind that I’m on jobsites all day every day, and I get to witness Pookie and Ray-Ray’s skill set…
Great new tool added to your arsenal. Well done as usual.
I have big plans for this tool 😉
We need to see the FedEx delivery!
Lol just a quick roll off of the back of the van.
Awesome mixer. That will come in handy for your property. 🤠
Sure will!
I would have absolutely tried turning it on thinking it would have dumped more easily!
Another fantastic machine to add to your arsenal of tools for all your projects Merry Christmas to you and Tiffany and of course your puppies old and new
Merry Christmas
Andrew, found your channel a few days ago, binged watched your outdoor kitchen series, after Ep 2, I became a subscriber. Currently watching your pole barn house series, not bad for someone who has never framed a house. I'm rather impressed. Keep up the good work. You may want to give Perkins Builder Brothers a watch. Take care and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I've definitely watched some of their content. Sadly I make so much content and spend so much time editing, I don't watch nearly the TH-cam content I wish I could. Thank you for watching and the support. Merry Christmas!
I just put one of these together today. I'm about to pour the footings for my deck. Renting something similar costs $55/day or $220/week. I'm not pouring the pad for the stairs until framing is in place so I can see where the stringers land, and I have a couple of other projects coming up I want to do. If I sell it for $150 when I'm done, it'll be cheaper than renting anyway. Glad to see I'm not the only one who struggled to get that bolt through the handle with that spring! The hardware packet was incredible.
Thanks for showing this. I think I'm going to build a chute to catch the spillage and funnel it down into the hole. How's the mixer holding up to repeated use?
Glad you enjoyed it
Good review, looks like a pretty solid cement mixer and fairly easy to assemble. That will come in handy for you Andrew. ❤️❤️. 🌞🇨🇦
It will, just wait 😉
Merry Christmas to you and your family !!!!! Keep up the great work and awesome videos
Merry Christmas
Good video. What's the brand of the portable battery you used to run this mixer? How many bags of concrete this portable battery can mix?
Thank you for this video man!
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey Kelly watched you using your Yardmax I bought a Yardmate rear tire tiller, these names maybe kinfolk. Anyway the garden tiller I bought from Home Depot has screws and bolts that have begun to rust even though it's barn kept and I'm not using any water like your cement mixer will. Good luck on your product!
That's the norm nowadays for equipment and hardware, nothing lasts like it use to.
@@TKCL yes sir sad to say but true , we no longer know who makes what.
Love the video thank you sir
Thank you for watching
Question: how is this a better mixer than the Harbor Freight model? It is the same exact model but with a different motor cover. It apparently comes with a much better assembly manual than HF, but your mixing blades are installed upside down just like in the HF manual flip those around and it'll mix up better and faster, it even grinds exactly like the Harbor Freight model the two tone paint job is kinda neat though. Always start with some water first then add your dry mix it'll keep it from sticking to the bottom!
I've not ran both, just looking at in the store certain things stand out with this model. Thicker materials, overall look, larger capacity ect. The blades were originally tightened in the opposite direction but then spun 180 degrees to exactly match the manual.
Appreciate the review. I'm definitely going with the Yardmax over the harbor freight model for $30 more it definitely looks worth it
I agree it is
cool! Merry Christmas folks!!!
Merry Christmas!
It'll pour better running but you want it running BEFORE tipping
Look into the mud mixer
Thank you for the video, how long would you say it takes start to pour each time?
Maybe 5 minutes to dump, mix thoroughly and dump again.
Thanks
Excellent video on assembly and use of the mixer for a beginner! Would be even better if it was more step by step instructions when filming the assembly with close up shots of each step. Like if you were an employee of Yardmax !!! Lol Thx
Rooster would make a good Christmas chicken noodle soup ;)
He is! 😉
Great review. Im getting ready to buy one myself. Thanks for posting. New sub as well.
Used mine several more times since this video. Works very well! Thanks for the support
Loosen up the spring on that handle so it's easy to move and you can get a smooth dump while it's running. The pros never stop that drum turning, but they work at a don't try this at home level.
Sadly no spring tension adjustment, it has a welded in spring bottom out plate.
I have "mixed" feelings on this one... :-) Ha, ha Looks like a great mixer for home... 🙂
You've always got a pun don't you? 😉
If you put stuff inside a mixer at 90 degrees it tends to glue in the back and mix terrible without a lot of water. Especially when they are not new and lose paint create cavities. You gonna notice this if you want to make a dryer mix of mortar to sit sidewalk or stones.
In at 90, rotate to 45 and add water has worked well for me.
Reviews on the Harbor Freight mixer said that after just a few minutes the motor quit working.
You may be happy you didn't got to H.F.
Can we get a follow up vid?
You left out the part of connecting the blades to the top...they were just magically attached. That's the part I'm having a problem with, unless I'm supposed to bend them.
Make sure you put them in the proper direction, not upside down. That fought me until I realized I needed to flip them 180 degrees.
How to order 1bagger cement mixer
Can you mix stucco and mortor
Not sure to be honest
Didn't the mixer come with a Chute, to direct the output?
No it did not
Sure beats the wheelbarrow mixing method
Yes it does
For sure will save your back .
100 percent agree!
THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY: (1) Always start the motor before you start loading the drum. (2) Do not turn the mixer off if you have content inside the bin. Always empty the drum completely with the mixer arms rotating.
- - However, I think if you load the drum when it is completely vertical and then turn on the motor before tilting it, that should not cause a problem. Also, empty the mixer into a wheelbarrow and then you can easily dump the concrete into a hole or shovel it where you need it.
- - Also, the reason I came here was to see how the mixer arms had to go but you skipped the part that shows in detail how you got them aligned properly.
It would go smoother if you had wheel barel to dump that concrete in yhan using a plastic bucket or a shovel to to trow the concrete in the hole
Informative as always, Andrew. Did you try running the mixer off of your Ecoflo?
I was going to but being a newb at mixing I didn't want any shut down or overload problems in the middle of mixing. I'll try it next time.
just to be 100% clear, the mixer barrel is made of metal?
Yes, appears to be powder coated. No issues or rust after many uses.
Wear a dust mask.Silica dust is bad for your lungs.
I put mine together, and the electricity goes on, but the mixer does not move… Any ideas?
Does the motor run?
MASK!!!!!
I use a model that has blades that are more horizontal that makes it easier to use a small shovel to remove the concrete I'm not liking the mixing blades on this one at all setup for failure
I've ran this a lot with zero issues.
Would your EcoFlow delta run it?
I don't currently have the delta, just a smaller river 2 and river pro. They probably would run it, except for a loaded startup.
Have you ever heard of QUIKRETE?
Yep
👍👍👍
Leave it to FedEx. They USE to be the best. Anymore, at least, their quality of service has really went down the shitter.
They misdelivered my package to the wrong address. I called their number, and all I was told is that the package was delivered.
I would like a nice pad out by my room please 🥺
As soon as I receive first and last months rent it will happen 😉
The concrete industry makes mixers for men. Women can’t lift 80 lbs up that high, and stores don’t sell smaller bags. I’ve looked high and low. I can mix 2 bags at a time in my big old wheelbarrow with a shovel or a hoe. Done it a few times.
Not true, my local store sells 40lb and 80lb bags.
@@TKCL what store? Hope they are in NH too. I have a walkway to do in 2023.
It's a local chain store called Gulf coast lumber.
@@TKCL wish they were near me!
Fed ex sucks.
Don't get me started 😡
Thanks for not explaining sh8t on the assembly
Your so welcome!
👍👍