cement (mix)question

zubin6220 · 07-08-2007, 05:41 AM

I'm considering the purchase of a cement mixer (see attachment) that mounts on a tractor and would like your opinion of the mix. http://www.wikco.com/agrexmix.html
The literature says that it will hold a 94lb bag of cement plus the other ingredients, bringing the total weight to 1153 lbs with an 11.3 cufoot tub. It would seem to be a pretty good size. My question is how best to load the hopper to use the full 94lb bag of cement.
Thanks in advance for your comments.

SecretSquirrel · 07-08-2007, 08:33 AM

I have the exact same mixer and it has been quite an asset to my arsenal of equipment. I'd be glad to share my experiences. I have comfortably mixed a 94lb bag of Portland in a 1:2:4 mix (1 part Portland, 2 parts sand, 4 parts aggregate) with no problems except that if the tractor is pointed uphill you just cant tilt the mixing tub high enough to keep it (the mix) from spitting back at you. The 1:2:4 mix is roughly 4.5 cubic feet (1/6 yard) of concrete. The specs say that the tub capacity is close to 12 cubic feet. Well, maybe if it was standing on end with the port hole looking at the sky. I wouldn't want to put any more material in there than previously stated. Also, the auxillary hydraulic control used to dump the tub, at least on my tractor, isn't exactly the most graceful of instruments as I really have to feather it to keep the tub from tilting too far/too quick when attempting to dump a load. You have to be careful not to get the universal joints of the PTO shaft at too extreme of an angle or everything gets into a pretty wicked shimmy. They warn you about this but it seems that I'm always pushing the tilt angle to the edge in order to get a complete dump. This may be different on your tractor depending on the mounting angle of the mixer vs your PTO shaft position. I also had to remove the draw bar from the tractor to keep it from interfering with the mounting of the mixer.

I've tried various sequences for loading the materials into the tub. I've found it best to load about 2/3's of the sand, the Portland, the remaining sand, then all the aggregate... all this while slowly spinning the tub. This helps to keep down the dust and to get a complete and thorough mix. After all the ingredients have been thoroughly incorporated, I introduce the water. It takes roughly a 5 gallon bucket of water for a good mix; +/- a couple of quarts depending on the dampness of the sand and aggregate and your mix ratio.

Despite the little mechanical issues, I am extrememly pleased with the mixer and it has literally paid for itself in just a few mixing sessions. I have a New Holland TC33D (33hp) and it handles the equipment just fine.

zubin6220 · 07-09-2007, 05:22 AM

Thanks for the response and information. Glad that you are having good luck with your mixer. It appears there are two sizes available; the EA-320 selling for $1,079 and a smaller one for around $800.00. I have a large tractor and wanted the largest one. Does that price seem reasonable? Just curious.
Thanks again.....

SecretSquirrel · 07-09-2007, 08:17 AM

I just called my local farm equipment dealer and his price on the BM320 is $735.00. This is the model that I purchased a couple of years ago and the price hasn't changed. I believe Wikco is using their own part number for the Agrex BM320... BM stands for the Beto Mix. None the less, the BM320 has the 11.3 cu foot capacity. You'll have to investigate further to make sure we're comparing apples to apples.

The equipment dealer here in Winston-Salem, NC is Leinbach Machinery Company and their number is 336-924-4115.

zubin6220 · 07-09-2007, 10:45 PM

Thanks once again..