How do you mix thinset?

bluefoxicy

After watching a half-inch electric drill slowly die trying to mix modified thinset with a tool designed to attach to an electric drill for the purpose of mixing unmodified and modified thinset, I'm convinced something is very wrong here.

How do you guys mix thinset? Butter churner? Big spoon? Pneumatic drill? There's got to be an answer that doesn't involve burning out $200 power tools every couple dozen bags.

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If you can't explain why, then you don't know what you're talking about. I'll keep asking until I find someone who does.

jagans

Go rent a paddle mixer and make sure you have a heavy enough cord to run it if its electric #12= 20 Amps

2 dozen bags with a drill???????? What are you on????

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bluefoxicy

One of these on a drill is the only way he's ever mixed thinset. I'm unaware of another way. I was considering going to the other style of mixer, which uses a round housing with a screw that looks like it'd do better out-of-plane mixing with less torque (but with less force transfer into the material at once, too... then again, transferring a lot of torque without doing a good job actually mixing is a waste of time). They both go on drills.

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If you can't explain why, then you don't know what you're talking about. I'll keep asking until I find someone who does.

jagans

Well a Milwaukee right angle or a Hole Hawg might work. You need something with a reduction gearbox to get the kind of torque you need, without burning it out. Dont you think you would be better off with a real mortar mixer?

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" A lot of men build things, and a lot of things fall down "

bluefoxicy

Probably. Didn't know such a thing existed. Don't know how often I'll be mixing thinset, but then you know... you get that tool for one job, that you'll only do one time, and you wind up using it six or seven times a year. I had no idea the impact driver would be so useful... for that matter, the rubber mallet was so useful I replaced the $5 one with a $20 one that weighs 2 ounces more, is non-marking, and has a hickory handle. I've used it like 50 times in the past week, because I'm moving and breaking down metal wire rack shelving is ridiculously hard.

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If you can't explain why, then you don't know what you're talking about. I'll keep asking until I find someone who does.

ToolSeeker

Also remember add the powder to the water not the other way around. And don't add it all at once add more water as needed while you mix.

JazMan

Unless you're mixing for a couple of tile setters on large jobs, you don't really need a specialized drill motor. I've had several in the last 25 years and the fairly cheap Craftsman 75th Anniversary Edition has been as good as the $200 + Milwaukee I had before it. Just use it correctly, add powder to the liquid as mentioned.

Also remember to mix all mortars and grouts at low speed. Keep it under 300 rpm, which usually means a variable speed tool. If used under heavy load often, the switch is the first thing to fail.

Jaz

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