A good unit is a concrete mixer made from a barrel with your own hands. Homemade concrete mixers: manual, electric How to make a concrete mixer from a 200 liter barrel

Building something with your own hands is an activity that not only brings benefits, but also raises self-esteem. Such work cannot be done without concrete solutions. They can take quite a long time to prepare, especially if we're talking about about filling paths or platforms. In some cases, it does not make sense to buy a large concrete mixer for mortar for your needs. But a homemade concrete mixer made from a barrel would be an excellent solution. It will save money and allow you to rationally use the components that are on the farm. What are the methods for manufacturing such a device and assembly diagrams will be discussed in this article.

Why a concrete mixer

When you think about a concrete mixer for mortar, the question may arise as to why complicate your life and not use a drill or mixer. This is a pretty reasonable remark. But it is worth considering for what purposes these tools were originally developed. Drills are used to mix small amounts of low-viscosity solution. If used for a long time, the rotor or stator windings will easily fail. The drill is suitable for drilling holes in metal, wood, plastic and concrete. This is its primary task.

A construction mixer can really help in solving the problem of preparing a solution. Although this tool was developed for these purposes, it is more suitable for working with adhesives And cement-sand mixtures small and medium volumes. If the task is to prepare concrete filled with crushed stone or other stone, then both the blades themselves and the engine can be damaged. All this speaks to the need for a more powerful product that can easily cope with the stated tasks.

Operating principle

The most common is the rotating concrete mixer for mortar, but in fact, this is not the only type. There are three mixing principles that are used in concrete mixers:

independent or gravitational;
exposure to vibration waves;
mechanical.

The first type of solution mixing is the simplest and is rarely used in industry. It is somewhat reminiscent of throwing mortar with a shovel. But this happens inside the container. The container of the concrete mixer for the solution rotates perpendicular to the ground. Under the influence of gravity, concrete falls from the walls and is mixed. Prepare a large number of the solution will not be obtained in this way, because this is a rather labor-intensive task.

The second method of preparing the solution is the highest quality. It involves the presence of a motor that creates vibration waves in the solution. The container itself, in which the components of the solution are located, does not move. Although such a concrete mixer for mortar provides excellent results, a good amount will be spent on paying for electricity. This happens due to the need for a very powerful motor. Mechanical method mixing is exactly what is used in most available concrete mixers. It combines the gravity method with mixing blades.

What can be used

A homemade concrete mixer for preparing a solution makes it possible to use various components that have long been collecting dust in the attic or backyard. Metal pipes or a corner are suitable for a frame. Large wheels from an old wheelbarrow will also be used in the concrete mixer. It’s easy to assemble a concrete mixer for mortar with your own hands from plastic or metal barrel. The latter can be bought at the station Maintenance, where they store large volumes of oil. According to the drawing, it is also easy to assemble a concrete mixer from an aluminum can that has become leaky or is simply no longer used. Several options will be discussed below. The instructions and drawings provided do not have to be used as step by step guide, looking for exactly such components. They can serve as the basis for your own project.

A homemade concrete mixer for mortar has some advantages compared to a factory one:

repairability and availability of parts;
ease of storage;
comparatively lower cost;
It’s easy to design what you need according to your needs.

If the design of a concrete mixer for mortar is assembled from improvised means, then you will not have to search for components if something fails. You don’t have to hire specialists to repair a concrete mixer for mortar. You can maintain what you have collected without outside help. You may have to purchase a tiny percentage of spare parts for the concrete mixer, which means that the costs will be low compared to a factory concrete mixer. It is possible to select the parameters of a concrete mixer for mortar for a specific facility.

Concrete mixer without engine

This is the simplest and affordable option, which almost any master can build at home. This concrete mixer for mortar is perfect for those cases when a medium amount of mortar is required, and there is no electricity on site. To assemble such a concrete mixer you will need:

welding machine;
inch pipe;
marking tool;
metal rod for the axle;
Bulgarian;
40 liter can;
bearings.

The first step is to build a base or frame for the future concrete mixer. For these purposes, using a grinder, six pieces with a length of 1 m are cut. Of these, using welding machine two isosceles triangles are assembled. Two metal couplings are welded in the upper corner between the slats. They are selected with a diameter such that 2 bearings can easily be inserted into them. The lower corners of the two triangles are connected by jumpers; additionally, you can install two more jumpers between the triangles. This way it will turn out monolithic design, which will provide stability to the rotating can.

So that the concrete mixer for the solution does not require titanic efforts when rotating it, it is necessary to balance the can. For these purposes, you can place it sideways on a thin wall and try to find a center of gravity at which it will not tip to one side or the other. This point needs to be noted. Two holes are drilled in the walls. They should be located opposite each other. Their diameter should be 1 mm larger diameter reinforcement that is used as an axis. To secure the metal rod in the aluminum can, you can use flanges. They are also assembled independently.

They will require two small pieces of pipe. Its internal diameter should be slightly larger than the diameter of the axis. You also need two small circles sheet metal. The pipe sections are welded to the round pieces in the center. A hole is drilled in the round pieces so that the reinforcement can pass through. Holes with a diameter of 4.8 mm are drilled around the entire perimeter of the circle circle. They are necessary for fixing the flange to the can. The rounds need to be given a slight bend so that they fit snugly into the can.

The process of assembling a concrete mixer is simple. The frame is already ready. The bearings are inserted into place in the couplings. At the end of the reinforcement for the axle, a bend is made for the handle. The flanges are fixed to the can using bolts or metal rivets. The handle is threaded through the first bearing, the can and the second bearing. The can is placed in the middle. The flange pipes are welded to the axial fittings. To prevent the axle from slipping out, stoppers are placed on both sides of the bearings. A schematic drawing of a finished concrete mixer for mortar is shown in the illustration below.

Preparing a solution in this design does not cause any difficulties. It is enough to add all the components for the solution without water and twist them several times. After this, add to the solution required amount water and finish mixing is done. Additionally, such a structure for mixing the solution can be equipped with wheels from an old tricycle to make it easier to transport. The operation of such a concrete mixer can be assessed in the video:

A similar design can be made of concrete mixers for mortar from a barrel. You will have to slightly increase the dimensions of the frame. The rod to hold the barrel must run diagonally. Then sufficient displacement of the solution will be ensured for mixing the components.

To make it easier to visualize what such a concrete mixer for preparing the mixture should look like, below is a diagram. There are no sizes on it, because they are selected individually. All components are clearly marked to aid in assembly. The frame for the concrete mixer is slightly different in the drawing. It is made in the shape of rectangles with an additional jumper. Thanks to this solution, the device for preparing the mixture is more stable.

Driven concrete mixer

The concrete mixer should automate the process of preparing the solution as much as possible. That is why it is worth thinking about how to assemble a structure using electric drive. It's easy to make a concrete mixer from a 200-liter barrel with your own hands. To work you will need:

inch frame pipe;
engine from washing machine or old pump;
200 liter barrel;
power button;
V-belt;
pulleys from a washing machine, large and small;
a pair of gears from the starter.

To prevent the solution from falling out of the barrel, its top must be reduced in diameter. To do this, an incision 20 cm deep is made every 15 cm in the shape of a small triangle. After this, all the blades are bent towards the middle and boiled.

The large gear from the starter is placed on the bottom and the necessary markings are made so that later it can be secured.

A frame is assembled from a pipe or angle that will hold the barrel. You can make it according to the sample shown in the photo below. Two pieces of pipe are simply bent at an angle of 90 degrees and reinforced with a small piece of sheet metal. On bottom part the axle for the wheels is mounted. A pulley is welded onto the crossbar that will hold the barrel, onto which a large gear will subsequently be attached.

The next step is to install a pipe with bearings, into which a second pulley with a smaller gear is installed. The distance must be calculated so that the concrete mixer gears easily interact with each other. Wheels can be used from an old car or even from a Lada. But then you will additionally need hubs, which can be found at disassembly.

The motor from the washing machine is mounted at the bottom of the frame under the gears. The electrical connection is also made. A regular 6 amp starter can be used as a switch.

Lastly, the barrel is mounted in its place, which completes the entire structure. To prevent the pulley from bending under the weight during the preparation of the mixture, it is necessary to make two safety wheels that can support the barrel from the front. The illustration shows how they can be fixed.

There is another way to make a concrete mixer from a 200 liter barrel. In the design of such a unit for preparing the mixture, the unit through which rotation is transmitted from the engine to the container will be different. To assemble this option for preparing the solution you will need an unnecessary car disk. The entire internal part is cut out so that only two external ones with sides remain. A hub is attached to them, which ties them together. After this, the resulting unit is attached to the concrete mixer barrel through rubber gaskets.

Rotation will be transmitted from the motor to the smaller pulley through the belt. A wheel with a smaller diameter is attached to a smaller pulley and from it, through a belt, rotation occurs to the fixed disk.

This is what the structure looks like from the back. You can see how the main components are secured to the concrete mixer. The motor and pulleys must be adjusted so that the belts move straight without distortion, as they will simply fly off.

You can use a regular automatic machine as a starter for a concrete mixer, but it’s more interesting to use a block from an old one washing machine. It has a timer. Once you launch it, you can safely work on others preparatory work. Once the concrete mixer has stopped, the solution can be used. It is important to remember that the solution cannot be left for a long period of time, because the water from it may evaporate or the solution itself will shrink and lose its viscosity.

Note! Excellent concrete mixers are made from barrels that are made from of stainless steel. They are more durable and neutral to the components of the solution. True, the weight of such a concrete mixer will be slightly higher.

In the drawing for assembling a concrete mixer for mortar, try to provide for the possibility of changing the angle of the barrel. To do this, the base on which the tank will rest will need to be fixed on two bearings and made movable. Another option would be to implement a stop at the front of the concrete mixer. With such a mechanism, it will be much easier to pour the solution out of the concrete mixer and it will be easy to do this directly at the place where the solution is used. A video of the operation of a concrete mixer, which was made from a barrel with your own hands, can be seen below:

Advice! You can make a concrete mixer for mortar with your own hands not only from metal, but also from plastic barrel. To do this, you will need to select a barrel with thick walls, and also strengthen top part using a metal plate that will be secured with a ring. The amount of solution that can be prepared at once is comparatively less than in a metal concrete mixer, but the efficiency is not inferior.

Conclusion

As you can see, if you show a little ingenuity and look at what you have in your bins, you can assemble your own concrete mixer with virtually no expense. A properly assembled concrete mixer will not be inferior to a factory one in performance. In addition, it will not need to be sent for warranty repairs, and you can fix everything yourself.

To improve a site, either mortar or concrete is often needed. Kneading it by hand is difficult and time consuming, and the quality of the solution is far from the best: it is difficult to achieve uniformity. Not everyone wants to buy a concrete mixer for periodic use. Good way out- DIY concrete mixer. You need a little money, for productivity homemade units no worse than the Chinese ones, and sometimes even better.

Manual concrete mixer

At a construction site there is not always electricity, and large volumes of mortar and concrete are not always required either. The solution is to make a small-volume concrete mixer that will rotate manually (with a manual drive). The designs of these models are simple and straightforward.

From a milk flask

The simplest manual concrete mixer can be made using an ordinary metal flask (milk used to be sold in these). You will also need pipe cuttings or other scrap metal. The design is simple, such a concrete mixer can be built with your own hands in a couple of hours. The main thing is to weld the frame. Assembling the concrete mixer itself will take a couple of tens of minutes.

Make a frame from round pipe bend the handle. In the upper part of the frame, weld two water couplings (for example). Their internal diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe used for the handle. The pipe is passed through the flask and welded to the body.

In order for the barrel to spin easily, you need to find the center of gravity. To do this, you can put it on some thin object, and move it forward/backward to find this very center. This is where you will need to pass the handle. Having passed the handle, it is attached to the walls of the case. This is where complications can arise: flasks are usually made of aluminum alloy, and the handle may be made of steel. It will not be possible to connect them by welding. The only available way out is cold welding. He is quite real. The remaining modes - with bimetallic gaskets or argon-arc welding at home - are not implemented. Another way out is to weld plates onto the handle, which are riveted to the sides of the flask.

To prevent the handle from playing too much and falling out during operation, nuts are welded to it on both sides of the coupling.

In general, this is all about making a manual concrete mixer with your own hands. For one batch in a 40 liter can you can get 2.5-3 buckets of solution. For use in a country house or on a plot near a house (without construction) it is more than enough.

If there is no can, you can adapt a barrel (thick-walled). Then the problem with welding the handle disappears, but you will have to come up with a system for fixing the lid. You can make something similar to the one that the can has.

The video shows an example of a handmade homemade concrete mixer made from a milk flask. The design is a little different, but not too different. Eat interesting idea— inside the container, dividers are welded to the pipe, which speed up mixing.

From a barrel (manual and electric)

The author called this design a “drunk barrel” because of its unique trajectory. The whole point is that the axis of rotation goes obliquely through the container. Because of this, the solution rolls over from one wall to another. The design is also simple and effective. What is important is that there are no problems with welding dissimilar metals. A drawing of a manual concrete mixer from a barrel is shown below.

In the upper part of the frame, bearings are installed in the center, into which the handle is threaded. Thanks to them, a 200 liter barrel rotates easily. Just choose a container with thick walls - it will last longer. No additional blades are welded inside: they only retain the components, interfering with mixing and complicating unloading.

IN original design The loading/unloading hatch is located in the bottom. This is a cut-off part (about 1/3), attached with hinges to the bottom, equipped with rubber sealing around the perimeter and closed with two locks. When loading the barrel, turn it so that the hatch is at the top. When unloading, turn down. The solution moves by gravity into the substituted container, and the stuck one can be removed by knocking on the body with a hammer or sledgehammer.

This design served the author for 10 years, although it was made for a one-time job, but it turned out to be very successful: 2.5 buckets of solution are mixed well in 20-30 revolutions. During this time, it was repeated and improved by neighbors and acquaintances. Most of the modifications concerned the hatch. Experimentally, its most successful design was identified - similar to the one used in a milk flask. This “neck” is welded to the body of the barrel on one side (look at the photo above). They also make handles on both sides so that two people can work.

This design can easily be converted into an electric homemade concrete mixer. Not very well placed powerful engine— 1 kW is enough for a 200-liter barrel, a small sprocket is attached to the axis of which, and the sprocket is welded to the axis-pipe bigger size(to reduce the number of revolutions), they are connected using a chain (from a scooter, for example).

DIY electric concrete mixer from a barrel and a washing machine engine

This concrete mixer is gear type. To make this model you needed:

galvanized steel barrel 180 liters (diameter 560 mm, height 720 mm);
washing machine motor - 180 W, 1450 rpm;
flywheel and starter gear from Moskvich 412;
two pulleys from a washing machine with a diameter of 300 mm and 60 mm;
wheels from a garden cart;
scrap metal for the frame.

Gears, wheels - everything is old, everything was in the garage

First of all, we clean everything from rust, treat it with a rust converter and cover it with primer.

We make a frame from pipes and channels. We strengthen the corners of the frame by welding metal plates. Everything must be tough and reliable. We are making a serious crossbar: a barrel of solution will “hang” on it, and everything will vibrate and spin.

The frame is the basis of the structure. The pipes are almost new))

We weld the pins and the seat for the transmission gears. We remove rust, treat it with a rust converter, and prime it.

We fasten the wheels from the cart. They have wide treads and they have justified themselves: it is not difficult to drag a concrete mixer even just across the site.

We also make structures from pipes for support and installation of all the “filling”.

The second is for greater stability

We begin to assemble the drive. First we place the large gear on the previously welded pin.

We install an assembly in the seat - a small gear connected to a wheel for a belt drive.

We attach the engine to the plate welded in advance.

We hang it so that the two wheels of the belt drive are at the same level. It is also necessary to ensure normal belt tension.

All that remains is to attach the barrel. We make a hole in the center for a large pulley and drill a hole for fasteners. Let's put it in place.

All that remains is electrical part. We connect the cable via

Several photos of the main components. Maybe someone needs to take a closer look.

The second transfer option is from a car disk

The barrel is 200 liters, its edges were cut, bent and welded, forming the usual “pear”.

They made a “pear” from a barrel

The car disk was bolted to the bottom (with rubber gaskets). It was selected so that a recess was formed for the belt drive. A hub was pre-attached to the disk.

Blades were welded inside the barrel to mix the solution more efficiently.

All this equipment was attached to the frame.

Where the plate is welded is the place for the engine. We set it so that the belt runs smoothly. Power was supplied through a toggle switch, and a timer from the washing machine from which the motor was removed was turned on in series.

In general, the rotation speed turned out to be 35-40 rpm. Should be enough.

Homemade mixers in video version

If clear general principle How to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, you can modernize and remodel it, adjusting it to the existing parts. The videos collected in this section will help.

Crown type

Another option, but not a gear type, but a crown type. By the way, you can buy a crown (cast iron or plastic) and install it on the barrel.

With rollers as support

Collapsible mixer from a barrel

Photo of homemade concrete mixer units (may be useful)

Each or almost every self-made concrete mixer has some original solutions. Few people repeat the design completely without making any changes - you have to adapt to the parts and components that are available. Some interesting solutions is in the photo.

Organization of transmission using a motorcycle chain and a second belt

The shape of the blades is a complex thing. They need to improve mixing and not stop the concrete from falling down

Using a metal barrel with a volume of 200 liters to make a simple concrete mixer for a summer house or home is a very good idea. This option will appeal to everyone who is used to saving money by replacing factory devices and mechanisms with homemade ones.

First of all, it is necessary to make a cone-shaped narrowing in the upper part of the future concrete mixer drum. The narrowing will prevent the solution from splashing while mixing.

To do this, 16 cuts with trimming must be made in the upper part of the metal barrel. First, the author makes the markings, then cuts out the lid of the barrel, and only after that - the cuts.

After fitting, the resulting “petals” are fixed in the desired position using oven mitts, and then scalded.

Main stages of work

At the next stage it will be necessary to make a supporting frame. For this the author uses profile pipe. Next, the metal barrel is installed on a supporting support.

Then the master begins to manufacture the frame of the unloading mechanism. At this stage, it is advisable to determine the height of the racks. The author decided to make the frame of the unloading mechanism from a steel profile.

An important feature of this design is the support rubber wheels, which, as planned, should ensure easy rotation of the concrete mixer drum. It will be enough to install one wheel at a time.

The last stage is the manufacture of the drive mechanism. In factory models, everything is simple: they use a motor with a gear and a ring gear. Selecting the size of the ring gear is quite problematic, so the author decided to replace it with a motorcycle chain.

Many people don't know how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands. There may be several ways to manufacture such a unit. The most difficult option is a structure in which there is homemade electric motor. To create it, improvised means can be used.

What can a concrete mixer be made from?

How make your own concrete mixer

Many people believe that it is enough to mix a small volume of the mixture yourself. in the usual way using a shovel. But in the end, the mixture comes out to be of very low quality, since mixing cement mortar shoveling in a trough is quite difficult. This process requires a lot of effort.

The test is like this physical activity Not everyone can do it, so it’s easier to create a concrete mixer from a barrel to install it on your work site. If you mix the solution in a huge number, then ultimately the entire composition will be dry before use. The mixture will begin to lose water faster than it can be mixed to the desired consistency.

Properties of concrete mortar, which is mixed using a drill with special nozzle, may also not be the ones to meet all the requirements. This is explained by the fact that after using a drill to create a solution, lumps of sand of various sizes remain in it.

There are 3 methods that are used to create a concrete solution using a concrete mixer:

Gravitational.
Vibrating.
Mechanical.

The drill attachment must not only rotate, the tool must be moved in a circle, as well as back and forth. It often fails due to high voltage. To find out the principle of operation of a concrete mixer made from a barrel, manufactured for small volumes of work, you should study the entire process of mixing the concrete mixture.

How to make a concrete mixer yourself

In industry, the gravity method is not used, since the resulting cement composition is of low quality. Gravitational mixing causes the entire container to tip over, and the components themselves “plop” on top of each other. As a result, they are mixed into a homogeneous composition.

The vibration method is considered the most reliable method for producing concrete in industrial conditions. Mixing of the cement composition occurs using a vibrating mixer, which is provided in a fixed container. This method allows you to produce high-quality cement mortar.

The mechanical method, used simultaneously with the gravity method, involves rotating the mixer in a stationary tub that has protrusions from the inside, which enhances the process of mixing the solution by rotation.

How to create a concrete mixer with your own hands

Before you start making the unit yourself, you should select a container of the required size. Ideal option there will be a use for this iron barrels, which can hold at least 200 liters. This volume is considered good for mixing the required amount of concrete at one time.

It is better not to use plastic tanks as materials for creating the unit. This type of concrete mixer will not last for a long time. Make quality option a small barrel will allow. If a lid is not provided, then it will need to be welded by cutting out a part from a sheet of metal, after which flanges with bearings must be attached to the bottom and lid of the barrel.

A special hatch is cut into the side of the container through which all the components of the solution can be poured. This hole should be made closer to the end of the barrel, which will be located lower when working with the unit. The part cut from the barrel should be used as a manhole cover. To secure it, a hinge and some kind of locking device are used.

In order for the cement composition to mix better, interior walls containers, the blades must be welded at an angle of 30-40º. For correct calculation angle of inclination during the mixing process, it should be taken into account that concrete mortar should be “pushed” out. At the same time, the blades can be fixed not only on the walls, but also on the shaft of the unit.

If you can’t find the most suitable container, you can make it yourself. To do this, you need to prepare various tools:

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

Before you start cutting metal, you should prepare drawings indicating required sizes. The scheme for creating a concrete mixer body assumes the presence of all elements of the future design:

Central round section - 1 pc.
Bottom of the container - 1 pc.
Truncated cones - 2 pcs.

The last elements in the list are necessary for the construction of the lower and upper parts of the structure. Rollers are used to bend parts cut according to the markings into rings. When all the parts are carefully fitted, the seams can be firmly welded.

How to install the base of the unit

The base of a self-made concrete mixer is usually stable, otherwise the structure can turn over during operation. If you do not plan to load concrete into it in large quantities, then it would be better to make the frame from square-shaped timber with a cross-sectional size of 10x10 (15x15) cm. To ensure that the base of the device is not damaged by vibration, it is necessary to use in the following ways connections:

"Half a tree."
"Into the thorn."

After assembling the entire structure, you should check the strength of the joints that were glued, and also use screws for greater reliability. If the completed unit is planned to be used for a long time, you should choose a frame that must be welded from an iron angle no smaller than 45x45 mm in size. A channel is also suitable for this purpose.

If a household welding machine has not been purchased previously, the frame is strengthened with rivets or nuts and bolts. If necessary, the base is equipped with wheels. This will require an axle that does not have bearings. If possible, you can simply spin the concrete mixer. When assembling the base, you must definitely ensure that there are handles with which the unit can be easily moved from one place to another.

When assembling the frame, you should provide and prepare a special place where the engine will be located. You will need a counterweight that will prevent the unit from tipping over if the solution is unloaded from it. If you need to unload concrete with a shovel, then in this case a counterweight is not needed. Such points must be taken into account when creating a design drawing for a concrete mixer.

How to install a motor with your own hands

For high-quality operation of the concrete mixer, you will need to select a single-phase motor with a shaft rotation speed of less than 40 rpm. Craftsmen who create their own concrete mixers recommend using an electric motor from the washing machine which is already worn out. The motors of these devices can operate for a long time without overheating. The video will help you learn how to install an engine for a concrete mixer.

When deciding on the choice of engine, it should be taken into account that concrete mixer should rotate at a speed of 20-30 rpm. Various types of gearboxes are used for this purpose, but the most suitable devices are the pulley and the drive belt.

If the household does not have a washing machine that is out of order, you can install an engine from a moped running on gasoline. This motor does not require power supply; it is attached to the concrete mixer body using bolts. The basis for fastening should be a bracket or frame that is welded to the gearbox housing.

Put into action homemade concrete mixer follows through manual control. This mobile device can be easily carried. To ensure maximum stability of the unit, it must be dug into the ground at an angle of 30º.

Reading time: 13 minutes. Published 12/04/2018

Lay paths on the site, make a screed or foundation for a house, garage or gazebo. Decorate the walls with tiles or arrange a sauna and swimming pool. For these and many other species repair and finishing works at the dacha or in the cottage you need a concrete mixer that will mix the mortar.

By design, a concrete mixer is a drum-like container rotating on a metal truss, which is driven by a drive mechanism. Therefore, for an average amount of work, craftsmen suggest saving money on purchasing a unit and making it yourself.

Which type should I choose?

Main elements of a concrete mixer

When a summer resident or homeowner planning a renovation decides to make a homemade concrete mixer, first of all, he needs to understand that there are different designs of units that differ in operating principles and characteristics.

To decide what type of concrete mixer he wants to make, and what he will need to do in its manufacture, it is recommended to first pay attention to the main components of the product.

The concrete mixer has four of them:

bed– a metal, wooden or composite truss onto which the remaining parts of the unit are attached. It can be made mobile by attaching 2 or 4 wheels to the legs to ensure greater mobility;
pear or mixer– a drum-like container in which the components of the solution are with water, under the influence of the force of axial rotation;
unloading device– various mechanisms for unloading the finished solution: a folding flap, a hermetically sealed lock on the bulb; an inclined lever or screw that tips or overturns the container;
propulsion device (mechanical or power) and drive mechanism, which rotates the drum itself or (in some designs) the blades located inside the drum, with the help of which the solution is mixed to the desired consistency.

Reference. The drum and blade of the unit are made from different materials– metal, plastics or composites, differing in thickness and, accordingly, strength and weight. IN homemade structures concrete mixers, the function of a drum can be performed by barrels various types and dimensions, old milk cans or a piece of pipe welded on one or both sides large diameter. If the master has a welding machine at his disposal, both the pear and blades can be made himself from metal fittings and metal sheets.

Mechanical or electrical

Manual

Based on the type of propulsion system that causes the pear to rotate around its axis, all concrete mixers are divided into two classes - mechanical and electrical:

Mechanical. In its most primitive form, such a concrete mixer is a barrel mounted on a horizontal axis between two supports. Having attached a handle to the side, the barrel is rotated along its axis. In factory samples of manual concrete mixers, gear mechanisms with a molding gear and a ring ring are often used. The axis of rotation is removed from the inside of the drum, fixed to the frame and rotates freely. The gear is mounted on an axis and, when its teeth come into contact with the ring, it sets the “pear” in motion. Since when making a concrete mixer yourself, it can be problematic to select the necessary gear elements, craftsmen have come up with some “tricks” that allow you to replace these parts in the design of a homemade concrete mixer with simpler, but no less effective ones.
Electrical. An electric motor installed on a home-made concrete mixer greatly facilitates its operation for the master. Thanks to it, you won’t need to use any muscle force to mix the solutions, and when the concrete mixer is turned on, the pear will rotate smoothly and without jerking, which will allow you to achieve more uniform mixing, and therefore a better quality mixture. For a “household” concrete mixer, it is recommended to choose a motor with a power of 500-700 W - this will be enough for a 150-liter drum to rotate at a speed of 28 rpm. The mixture will not splash over the walls, but it will not harden and will retain its viscosity.

Important. With all its “advantages”, the electric motor still has two disadvantages. The first of these is access to energy. Unlike its mechanical counterpart, an electric motor will not work without fuel or an electrical network. The second is an increase in the weight of the structure due to the weight of the engine. In principle, the engine can not be screwed onto the frame of the concrete mixer, and it can be made portable. This will, however, still mean that it will need to be moved from place to place and installed next to the unit.

Forced, gravitational or vibration

There are designs of concrete mixers in which the engine drives the drum itself, but with the help additional elements you can do more complex system, in which the drum will be stationary, and the blades, ridges or paddles located inside it will rotate. According to this indicator construction mixers divided into forced, gravitational and vibration types:

Forced action concrete mixer. Such concrete mixers are distinguished by a large pear, which is fixed on the farm without the possibility of rotation along the axis. Motor power is supplied through a drive to paddles or paddles rotating inside the drum, which mix the solution. Rotation of the blades requires high power engine (from 900 W) or serious physical strength if the drive is manual.
Gravitational. For these concrete mixers, the drive mechanism is installed on a container, which is rotated by a running engine or the muscular power of the master. The solution is mixed on the lower half of the drum. The master can also make and weld fixed blades of various configurations inside the container. Gravity concrete mixers are versatile - they are suitable for producing mortars of different consistencies, and the volume of the pear is calculated in such a way that the finished concrete or mortar is enough for the planned construction, installation or decoration in own home or at the dacha.
Vibrating. In a vibrating type concrete mixer, the mixing of components (even with a high density of invasive particles) occurs not through rotation, but due to vibrating constant frequency rod or other metal structure that is installed inside the container. The drum itself is tightly fixed to the frame trusses. To operate the installation, a powerful electric motor is used (for a pear of 20 liters, a vibration power unit of 1300 W is used), and a pulsating effect is created by a perforation drive. This mixing method ensures high quality and viscosity of the finished solution, but due to the specific components and high energy consumption, the manufacture and operation of such a concrete mixer will cost a pretty penny.

Types of concrete mixers in the photo

Most often, in a home workshop, they prefer to make manual or mechanical gravity-type concrete mixers. They do not require particularly expensive components and are available in a variety of configurations. So, for example, for installation - so making such a concrete mixer in a home workshop

What volume should I choose?

To carry out various construction and finishing works, it is recommended to choose concrete mixers with pears of different volumes:

From 20 to 100 liters– this volume of pear will be sufficient to build a small structure or extension: veranda, garage mezzanine, gazebo. It is also enough to produce Finishing work Location on;
From 100 to 160 liters– used for the construction, repair or finishing of one-story buildings: houses, bathhouse extensions, isolated garages;
From 170 to 300 liters– semi-professional models that allow small construction teams to work in 2-3 shifts and mix concrete and mortars for capital construction buildings up to 3 floors in height.

Reference Working part containers are about 70% of its internal surface. That is, it is recommended to fill it with water and dry mixture using the following proportion: 2/3 of the solution volume from the total volume of the drum capacity.

How to make a concrete mixer yourself at home

When the decision to build, decorate or renovate your own home or dacha has been made, and from the estimated amount of work it is obvious that purchasing a factory-made concrete mixer is not practical, craftsmen recommend making it yourself at the work site. To do this, you can use the design of several popular “homemade products”.

Handmade from a barrel

Scheme hand-held device

This is a forced-action concrete mixer of a simple design, the parts of which can be found directly on the site and in your own workshop.

The master will need:

Barrel - its capacity depends on the type of work, but as indicated above for private construction, 100-200 liters is enough;
Metal pipes or profiles (up to 50 cm long) for the frame - it is best to weld them in the form of triangles, since this figure is geometrically considered the most stable;
Rod or pipe for the axis of rotation;
3-4 (depending on the length of the barrel) square “blades” cut out of metal;
Lever handle or steering wheel.
A pair of hinges and a lock to make a hatch;
Tools for work - drill, grinder and welding.

By the way, home craftsmen are most often interested in how to make a homemade concrete mixer from a 200-liter plastic or metal barrel. It is most suitable for convenient use.

First of all, the container is measured and centered to avoid vibrations, after which it is fixed to the frame pipes by welding and one of the side bases is cut out or sawed out. Instead of a barrel in the construction of such a concrete mixer, an ordinary deep bucket is used.

Then a “mixer” is made - square blades are welded onto the rod-axis, one up and down from the axis, and it is with them that the solution is mixed during rotation.

Next, using a drill or welding, two holes are made in the base of the container. The cut out “bottom” is placed on the finished “mixer”, and the entire structure is inserted into the barrel, after which the bottom is firmly welded to the container again. Now the axis with the blades rotates freely inside the structure, and it itself stands tightly and motionlessly on the frame trusses.

After this, a rectangle is cut out from the side of the container. This is the hatch hole and the flap of the future unit. The components of the solution will be poured into it. It is important that the dimensions of the hatch are proportional to the dimensions of the container. If the hatch is short, load components in and out of it ready mixture it will be inconvenient. If it is too long, it will reduce the reliability of the unit.

The cut out rectangle is welded onto hinges, which are secured to the hatch. This is how the damper appears. After the latch is attached to it, the lid can be opened and closed during operation.

The last step is to attach a lever handle or steering wheel to the rotation axis and a homemade concrete mixer with a forced operating principle will be ready.

Reference. On a similar design it can also be installed instead manual drive electric motor. Then during operation the rotation will be more uniform and will not require physical effort.

From the washing machine

Engine design on a homemade concrete mixer

It is quite possible to assemble a concrete mixer from an old washing machine; the engine and belt drive installed in it can become the capacity of a “home” concrete mixer with a gear drive.

To construct such a model, in addition to the engine (power about 180 W) taken from a used “washing machine”, the master will need:

Capacity – metal drum, bucket or barrel with a height of up to 750 mm and a base of up to 560 mm;
Pulleys taken from the same washing machine;
Drive mechanism - a wheel, a belt ring and two gears (large and small diameter - 30 cm and 6 cm);
Metal fittings (pipes or pipe profiles);
Wheels of a country cart or wheelbarrow;
Welding machine and tools.

A chair-shaped base with handles welded to the “back” supports is made from reinforcement using welding. It is advisable to strengthen all corner parts by welding metal triangular plates onto them. In the center of the “back”, another metal structure is welded between two supports - a frame with a pin on which the pulley and container will be attached. The crossbar is strengthened as tightly as possible - it will bear the maximum load during operation.

Under or above the crossbar (depending on the radius of the belt drive), stops for the gear, a seating cell for the motor and another pin for the drive wheel are welded. The frame is cleaned of rust and coated with primer.

Two more triangular trusses are made from the remnants of the reinforcement. A wheel from a wheelbarrow is installed on the side of each of them. The resulting unit structures are also welded to the frame - with the help of wheels, it will be more convenient to transport the concrete mixer from place to place, and the trusses will provide a strong support during operation of the unit.

When all the pulleys and stops are ready, the drive mechanism is assembled. To do this, a gear is mounted on the drive pulley. After this, a second pulley is installed at the stop, located on the crossbar above the large gear - on one side the small gear is mounted on it, and on the other - the drive wheel.

Then the engine is mounted on the lower part of the frame in such a way that its wheel and the drive wheel are parallel - a belt ring is pulled between them.

The last operation is securing the container. To do this, a hole is made in the bottom, which is fixed on the drive pulley. Then the bottom is welded and cleaned so that there are no holes.

The rotation of the container is provided by a motor and will occur along the axis of the pulley, at an angle to the vertical due to the tilt of the bed. The mixture is poured into the drum through the top, and the finished solution will also be drained.

Reference. For ease of operation of the unit, experts recommend adding a starting mechanism to the engine - it can be taken from the same machine, made from an automobile or industrial starter.

Manual from a can

Manual from a can: drawing

Another option is to make a homemade concrete mixer from an old milk can or flask.

Its convenience lies in design feature a factory-made lid that ensures a hermetically sealed closure.

To ensure rotation, as in the first design, the can is marked and centered.

After this, an axial pipe or rod is threaded through its center, which is rigidly fixed to the stacks from the outside using welding.

The design of the frame with rings for the axial pipe also does not differ from the first option - the axis with a flask in the center is fixed in rings on the triangular supports of the frame. A wheel or lever is attached to the end of the axle, with which it is rotated, mixing the solution inside. The dissecting element inside the container is the axis itself.

In addition to those listed above, there are many other design options for “homemade” concrete mixers proposed folk craftsmen. They differ in design details, container volumes, shapes of rotational blades, angle of inclination of the pear, etc.

Having studied different models, advanced masters often take from different designs individual elements and collect at their dacha or garden plot a hybrid, based primarily on the parts available at hand.

So, instead of a drum or barrel, you can use a piece of an old heat-conducting pipe, sealed at both ends. The pear barrel of a forced-type mixer can be cut in half so that the axis of rotation rests directly on the hinges in the end walls. Finally, with the help of a welding machine and a bit of patience, the master can make all the parts of the drum and blades, as well as the components and trusses of the frame himself, and then install old engine and a drive mechanism (as in the version with a washing machine). Such an installation is almost in no way inferior to industrial designs that can be found in the store.

Thus, if you approach the manufacture of a concrete mixer responsibly and listen to the advice of experienced craftsmen, a universal unit will appear on the site, which will greatly facilitate repair and construction work.

When constructing a concrete mixer yourself, you will not need to spend a lot of money, but during the operation of the installation during construction, the efforts spent will pay off handsomely - after all, even the simplest mixer will prepare a solution of better quality and faster than if a builder mixes it in a basin or bucket with a shovel.