Harbor Freight Cement Mixer 3.5 Cubic Ft Test

[@spmince]

I recently purchased one of these and everything in this video is spot on. The only two things I would add are. 1. Mixing 3.5cf in it is a stretch. It will do it but it gets pretty tippy. 2 the handle for moving it leaves a lot to be desired. Way to short and under the motor shroud. I find myself lifting on the shroud to move it. Other than that it works great and definitely worth the price.

[@garykomp4035]

u are supposed to assemble it with the motor over the wheels.....

[@kbanghart]

@@garykomp4035 no I agree with the comment, it wasn't fun to move.

[@t.tocsmaillup8685]

NICE WORK... and you even threw in a little humor which is supposed to be beneficial for remembering things that you teach

[@gglee9676]

just bought one of these mixers and it performed great, i mixed 2 60lb bags at a time with no problems I poured a 10ft x 3ft slab extension and was very pleased. assembly was the hardest thing because bolts were all in one bag and had to assume or guess which one to use where.

[@RayRosher]

have you used the mixer much since your last post, trying to get an Idea on if it would be any good to mix enough cement to lay a 10 feet x 10 feet 6 inch floor for a patio I want to put down, or the 5cf ryobi and the 3 year guarantee would be a better option the Ryobis $180 more

[@gglee9676]

@@RayRosher yes I poured a 4x18 section with no problem, but I would advise don't over load it, the motor my not be able to handle the strain.

[@RayRosher]

@@gglee9676 did it take you long enough to make and pour the concrete thanks

[@gglee9676]

@@RayRosher yes, it went good and it's still working good but I thought the motor was acting up under load, it's still a good purchase in my opinion

[@mick0438]

thank you sooooo much, I'm 5 minutes from heading outside and using the same mixer for the first time. I'm setting 6 new footings for my old sagging addition. lucky for me they don't need to be pretty. Yay, fun

[@basedbear1605]

One of the best home improvement tool investments I've made. Used it for footings and a retaining wall... next up 3 pads for the gravel drive and parking area I have. Love it!

[@kbanghart]

How did it go?

[@coolestguyontheplanet723]

I bought one , Love it . Would recomend it. Directions for assembly suck ! It is very vague on whar bolts go where. I striped out 3 bolts . They where only made to get tightened 1 time. I had to change them around because i had to guess where they went the first attempt. Still beats mixing by hand .

[@albertreyes3812]

Yes by far my arms get really tired from mixing by hand in the wheel barrow

[@coolestguyontheplanet723]

@@albertreyes3812 i found two 60lb bags mixes well with out spilling out of at the correct angle & correct amount off water. To o much water it spills out the top

[@jeremynelson8496]

If you watch the assembly vids, they all do it differently as well. lol If you are OCD about doing things 100 percent the right way, the assembly will be a life lesson. Mine had missing hardware on top of vague instructions. Still it's totally doable.

[@donkiko6708]

It sucks i mix a full wheel barrow faster with my hands then this mixer

[@SmokinKlocks]

@@donkiko6708 ok come lay my new driveway all by hand

[@lofinnell]

How many minutes it took for 2-80 lbs bags to fully mixed?

[@bradfordpalmer2298]

I added HF pneumatic tires. Also a 1" EMT conduit at the end to help move it in addition to the handles.

[@eiknarfzepol]

I want to create some small pavers 3 by 3 feet is this enough for concrete

[@LordoftheCats]

I added flat-free tires and a metal caster on the nose to roll this around on. It was awkward as hell from the factory. I like the conduit idea and thought about doing that, but with the three-wheel configuration, it's pretty easy to move around now. One feature I don't like at all is where the on/off switch is located. I like working from the end where the barrel-tilt lever is located and that means having to move around the machine to toggle the machine on or off. After a few dozen bags, that's a real hassle. I'm going to put a switch on the end of a tether to fix that issue. I also do not recommend using this by yourself for any sizeable project. It's just too much for one person when you are mixing, pouring, and finishing the concrete. I built and chute out of a 55-gallon plastic drum to use in situations where using a wheelbarrow isn't possible. Works pretty good!

[@marvynwilliams3109]

Great piece ,Q- can a gas motor be adapted to this unit ?

[@patpatpat999]

I found that 3 60# bags is max limit, but Recco 2 bags only. 2 80# bags works fine. the paddles on mine were different and would bend.

[@caseyj.1332]

This machine is adequate for occasional use. Works OK. The impressive part about it how they got it into such a small box.

[@stickyfox]

They got mine to fit in the box by driving a truck over it, I think.

[@miataman1985]

Excellent demonstration

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

Cool video, just found one of these for 125 bucks, used once, looks brand new. 👍👍

[@kbanghart]

Hey maybe you got mine, I used mine once and sold it to somebody for a hundred bucks :)

[@treystewart544]

That concrete mixer reminds me of dizzy from bob the builder sounds awesome mixing concrete and ready for some more concrete great day for concrete 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@MrBobVick]

Think mine is 15 years old, mix off the back of the pickup & built a slide lined with flashing so can mix fast .

[@gerardjones7881]

great idea.

[@ArabXian]

Excellent little video!

[@juny2816]

Bought one a couple of years ago. It would not mix one 80lb bag. The concrete stuck mostly to the bottom of the drum, I don't know how you guys got this to work. I had to manually assist the motor or it would not spin. I returned it and received a refund. I'm happy to hear others find it useful but in my opinion junk that is cheap is still junk.

[@patpatpat999]

Put most of the water in first. Works fine.

[@ronweaver9296]

Add water 1st

[@RigoLee-g8c]

Mi maquinita de hacer dinero la compré en el 2013 es decir tiene más de 10🇺🇸 años y luce como nueva no le he cambiado el motor eléctrico

[@JerryC-ue8nk]

Sounds like user error.

[@juny2816]

@@JerryC-ue8nk Very possible. But i tried multiple sacks, water first, half and half, was less work to mix in a wheelbarrow.

[@nsxproperties560]

What model is your wheel barrel? I want one that fits under the mixer.

[@albertthedogeinstein7983]

Woukd this work for making a ball mix to break up plastic parts?

[@ws90ninety]

You're a great teacher.

[@StatUpBox]

Thanks

[@rl945]

Great review, informative and lively.

[@StatUpBox]

Thank you kindly!

[@emelen51]

Is the box big? Where it comes in any idea?

[@missffinley]

Such a clear concise video. Thank you! 😊

[@StatUpBox]

Glad it was helpful!

[@andi.prasetiyo.wibowo]

Hi... my name is Andi. I am a student at Coventry University, UK. Can I have your permission to use this video to support my presentation? This is for academic purposes. Thank you.

[@SmokinKlocks]

No

[@gerardjones7881]

send the fee to my account.

[@R7Romeo]

Hey who does your repairs? Mine only holding half.

[@michaelkirk2]

Would you attempt a 11’x9’ slab with this machine

[@cheezeballcity]

Great video!

[@jfarinacci0329]

really good video. thank you.

[@joelrodriguez3568]

I'm getting one great job on video

[@StatUpBox]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@afishl1]

Even though it says 3.5 cuft, what is the realistic max amount?

[@mysterion4301]

I do 60# bags of Spec mix or 60# bags of Sackrete posthole mix or concrete mix with mine and have used it a lot over the 3 years since I bought it used for $80. I deliberately baby it because when I tried 2 #60 sacks it bogged down bad and I didn't want to burn up the motor. These babies are made in China and I've had friends who overloaded theirs and hurt them. I'm a contractor, but I'm not one who gets in a big hurry at my age. The electrical components on mine do not appear to be of as good a quality as the one in this video. If you really need more concrete and you need it faster, call out a redi-mix truck and they'll give you what you want at about $200 a yard here. These are great for small jobs, people working alone, mixing small batches of mortar for blocks or bricks, and mixing fill for your wall cavities in CMUs. Good luck...

[@TechnMoto]

Great video looking at getting one of these

[@kbanghart]

If you haven't yet, I just did and used it, I can answer any questions you might have.

[@TechnMoto]

Plen122 thanks pretty easy to use

[@tom7715]

I just bought one. $249 now. Not on sale

[@bze06fishinbwai63]

i just bought that mixer, no concrete on and it don't spin fast, what can be the problem???

[@gary24752]

You do not want it to spin fast. The aggregates would not mix right.

[@christopherpike9907]

Great video

[@nsxproperties560]

I have a problem with concrete always sticking to the the sides. There is a lot of rust, I'm thinking that the rust is causing it to stick. Does concrete tick to your drum on your concrete mixer?

[@kbanghart]

Yes concrete will stick to anything. You have to use your hose and wash everything off after you use it.

[@Backswell]

Try spraying it with oil

[@davejohnson3037]

Thank you for the video. Very enlightening!

[@concepciondeorienteeljorna67]

Compita how long takes to mix 2 bags lets say slum 5

[@catfishpkt]

lol The one holding the shovel the most is captain

[@DJDisalwaysright]

Awesome job

[@StatUpBox]

Thanks!

[@pterafirma]

Great video, great tips. You're mixing only 1.2cf in this example. Have you mixed closer to the 3.5cf capacity, and if so, how did it perform?

[@patandsandytrierweiler2440]

I appreciate the tips....but,..how many HP is the motor? Looks sorta flimsy,...any bent legs? Sorta bothers me that the new motor had issues on the first mix. Will you do a "1 year later" review?

[@kbanghart]

@@patandsandytrierweiler2440 I just bought the big version, with the most capacity, and did 130 bags of 60 pounds. It did fine, once I had the mixer fully assembled. Lol what I mean is, the instructions were awful and a part was missing but once I fixed that, it did pretty good. It mixed two bags just fine together, I didn't try to mix any more than that. I think it might be a 1/4 hp motor. Some people upgrade to 1/3, anything above that might be overkill, not sure? But mine did just fine. Oh, and the legs were no problem.

[@vincentramirez4321]

What was the average mix time for 2 bags at a time?

[@jasonmartinez519]

Awesome video thank you 👍👍

[@davidleatherneck]

If you flip those 2 paddles end for end, the middle will mix better. Won't stick to the back of the Drum.

[@DAS-Videos]

Wouldn't it be easier to mix the cement in the wheelbarrow with a shovel?

[@StatUpBox]

you can it would also save gym membership 😂🤣

[@DAS-Videos]

@@StatUpBox haha

[@4dchessplayer516]

how do you clean it......can't get it clean at all,

[@kbanghart]

Spray with a jet setting on your hose. If it doesn't come off, rub it with your hand or a tough sponge or something. If it still doesn't come off, you waited too long.

[@gary24752]

@@kbanghart Always rinse the mixer after dumping. It doesn't take long for the mix to set up where you have to scrub to get the cement paste off.

[@kbanghart]

@@gary24752 exactly... Not sure if you meant to direct this to me.

[@gary24752]

@@kbanghart no to 4d chess player. I loaned my clean mixer and got it back encrusted with concrete. Last time I loaned anything to anyone.

[@kbanghart]

@@gary24752 oh that sucks.

[@jesseparris6507]

People have reported these 1/3 HP motors burning out and winding up replacing them with 1/2 HP or better.

[@elcheche6561]

I just put a predator 212cc 6.5 hp gas engine this thing is a beast

[@smitty_1]

@@elcheche6561 pics for proof?

[@elcheche6561]

@@smitty_1 sure just how do I upload a picture bro I'm new to this

[@elcheche6561]

@@smitty_1 in simple words I just bought the engine then I bought the pullys and a belt.the pully I bought for the engine was a 2 inch diameter with a 3/4 arbor and the pulley on the mixer was a 4 inch pulley with a 5/8 arbor I can remember the belt size but they are all airconditioning parts works great

[@Mr_goodguyPhillipIengo]

I want to see it too

[@Rbussiere50]

Your mixing blades are in backwards.

[@desertrider325]

How do you clean it out after your done for the day?

[@StatUpBox]

We hose it down on the jet option on the water hose nozzle. If we notice it needs help, we might use a green scrub sponge. Then after clean, we place it in the sun to dry before placing it in storage until the next use.

[@davidleatherneck]

@@StatUpBox Well, yes, and then turn the Drum so it faces down.

[@GeoEng1986]

The more water you add the weaker the concrete will be. It may be easier to pour with more water but will not be as strong. Also after the concrete has set up (several hours) keep the surface damp/wet while it cures. Ideally covered with plastic and wet for 7 days.

[@tmichael1262]

so a full size wheel barrow will not fit under this?

[@marlboromatt5656]

That’s what I was thinking . I don’t have one of those little flat wheel barrows that everyone used with this mixer

[@kbanghart]

@@marlboromatt5656 no, I have a regular wheelbarrow and it does not fit. So what I did is, the person I had with the wheelbarrow simply lowered the nose a bit to get more in there. Or I also propped the wheels up on a spare wooden pallet I had.

[@phillipwheeler809]

Just raise mixer up with some cinder bocks or bricks. Ideally, place mixer inside foundation and pour in place,once emptied move and start next batch.

[@TOMTOM-nh3nl]

Thank You

[@markd5067]

Thank You!

[@ironmatic1]

I am captain now.

[@StatUpBox]

At your service!!

[@scottkane3776]

Got one didn't set it up yet

[@StatUpBox]

just used it again today. 16 bags of 80lb maybe 15 more to go . wood fence post . still going strong. this particular time we only used 1 bag at a time. ( was just the amount the post required) but at one point we used 2 bags no issues.

[@jetg2059]

Even if it gets thought one home job it's worth it

[@rvrandy1710]

thanks

[@wrengaming1519]

Can you rent these?

[@caroad2008]

$50 a day.

[@jerryf703]

So i noticed you put in two bag total using only 3.7 of water. But is it not 3.7 per bag?

[@StatUpBox]

On the bucket there is 7.4 . Its 3.7 per bag is what we meant. 👍

[@mikesanders902]

Heall yeah bro

[@benjiechan1]

Is it still working ?

[@Vertigoneardeath]

I would like to get me one of these but used. I don't feel like forking over $200. I am a penny pincher.

[@Ninja-qp3ok]

It’s Dizzy from bob the builder

[@MrOliverAC]

The lower the water....the stronger the concrete...so i would go with the 3.5 lts and not with the 3.7. Of course, the lower the water, the harder to work the concrete, but that is the price to pay for good quality concrete :D

[@kbanghart]

If it's hot outside you'll want to get on it fast I'm sure. But of course don't want to make it too thick.

[@1999C2996]

Mine won't turn under the load of even ONE 80lb bag.

[@StatUpBox]

Have you checked belt tension. Have you check if the teeth are making contact with barrel. When we did the heavy load test to see what the max comfortable bag level was . We noticed that by giving it a push(rotating Barrell) and adding grease to the teeth (that makes contact with the Barrell), it can push 1 extra bag of concrete than the recommended. Eventhough it wont be best. After that push and grease the next test it did it with out the push or grease. That can be something you can try. Good luck. Keep us updated.👍

[@brutusjb3814]

Now it's 270 dollars

[@bobgrim6735]

Mine broke down on 1st day

[@marcohernandez701]

🤣👍🏻 im buying one

[@steelemixer3278]

you should check out steelemixer.com its the fastest and easiest way to mix concrete!

[@carlosmorgan8123]

How talking about HF MIXER and link Amazon why why just wanna be sponsored Iam sad everyone liar in all internet

[@johnhitchcock5404]

$350. Now

[@roberttucker4916]

Money kill me money!

[@uawsux]

be very very careful with this cement mixer when you open the box reach for the panel that holds the motor assembly on one side you will see a switch flip the switch see if it click click click take the switch assembly and the motor plug it in turn the motor on and off harbor freight has a terrible problem with the switches on this cement mixer harbor freight has a terrible problem with motors burning up do not assemble this you will be sorry

[@kbanghart]

Well, mine works fine.

[@gordbaker896]

Crap music but good content.

[@juanlanda2441]

Clean it buey . 😂

[@donkiko6708]

It sucks!!! Don’t buy guys it sucks!!!

[@NevilleFuckenBartos]

Theyre fucking great. Must be the operator.

[@brianluck84]

​@@NevilleFuckenBartosdefinitely operator error

[@forestnymphsbathbody9367]

Could this be used to mix salt or sugar instead of cement ?

[@donkiko6708]

I don’t know but it sucks i returned mine

[@caseyj.1332]

Mix anything when it's new and clean, but probably won't pass for food prep.

[@joedonzi9552]

"MAKE IT IN AMERICA"

[@kbbb4227]

Thank You.