Cement Mixer - what kind/make?

[Tozzy]

£150 for this little thing?! I guess you're paying for the make as it's 'Belle'.

This Clarke CCM125C is only £25 more and is a beast. Ok, I know I said mine was faulty, but I'm hoping to get a replacement.

Here's the thread regarding the matter:

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=76289

I think the Belle design is much more attractive as opposed to clarke, but Clarke is the cheapest and I'm sure it's very good if the drum isn't faulty .

The cheap side mixers with the tilt wheel do not last, even with very light use they really struggle to cope from day one, mix one.

Why would it not last?

 

[Thermo]

if it sounds anything like yours no chance!

 

[Tozzy]

if it sounds anything like yours no chance!

LOL! Well, I wouldn't blame anyone for not buying the Clarke model with that racket lol. Anyway, if you keep track of the other thread, I will let you know how the instore model sounds by the weekend .

 

[linlin]

Thanks again Woody. I'm now looking at the Screwfix catalogue and the two possibles are the Mastermix 130 and the Minimix 150. My preference is the Mastermix as it weighs less and appeals to my Very Independant nature!
Am also watching three on ebay which could be collected on the next business trip to the north island! Just hoping you northeners up there aren't snowed in!

 

[marksson]

I am not what I would consider a fan of Belle mixers anymore.
In the last 2 years I have had no end of problems with them.
They have obviously changed their supplier for switches, motor & gearbox.
You will now be looking at about a years use out of the standard 'builders mixer' and even then they cut out daily, (they now have a little label telling you what to do if it fails to run (stop working?)).
This never used to happen, you arrived at work turned it on and that was it.
Not happy, but what is the alternative?

 

[^neo^]

Belle changed the motors and electrical side of things a couple of years back. The older spares are still available so probably worth buying a 2nd hand 3 or 4 year old one next time and refurbing it as required

 

[marksson]

neo
I must admit that has crossed my mind, only set back would be that I need 3 mixers (small sites i.e. 150) at any one time.
Having said that I doubt that I would get as many calls from the lads saying that the mixer has packed up?
Seems a bit bizarre on Belle's part to go down this route, I would agree that they were probably over engineered up to maybe 4 years ago, but now they are at serious risk of becoming just another manufacturer rather than 'the' manufacturer.

 

[^neo^]

What model mixers do you use? I'll log into the dealer site and find out when they changed them over for ya

 

[marksson]

sounds good, all are belle 150 110v.
Just replaced (this weekend) a motor (£100+) on one 18 months old and a switch (£12, but cost a lot in down time) on another 14 months old.

 

[^neo^]

the minimix 150 changed in april 2002, anything before that is the old motor.
Gearboxes changed in oct 2004.
18 months from a motor ain't bad if you use it daily

 

[marksson]

Thanks neo, I'll have a look to see what is availble.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

As an advanced DIYer I bought a side loading drum mixer from B&Q in about 1982, by about 1990, the drum was perfect but the big bearing for the drum was shot. Basicaly when you tip the drum up for storage, rainwater just runs into the back bearing, which then rots it. When this became apparent I then fixed a ali shield (could be a plastic bag over the back of the rum so the rainwater does not run into the bearing (stable door and horses?)
When I bought a cottage for refurbing (300 miles from home) I bought a Baby Bell 130. which I have used to lay about 20 cu m concrete and several tons of rendering/ pointing etc. I hate the b**dy thing but it keeps on working! My criticism of it are no way of altering the angle of the drum to optimise mortar mixing. When the drum is full of concrete and is on its stand (essential for wheelbarrow use) the machine rotates about so it has to be tied to keep it at the correct position for shovelling in ballast. Also as it has a non reversible gearbox( worm drive?), you have to fiddle about a bit to stop the drum in the right place to get the mix out without having to fiddle about around the "mixer" bars.
My originla mixer is still going, even if it rattles like a good'un, variable angle of drum and the drum can be contrarotated by hand to get the concrete in the right place in it. Another good feature is that because it has a proper frame to it , I built a chute, so I can fill a buckey from it by tipping with out dropping any mix on the floor, simply not possible with the Belle.
Frank