I bought a 'self-leveling' mortar mixer for a patio job and it was a total joke

Saw this thing online for $250, said it would keep the mix perfect with no effort. Set it up on a small patio job last week, maybe 200 square feet. The motor gave out after the third bag, just made a sad whirring noise and died. Had to run to the rental place anyway and lost half a day's work plus the mixer cost. Anyone know a mixer that can actually handle a full day's mixing without breaking?

3 comments

3 Comments

chen.adam1mo ago

My uncle had the same thing happen with a cheap mixer last year. Lost a whole afternoon on a driveway pour. Those rental yard barrel mixers are ugly but they just run forever.

bennett.nora1mo ago

I used a Harbor Freight mixer for a small patio job three summers ago and it's still going strong. I get what @dakota_patel98 is saying about rental gear, but sometimes the new budget stuff can surprise you. It just comes down to checking the motor rating and not overloading it.

dakota_patel981mo ago

That sounds like a total nightmare, man. Those cheap online tools are always a gamble. My buddy swears by the old school barrel mixers from the rental place, they just don't die.