Photograph: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Whether or not it’s changing a mailbox publish, repairing the sidewalk, or constructing a brand new shed, the time ultimately comes when most DIYers must work with concrete. For small initiatives, a wheelbarrow works simply fantastic to combine up a couple of luggage. For giant jobs, it’s greatest to order a supply of moist combine by the cubic yard. However the cement required for midsize initiatives is an excessive amount of for a wheelbarrow and never sufficient for supply. That’s when a conveyable concrete mixer just like the Kushlan 600DD turns out to be useful.
I just lately used the Kushlan 600DD electrical concrete mixer to combine and pour a 4-foot-by-8-foot concrete slab flooring for a small backyard shed. With its massive mixing capability and heavy-duty motor, it labored so properly that I’m already planning my subsequent concrete undertaking. Learn on for the entire operational particulars and why I believe it’s among the best mixers for many midsize concrete jobs. I additionally present a simple resolution on the best way to repair its fundamental flaw.
Kushlan 600DD Concrete Mixer: At a Look
Photograph: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Score: 9.1/10
SPECS
- Drum: 5/16-inch polyethylene, 6 cubic toes
- Drive: 28 revolutions per minute (rpm) direct drive
- Motor: ¾ horsepower (hp) 120-volt electrical motor
- Body: Chilly-rolled galvanized metal tubing
- Wheels: Flat-free polyurethane tires, ball-bearing race
- Dimensions from the producer: 50 inches lengthy by 24 inches huge by 46 inches excessive
- Dimensions measured by reviewer: 54 inches lengthy by 28 inches huge 48 inches excessive
- Weight: 107 kilos
PROS
- Mixes as much as six 60-pound luggage of premixed concrete at a time
- 3 metal blades are configured for mixing both concrete or mortar
- Thick-walled polyurethane drum resists dents and corrosion and is straightforward to scrub
- Flat-free tires roll simply throughout pavement or unpaved floor
- Rounded body constantly helps the load whereas pouring concrete
- Detachable handles use much less house in transport or storage
CONS
- Operator should use warning to keep away from stepping on the ability twine whereas pouring concrete
- Extensive construct isn’t appropriate for working in slender areas
Get the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer at:
What’s the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer?
The Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer is a heavy-duty machine able to mixing a number of luggage of concrete combine in a single batch. A ¾ hp 120-volt direct drive electrical motor turns the 6-cubic-foot polyethylene mixing drum at a gradual price of 28 rpm. The motor and drum are mounted on a wheelbarrow-style body manufactured from galvanized tubular metal with two flat-free wheels.
The mixer required some meeting upon arrival. Following the instructions within the field, I put it collectively in lower than 20 minutes. Absolutely assembled, it was a bit cumbersome, primarily due to the huge drum and lengthy handles. That bulk is without doubt one of the causes this may not be the best choice for each consumer. It turns into a legal responsibility in slender workspaces and journey corridors, plus it eats up fairly a little bit of cupboard space.
What number of luggage of concrete can the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer combine per batch?
The 6-cubic-foot drum and ¾ hp motor accommodate a bit of greater than 300 kilos of concrete combine. The machine comes with a recipe printed over the motor housing that recommends mixing 4 80-pound luggage (320 kilos) of concrete combine with about 5 gallons (roughly 40 kilos) of water. That will make 2.4 cubic toes of cured concrete per batch. I tailored the recipe to work with batches of 5 60-pound luggage of concrete combine and 4.5 gallons of water. This altered recipe made 2.25 cubic toes of concrete per batch.
Photograph: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Is the Kushlan concrete mixer simple to make use of?
In most methods, the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer was very simple to work with. The drum opening was pretty huge (17 inches in diameter) and at a snug top (30 inches from the bottom) that allowed me to load heavy luggage of dry combine with out bending or stooping. The ability twine pigtail, on/off change, and built-in circuit breaker had been simply accessible on the base of the drum and in between the wheelbarrow handles.
A number of key particulars made the dual-wheel wheelbarrow design particularly purposeful. The 2 13-inch flat-free tires rolled simply over uneven floor, even with a heavy load. The axle was properly balanced over a fulcrum level in order that it remained steady throughout loading and mixing. When the mixer was loaded with greater than 300 kilos of moist concrete, I used to be in a position to push it up a slight incline to the sting of the slab types.
To unload the combination, I leveraged the curved a part of the body in entrance of the wheels. It allowed me to easily tip the entire thing ahead, transitioning the load from the wheels to the body in a single easy movement with full help. I repeated the method 5 instances to finish the slab.
The principle flaw was found after I moved the mixer to dump the load. I by chance stepped on the ability twine and briefly unplugged it, which could possibly be problematic because it’s necessary to maintain the drum in movement when there’s moist concrete inside. The fixed movement prevents issues with the combination and with the machine. After that incident, I zip-tied the extension twine to the deal with to maintain it out of the best way. That was a simple resolution.
Is the Kushlan concrete mixer good high quality?
Bodily, every thing in regards to the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer represents good high quality. The heavy-gauge polyethylene drum has unimaginable wall power, won’t ever rust, and eliminates a lot of the noise from tumbling concrete combine. The rugged galvanized metal body is constructed to resist heavy hundreds whereas rolling throughout uneven floor. Considerate particulars are included, similar to extra-long handles, ultimate stability, and curved dump helps to make the operator’s job simpler. The heavy-duty motor encompasses a weather-sealed energy change, grounded plug, and built-in circuit breaker.
In operation, the mixer motor turned easily and steadily. There was no hesitation or different indicators of stress throughout loading or when it was mixing a full load of moist concrete. It was additionally very quiet—each the motor noise and the combination shifting contained in the drum—in comparison with different transportable concrete mixers I’ve used. After mixing the primary two batches of concrete, I switched energy sources from a wall outlet to a conveyable generator. I seen no distinction in operation. To me, one of the best proof of the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer’s total high quality was the mixture of professional quality building, a robust motor, and simple operational particulars.
Photograph: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Must you purchase the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer?
The standard of the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer makes a compelling purpose to purchase this mannequin. With regards to measurement, I choose having a high-capacity mixer like this one. For giant concrete initiatives requiring a number of batches, it’s logistically simpler to combine fewer, larger batches. For smaller initiatives, it’s not an issue to combine a partial load in a giant mixer, and cleanup takes no extra effort than once you’re working with a wheelbarrow. Nonetheless, if cupboard space is a priority, the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer is a bit bigger than an ordinary wheelbarrow. It additionally takes up extra space on the worksite. For individuals who don’t have the storage or working house for a big mixer, I like to recommend the smaller Kushlan 350DD concrete mixer, which affords related performance with a compact construct and about half the capability. Alternatively, in case you solely have one undertaking in thoughts, then renting a mixer could make monetary sense. However when you have a number of concrete-mixing initiatives in your future, the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer is well worth the funding.
The place to Purchase the Kushlan 600DD Concrete Mixer
Get the Kushlan 600DD concrete mixer at:
Meet the Tester
Mark Wolfe is a author and product tester with an intensive background within the nursery and landscaping trade. For greater than 20 years he mowed, edged, planted, pruned, cultivated, irrigated, and renovated stunning landscapes. Now he assessments and writes critiques in regards to the newest out of doors energy gear, hand instruments, garden care merchandise, and different outdoor-living items.
