under the slab and lift it into position to be moved.
Mixing and Pouring
Once all the demo and cleanup is done, then comes the fun part: mixing and pouring the concrete. And, yes, there are numerous sizes and configurations of attachments available for this part of the project— one to fit almost any type of job.
There are small bowl mixers that look just like the kind you get at the rental yard. Perfect for smaller jobs or for pouring a number of post holes. For larger jobs, you might opt for the mix-and-go style of mixer. Resembling a skid steer bucket with a heavy-duty grate, this big boy can hold over three cubic feet of material and has a side gate for pouring. All the ingredients can be scooped up in the bucket, and after adding water, they will mix while travelling to the pour site.
To mix on a grand scale, consider using a Mobile Mud Hog or similar machine. It holds a whopping 20 cubic feet and has a side chute which is ideal for pouring long runs of post holes without having to reload as often. There are also many plain concrete buckets available in various shapes and sizes for pouring concrete when the mixing is done another way.
One type is known as a“ chuter”( not to be confused with the adult beverage of the same name, but spelled differently) that, as its name implies, has a front or side chute so that concrete can be precisely directed, such as into a post hole.
Specialty Attachments A couple of cool but very specialized accessories also bear mention.
One is a manhole repair saw that can remove the manhole collar and surrounding area in less than five minutes. The entire job of removal, concrete pouring and collar replacement can be accomplished in 15 to 20 minutes by one or two workers, compared with two to three hours and six workers when done the traditional way. A truly amazing newcomer to the concrete construction world is the Dragon Screed. This amazing large-pour attachment can be used with both the excavator and the skid steer. It has the ability to screed both concrete and subgrade from six feet up to 22 feet. It drags, floats and vibrates concrete with every pass. The hydraulic pivot allows pouring on a pitch or uneven surface, and it can even screed circular pads up to 70 feet in diameter. It’ s going to be interesting to see how this bad boy fares in the competitive concrete working world.
Whether you ' re a seasoned professional with your own concrete business or just a newbie starting out on a big, new adventure, the attachment options are wide open. So, fire up your favorite concrete tool website, and go ahead and channel your inner Tim Taylor. More power to you!
www. contractorshotline. com February 21, 2025 25