Concrete Mixer Sizing Guide: Portable vs Towable

## Concrete Mixer Sizing Guide: Portable vs Towable for the Jobsite The right mixer saves time and reduces waste. The wrong one costs you either labor (too small, too many batches) or money (too large for the job). Here is how to match mixer capacity to your actual project needs. ### Mixer Types and Capacities #### Portable Electric Mixers (1–3.5 cu ft) - **Typical use**: Small repair jobs, countertops, decorative work, bagged mix - **Power**: 110V or 220V electric motor - **Batch size**: 1 to 3.5 cubic feet per batch - **Mixing time**: 3–5 minutes per batch - **Transport**: Fits in a pickup truck bed, often wheeled - **Best for**: Crews of 1–2 doing repair, patch, or decorative work. When you are mixing bagged concrete (60 lb or 80 lb bags), a portable mixer handles 1–4 bags per batch efficiently. **Capacity math**: One 80-lb bag of concrete yields approximately 0.6 cubic feet. A 3.5 cu ft portable mixer handles about 5–6 bags per batch, producing roughly 3.5 cu ft of mixed concrete. #### Gas Towable Mixers (6–12 cu ft) - **Typical use**: Footings, sidewalks, small slabs, fence posts - **Power**: Gas engine (Honda GX series is standard) - **Batch size**: 6 to 12 cubic feet per batch - **Mixing time**: 3–5 minutes per batch - **Transport**: Trailer hitch towable, highway rated - **Best for**: Crews of 2–4 doing residential and light commercial concrete work. One 9 cu ft mixer producing 12–15 batches per hour can sustain a steady pour for a 2-person finishing crew. **Capacity math**: A 9 cu ft towable mixer running 12 batches/hour = 108 cu ft/hour = 4 cubic yards per hour. That is enough for a 10' × 20' × 4" slab (2.5 CY) in about 40 minutes of mixing. #### Mortar Mixers (4–12 cu ft) - **Typical use**: Block laying, brick work, stucco, plaster - **Design difference**: Mortar mixers use a paddle-style mixing action (not drum rotation) to properly shear and hydrate mortar mixes without over-mixing or introducing air - **Best for**: Masonry crews who need continuous mortar supply. A 9 cu ft mortar mixer keeps 2–3 masons working without waiting. **Important**: Do not use a drum-style concrete mixer for mortar — the mixing action is wrong and produces inconsistent results. Similarly, mortar mixers are not designed for aggregate-heavy concrete mixes. ### How to Calculate the Mixer Size You Need **Step 1**: Calculate total volume needed - Slab: Length × Width × Depth (all in feet) ÷ 27 = cubic yards - Footing: Length × Width × Depth ÷ 27 = cubic yards - Add 10% waste factor **Step 2**: Determine your pour rate - How fast can your crew finish? A 2-person crew can typically finish 0.5–1 CY per hour for flatwork. - The mixer needs to keep up with — but not overwhelm — the finishing crew. **Step 3**: Match mixer to batch rate - Required CY/hour × 27 = required cu ft/hour - Divide by batches per hour (typically 10–12 for a good operator) - Result = minimum batch capacity needed ### Brand Comparison | Mixer | Type | Capacity | Engine | Weight | |-------|------|----------|--------|--------| | Tomahawk TM68 | Towable | 6.8 cu ft | Honda GX160 | 485 lbs | | Tomahawk TM90 | Towable | 9 cu ft | Honda GX200 | 545 lbs | | IMER Minuteman II | Portable | 5 cu ft | 110V Electric | 200 lbs | | Crown C9 | Towable | 9 cu ft | Honda GX240 | 550 lbs | ### Maintenance Tips 1. **Clean immediately after use** — Concrete sets inside the drum in 60–90 minutes. Once hardened, removal requires chipping or acid wash. 2. **Grease the ring gear** weekly during active use 3. **Check drum paddles** (on mortar mixers) for wear — worn paddles reduce mixing efficiency 4. **Store tilted drum-down** to drain residual water and prevent rust Browse our complete selection of [concrete mixers and placement equipment](/mixing-placement) from Tomahawk Power, IMER USA, and Crown Construction Equipment.

Concrete Mixer Sizing Guide: Portable vs Towable for the Jobsite

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