Skid Steer Concrete Mixers Have Great ROI and Are Less Niche Than You May Think
Skid steer/track loader concrete mixers bring great value to their customers. We spoke with two key manufacturers about these attachments to learn more. Bob Shoop, product consultant, and Scott Britton, attachments marketing manager at Caterpillar, shared insights, while Matt Schott, who handles sales and business development, discussed the EZG Mfg. models.
What Concrete Mixers Do
These concrete mixer attachments mix concrete, whether from constituent components loaded into them or from bags of concrete mix. While Schott says their mixers should never run dry, Shoop and Britton say Cat customers use theirs for mixing not only concrete but also horse feed at stables, sand and soil to promote drainage on golf courses and polymeric sand used to set pavers in landscaping applications. These mixers also serve as hoppers to transport concrete from concrete trucks to the pour site. The advantage over using a bucket or other static attachment is that the mixer provides mixing while the host machine travels to the pour site. Without that, aggregate tends to settle out of the mix in transit, especially over unfinished surfaces, compromising the quality of the concrete.
What They Fit
For our purposes, we’ll refer to them as skid steer concrete mixers, but they actually fit a range of compact equipment via a standard skid steer plate. This includes compact utility loaders, skid steers, compact track loaders, compact excavators and compact wheel loaders. EZG has been making Mobile Mud Hogs since 2003. They are made start-to-finish at the company’s plant in Malta, Ohio. Mobile Mud Hogs come in four models: MMH-4, 9, 12 and 20. The number in the model name also indicates the cubic foot capacity of the mixer, which happens to coincide with the number of 80-lb bags of concrete mix each model will hold. The MMH-4 is for use with mini skid steers. The MMH-12 and 20 are for larger host machines. The MMH-9 “is a tweener,” says Schott, which will fit larger stand-on units plus larger sit-down compact equipment.
“Flow and pressure aren’t critical,” says Schott. “Even 4 gpm at 2,000 psi is enough for our two smallest models. The main thing is ROC.” He says the 20 weighs nearly 4,500 lbs when full, and although it isn’t carried far before it’s dumped, at some point the host machine has to be able to safely manage that much load.
He says the 12 is their most popular model and, as a rule, will work on any compact machine with a cab (as opposed to canopy or open work station). It’s around 1,000 lbs empty and under 3,000 lbs fully loaded. Cat has two models, the MB200 and MB250. The numbers refer to the liters of capacity, which works out to 0.26 and 0.33 cu yds. Cat sells them for use on all types of compact equipment, including compact wheel loaders. Recommended auxiliary circuit specs are 16 to 18 gpm and 2,000 to 2,900 psi. “Standard flow, which is about 70 percent of all Cat compact machines sold, is fine,” says Shoop.
EZG Customization
As a specialty manufacturer, EZG Mfg. offers extensive customization. One popular configuration is the addition of an 11.7-hp Honda gasoline engine to the MMH20. This allows the unit to be used not only with compact equipment but also on trailers, trucks and other platforms without auxiliary hydraulics. There are even crane hooks for placing the self-powered MMH20 in such difficult locations as under bridges and over walls. The unit has a wired remote control. Other options include custom paint, including customer company colors and logos applied from decals.
Concrete Mixer Applications
Small-batch concrete is in wide demand. It’s used for setting fence posts, for repair and replacement of damaged concrete and in new construction. Shoop says these mixers find use in urban, suburban and rural sites because of their convenience but also see high demand in lesser developed countries where concrete plants and trucks are less common. Masons use these mixers to make mortar. Britton says Cat has had these products for about eight years, and there’s good awareness of them in some market segments, “but they still get a lot of attention at tradeshows from people who didn’t know they existed.”
Schott says Mobile Mud Hogs are popular with contractors but also with parks and recreation departments, municipalities and land management agencies. He says microtrenching for fiber installation has grown into a major segment. “The contractor uses a rock saw to cut the trench, drops in the fiber-optic line, backfills the trench and then caps it with concrete.” These cuts can run great distances along roadways, making mounted mixers the perfect solution for delivering concrete.
How Concrete Mixers Work
“The MB200 and MB250 are among the simplest hydromechanical attachments we offer,” says Shoop. “Operation is intuitive.” The auger flight turns one direction to mix the contents and in the opposite direction to draw the contents to the discharge point. The standard discharge chute is typically fairly short, but extensions are available.
The discharge gate is hydraulically controlled on the two Caterpillar models. The gate must be manually operated on the Mobile Mud Hog models 4 and 9 and is hydraulically opened automatically when the auger is put in reverse on the 12 and 20 and closed when the auger is returned to forward rotation. The mixers can work with either bulk materials or bags of concrete mix. There are bag breaker points on top; workers drop the bags of concrete mix, cement or mortar onto these to empty them into the bucket.
There are fork pockets on the EZG models and feet on the Cat models. Both provide stable support when the mixer is off the host machine; the fork pockets allow the mixer to be moved without mounting it to a machine. The screens are too small to allow a person to put a hand or arm into the bucket. Screen removal for service of the auger and paddles requires tools. Mobile Mud Hogs come with a clear vinyl cover to minimize splash; a concealed screen to eliminate splash is an option. The MB200 and MB250 have a bolt-on step to facilitate entry and exit of the host machine.
Maintenance
Hydraulic motors, one on each end of the auger, have bearings in the mounts that must be greased regularly using zerk fittings. The mixer should be cleaned before the material sets up. This can be done with a hose. Schott says one or two 5-gal buckets of water will work if no hose is available. Run the paddles while cleaning and then dump the water through the discharge gate. A more thorough weekly cleaning is recommended. The paddles are replaceable.
How to Buy
Caterpillar’s MB200 and MB250 are available from Cat dealers. EZG Mfg. models are available directly from the manufacturer and at regional dealers and distributors. Schott advises customers to contact the company, and they will advise customers on the best way to acquire a Mobile Mud Hog. Prices range from $5,535 for the MMH4-FHW-A-9 to $9,975 for the MMH20.
Richard Ries is a freelance writer for Compact Equipment.
Concrete to Grain: Danuser’s MAC Bucket Mixes and Dispenses It All
Danuser’s MAC Bucket is a versatile and efficient solution for material handling on farms and jobsites. It’s designed to transport, mix and dispense a variety of materials, including concrete, wildlife feed, agricultural grains, gravel and asphalt. “The MAC Bucket is a straightforward design, ideal for users looking for a simple high-quality mixing and dispensing bucket,” says Rhett Hillard, attachment sales for Danuser. “With a simple rugged design and an attractive MSRP, the MAC Bucket expands the Danuser mixing and dispensing bucket product line.” The Danuser MAC Bucket features a 1/2-yd capacity that can be expanded to 3/4 yd with an optional hopper extension. According to the company, this capacity makes it ideal for tight conditions where larger equipment is not suitable. An optional rubber auger can manage concrete up to 1-in. slump, wildlife feed and agricultural grains. A steel auger is available for sand, asphalt and washed gravel up to 3/4 in. in. diameter. For more info, visit danuser.com.
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