Concrete Preparation
Skid steers can find a job on most jobsites simply by switching an attachment. In the world of cement dispersal and concrete construction, there are many skid steer implements that can be utilized by concrete professionals — from hammers and breakers in demolition to specialized concrete mixers and pumps for construction. Of course, most concrete-focused attachments for skid steer loaders reside in the bucket and mixer categories. Just look below to see the most popular concrete-prep attachments for your skid steer fleet.
1. Concrete Placing Bucket — Designed to accurately, quickly and neatly carry and place concrete in tight areas that cannot support a cement truck. The concrete placement bucket is ideal for pouring backyard patios, footings or formed columns. Typical sizes available are ½- and ¾-cu yd capacities.
2. Auger Mixing Bucket — Designed to transport and dispense concrete and also eliminate the hard labor of actually mixing cement; it can also be used with wildlife feed, sand, asphalt, agricultural grains and washed gravel (usually 3/4 in. max). Some units have a quick-attach frame on either side to control discharge from the left or right and come with a 2- or 3-ft chute, hoses and couplers.
3. Concrete Mixers — Traditional mix bowl designed to mix bag concrete or sand, cement and aggregate in a mixer barrel. A concrete mixer is excellent for smaller jobs that don’t require large volumes of concrete such as footers for fence posts. Typically, a concrete mixer attachment can hold 3 to 5 cu ft of mix.
4. Portable Concrete/Mortar Mixer — The sand pile can be in one location, the cement in another and the discharge point at a third. This mixer travels easily between the three locations, mixing 2 to 3 cu yds of concrete or mortar per hour.
5. Concrete Pump — If a job requires a larger volume of concrete, say for the foundation of a house, you can use your skid steer to power a concrete pump. Depending on hose length and diameter, and conditions such as slump, additives and aggregate size and type, this powerful attachment can pump concrete as far as 250 ft horizontally and up to two stories vertically.
“There are various types of concrete attachments depending on the application,” explains Glenn Danuser, vice president at Danuser Machine Co. (an attachment specialist based in Fulton, Mo.). “There are many options as well. For instance, a dispensing bucket can come with 24- and 36-in. long chutes for discharge, as well as the 7-in. hose kit with flat-faced couplers. A hopper extension can be added to provide a ¾-yd capacity. A splash guard can be added to prevent the material from splashing out of the machine while mixing. A scraper blade can also be purchased to allow loading loose materials from a pile.”
As important as safe and efficient operation, constant maintenance is needed for concrete attachments. Clean out buckets and mixers after each use at the jobsite with water. Coat the bucket with a water based releasing agent. Do not allow concrete to harden or water to freeze in the bucket. Grease the motor seal every 40 hours. It’s simple to maintain and easy to use.
“The concrete buckets eliminate the need for a heavy concrete truck in a remote location or a pump truck which can be costly,” says Danuser. “There are three popular options for concrete for use in buckets. You can accept concrete from a truck and take it to your location, you can use bagged concrete mix to where you dump in the dry mix and add water or you can mix sand, cement and aggregate.”
Keith Gribbins is managing editor of Compact Equipment, based in Brecksville, Ohio.
www.ceunbound.com
