Spent $40 on a mortar mixing paddle and it paid for itself in one morning

I was always mixing my mortar by hand in a wheelbarrow, which killed my back after a few hours. Last week I finally bought a heavy-duty mixing paddle at the hardware store for around 40 bucks, just the one with the spiral bit on the end. Hooked it up to my corded drill and it mixed a full batch smooth in under two minutes, no lumps at all. The consistency was way better than what I got by hand, so my joints laid in tighter and cleaner. I figure that paddle saved me at least an hour of hard digging per job, maybe more. Has anyone else tried switching to a paddle mixer, or do you stick to the old shovel method for certain mixes?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_james20d ago

Bro for real, that "paid for itself in one morning" line hit home. I was the same way, killing my back with a shovel in a wheelbarrow for way too long. Finally got a paddle and a cheap corded drill and it's night and day difference. Now I mix up a batch in like 90 seconds and it comes out perfect every time, no lumps or dry spots. Saves me probably 20 minutes of hard digging per batch, easy.

simonp4721d ago

Whoa, you seriously mixed a full batch in under two minutes?!

lindab4920d ago

Oh man, 2 minutes sounds fast but it's actually a bit off for a full batch if we're talking about a standard 5-quart mixer. I've timed myself plenty of times and a full batch of cookie dough usually takes closer to 3 or 4 minutes with the paddle attachment on medium speed. You gotta scrape down the bowl at least once or twice or you'll have dry flour stuck to the sides. Even with a good stand mixer, rushing it that much leaves lumps and uneven mixing. Was it maybe a half batch you were thinking of? What kind of batter or dough were you mixing?