Used to pour concrete footings by hand for every post...

I used to mix concrete by hand for every post hole back when I started fencing in 2018. It was backbreaking work, took forever, and I'd end up with inconsistent results every time. Finally bought a small towable mixer 2 years ago, and it cut my footing time by half on average jobs. I still hand mix for small repairs under 10 posts because the mixer is a pain to clean for tiny batches. What do you guys use for post concrete? Still doing it by hand or have you made the switch too?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix14718d ago

Throw a bag of Quikrete 5000 in the mixer and watch it set in half the time of standard mix. I still hand mix for under 5 posts because dragging the mixer out for a tiny batch feels like overkill, but once you hit 10 plus, the time savings are huge. Just keep a hose and a stiff brush handy for cleaning the mixer drum between batches, that buildup is a nightmare if you let it sit.

riverreed1mo ago

Wait, you were mixing concrete by hand in 2018? I thought that was something people phased out in the 90s. That's some serious dedication to getting a workout while working. I bet your arms were absolutely dead after every job.

oscar_ellis1mo ago

@riverreed My 2016 backyard patio job worked fine with hand mixing. Just paced myself.