When I started my own gardening and landscaping business many years ago now and trying to keep start up costs down, my father gave me his 1998 Belle cement mixer which still works to this day. We all know that Belle is one of the leading and more expensive brands when it comes to concrete mixers which is why it’s no surprise that at 23 years of age it’s still running but I often wondered how the cheaper brands compare.
On this particular job we needed 2 cement mixers on the go as we had a larger than usual concrete base to build which had to be done that day. I’ll be honest, I was tempted to spend a fair bit on a good quality mixer but after a short conversation with my business partner we decided that it made more sense from a business point of view to buy a cheaper concrete mixer, since it would only be used on odd occasions anyway. So off we went to Screwfix to purchase the 134ltr concrete mixer 230v.
The 134ltr concrete mixer 230v specifications
I myself didn’t actually look too much into the specifications of this mixer as all we needed to know was that it had a 3 pin plug unlike the 110v model mixers and that it came with a good sized drum so it didn’t take much to tick our 2 boxes! Below are the full specifications of the 134ltr concrete mixer 230v according to the Screwfix website.
Upright mixer for small to medium building projects. Light and portable whilst offering a good working height. Includes a powerful, IP44-rated, double-insulated motor. Supplied with stand.
- 134Ltr Drum Capacity
- 100Ltr Mix Capacity
- NVR Safety Switch
- 370W Induction Motor
- Wide Wheels for Easy Transit
- Quick & Easy to Assemble
- Pours Straight into Wheelbarrow
- 1 year manufacturer guarantee
- Total product weight 54kg
How easy was it to build the 134ltr concrete mixer 230v from Screwfix?
Incase your wondering, yes you do need to build the cement mixer upon first removing it from the box but in all fairness it’s not difficult and probably took 2 of us no more than 30 minutes from first opening the box to having the mixer set up in the customer’s garden. Of course, you’ve only got to build it once. For all future use you will just be separating the cement mixer into 2 parts – The mixer and the stand.
The instructions are easy to follow and from memory it’s just a case of bolting the handles to the frame, attaching the wheels, fixing the motor to the frame and finally installing the mixing paddles to the inside of the drum.
We did however encounter one issue which was the tools we received to build the concrete mixer. I don’t know if we were just unlucky or everyone just receives one spanner as standard but the 17/18mm spanner received wasn’t much use to us but luckily we had our own tools in the van to use.
First of all, the bolts that needed to be tightened when fitting the motor to the mixer frame were 10mm so a 17/18mm spanner wasn’t much use to us here. Instead we pulled out our socket set and used a 10mm socket to tighten the nuts.
Although the spanner received is the correct size for everything else, the problem with tightening nuts is that the thread will spin with the nut as soon as you begin to get any torque behind it. Again we used out socket set on one end to tighten the nut whilst we held the thread/nut in place on the other side with the spanner received.
I would recommend purchasing just a cheap socket set like the one below if you don’t have the tools readily available, although a cheap spanner set will also do the job. The link will take you to the Amazon store where you can receive your item from as early as the very next day. As an Amazon affiliate partner, we receive a commission when an item is purchased through a link on this website.
How was the 134Ltr concrete mixer 230V from Screwfix to use?
Up until this point and apart from missing a couple of tools from the box to help initially build the cement mixer I had been very impressed. For the price of just £219.99 at the time of purchase, this mixer felt surprisingly strong, sturdy and the parts felt well made – So how would it stand up the the test when being used for my landscaping business?
I’m not sure how to tell you this but, after a month of heavy use this cheap and cheerful concrete mixer from Screwfix has actually exceeded all expectations. Really, we’ve had no problems with it whatsoever. None.
We’ve had it running for 10 straight hours on some days and have used it 5-6 days a week. The motor continues to spin effortlessly regardless of the weight inside the drum with no strange noises or signs of failure as of yet.
If I had one bad point to say about this cement mixer then it wouldn’t be the running of it but more the set up and putting the mixer away. It’s not so much of a problem but more of a nuisance. You see, on my old concrete mixer we simply set the stand up and place the frame/drum onto the stand and off we go. The design of this cement mixer from Screwfix means that you have to lock the frame into place by way of clip springs which means one of us needs to hold the frame in place to stop it falling off the stand whilst the other inserts the clip springs. Not only that but it’s one more thing you have to be careful not to lose – Although if it came to it we would just use a nut and bolt.
Would I recommend the 134Ltr concrete mixer 230V from Screwfix
At the beginning of this article you will have noticed that we purchased this cheaper £219.99 concrete mixer for a one-off job but then gone on to read that we have been using it continuously for a month now with no problems – This is because this cement mixer has exceeded all expectations and we actually enjoy using it.
I know a month isn’t a long time to write a review but if I do encounter any problems in the future then I will be updating this article immediately so as the saying goes, no news is good news!
The only draw back is the lack of tools provided when initially building this cement mixer, unless of course I was just unlucky but there doesn’t seem to be much information online to determine which tools should come with it. A socket or spanner set will come in handy if you have one, but at least you only need to build it once.
Apart from the above, I find the clip pins a little annoying when fixing the mixer frame to the stand but that’s just me being picky and being use to using a mixer where this isn’t needed. In all fairness it only takes less than a minute to do.
At £219.99 you will receive a very well made and reliable cement mixer that doesn’t only feel the part but also looks like a good heavy duty concrete mixer too. Compared to our old mixer this one is lighter (but not too light) making it easier to get in and out of the van and quieter when in operation too. What’s not to like? Would I recommend the 134Ltr concrete mixer 230V from Screwfix? Ofcourse I would!