Masonry Magazine August 2002 Page. 14
Mortar Mixers
# Mortar Mixers: More Than a Tub on Wheels
Tom Inglesby, editor
tom@editor7.com
Every mason contractor has his or her own ideas about what makes the perfect mortar mixer. Here are some pointers from the both sides of the drum.
When we started out to examine what a mason contractor needed to look for in picking the best mortar mixer for his or her company, we thought we'd ask some of the vendors for a checklist. We contacted one of the largest companies-Multiquip and one of the newest companies-EZ Grout to find out what a contractor should know and why in picking a mixer. Then to get a counterpoint, we checked with an MCAA member mason contractor. Here is what we found.
Mixing by hand is a thing of the past. There's no way a modern masonry contractor can compete without a motorized mortar mixer. So says Damian Lang, mason contractor-Lang Masonry, Waterford, Ohio and entrepreneur. Lang is the head of EZ Grout, familiar to mason contractors as the "Grout Hog people."
Lang started EZ Grout to supply the industry he loves with equipment he felt it needed. Like Xerox, one piece of that equipment is now so ubiquitous that "Grout Hog" has almost become a generic for motorized high-lift grout delivery systems. The name just comes trippingly from the contractor's lips when talking about these tubs.
Lang recently turned his attention to the world of mortar mixers, turning out the Mud Hog. Based on his own experiences as a contractor, Lang says, "It's impossible to operate at a profit without a good, dependable mixer. I don't know any mason contractor that's mixing by hand anymore. Every mason contractor can relate to that."
And Lang says that the size of the company doesn't matter, even the size of the average job doesn't matter. "It doesn't make any difference. You just can't do it. If you're a mason contractor, you're going to be mixing 10 to 15 bags a day. If you're going to mix more than 1 bag of mortar, you need a mixer. It's that important. People used to mix by hand on the smaller jobs, but that's over with. If they don't have a mixer they can rent one cheaper than paying for the labor."
Speaking of renting, isn't that a better option than owning, especially for the low-volume contractor? As one who wants to sell you a mixer, we expected Lang to frown on renting. We were right. "You can rent a mixer, but a mixer is something that a contractor needs on an ongoing basis. To rent it is just not feasible. You'll save the price of a new one in a few months compared to renting. If a mixer is built right, it should run for five years plus. If it is well maintained and used right, a mixer can last 10 years plus."
Even Lang agrees that when the volume goes up, then renting fill-in equipment makes sense. Few contractors in this economy can keep enough gear in their yard to cover all possible workloads. Warren Faler of Multiquip, Carson, Calif., says that a rental yard is one of the best places to store equipment you might need...but might not. "We all hope to get more work than we can handle," he admits, "but don't want to carry the cost of stocking equipment for those high times. Yes, every contractor needs a mixer 'on the payroll but just like you add temporary labor, you can add a temporary mixer when you have more work than you expected."
Another factor, Faler believes, is the capability of the contractor to maintain the equipment. He explains, "Contractors often don't have mechanics on the job or workers capable of repairing equipment that breaks down in use. Sometimes you find yourself moving mixers from job to job without taking them down for scheduled maintenance. You might see something wrong but put off doing anything about it until the job is over, then ship the mixer to another job right away and never fix the problem. Frayed V-belts, shaking bearings, loose parts might be overlooked because you can't afford to take the equipment out of service. A rental agent would be able to swap out the problem machine