About DIY Concrete Mixers

Think First

• Before you choose to make your concrete yourself, consider three things. You can rent one if you are only doing one job, and save money and time. You can buy one that will meet most home improvement project needs. If you are only doing one small project at a time, it isn't that difficult to mix using the hoe and wheelbarrow method.

Finding Designs

• Do-it-yourself concrete mixer plans are available for free, or you can buy the plans for the more sophisticated, high-capacity mixers. Online DIY forums present lots of ideas, plus the opportunity to chat with other do-it-yourselfers about your progress. More complicated plans may cost more money; they may also assume you have all the fabrication tools and machines.

Designing Your Own

• If you elect to design your own, there are three basic components that have to be integrated. The mixer requires a tank that doesn't leak, paddles or propellers that spin to mix the concrete or mortar, and a power source.