[.ca] Red Lion 636001 BigCat Concrete Mixer

• Heavy-duty - tough and durable 3.5 cubic foot capacity-polyethylene drum
• Easy to assemble in 30 minutes or less, no greasing necessary
• Weighing just 94 pounds, BigCat is portable and easy to store
• 1/3 hp thermal protected motor with push button restart
• Easy to clean, easy to maintain, rapid mixing time - hassle free

Gotta Love It!!:
Have had this mixer for three years. It is a workhorse if setup and used properly. 1. Make sure you keep it adjusted so the drum support rollers actually contact and support the drum evenly at all times - even unloaded. If they don't contact when unloaded, readjust until theyu do. It takes a few minutes once a year to realign things if they get skewed. Misalignment causes excessive wear on the nylon worm gear (pn#:201001, ph: 1-800-575-1935). 2. Do not overload the mixer - no more than two 90# bags, and two 80# bags is better. Overloading deforms the drum, strains the worm gear and motor. 2 bags max. When loading, start wet, with maybe 1/2 the water needed for a full load. Add the water, start the mixer, add bag of mix, add more water, more mix, finish with water. If the mix is too dry, it hangs on the blades and rotates with the drum, which means motor and gear must lift 150+ lbs, and that is a lot of strain. A properly damp/wet mix rolls off the blades as it mixes. We've put over 400 80# & 90# bags of readymix thru ours. We had to replace the nylon worm gear after about 250 bags, and again recently at close to 400 - due to 'borrowers' overloading. If you want a permanent replacement for the nylon worm gear, call 1-800-575-1935 and ask for the steel worm gear used in the type 'C' BigCats. It's $25.00 and 3~4 lbs to ship - around $11 for USPS Priority Mail to our Zip. This mixer will run all day long without a hitch if it is setup and maintained properly. Drum Support, Proper Mix Moisture for concrete,and keep the Oil Reservoir Topped Off! This is a great mixer for one and two person DIY concrete, soil amend, seed mix jobs - under $250 to save your back (and arms, and legs...) This is NOT a 'commercial' super heavy duty 6 yard mixer - remember that, treat it kindly and it will do it's job and do it well. I do have one very minor complaint - no on/off switch provided. I added one, and am now happy. And one other thing - The Customer Service in both the U.S. and Canada has been very good. And one other other thing - if you're not going to keep the support rollers properly setup, if you're not going to keep the oil reservoir topped off, and if you plan on overloading this little beast all the time - DO NOT replace the nylon worm gear with the steel worm gear!! The nylon gear is an intentional and acceptable 'weak point / wear point' for a machine that may be and often is 'abused'. The steel or iron ring gear on the drum would likely not fail, which leaves the motor (thermally protected though it is). The motor costs a lot more than the nylon worm gear =)

Like a Toy:
This junk pile broke on the third load. The worm gear (plastic) sheard off. Try to get a replacement... No way! Try to get your money back...No way! Don't buy the PIG!

Junk:
Never worked right from the first try. Finally got it adjusted so the load was evenly supported on the rollers and it worked for one or two times. Always had to start it with zero load and gradually add the water and mix. I wasted more time on it than it cost. Don't buy it.

Good home mixer:
I have used this mixer for several projects, over the last two years. Whenever I need to mix up a batch of concrete, from two bags to 50, I wheel it out of the barn, add the recommended vegetable oil to the lube cup and start mixing. It handles two 80# sacks of dry mix with no problem, but I usually mix one bag at a time, otherwise you have to be careful about it slopping water or mix out when it first starts up. When running, it is a little noisy, but not onjectionable. It sounds like the drive gear is about to fail, but so far, it hasn't. Clean up after use (provided you do it on a "timely" basis) is easy. I just use a hose with a narrow stream and "blast" out the residual concrete. My guess is those who have had bad luck with this machine have abused it by either neglecting to maintain it or overloaded it. If you are looking for a small mixer for DIY home projects, I can recommend this mixer. The 4-star rating applies to home use. A contractor that uses a mixer daily would be disappointed ... but this isn't a $2,500 mixer, either!

Does the job OK:
This fits under - You get what you pay for. I researched mixers pretty extensively before buying this one. I didn't want a big metal heavy one and I wanted a direct drive so I didn't have to worry about a loose belt. This mixer is for small jobs and the cooking oil as a gravity feed lubrication is nice. I don't recommend anything over a 60lb bag at a time. The nylon drive wheel is just not meant for too much weight. Follow the directions, get it moving, put the water in and slowly add the concrete. It beats a hoe and a wheel barrow. It does not have a shut off button which I find very annoying considering I am working with something electric around water. I use a rubber hammer on the tumbler to keep the cement from clinging as it spins. It's relatively easy to clean and it doesn't have rust on it like the ones I see in Home Depot. I agree with another reviewer about replacing the gear assembly to make it metal. I plan on it. Use it, don't abuse it and you will get the job done.