Wheelbarrow Vs. Stand Multi-Purpose Mixer
You can use both wheelbarrows and stand mixers to mix things for your house and garden. Wheelbarrows are cheaper than stand mixers, but they are also less efficient and your choice is often based upon the scale of the project for which you need the mixer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Mobility
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Determine whether or not you will need to cover a large area with your mixed goods. If you are covering a large area, it may be more convenient to use a wheelbarrow, which is designed to be moved while loaded. Stand mixers work better for areas where the mixed goods don't have to be carried very far, or where they can be carried in smaller amounts.
Stand-Mixer Use
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Stand mixers work best for mixing heavy, wet things and they are used most often for small-scale concrete production. A stand mixer will mix the cement powder, sand and water more easily than can be done with a shovel and wheelbarrow. The concrete can then be carried from the mixer to the area it is needed in smaller buckets after being mixed in the mixer. Stand mixers are not designed to move while loaded, so it is best to place the mixer where you need it before you start mixing in it.
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Wheelbarrow Use
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Wheelbarrows work best for projects where large quantities of dry things need to be mixed and moved. Use the wheelbarrow to mix dirt and fertilizer or compost so that you can wheel the mixture to where you will need it and pour it directly out. Wheelbarrows also work well for small batches of concrete that can be mixed fairly easily with a shovel.
Scale
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Large-scale concrete projects will almost always need either a stand cement mixer or a truck mixer, but anything that needs less than 15 gallons of concrete can be mixed in a wheelbarrow and shoveled directly where you need it. For other projects like mixing soil, it is almost always easier to mix in a wheelbarrow, because it is necessary to move the mix around more for larger projects.
Cost
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Wheelbarrows are cheaper than stand mixers, which generally cost about $400 as of 2010, but they are large and take up a lot of space. If you have a one-time project and don't want to devote the space and money to a wheelbarrow or mixer, you can always rent a mixer from your local hardware store.
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References
- Photo Credit cement mixer image by Joann Cooper from Fotolia.com
