Warning: My mortar mixer threw a rod halfway through a big patio job

It happened last Thursday on a 400 square foot job in Springfield. The old 8 cubic foot mixer just locked up with a loud bang and smoke came out. I had to run to the rental yard for a new one, which cost me two hours and $150. Has anyone else had a mixer fail like that, and what's your backup plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricialee5d ago

Honestly that's just part of the business, equipment breaks. Renting a backup mixer for every job is a huge waste of money. You got it fixed in two hours, that's not a real crisis. Better maintenance could have caught that problem before it blew.

brian_smith64d ago

Patricialee is right that it's part of the business, but saying it's not a real crisis is where I disagree. Two hours and $150 on a tight schedule can wreck your whole day's profit and make a client really mad. That "better maintenance" idea is the key thing. A quick look at the oil and a listen for weird sounds before you load it on the truck is free. It's about avoiding the panic and the extra cost, not just accepting it as normal.

ellis.susan4d ago

But honestly, like patricialee said, isn't that just a normal Tuesday for this job?