Discovered the 5-gallon bucket trick for mixing concrete

I was trying to hand-mix concrete for a 4x4 post base and my wheelbarrow kept leaking sludge everywhere. Threw a bag of Quikrete in a 5-gallon bucket with some water and used a drill mixer attachment - done in 2 minutes flat. Anybody else got a weird bucket hack that saved a project?

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan_butler1mo ago

And that drill mixer attachment is a lifesaver until you burn through a cheap drill, ask me how I know. I started drilling a hole near the top of the bucket first, maybe 3/4 inch wide, so the mixer doesn't whip concrete right out over the rim. Also, if you're doing more than one bag, set the bucket inside a car tire to keep it from spinning all over the ground. For smaller patching jobs I'll even mix a half bag right in a contractor grade trash bag, tie the top, and squish it around with my hands. Just make sure you don't use your favorite bucket because once that concrete hardens in there, it's GARBAGE.

ericb661mo ago

Man that hole tip is genius, I've definitely worn a concrete mustache more than once from the splashback. And yeah the tire trick is solid, I use an old donut spare I keep around just for that. Only thing I'd add is to get a heavy duty mixing paddle if you're doing more than a couple bags, the cheap ones will snap on you at the worst time.