Why Buy a Forced Action Mixer

Mixing efficiency, with outstanding performance

The SoRoTo forced action mixer is one of the best designed pieces of construction machinery in the world. With its robust ability to mix such a huge range of materials, a SoRoTo forced action mixer has consistently performed with unmatched efficiency, since its original design in 1986 right up to today.

Originally designed to be super-portable and powered by an electric motor which can be plugged into a standard outlet, the SoRoTo forced action mixer can be used inside or outside, upstairs or in cellars.

The SoRoTo forced action mixer is so adept at mixing materials that it can be used to combine practically any multi-part construction materials such as lime putty, render, resin bound gravel, sand and cement, paints, epoxy resins, mortar, concrete and screeds. Because of this ability to mix all these different materials, it eliminates the need to carry around or even own several different types of machinery, which are often heavy, bulky, noisy, unpredictable or inefficient.

We have put together a number of examples of the types of mixer which a SoRoTo forced action mixer can be used to replace, along with what types of materials that mixer is capable of mixing, their associated cost and any known common issues with them. So instead of having to carry around large, unpredictable mixers, replace them all with a single, efficient forced action mixer from SoRoTo.

Jump To: Cement Mixers | Paddle Mixers | Tub Mixers | Forced Action Mixers

Cement Mixers

Known as: gravity mixer, tumble mixer, concrete mixer, drum mixer, batch mixer, Belle mixer
Used for mixing: sand & cement, concrete, plaster, cement, lime mortar, masonry mortar, tile adhesive, epoxy resin, screed.

The most common type of site mixer

One of the most common machines around construction sites is the traditional rotating drum mixer, which comes in a wide array of shapes, sizes and designs. A simple design where materials are added to a drum, most often sand and cement or concrete mix, and the drum which has two fixed arms or blades inside rotates in order to combine the different materials.

Depending on the type of cement mixer, the machine is then either tipped up or a wheel is turned to pivot the drum downwards and the material is poured into a wheelbarrow, buckets, or directly into a mould or the ground.

As contractors generally tend to own or are familiar with using this type of mixer, it’s a common misconception that it can be used to efficiently mix any type of construction material and it’s often used, incorrectly, for mixing resin bound gravel. Owing to the inefficient and simple method of mixing, with the rotating drum and fixed blades, it is only truly suitable for mixing smooth, non-viscous materials.

One of the common problems with a rotating drum cement mixer is that the blades are fixed into position inside the drum and rely on centrifugal force to essentially tumble the mix around inside in order for it to combine. When adding large quantities of powdered materials and water, this can miss out large clumps and doesn’t produce a well consolidated mix and ultimately an inferior product.

Paddle Mixers

Known as: paddle mixer, mixer drill, twister mixer, paddle whisk, paint paddle, mixer paddle, plaster mixer, screed mixer
Used for mixing: sand & cement, concrete, plaster, cement, lime mortar, masonry mortar, tile adhesive, epoxy resin, screed, paint.

The most portable and compact mixer

Paddle mixers are very common in the construction industry, particularly for use with mixing paint, plaster and tile adhesive. Essentially a drill with two handles, a whisk attachment is fitted to the mixer and an electric motor drives the whisk, which is typically corkscrew shaped to combine water and powder mixes or ensure the smoothness of paint.

These types of handheld paddle mixer are ideal for mixing small batches of relatively smooth materials, such as tile adhesive or paint but are often misused and over worked due to frequent use on larger jobs or inappropriate materials being mixed, like resin bound gravel (although they can be used for combining the 2-part polyurethane resin).

These drill mixers are only really capable of mixing up to around 90kg at one time, however, they require the operator to use the machine effectively and all areas of the tub in which the material is being mixed must be worked through methodically to ensure a smooth and even mix. With time-critical materials such as tile adhesives or resins, this requirement to be diligent when mixing can be an obstruction and operators may be inclined to rush the mix in order to sufficiently cover all the areas of the tub, resulting in insufficient mixing.

Tub Mixers

Known as: plaster mixer, rotatub, rotating tub mixer, render mixer, mortar mixer, tub paddle mixer
Used for mixing: sand & cement, concrete, plaster, cement, lime mortar, masonry mortar, tile adhesive, epoxy resin, screed.

The traditional plasterer's mixer

Tub Mixers are the usual tool of choice for plasterers and tilers due to their small frame, easy transportation and quick mixing ability. With included wheels, a towing handle and weighing around 30kg unfilled, tub mixers are easy to manoeuvre around site with little effort.

Each tub mixer is also fitted with a disk/lid which is attached to the mixer axis. The mixer lid/disk spins with the mixer and spreads any added material, which is poured directly on to the mixer, evenly to the existing mix. This process is known as ‘centrifugal ingredient loading’ and leads to a consistent, smooth mix each time.

Although tub mixers are good small mixers, the smallest SoRoTo Forced Action Mixer can mix almost double in material weight meaning less time is spent creating and waiting for mixes and more time can be spent working on the job at hand. This comes with no sacrifice to transport too as SoRoTo machines were specifically designed with manoeuvrability in mind and the smaller machines for indoors jobs such as plastering or tiling.

As well as holding and mixing more, a SoRoTo is able to mix far more materials meaning your machine would be so much more versatile than a tub mixer. One of the positives of the tub mixer being the centrifugal ingredient loading could also be a negative, if you are not careful when loading up mixes materials could be lost over the edge of the bucket. As well as loss of material, the amount of dust produced would be very high too and with no tub mixer having a method of controlling dust available (unlike the SoRoTo which as an optional dust controller attachment), this could cause serious heath issues.

Forced Action Mixers

Known as: resin mixer, pan mixer, gravel mixer, upright mixer, agitator mixer, forced action pan mixer
Used for mixing: sand & cement, concrete, plaster, cement, lime mortar, masonry mortar, tile adhesive, epoxy resin, resin bound gravel, screed, paint.