Concrete mixer truck: how to buy or hire one at a good price
Drum capacity and chassis: the two big decisions
A concrete mixer truck is a drum on a truck chassis. The most common capacities are 6, 7, 9 and 10 m³. Smaller machines get into narrow sites more easily and cost less to run; bigger ones pay off on large sites and for batching plants.
The chassis decides your running costs. A domestic make is cheaper to repair and its spares are easy to find; imported trucks are often more economical on the road, but used ones cost more. The axle layout matters too: more axles spread the load on the road when the drum is full.
What to check on a used mixer
- The inside of the drum: blades, cement build-up, wear and cracks in the welds.
- The drum drive: hydraulic pump and motor, gearbox, leaks.
- The drum's rolling rings and support rollers.
- The chassis: mileage, engine, gearbox, frame.
- Papers: whether the mixer body is registered and matches the chassis.
Ask about mileage separately from the drum's running hours: a mixer may have driven little but spent many hours standing with the drum turning, or the other way round.
What to put in your request
- Buy or hire — and for what period.
- Drum capacity — for example 9 m³.
- Chassis — the make you prefer, or any.
- Year and mileage — not older than 2012, up to 300,000 km.
- Condition — running, no investment needed, needs repair.
- City — where to inspect it or where to deliver it.
- Budget — for example up to Rs 13,000,000.
Example: “I want to buy a used 9 m³ concrete mixer truck, not older than 2012, up to 300,000 km, ready to work with no investment. Inspection in Islamabad. Budget up to Rs 13,000,000.”
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write one request, and equipment sellers reply in the chat with machines, photos, price and terms. Each of them sees where their offer ranks among the others and can improve it, so the final price often turns out better. The best offer, judged on what is offered, is shown first, and the seller's reviews are next to it. Your phone is hidden, and the details are on the “How it works” page.
Comparing and common mistakes
Compare machines with the same capacity, year and chassis. Two offers with a price difference may differ in the condition of the drum, and replacing it is expensive. Ask whether the wall wear has been measured and whether the hydraulics were recently checked.
Some buyers buy a mixer without thinking through how they will use it. If you need concrete only occasionally, it is cheaper to order a delivery; for a big pour, also look at concrete pumps. All types of equipment are collected in the “Heavy equipment” section.
Before you pay
Before paying, ask for the papers for the chassis and the body, and for fresh photos and a video of the drum turning. If you are buying in another city, agree on an inspection on site or on an independent mechanic. Keep in mind that a mixer needs its drum cleaned of build-up regularly, and a neglected machine needs expensive new blades. So ask about the service history and the kind of concrete the machine has worked with.
