Cement Mixer Buying Guide: Canada 2026
Skid steer cement mixer attachments solve a specific problem: you need to pour concrete somewhere a transit mixer can't reach, or you're doing small intermittent pours that don't justify a truck. Here's what to know before you buy.
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Quick Summary
A skid steer cement mixer attachment mounts to your quick attach and uses the machine's auxiliary hydraulics to rotate a mixing drum. You load dry materials and water, mix on the machine, and discharge directly into the pour location. The key advantage over a standalone mixer or a transit truck: your skid steer can position the drum exactly where you need it — at the edge of a footing, beside a post hole, at the end of a remote farm lane.
Canada-Focused Guide — Written for Canadian buyers. Prices in CAD. Dealer references reflect the Canadian market (HLA Attachments, TMG Industrial, Brandt, Nortrax, Rocky Mountain Equipment, etc.). Last reviewed: March 2026.
Best fit for: Remote farm sites without road access, fence post footings, culvert headwalls, small isolated slabs, and any pour where a concrete truck can't maneuver or can't be justified. Not the right tool for pours over about 1 cubic yard — a transit mix truck beats you on volume and speed.
Drum Capacity: 3 to 10 Cubic Feet
Skid steer cement mixer attachments are available in a range of drum sizes. Capacity is measured in cubic feet per batch:
| Drum Size | Approximate Yield per Batch | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 3–4 cu ft | ~2 bags premix, small footing | Post holes, patch pours, very small footings |
| 6–7 cu ft | ~3–4 bags premix | Standard post footings, small slabs, fence corner posts — most common size |
| 9–10 cu ft | ~5–6 bags premix | Larger footings, culvert headwalls, small building pads |
Each batch takes 5–10 minutes of drum rotation after all materials are loaded and water is added. Work backward from your pour requirements: if you're setting 30 fence posts with a 2-bag footing each, a 6 cu ft drum gets this done without constant reloading delays. If you're pouring a 10'×10' pad in sections, a larger drum reduces your batch count significantly.
High-Flow Requirements
This is where cement mixer attachments differ from what many buyers expect. Most skid steer-mounted cement mixer drums require high-flow hydraulics (18–25 GPM) to rotate the drum at the speed needed for proper mixing. Some smaller units run on standard flow — check the specific model's hydraulic requirement before purchasing.
Standard-flow machines (10–18 GPM) may be able to rotate a small drum, but the drum speed will be reduced and mixing quality can suffer. Under-mixed concrete has weak spots and poor consistency. If your machine is standard-flow only, verify the mixer's minimum GPM requirement carefully.
Check your machine: High-flow is often a factory option on skid steers — it may be plumbed but not activated. Contact your dealer to confirm whether high-flow is enabled and what GPM your machine produces. This is the most important spec check before purchasing a cement mixer attachment.
Batch Time and Output Rates
Understanding what a skid steer mixer can realistically produce helps set correct expectations:
- Loading dry materials and water: 2–5 minutes per batch
- Mixing time: 5–10 minutes per batch
- Discharge and reposition: 2–4 minutes
- Total cycle: approximately 10–20 minutes per batch
With a 6 cu ft drum, you're producing roughly 3–4 batches per hour under normal working conditions. That's meaningful for post footings and isolated pours. For anything approaching a full cubic yard of concrete (27 cu ft), you're looking at 3–5 hours of mixing time minimum. At that point, a transit mixer becomes the faster option if site access allows.
The skid steer mixer's real advantage is not speed — it's access and flexibility. You're mixing at the point of placement, on your schedule, without coordinating with a concrete supplier.
Drum Design: What to Look For
Open vs Closed Top
Open-top drums are easier to load — you can add materials directly from bags or a hopper without special equipment. Most farm and remote-site applications use open-top drums. Closed-top drums seal the load and prevent spilling during transport across rough ground, but require a loading port or chute.
Discharge Angle
The drum should discharge cleanly into your pour location. The discharge angle (how far the drum tips for emptying) determines how close to the pour you need to position the machine. Better drums discharge at a steep angle and clean out thoroughly. A drum that doesn't tip fully leaves cured concrete residue that's nearly impossible to remove.
Cleaning
The single most important maintenance habit: flush the drum immediately after every pour. Add water and a handful of coarse aggregate, rotate for 2 minutes, and discharge. Never let mixed concrete sit in the drum — it bonds permanently to the drum interior. Pre-wet the drum before first use each day for the same reason.
Use Cases: Where This Attachment Makes Sense
Remote Farm and Rural Sites
The most common Canadian application. A quarter-section farm may have multiple outbuildings, corrals, and infrastructure spread across terrain where a concrete truck either can't access or isn't justified for small pours. A skid steer mixer means the machine already on site can batch concrete for gate posts, culvert ends, building corner footings, and equipment pad pours — no truck scheduling, no minimum load charges.
Northern and Remote Builds
Northern Ontario, northern Alberta and BC, and remote coastal BC properties regularly face the situation where a transit mixer simply cannot reach the site. Fly-in or barge-in construction uses whatever mixing is possible on-site. A skid steer-mounted mixer powered by the machine's own hydraulics — no separate power source — fills this gap.
Post Footings and Fence Lines
Setting dozens of post footings on a property means dozens of small concrete pours spread across a large area. The skid steer can drill holes with an auger, then swap to the mixer, batch concrete, and pour each footing in sequence. No hauling mixed concrete in a wheelbarrow from a stationary mixer across a field.
Culvert Headwalls and Drainage Work
Culvert installation at road crossings and drainage outlets often requires small concrete headwall pours in locations that are completely inaccessible to a truck. A skid steer already working the drainage installation can batch and pour the headwall on the same day.
Limitations: When Not to Use a Skid Steer Mixer
Be clear about what this attachment isn't suited for:
- Large commercial pours: A transit mixer delivers concrete faster, fresher, and at better consistency for any pour over about 1 cubic yard. The skid steer mixer is a small-batch, high-access tool.
- High-strength structural pours: On-site batching requires careful material control. For engineered structural concrete with specific strength requirements, a batching plant or certified ready-mix is the appropriate source.
- High-volume fencing operations: If you're setting 200+ posts in a day, a dedicated towable mixer or a small ready-mix delivery is faster than cycling a drum attachment.
Brand Comparison
Skid steer cement mixer attachments are available from several suppliers in Canada:
- Bobcat: Available through Bobcat dealer network. Well-integrated with Bobcat machines, proprietary coupler advantage for Bobcat owners. Dealer support across Canada.
- TMG Industrial: BC-based, ships nationally. The most commonly purchased budget-to-mid tier option for Canadian buyers. Practical for farm and occasional use applications.
- Jagger: Available in the Canadian market. Worth checking for current availability through Canadian equipment suppliers.
Cement mixers are mechanically simple attachments — the drum, the hydraulic motor, and the mounting frame. Brand choice affects drum quality, bearing design, and discharge mechanism more than anything exotic. Prioritize a model with a drum that fully discharges and seals properly over the drum opening, and a bearing housing that can be greased regularly.
Machine Requirements
- Hydraulic requirement: High-flow, typically 18–25 GPM (verify specific model)
- Coupler: Standard SSQA or brand-specific quick attach
- Lift capacity: A loaded 6 cu ft drum with wet concrete is heavy — confirm your machine's rated operating capacity covers the attachment weight plus full drum load
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my machine need high-flow to run a cement mixer?
Most cement mixer attachments require high-flow hydraulics (18–25 GPM) for proper drum rotation speed and mixing quality. Some smaller units run on standard flow — always check the specific model's GPM requirement. A standard-flow machine running a high-flow mixer will produce a slow drum, poor mixing consistency, and potential drive motor stress. Confirm your machine's actual enabled hydraulic output before purchasing.
What drum size do I need for fence post footings?
A 6 cu ft drum handles most fence post footing work — typically 3–4 bags of premix per batch, enough for 2–4 posts depending on post size and footing depth. For large corner posts or heavy structural posts requiring a full bag or more of concrete each, the 6 cu ft size lets you batch efficiently without constant reloading. Only step up to a 9–10 cu ft drum if you're regularly doing larger individual pours.
Can I mix concrete with aggregate in a skid steer drum?
Yes. You can mix dry cement, sand, and coarse aggregate in the drum, adding water during rotation. Load aggregate and sand first, then add cement, then water gradually while the drum turns. Size your aggregate to the drum — coarse aggregate over 1.5 inches causes accelerated wear on drum fins and mixing paddles over time.
Is a skid steer mixer or a transit truck better for my project?
Transit trucks are faster and more consistent for pours over about 1 cubic yard on accessible sites. Skid steer mixers win on access (anywhere the machine can go), flexibility (batch on your schedule, no minimum load), and economics for small scattered pours across a large property. If a concrete truck can reach your site and your pour is over 1 yard, use the truck. If access is the constraint, or you're doing many small separated pours, the skid steer mixer earns its place.
How do I prevent concrete from curing inside the drum?
Flush immediately after every pour — add water and a handful of coarse aggregate, rotate 2 minutes, discharge completely. Pre-wet the drum before first use each day. Never let mixed concrete sit in the drum unattended. If concrete does cure inside the drum, removal requires significant mechanical effort and may damage drum fins. Prevention is far easier than cure.
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