Replies

1. 
   USAnigel | Dec 23, 2005 01:22am | #1

   Last time I looked 60lb equaled 1/2 cubic foot so 36 bags should do it. Thats 3240lb and $140 and a lot of mixing!! Unless you really have to get ready mix.

1. 
   doodabug | Dec 23, 2005 01:31am | #2

   And a heavy duty truck and/or trailer to haul it.

2. 
   brownbagg | Dec 23, 2005 04:18am | #8

   and it be about $40 cheaper a yard to just order ####concrete truck. 2+3=7

2. 
   MJLonigro | Dec 23, 2005 01:33am | #3

   An 90lb bag of Concrete mix yields 2/3 of a cu. ft. So a cubic yard would need just over 40 bags of concrete mix..

   Rent a mixer!!!

    

1. 
   Sphere | Dec 23, 2005 01:47am | #4

   Sakrete is 80lb and 40 lb, no 90 that I ever saw. 

1. 
   JohnSprung | Dec 23, 2005 02:13am | #5

   Here the bags are 94 lbs.  Probably for some old traditional reason that nobody remembers now.  

    

   -- J.S.

    

1. 
   Sphere | Dec 23, 2005 02:18am | #6

   Or just to make the math harder..LOL 

2. 
   seeyou | Dec 23, 2005 05:24am | #9

   Here the bags are 94 lbs.

   That's what bags of portland cement weigh here. Premix is available in 40 & 80 lb bags.Birth, school, work, death.....................

   http://grantlogan.net/

1. 
   dustinf | Dec 23, 2005 05:27am | #10

   That's what bags of portland cement weigh here. Premix is available in 40 & 80 lb bags.

   same here.---------------------

   Swimming through the ashes of another life, no real reason to accept the way things have changed.  Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight.

2. 
   Matt | Dec 23, 2005 02:58pm | #11

   Same here. Portland = 94#Concrete mix:   40# 1/3 Cu ft   80# 2/3 Cu ft

   Home Cheepo also has 60# which I guess is 1/2 cu ft. 

   All: Sorry though, but I thinik it's rediciolous to hand mix (even with a mixer) a yard or more.  Further, I believe the stuff that comes out of the truck is stronger, or if nothing else, more consistant, and, depending on the project, the truck will often come out cheaper.

3. 
   seeyou | Dec 23, 2005 03:03pm | #12

   >I thinik it's rediciolous to hand mix (even with a mixer) a yard or more. <I mostly agree, but I've had several cases where the pour was not accessable by the truck and a pump was cost prohibitive. But, I have never used pre-mix for something like this. Portland, sand, and gravel and you can control the amount of portland to get a stronger mix.Birth, school, work, death.....................

   http://grantlogan.net/

4. 
   JohnSprung | Dec 23, 2005 10:35pm | #19

   > But, I have never used pre-mix for something like this. Portland, sand, and gravel and you can control the amount of portland to get a stronger mix.

   That's the way I did my little footing in the middle of the house.  I did about 2/3 yard with a little electric mixer set up in the laundry room.  It took all day, no fun at all.  But it was the least bad of the alternatives.  I had a cylinder broken at 29 days, and got 6390 PSI.   

    

   -- J.S.

    

5. 
   DaveRicheson | Dec 23, 2005 05:18pm | #15

   All: Sorry though, but I think it's ridiculous to hand mix (even with a mixer) a yard or more.  Further, I believe the stuff that comes out of the truck is stronger, or if nothing else, more consistent, and, depending on the project, the truck will often come out cheaper

    

   Not an option sometimes.

   I rented a mixer, hauled and mixed 38 bags of bag mix last summer for plumbing job.

    A less than 4 yd minimum pour here cost you the per yard cost and a separate haul charge of $125. Anything over 30 minutes per yard off load time cost an additional $$ per hour with an automatic 1 hr charge to kick it off.

   Now try unloading  a yard of concrete in 5 gallon buckets and humping it though a house and down a flight of basement steps in under 30 minutes.

   Sometimes it is safer and smarter to pay a similar amount and be in control of your job.

    

   Dave

6. 
   BossHog | Dec 23, 2005 06:13pm | #16

   The bags I buy locally are .8 cubic feet per bag - That's about 34 bags per yard. I suspect sizes vary from one manufacturer to another. If I was mixing up that much, I'd add some portlane cement to the mix to make it stronger.Last time I had to mix up a bunch of sackrete, I had the yard set a half pallet of the stuff on my one ton truck. I used what I needed, then drove back so they could unload it with a forklift. Saved a lot of handling...
   Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.

7. 
   DaveRicheson | Dec 23, 2005 09:14pm | #17

   I got mine a Lowes, but told the cashier to round up a couple of young bucks to put it in my trailer. At the other end, I parked the trailer by the mixer, and went down stair with my finishing tools. My young bucks mixed and humped it all down to me. the only time I hand mixed and carried concrete to the basement was for the  extra pad I formed and poured to level the floor for a shower stall.

   Next bag mix job will be 7 footing for sono tubes if I can't get it done when my sub is pouring the garage footings and stem walls. I'll leave the mixer hooked to the truck. Stack the bag mix in the bucket of the tractor, and move them both from  one hole to the next. Just mix and dump it, with a minimal amount back breaking work.

   I'm getting to old to hump 80 lb. bags and wet crete, without paying some heavey dues for it :)

    

   Dave

8. 
   Matt | Dec 24, 2005 01:38am | #20

   There are always exceptuions...  But then the customer paid for your extra labor.

9. 
   jayzog | Dec 24, 2005 02:16am | #21

   You also have to count the time waisted waiting for a ready mix truck to show up. Around here the concrete co.s are notorious for lying about delivery times, especially for short loads.

   For small jobs, I can run 40 bags of sackrete through my mixer pretty darn quick,place it, finish it,etc & done before I could even receive a delivery.

3. 
   jrdiblumber | Dec 26, 2005 03:11am | #23

   Actually john, most likely the portland is 94 lbs, that is because 94 lbs is 1 cubic foot of cement.

1. 
   brownbagg | Dec 26, 2005 04:11am | #24

   and the mortar mix that is cement and lime in a 80 lb bag, thats a cubic foot too.. 2+3=7

2. 
   MJLonigro | Dec 23, 2005 04:27pm | #14

   I was questioning the 90 lb bag myself.. Every lumber yard I either worked at or bought stuff from only sells 80 lb bags..

   BUT...the Sakrete website lists the regular concrete mix as 90 lb and the high strength as 80 lb...WHO KNEW???

   Might just be a Northwest thing...

3. 
   PeteVa | Dec 23, 2005 03:03am | #7

   Life here is much easier, our ready mix comes in trucks and that stuff they sell in sacks still needs water and sweat to get mixed, I'm a truck fan and a cheapskate

4. 
   VAVince | Dec 23, 2005 04:07pm | #13

   Heck, I have ordered a 1/2 yard just so I don't have to mix!! Payed for a whole yard. Saves time and your back.

5. 
   Rockford | Dec 23, 2005 09:31pm | #18

   Thanks for all the replies!

   I'm convinced- I need just over 1/2 yard, so I'm going to get one of those ready mixed "tow-and-go" deals.  They want $84 for 1/2 yard.  All I have to do is back it up to the trench, jack up the tub and spread it out, return the trailer.

   Thanks!

   Jim

1. 
   jdowney | Dec 25, 2005 07:01pm | #22

   Hi Jim,Those trailers are great for small jobs, just watch out if you've driven far, the gravel tends to settle to the bottom of the trailer. Its a real good idea to grab a shovel and try to mix it back up a bit before you pour.John