I have a question.

I like the line pump business, it makes sense to me and dollars for the people that are involved. The question is why do people buy ball valve machines? Aren't the swing tube machines more efficient? It seems to me that a swing tube will do everything that a ball valve will do and more.

I don't have a ny reason for asking other than curiosity. Please help me out. ;~)

I have asked that same question Bob. If you are going to purchase a concrete pump. Why not get an animal that can pump everything.

I know that Reed and Olin just to name a couple of our sponsors, make both. I know that someone, somewhere has a logical answer to my question. It can not be price because none of them are inexpensive. So we both need the answer.......... good. I hate it when everyone knows but me ;~)

I am not aware of Reed making a ball valve pump.

You are probably correct. I am glad you got me straight on that, thanks. Mybad. ;~)

One reason is price. Compare a 50yd/hr with a 50yd/hr rock pump. However, the real reason is performance. Pea gravel pumps do not surge, are faster because of the lack of surge and wash out with far less mess. In SoCal (where they may have been invented) they have always been used in the extremly large housing market for pools, patios' etc on existing homes. You can pump a residential job and leave no trace that you were there much easier than with a rock pump.

Reed did make a ball valve for a short time.

Ball valves are great for pea-gravel mixes, shotcrete, slurry. With the compensator, they are very smooth, no hose movement. Only problem is they don't reverse, so a plug up is a problem. When you finish pumping, fill the hopper with water and pump the valve clean. So you are in & out quick.

HOWEVER, unless you have control and direction in the mix supplied, with a ball valve ....... big Shit. So, for general pumping services, an S-tube model will give you better mix selections, 3/4 & 1 inch mixes, all the things a ball can do. BUT, a lot more line movement. You can reverse to free a plug (and the pressure in the hose) Clean out takes longer, more waste to shovel away.

MY EXPERIENCE, You can take a ball valve operator and put him on most S-tube or rock valve pumps and he will perform. BUT, you find it hard to get an S-tuber to operate a ball valve.

A pumping service needs both types.

Thanks Digger!

I have wondered about this for a long time.

If I was a masonary contractor filling block I would own a Mayco... or one of the clones of the C30 that are out there. So your explination is that the mess and surge are the deciding factors? I hate to beat this to death... but I really wish to know.

((In my mind there is a difference in pumping company and grout pumping))

S/B Digger and Doug.

Logical answer...probably not, my opinion is what's coming. I own and operate a schwing 30yph s-tube machine. I pump pea and big rock, and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. So many more job opportunities. The only down side would be the hose size and weight that accompanies the larger mixes. It is amazing how much more a 25' stick of 2.5" hose weighs compared to a 1.5" or 2". Don't think I would ever own a ball pump... well maybe if someone gave me one, lol.

You could not win a golf game with one club. The Swiss Army pen knife is useless, the screw driver is too small to turn a tight screw, the scissors would not cut a turd, etc.

So, I have not come across a CAN-DO-ALL line pump. A pumping service needs a mix of pumps ...... even, the ultimate mix, a ball valve, an S-tube and a squeeze-crete. Maybe, that's going too far. As an owner operator with a choice, the S-tube is the way to go.

In Australia, a ball valver is non-existant due to mix designs. However, in New Zealand we sell a stack of ball valves as well as S-tubes.

Personally, I tell anyone that's looking to get into pumping down here .... "go buy a hydraulic ball valve" there is a market for one or too for blockfilling etc. The mixes are such, that the S-tubers get too much build up in the tube after 20 cubes of blockfilling. I love ball valves for what they can do. 

RedMan,

Why doesn't Schwing use a 'baby roch valve'?

that's a great question, if I had to guess, one of these 2 are the reasons; 1, they have so much success with the big rock valve and their s-tubes are so reliable, they see no need or 2, a small rock valve is already in the works. Oh, the smallest schwing line pump I know of that uses the rock valve is the BPA500... a 50yph machine, which costs about 15k more than the next smaller machine which is an s-tube.

By the way, I didn't mean to offend any ball valve pumpers out there. When I used to drive redi-mix years ago, I filled many ball pumps... they do have their place... for how much longer, I am not sure. It would be interesting to see some sales figures from the major ball valve manufactures compared to s-tube and bigger line pumps.

One would think what areas to be worked.Brickies seem to only understand brick.Concrete pumpers would look at all aspects.If I started tomorrow I would want something that would do it all,but that's me.Cost and expertiece also would enter,ball valve deffinatley cheaper.But to each there own to areas of the job market.So long ago sent to Jacksonville to get some job market only to find the mayco's were hot there.

hey bob my first pump 2000 tkb-30 it was only 4k more than a olin-25, well it had its limitations that where not equal to a T-A. but first off ball units are sand pumps, fast and smooth and could unload a truck, wash on a couple gallons of fuel. my biggest bitch is taking a sledge hammer to the pluged hose, that is not pumping you are a lumber jack. so i have a slippy tube unit at twice the bucks, the advantage is the reverse that i can shake out the hose and when you get a rescue call its allways a truck mix.

Thanks for the info. So it is as I suspected; the swing tube will pump garbage that the ball valve will not & the surge is way less with the ball valve.

Why don't the swing tube machines use the surge chambers that the ball valve guys use? They seem to do a very good job.

Bob, Transcrete America do make compensators for S-tubes. When fitted the S-tube pump performs just like a ball valve ......... however, only good for 3/8 mixes and they take a little longer to clean out, but worth the extra. Down here, we have fitted just an old fashioned "air shock" T-piece on an S-tube, it works  a treat and also allows the operator to pump 3/4 rock.  

We used to use those all the time and then they seemed to go out of style. There are some boom pumps that could benefit from their application as well. ;~)