Hey Everyone,

My brother has been a mason for almost 8 years now. He has also been studying to get his contractor certs etc... I am an engineer but I don’t know a thing about concrete pumping or the business. I would like to partner with my brother in a small concrete pumping start up. I have been working on the business plan. He will handle the concrete/customers and I will help with the business side of things. I have been studying concrete pumps for over 3 months now. I think I have it narrowed down to a Schwing P series or a Mayco C30 because all the other pumps are too big for his existing truck. I have not investigated cost yet. I am not really clear on the valve types from a reliability point of view or what the limitations of say an S valve over a "transfer tube", or Ball Valve would be. Also, fuel consumption data at engine max load seems to be scarce. Any experience you are willing to share would be highly appreciated. 

i looked at the mayco and the schwing i would pic one withlots of room around the rock valve, the problem i ran into when i ran the small line was when i got a rocky mix there was not enough room around the valve.but if your just going to pump grout they will prob. be fine,i personaly don't yhink there is a big enough market to keep you busy pumping only grout.

hey gravity - the best ball pump is a t-a, the other choises are putz tk-30, schwing st-30, reed a-30 if you are putting it on a customer job. going to cost more bucks but you want to be in this business right.

It is going to cost you more money to buy the wrong pump than it is to buy the right truck.

What is your target market today..... next month..... next year. Do not limit your growth/customer base by undersizing your pump.

My advice is to keep looking and saving money. Six months from now you will be able to buy a lot more (used) pump for the same money. Many pumpers will not be able to weather the comming storm. It is a fact of life and says nothing bad about the people that don't make it.

Wait and see is my best advice.

Bob Sanderson  www.ConcretePumpingSafety.com

We use Reed A-30 HP Trailer pumps. They are very strong pumps, best of all they are maintenance friendly. Reed makes a maintenance manaul with lots of detail which includes schematics electrical and hydraulic, parts list and how to make ajustments and repairs. We have had few troubles, no mechanical problems, mostly electrical {wireless remote and main PC}. We have pumped up to 375 ft and pushed it at full RPM for hours at a time. I looked at alot of pumps before we purchased Reed. They all have some of the same features and I am sure CIFA, SCHWING and some of the other big pump companies match up to Reed. Be sure to get wirless remote control, and pump with s-valve most pump company have that. Look for a used pump low hours. Any pump you get its all about preventative maintenance get somthing you can work on, that will save you lots of money. good luck

I run a 2006 schwing p305. 30 yd/hr machine. I pump grout 3/8", blends, and 3/4" mixes with absolutely no problems. THe advice about a wireless remote is spot on, i chose a remtron pump boss. Your on the right track, Reed, Schwing, and Mayco are all great pumps. I am able to keep busy on small jobs alone, i don't believe a machine this size will hurt your new business. You can always grow as needed, it is much more difficult to jump into something big right off in my opinion.

I live in CA. I am simply trying to understand the pros and cons of the different valves and peoples experience using them.