I recently bought a P88, and now want a bigger pump, or as one guy told me, a "real" pump. Opinions on the Schwing 305? Reliability?

If one keeps the maint up they should give you good service life.Schwings parts,sevice,help line is second to none.

I bought an 05 Schwing 305 two years ago. It weighs around 3200 lb. I pull it with my 1/2 ton Chevy. I carry 150 ft of 2.5" hose strapped to the top of the pump. Love it. Pumps 30 yds an hour for flat work its fine no complaints. I pump 3/4" rock mix 50-50 rock sand although I pumped 1700 rock 1500 sand on saturday. The great thing about it its light. Pushes about 110 bar before pressuring out, so you have to know what your doing.I have a boom pump for big jobs. But i contemplated for a while before buying this pump, but wouldn't trade it. 500 bpa's are nice also but weigh twice as much. Do you need the volume? Do you want to pull it with a 1 ton flat bed, where i live its dirt roads and snow. So I like the maneuverability.

My thinking about buying a small pump has been location, and the sheer number of times we need a pump for small jobs. In Oklahoma, ICF's and safe rooms are a solid sideline to my general contracting, and being able to pour a small job when I am ready, not when I can get the primma donna with the closest pump to get there..typically a week or more out. Calling a boom truck for a 12 yard pour is expensive, plus the closest are 60 miles away. Now, that said, I saw the P88 and bought it with 100 feet of 2 inch line, and it seems ok...just a concern about my lack of experience, and now the desire to have a pump and actually add this as a sideline. Around here, line pumps get $100 an hour, plus yardage and mileage. 3 hour minimum. A boom truck is around $700 for 20 yards and up, depending on driving distance.

joasis-

I see you're a contractor.  Is it possible for you to look over your books for concrete pump rental receipts from the past?  What did you order the most - line pump/boom pump? and think about how it worked for you onsite.  Was it easier to have a boom pump? did it require more labor to pull hose with a line pump?  etc...etc...

Buy your serlf a Transcrete they are tough and parts last a long time thats my next line pump s-tube, Brian I know you say you pump 3/4 rock threw 2 1/2 hose somethings not right here 3/4 X 4 = 3 inch hose

quote[I see you're a contractor. Is it possible for you to look over your books for concrete pump rental receipts from the past? What did you order the most - line pump/boom pump? and think about how it worked for you onsite. Was it easier to have a boom pump? did it require more labor to pull hose with a line pump? etc...etc...] I have never used a line pump, or hired one, until I bought the 88. I have always called Whiteriver or Brundage and no complaints. Long ago, an ICF guy told me to hire the pump, and never mess with a boom, simply because of the labor of dragging hoses. I can see that he was/is very correct, but...in this economy, we need to do everything we can, within reason, to make our business work. When it comes to renting vs. owning, I nearly always choose to own, because since I do primarily new construction, with complete bids, owning the equipment keeps me in the bid if we have say, an excavator that has to stay on the bob site for a week, instead of 8 hours. While I can easily get by without getting into pumping, I see an opportunity to add this to the list of things I can and will do, kind of like our Bobcat and mini ex, and let it fill a need. My last reasoning was that I am building a new home, in a very sandy area. It will be a lot of pumping, minimum 3 trips from a pump, maybe more, and the 88 I bought will cover that work, and literally pay for itself....and now I have used it on 3 jobs and returned 1/4 of my investment already.

I hate it when my brain stops working.Have you used bbcp's mud snake hose?How do you like it on ICF's?

I have only used a boom truck on the ICF projects. The mud snake hose looks pretty neat, except according to what I read, it is only out in 4 inch so far.

Yeah,it is neat.Next time you do one ask if they have it,dispatch can probably help you when ordering a pump.This is a big safety push for us,trying to eliminate the use of double 90's on end of hose.

I think it would be great to get actual input from a user such as yourself.The mud snake was designed for ICF and restricted pours (ie colums,walls).With your help we may just stop the senseless accidents that plaige us.

Ed, i pumped two today with the 305. One 25 yds and one 40 yds. No plugs, 3/4" agg through 2.5" 5.5 bag mud. It only takes about 80 bar. Only problem the second ones best guy didn't show so I had to help finish. Rod,40 yds of 4". One of my good customers he was thankful, plus gave me a nice tip.. 50 miles between jobs also 10 of which were dirt roads. I like the light pump. Brian

hi guys just wanted to tell you guys iv'e been pumping in ICF's for about 15 years now about 3 to 5 a week the best set-up iv'e used is 5 to 4 reducer off the end 5' elbow then my double 90' elbow then a 4 to 3 reducer with a 6' 3" single ended hose! find this to be working awsome!!! no boom bounse and good flow.DAVE