Transformer for cement mixer - help needed please

valve90210

valve90210

valve90210

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I've just managed to acquire a cement mixer but need a transformer for it and have to say I have no idea what I'm looking for.

This is the connector it has on the body of the motor
20140731_204225_zpsl25lolto.jpg


The cement mixer is an old and very used Ibral 140

If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd be very grateful! (ideally I want to spend as little as possible... Or free...lol)
 
Look on the motor and see what power/amp it takes, it will be stamped or printed on it somewhere, weather that is still possible to see anymore idk, but without that you don't know what you can plug this into (ofcourse it's a 240v 16A plug, but if it's lower then 13a then you could just get an adaptor as said above).
 
I'd suggest that you get or make an adapter to jump from standard 13 amp plug to a blue 16 amp socket. the blue ones are 230v, the yellow ones are 110v.
The type you have is IP44 rated therefore safer to use outdoors.
Something like this http://www.mdnsupplies.co.uk/shop/13amp-plug-to-16amp-socket.html

I've had a quick google and some pretty chunky looking electric cement mixers draw approx 1.5kW or ~6.5 amps so you should be fine running it from a 13amp feed.
 
Right although I am a sparky I am not guaranteeing anything I'm about to say here.

The manufacturer says its a 600w motor. So supply at 230v needs 2.6 amps. Well below the 13amp "maximum" of a UK socket.

http://www.irbal.com/index_eng.html


In theory you're fine to buy a 16amp to 13amp convertor. I wont link one though sorry. Or just make one simple enough.
 
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Also, it may be worth just bypassing that old looking plug (it doesn't even have an earth pin?), just drill a 20mm hole in the side of the motor enclosure and put a flex gland in and hard wire a new lead with a 13a plug on the end (use some 'SY 3 core flex' or similar for good mechanical protection and use an adapter linked above)
 
Just remember schuko's are non polarity so if you use the above you need to make sure polarity it correct or your motor won't like it schuko's come with an earth pin when polarity needs to be correct that's why your male schuko on the mixer has a socket for an earth pin so you can't swap the plug arround
 
Wow, I fall asleep and when I come back there's masses of info for me to look at :)

I had a look this morning, there is only one plate on the machine and that merely tells me who makes it, what model it is and a serial number (which is partially rubbed off as it was caked in cement which I had to rub off taking some of the info with it...lol)

From what you're all saying I can plug it into the mains and don't need a transformer (hoorah) Maccapacca, am I right in thinking I could just get one of those sockets and wire it up to a normal 13amp plug and away I go?
 
Millwall.FC said:
Just remember schuko's are non polarity so if you use the above you need to make sure polarity it correct or your motor won't like it schuko's come with an earth pin when polarity needs to be correct that's why your male schuko on the mixer has a socket for an earth pin so you can't swap the plug arround
Click to expand...

That wasn't there when I started typing...lol

How would I know what polarity to use?

Does the thingy Maccappacca linked to have an earth pin? (it sort of looks like it has but I wasn't sure ?)
 
valve90210 said:
That wasn't there when I started typing...lol

How would I know what polarity to use?

Does the thingy Maccappacca linked to have an earth pin? (it sort of looks like it has but I wasn't sure ?)
Click to expand...

earth should make contact on the right of your mixer outlet just swap the plug around straight away if it dosent work or runs in reverse swap the socket 180 degrees as if it has a gear box there is a very small chance of it running in reverse, majority of snigle phase motors will not run in reverse though.
 
right... now you've confused my power little brain....

The thingy Macca has linked to (schuko socket), by the looks of things seems to have two sockets for the pins on my mixer to slot into, and no third earth pin or socket.

SO in terms that a child could understand...

how would I wore it coming from a bog standard 13am plug?

What type of wire would I use?

I probably sound incredibly stupid but I just want to be certain what I need to do because it's all a bit foreign to me! (rather like the mixer...lol) :)
 
I would personally seek the advice of a qualified electrician to wire it up. Chances are your going to either break the mixer or electrocute someone or both.
 
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