Propagation: Equipment suppliers in the lower Fraser valley/Kamloops corridor

I’m in Vancouver area until late August. I’ve been trying to find a 2nd hand soil mixer that I can inspect and possibly purchase. Something between 1 and 2 cubic meters, that can handle heavy mixes.

So far my google-fu hasn’t been very good at finding 2nd hand mixers, or even dealers for new mixers. Does everyone just buy direct from the factory and keep them forever?

I asked on Reddit. They suggested Digger magazine, a trade mag for the Oregon nursery industry. Digger no longer has equipment ads, but only employment ads.

I checked on the BC Landscape and Nursery association. No equipment ads there there.

Kijiji and Craigslist have come up blank too.

Usually when this happens it means I’m not asking the right question. Tips, please

 

A concrete mixer should work and should be readily available.

 

Tumbler mixers either have to work with very dry mixes, or the clay fraction in the soil will build up into large balls.

Concrete mixers are difficult to load with conventional farm machinery. My loader bucket doesn’t have the reach, nor is it narrow enough to match the funnel.

Would love to be proved wrong on this.

 

Maybe one of the viticulture suppliers

Here is a well known example (jpg attached)

 

Search 'mushroom growers' favourite tumbler mixers' if you haven't already checked them out. There's some pretty serious-looking contraptions under 'Show All Pictures'.

 

Yeah, but tumbler mixers don't make good soil mixtures if you have any clay.

Talked to the the fellow who runs Linnaea Nurseries. He says that the hort community goes by word of mouth, and when someone is folding up shop, or upgrading he puts it out on the grape vine.

I found a 1.4 m3 ribbon mixer designed to mix dry grout (sand, cement powder and coloring) for 10K