Fastest and easiest way to dump concrete into sonotubes

[TheClock]

My dad is usually the one who’s in charge of this, but he’s out of the state for a few weeks. Now, I gotta dump 3.5 yards of concrete into these 12 and 16”sonotubes, right? I've been spoiled rotten and never even thought about doing this any other way, so now I'm wondering how you guys usually handle this mess

I want to build some kind of trough that's a little wider than my skidder bucket. It would slope down and have an opening right over each tube. That way, I could just dump the concrete in, and the guys could push it with shovels towards the hole, letting gravity do its thing and fill up the tube. Then I could just lift this contraption and move it to the next tube. Sounds like it'll cost more and be a pain in the btt to build than I'd like, but I can't think of an easier way right now.

There's no way I'm doing this one shovel at a time, it would take forever! Need insights here guys, tell me what you all think

 

[CherryonTOP]

A wheel barrow can be an option for you. Ive seen somewhat a special kind with a narrow mouth so it will pour concrete out to the front of it into a tube easily. And get some man power I guess, lol.

 

[TheStoneBuilder]

My dad is usually the one who's in charge of this, but he's out of the state for a few weeks. Now, I gotta dump 3.5 yards of concrete into these 12 and 16"sonotubes, right? I've been spoiled rotten and never even thought about doing this any other way, so now I'm wondering how you guys usually handle this mess

I want to build some kind of trough that's a little wider than my skidder bucket. It would slope down and have an opening right over each tube. That way, I could just dump the concrete in, and the guys could push it with shovels towards the hole, letting gravity do its thing and fill up the tube. Then I could just lift this contraption and move it to the next tube. Sounds like it'll cost more and be a pain in the btt to build than I'd like, but I can't think of an easier way right now.

There's no way I'm doing this one shovel at a time, it would take forever! Need insights here guys, tell me what you all think

Hey, is this related to your home renovation project? 3.5 yards is a decent amount! Your trough idea could work, but it sounds like more effort is needed than a one-time pour. There should be buggies for rent that can haul a good amount of concrete right to each tube. You could also look into renting a concrete pump, even a small one, if access is tricky.

 

[Mr.Everest]

Honestly, you're overengineering it really, in my opinion at least, trough sounds cool in theory but adds more work and materials for something you'll use once, so either rent a concrete pump or get a concrete funnel chute and use a loader bucket to feed it, its way faster and cleaner. No need to reinvent the wheel here really

 

[ColdChisel]

I'm with you on that. It sounds neat in theory, but it's overcomplicating a job that doesn't need it. A pump or a loader bucket with a funnel chute gets it done faster, cleaner, and with way less hassle. Have you run the chute setup before? Wondering how smooth it actually works

 

[ChicagoDogz]

Hey, is this related to your home renovation project? 3.5 yards is a decent amount! Your trough idea could work, but it sounds like more effort is needed than a one-time pour. There should be buggies for rent that can haul a good amount of concrete right to each tube. You could also look into renting a concrete pump, even a small one, if access is tricky.

yeah! OP should skip building that trough, it's too much work and hassle.
For 3.5 yards into Sonotubes, the best way to handle this mess is to rent a concrete buggy (power buggy).
It's fast, efficient, and precise. A skid steer with a concrete hopper attachment is another excellent option if you have the machine. Avoid shoveling or using regular wheelbarrows cause it'll be a nightmare.