Many decorative concrete contractors have preferred no-fail concrete mixes they rely on for the majority of their projects. If you have your own gold-standard mix designs, you’ll need a concrete pump built to handle them.

Some concrete pumps are multipurpose machines that can accommodate a variety of concrete mixes while others are engineered for specific concrete mix types. Generally, the maximum aggregate size the concrete pump can accept will govern the type of material it can churn out efficiently. Pea-rock concrete pumps, for example, are designed to concrete pump cement-based mixtures containing a 1/2-inch top aggregate size, such as repair grouts, shotcrete, and self-leveling overlays. Other line concrete pumps can handle higher-slump concretes containing larger coarse aggregate (3/4- to 1 1/2-inch rock). These models are better suited for placing concrete slabs and other structural elements.