Concrete blowers — the pneumatic units that offload dry-bulk cement and fly ash from tanker trailers — are one of those specialty pieces of equipment that most repair shops don’t touch. Ames Hydraulics does concrete blower repair, sales, and install in central Iowa on pneumatic cement blowers for dry-bulk haulers and ready-mix operators. Rebuilds, mount fabrication, plumbing, PTO drives, and installs on trucks. Free pickup within 60 miles of Ames.
What a Concrete Blower Actually Does
A concrete blower is a rotary or reciprocating air compressor mounted on the truck (or the trailer) that pressurizes a dry-bulk tank so the cement or fly ash can be blown into a silo. When the blower fails, the load doesn’t unload — and a full dry-bulk trailer with no way to offload is a very bad problem. Concrete blower repair is one of the specialty niches this shop is set up for because it combines mechanical rebuild, welded mount fabrication, and PTO drive work into one job.
What We Repair
- Blower units — rotors, bearings, drive gears, and seals rebuilt
- PTO drives that turn the blower — shafts, U-joints, and mounts
- Plumbing — air lines, tank valves, and product lines
- Cracked mounting frames welded and reinforced
- Belt or gear drives and the pulleys that carry them
- Overtemp and overpressure safety hardware
Sales and Install
If you need to replace a blower rather than rebuild, we sell new units and install them — PTO drive, mount fabrication, plumbing, and start-up testing. A fresh blower install is a real day of work: cutting and welding a mounting platform, routing the PTO drive line, plumbing the air and product side to the tank, and testing everything under pressure. Doing concrete blower install right means the unit runs quiet, doesn’t crack the truck frame, and lasts the years you expected. We size the unit to your truck and haul cycle, not just what’s on the shelf.
Ready-Mix and Dry-Bulk Fleets
Most of our concrete blower repair customers are ready-mix producers with dry-bulk trailers hauling cement into their yards, dry-bulk contract haulers running powder for cement plants and fly-ash sources, and precast operations that offload their own trailers. If you’re one of those and your blower is getting tired, we can rebuild it before it fails at a customer’s silo.
Free Pickup Within 60 Miles
Pulling a blower off a truck is a job in itself, so most customers bring the whole truck. If you can’t easily get it to Ames, we’ll come pick it up — free within 60 miles. Text a photo of the blower and the make and model to 515-292-2599 and we’ll tell you the same day what your concrete blower repair needs and roughly what it will cost.
Get Your Loads Moving Again
See our full hydraulic repair, welding & fabrication, and trailer repair services. Call or text 515-292-2599 or bring the truck to 210 Freel Dr in Ames. Open Monday through Friday, 7AM to 5PM.
Bearing and Seal Rebuilds — the Bread and Butter
Most concrete blower repair is bearing and seal work. Blowers spin at high RPM, so bearings wear and seals leak, and both let contamination in. A blower that whines, runs hot, or leaks oil is telling you the bearings are on their way out. Catching it there is a rebuild; ignoring it is a scored rotor and a much bigger job. If your blower is making new noises, that’s the visit to schedule.
Winter Rebuilds for Dry-Bulk Fleets
The right time for major concrete blower repair is winter, when dry-bulk hauls slow down and the truck isn’t earning. Bring the truck in during January or February, we’ll pull the blower, rebuild it, and re-install it before spring. Off-season pricing is honest and the turnaround is faster because we’re not squeezing it between summer jobs.
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Written by Josiah Ragsdale
Owner, Ames Hydraulics — Ames, Iowa
Josiah owns and operates Ames Hydraulics. He has worked on hydraulic and heavy equipment since he was 18, and every hydraulic cylinder his shop rebuilds is pressure tested before it ships back to the customer. More about Josiah →
Got something broken? Call or text 515-292-2599