Which is the right mixer for you? Years ago the line was pretty cut and dry; a concrete (barrel) mixer for your concrete mixing and a mortar (paddle) mixer for materials that needed better blending or homogenization. What has changed? Mixers like the Workman II series mixers have been mixing mortar and concrete thoroughly and effectively for years with the quality that you would find in that of a conventional mortar mixer. The benefits to this is that you never show up to the job site with the wrong mixer. The drawbacks are that you don't have a bag breaker integrated in the mixer.