The question is a foggy line and many parameters determine which will be best.

Let’s start off by saying if a customer has one site and they want everything to be stationary then the decision is easy. The advantage of stationary equipment is that it is powered electrically which is the most efficient and economical to operate. The disadvantage is that you must bring all of the material to the recycling yard to be processed.

To determine if stationary equipment is an option, we first need to make sure the site is zoned properly. Second, we must make sure the site has 3 phase, 60 hertz power and will be sufficient to meet the power requirements of the equipment. Typically, stationary equipment is selected for large production systems.

The majority of our customers own a permitted yard, but also do a great deal of processing on various jobsites. With this in mind, portable crushers are preferred so the equipment can be shipped to the source of the material. In many cases, the crushed material can be used on site saving a considerably amount of money in freight. Most portable crushers have their own power source onboard so they can operate anywhere.

In recent years, many “hybrid” machines have been produced, meaning they have an onboard generator running the machine and they can also hook up to shore power. Although this is not an inexpensive option, it gives you the flexibility to run electrically off the grid which yields the least cost per ton to process. You will find that most hybrid crushers are medium sized machines weighing 100,000 pounds or less. Remember though, to be portable, you must be able to reasonably haul the machines down the road or, if you need large production, you will be looking at stationary equipment.

If you're still unsure if a Portable Crusher is right for you, you can also see our article, portable crushers vs stationary crushers, and, of course, we would be happy to discuss your application and will recommend the best equipment to make your business a success.

See our current inventory of New & Used Crushers of all types