How and what you feed a jobsite crusher are important for optimum operation and ideal throughput. Prepping the material and site ahead of crushing can go a long way toward ensuring trouble-free operation, allowing you to spend more time crushing material and making product.

Here are some feeding tips and best practices to ensure you get the most from your jobsite crusher.

Don’t feed the crusher oversize material

As a general rule, do not feed any crusher oversize material. Oversize material can get stuck in the chamber and plug it up, inhibiting further crushing from taking place. It may also sit on top of the crusher, blocking other material from entering the crushing chamber.

Ensure the largest lump of the material is the feed is no larger than 80% of the crusher chamber. For example, the RC150T Tracked Jaw Crusher chamber is 26” x 14”, meaning the largest lump of material should not exceed 21” x 11”. For the best operation of your RC150T, the largest lump in the feed should be about the size of a basketball. This way, the crusher has time to process the material without jamming or slowing down the feed.

Feed the crusher relatively “clean” material

For the best operation of a jobsite crusher, remove excessive fines and soils from the feed ahead of crushing. Fine material can clog up the crushing chamber, limiting the crushing process and reducing throughput.

Feed from the back of the crusher

Jobsite crushers can be fed with mini excavators or skid-steer loaders. For the best throughput results, feed from the back of the crusher. Orient your excavator or skid-steer at the back of the crusher and ensure the buckets of feed material are directed toward the back of the crushing chamber. This way, the material can sit in the hopper and vibrate down into the crushing chamber.

Feed from slightly above the crusher

Feeding from a height slightly above the crusher allows the operator to monitor the feed going into the crusher and how the crusher is working. If you are feeding the crusher with a machine that is not taller than the crusher or a machine that does not give you that vantage point, consider building a level pad of material next to the crusher from which to feed it.

Remove wood and plastics ahead of crushing

Avoid feeding the crusher material laden with wood and plastics, as these can hang around in the chamber and prevent material from passing through, reducing production.

If wood and plastics are present in the feed, remove them ahead of the crushing process for optimal crusher operation.

Remove metal before crushing

Depending on the material being crushed, there may be tramp metal in the feed, such as rebar. Metal can wreak havoc on processing equipment. It can tear conveyor belts or get stuck in the crushing chamber and cause blockages.

Remove metals and other foreign material ahead of crushing for optimal performance. Any prep work you can do to remove foreign material will make your crusher work better and help you avoid damages to the crusher components.

If available, consider adding an overband magnet to the end of the crusher’s product conveyor. This magnet can catch any small pieces of metal that may have gone through the crushing process that you don’t want in your product pile.

Stay on top of maintenance

Maintenance is key to the optimal performance of any crusher. Lubricate the crusher with the appropriate type and amount of grease at the recommended intervals to keep moving parts in good working order. Also ensure that you inspect the engine at regular intervals and keep up with other recommend inspections and preventative maintenance tasks as recommended by your crusher’s manufacturer.

By following these tips, you can ensure you spend more time crushing material and more time making product.