Giberson Demos Its Jaw Crusher Bucket in Ill.

Fri December 21, 2007
Aggregate Equipment Guide

Giberson Enterprises LLC recently demonstrated how recycle, demolition and concrete contractors, as well as aggregate producers, can lower costs using its Eco-Crusher excavator-mounted jaw crusher bucket at Brackenbox Inc. in Markham, Ill.

Brackenbox, a transfer station that handles numerous tons of C&D and concrete material each year, was the ideal location to show contractors how the Eco-Crusher can operate on small job sites, scooping and crushing the material that contractors typically pay hundreds of dollars per truckload to haul away.

Instead, by crushing the material on-site, these contractors can save on hauling and tipping costs, and increase truck hauling capacity. Often, the crushed material can be resold or reused on-site as fill material, versus depositing it into a landfill.

The Eco-Crusher bucket, which fits onto any brand of excavator, quickly crushes recycle material, cleaning it from any rebar, steel or copper pipe and enabling contractors to pull the cleaned metal from the finished pile and resell it along with the recycled material.

“It costs roughly $2.50 to $5.50 per ton to crush material with the Eco-Crusher, including the excavator, operator, fuel and bucket,” said Casey Reed, national sales manager of New Jersey-based Giberson Enterprises.

“Comparatively, it costs contractors approximately $5 to $10 per ton to have the same crushable material hauled from the job site, and then another $8 to $10 per ton to buy the usable material back. And with this bucket [crusher], contractors can sell the recycled material for less than new concrete or aggregate, so it’s a win-win situation for both the crusher contractor and the contractor who buys the material.”

The Eco-Crusher line includes the BF60 for 10-ton (9 t) or larger excavators; the BF 70 for 15-ton (13.6 t) or larger excavators; the BF 90 for 25-ton (22.7 t) or larger excavators; and the BF 120 for 40-ton (36 t) and larger excavators. Production rates range from 15 tph (13.6 t) on the smallest bucket up to 99 tph (90 t) on the largest.

In spite of the “unfriendly” demo weather in Markham — sunny skies, which most contractors view as the best working days — Giberson entertained nine contractors, one equipment dealer and one trade press editor at the demonstration.

“I’m definitely sold on the machine,” a local waste handling contractor said. “The ROI on the Eco-Crusher is really good. In about one year, I could easily recoup its cost with the money I would save from hauling costs and by selling more of my material. Other crushers I have used in the past required multiple machines, hydraulics and operators, whereas with this bucket I only need one [machine and operator]. And it is versatile because it is an attachment, thereby cutting down on the number of machines I need in my fleet and saving me money.”

The Eco-Crusher provides many advantages for contractors and producers, according to the manufacturer. It only requires one operator — who runs the excavator and bucket to scoop and crush the material — and easily attaches and detaches from the excavator. Within one week, an operator can be fully acclimated to the machine and crusher attachment, running between 15 and 99 tph — depending on which Eco-Crusher model is used and the desired reduction ratio. The bucket crushes all material smaller than 15 in. (38 cm) thick into an end product that ranges from 6 in. (15 cm) down to 1-in. (2.5 cm) minus, again depending on the Eco-Crusher bucket size and closed-side setting configuration.

“I like this equipment because you can take it anywhere, and it saves you on trucking costs,” said a foreman for a house moving company based in Crown Point, Ind. “Larger crushers take up so much room that they generally can’t be used on smaller sites, but this unit can.”

For projects such as house moving, or smaller demolition jobs, the Eco-Crusher quickly and easily reduces foundations and other concrete material to use as on-site fill or sell as recycled aggregate material. On road building projects, contractors can crush old concrete pavement to make better use of haul truck capacity. In aggregate operations, the jaw crusher bucket is ideal for general cleanup and crushing of small deposits along the face of the quarry.

Giberson holds regularly scheduled demonstrations throughout the United States.

For more information, visit www.ecocrusher.com.