Buying a Used Crushing Plant: Checklist

A used crushing plant can represent significant savings over new equipment, but thorough inspection is essential to avoid inheriting expensive, hidden problems.

Start with the crusher chamber itself — check wear plates, jaw dies, cone liners, or blow bars for remaining service life. These are consumable wear parts, but excessive or uneven wear can indicate improper feed practices or misalignment that may require additional repair work.

Inspect the main frame and chassis for cracks, especially around high-stress points near the crushing chamber and bearing housings. On tracked mobile units, examine the track pads, drive sprockets, and hydraulic track motors for wear — track system replacement is a significant expense.

Engine hours and maintenance records tell you a great deal; request service logs and, where possible, verify them against the engine hour meter. Cummins and Caterpillar engines, common in mobile crushers, generally hold their value well when properly maintained.

Check vibrating screens for cracked mesh, worn springs, and bearing condition — screen bearings running hot or noisy typically indicate they're nearing failure. Conveyor belts should be inspected for tears, delamination, and proper tracking.

Finally, review the hydraulic system for leaks and verify the electrical/control panel is functioning correctly, since replacing a damaged control system on an older plant can be disproportionately expensive relative to the plant's overall value.