Jaw Crusher, What Do I Need To Know About Crushing Concrete?

I need to cover about 7 acres in gravel, at least 6" thick, and I just can't afford it. But I can get all the broken concrete (delivered) I can handle for free, if I could crush it. So I'm thinking about getting a big jaw crusher, I found a few I could afford, but its just the crusher, no motor. I'm envisioning trailer mounting the crusher and powering it with a diesel engine, but I have no idea how much HP it takes to run a 18" x 30" crusher? Can I just dump straight into the hopper and let it crush? Or will I need to dribble it in with the loader so it does not clog? If bottom opening is set to 2" can I expect rebar to pass through, or will it jam up the machine?

Does this idea sound even remotely feasible , oh my neighbors are going to love me Sadly, I know all about hard work. A conveyor with a magnetic drum would take care of the small metal parts, the big ones we could just pull out of the pile. I've watched quite a few youtube videos of concrete with rebar going thru a jaw crusher, and it seems to handle it fine, I realize thats not the same as experience. The property is pretty much unusable after it rains, and I need to make it usable so its a source of income. It would cost around $50,000 if I payed someone to haul that much gravel, and I just cannot afford that. I think I could setup a decent sized crusher for about 20K, spend my afternoons for the next year on the loader scooping up concrete and dumping it in the crusher, and when I'm finished sell the crusher, in the end I'd be into it for time, fuel and maintenance:shrug:

I did find this crusher attachment, and got a price quote for one that will fit my loader, but its not cheap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8oDMaLL6FE I have a small 6" jaw crusher that I have run a lot of 4" to 5" stone though and it works fine hand feed. I also have a small 12" jaw crusher that we have run some concrete though but we had to brack it up frist to fit in the 12" jaw. some rebar was so long that we had to cut and pull it out of the jaw. most of the rebar would not go though . we did use a loader to fill the jaw and also hand feed some of the concrete. The contact plates in that crusher should handle the concrete with relative ease, way easier than most native rock. The rebar may pose a bit of a problem as it will not be nice and straight and lined up all purty like. Likely to tangle up a bit and plug up the product transfer. Feed rate will be directly proportionate to horsepower avaliable. Noise prolly not as bad as one might expect. Diesel will likely produce as much sound as the actual crusher. If you decide to run it with electric, I have a 50 hp electric motor avaliable. I just don't know if that is enough, or if you have the power avaliable to run it.

How much could you save doing your own trucking on commercially produced gravel? On the other hand, if you work out a feasable system, could you sell crushed concrete? Hmmmm.... Another way to look at it is you will be crushing up and cleaning 7+ acres of road/foundation/wherever the concrete came from.

I'll guess you need 40KWh of electric per hour to run 50hp average all day, 8 hours, 10 cents a KWH, $32 a day, say $640 a month for 5 days at 8 hours. Keep in mind if you overload the local electric grid they are gonna stick it to you for far more then 10 cents a KWH

My rough math says in the neighborhood of $100 a 8 hour day to run a diesel to keep this running, $ a month. (figured at 3.5 bux a gallon)


You'll need to have and run a large front end loader, keep it in diesel too. At 150 pounds per cubic foot you're gonna have to move 12 kilotons of concrete IN and OUT of the crusher. Google says you get 5 pounds of cubic foot of steel out of that 150, so you'll have 380 tons or so of rebar to sell for scrap.

Somewhere in that I'd figure you're gonna have to rebuild the crusher, hardfacing rod isn't cheap and welding by the pound is definitely work.

50k you're only paying $88.4 per 10 yards....

I'm not against hard work but isn't busting rocks the definition of misery? 50hp wont run an 18x30. With a jaw, momentum has LOTS to do with it! My 10x24 will take a full size rock down to 1 1/2" in about 4 or 5 bites....but if it's not turning full speed, it will plug with a rock the size of my fist. When that happens, you get to pull ALL the rock out and start over...figure an hour or so. Rebar will raise hell with a jaw. Plain and simple. It's not if, it's when. Break that toggle plate and things get spendy fast. I know people that do it all the time and some get away with it, some don't. Noise, dust, and all that will be a constant issue, as well as MSHA will be trying their damnedest to "regulate" you... and trust me, you don't want them around..even though they really have no jurisdiction with the type of operation you will have.
All in all, I'd recommend that you do what was suggested above and let someone pull in and crush what you have. It's a bunch of headache if you're not set up to do it.

so you'll have 380 tons or so of rebar to sell for scrap.

380 tons @ $190 per ton = $74,100, so what your saying is I can make a profit

OK, I'll be honest with you guys, at this point I'm so screwed its not funny. I've been advertising on Craigslist for clean fill, and up till Monday its been good usable material that I've been using to level areas of the property. So I got a call Friday, 18 truckloads of broken concrete, nothing bigger than a basketball, just what I needed to fill in the front parking area and bring one end up 3 feet. I was expecting 12 yard dumptrucks, so I was a little surprised Monday morning when an 18 wheeler end dump arrived. The first 6 loads were well broken concrete, the next 4 loads had a few big boulders, the next 2 loads were nothing but massive boulders of concrete, so I said stop, driver said it was the last load, so I figured I could deal with it. Tuesday morning I was leaving and realized more big boulders had been dumped, at least 3 loads worth . Ran back to the house to get the and as I step out of the house another truck is pulling in the driveway *#@^!, by the time I got up there he was dumping. After that truck pulled out I jumped on the loader and scooped up a bunch of big boulders and blocked the driveway

I've decided to use the boulder sized stuff to build a retaining wall, this will let me fill in an unused area and get it ready to be covered in road base, gravel, crushed concrete something. Spent about 3 hours this evening moving boulders, got at least 300 feet of boulders lined up, I'll be at it all weekend, but there is still too much in the front parking area, almost too much to work in:shrug:

Choosing a mobile impact crusher is a critical decision for any recycling or demolition operation. To ensure you choose the right machine that fits your needs and budget, here are ten essential questions to guide your purchase.

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1. What is the intended application, material type, and volume?

Identify the type of material you will process, such as concrete, asphalt, or natural rock, and calculate projected costs per ton for running the crusher, including fuel, wear parts, and maintenance. Also be sure to estimate the amount of material and define the desired end-product size and quality. Understanding these factors helps determine the machine's capacity and suitability. 

2. What environmental conditions and power options apply?

Consider local environmental regulations on noise, dust, and emissions where the crusher will operate. Check if electric power is available and cost-effective compared to diesel. Electric or hybrid models might offer environmental and operational advantages in certain settings.

3. What are the key technical specifications of the model?

Pay attention to engine horsepower, rotor weight, and blow bar size to understand crushing power. Evaluate hopper capacity, feeding height, total machine weight, and dimensions, and confirm the machine can be transported easily within your fleet and job sites.

4. What type of rotor drive does the crusher use?

Is it direct from the engine, electric, or hydraulic? Each option comes with its own trade-offs in terms of power, fuel use, and maintenance. Think about what fits your workflow best — do you want simplicity, efficiency, or flexibility?

5. Can it move while it crushes?

Some impact crushers can track while crushing, which is a game-changer on active job sites. If you're constantly repositioning equipment, this feature can save serious time and hassle.

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6. How will it fit with the rest of your setup?

If you're running a jaw upfront or a screen plant downstream, make sure your impact crusher plays nicely with the rest of the system. Smooth material flow is key to keeping production moving and avoiding bottlenecks.

7. Do you need built-in options or extras?

Would a built-in screen make your life easier? How about a magnet for rebar or an extended conveyor? Don't overlook the value of integrated systems. They can make your setup more compact, efficient, and easier to manage.

8. What's under the hood? 

Quality parts matter. Take a good look at the blow bars, rotor, hydraulics, electronics, and even the steel used in the frame. Cheap components will cost you more in the long run through wear, breakdowns, and downtime.

9. Is it easy to maintain?

Quick, hassle-free maintenance keeps production moving. Look for a design that allows easy access to service points and fast blow bar changes. Less downtime means more tons crushed and fewer headaches on site.

10. How fast can you get parts?

Even the best machines need service. Ask how quickly you can get replacement parts and what the local support looks like. If a critical part goes down, you want to be back up and running fast.

Asking these kinds of practical, job site-focused questions will help you find a mobile impact crusher that doesn't just tick boxes, but actually delivers on your day-to-day needs.

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