Stone cold crusher from Herbst

Herbst has built a reputation as a leading manufacturer of trailers for the agricultural and construction sector for transporting plant, machinery, equipment and aggregates.

The family-run business situated 2.5 miles outside Omagh, Co Tyrone, was established in 1983 by Noel Goode. Starting off in a car garage producing hydraulic power boxes under the Herbst brand, the company quickly expanded into low loaders in 1984 followed in 1985 by a track system for converting tractors to work on peat bogs.

The company now offers a range of products which includes low loaders, dump trailers, drop-side trailers, bale trailers, livestock trailers, slurry tankers and diet feeders. In 2005 Herbst expanded again but this time into the quarrying, mining and recycling industries as a manufacturer of mobile crushing and screening equipment which ultimately led to the birth of the Agri Crusher.

Concept

Due to customer demand for a smaller PTO-powered mobile crusher that could be transported behind a tractor without the need of a low loader, Herbst set about designing the Agri Crusher, releasing it in 2014. Since then over 43 machines have been sold. Noel said they had expected to only sell half that amount. The main customers have been agricultural contractors looking for a way of diversifying their business as well as builders, plant hire contractors and landscapers who use the Agri Crusher on site to convert what was once waste material into useable filling that they can then incorporate back into the site.

Design

Because the Agri Crusher is designed to process harsh material such as concrete and stone, it has to be made from tough stuff. The chassis is made from heavy-duty steel box iron and plate which is then fitted onto 50km/h running gear. Hydraulic brakes and new super single wheels are standard spec, while combination air and hydraulic brakes are available as an option. Noel said the key to the machine’s success is its simplicity. This is evident when you look at the placing of the crushing chamber on to the chassis which is mounted at 90° to what it would normally be in a tracked version. This is to allow direct drive to the jaw box from the tractor via a PTO shaft, removing the need for a complicated gearbox.

Material is fed into a large hopper from the top by a loading shovel, teleporter or excavator which leads into a 700mm X 400mm jaw crusher. This design allows gravity to do the work and removes the need for intake conveyors. The crusher can handle material up to 14in and process it down to between 150mm-40mm, which is hydraulically variable. Once the material is processed it falls on to a discharge conveyor, the speed of which can be varied hydraulically. An over-band magnet is available as an option.

Power requirement

Looking at a machine like this you would be forgiven for thinking it requires massive horsepower to drive; the fact of the matter is that it only needs a minimum of 100hp. The power is delivered efficiently through the PTO running at 540rpm directly into the crusher. This power is then converted through a system of pulleys to increase torque while also reducing the operating speed to the optimum level of 260rpm. A clock is fitted which monitors the shaft speed and displays a flashing red light to alert the operator if it is running too fast. Three hydraulic spool valves are required to operate the Agri Crusher. One controls the folding in and out of the conveyor, one runs the conveyor while the final one operates the four jack legs which are lowered on site, raising the machine and making it more stable. Herbst claims that upon arriving on site you can be fully operational in less than five minutes.

Safety

Safety is critical with any machine but even more so with a machine such as the Agri Crusher. The feed hopper is shielded to the front to stop any loose material falling towards the tractor while hopper access is only available via a ladder and walkway to the rear of the machine. Driveline protection is achieved by a shear bolt while the crusher itself is fitted with a toggle plate which gives way if a foreign object goes into the crusher that cannot be crushed. All moving parts are fully guarded and for ease of maintenance and safer access the discharge conveyor can be fully removed.

Price

The Agri Crusher has a price tag of £40,000 (€47,000) + Vat and comes standard with a 12 month warranty. For more information contact Herbst Machinery on 0044-288 0771568, email info@herbst.co.uk or log onto www.herbstmachinery.com.