Stone crushers are a vital tool in the construction and maintenance of unsurfaced roads and forest trails, with an array of brands available. We decided to investigate the market to find out what’s new and which models are favoured by some of the most renowned names in forest road construction.

KENT-based machinery supplier Lamberhurst Engineering is the official UK distributor for Italian manufacturer Seppi M, which offers the Midipierre stone crusher. This 1,270 kg unit is available in working widths of 1,250 mm and 1,500 mm, crushes stone up to 200 mm in diameter, and tills the soil to a depth of 120 mm (deeper depending on working conditions). The first prototype of the Midipierre was constructed in 1987, and this long-term development has led to the stone crusher achieving maximum efficiency, says Seppi M. A chassis of wear-resistant steel and replaceable plates are intended to ensure a long service life, while features include a new-generation patented rotor with a combination of Super Duo Protect and Extreme tungsten carbide tipped hammers, pointed guide skids, adjustable anvil bar, and a hydraulically operated hood.

Fellow Italian manufacturer FAE Group updated its stone crusher range earlier this year, with the introduction of the RSH/HP. Described by FAE as the “ultimate stone crusher”, the RSH/HP crushes stones and rock slabs up to 500 mm in diameter at a depth of up to 500 mm. It is compatible with tractors between 360 and 500 hp and has a working width of up to 2,600 mm. FAE has also revamped its RSM model, which is designed for crushing stones up to 500 mm in diameter at a depth of up to 400 mm. They are compatible with tractors between 200 and 360 hp and have a working width of up to 2,300 cm. A high-resistance, anti-wear steel frame, interchangeable internal and external guards and a forged-steel tooth-holder with heat treatment make up a sturdy and well-built structure on all units, says FAE. Improvements on the new RSM and RSM/HP models, which are also featured on the new RSH/HP, include an enlarged opening to allow the intake of more material, and a wider counter-blade. The gear transmission now features an oil-cooling system, and new protection chains replace the standard ones from previous versions.

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UK forest road construction contractors such as Making Trax and Renutrack are known to make use of the rear-mounted BPB 250 stone crusher from French manufacturer Kirpy.

Weighing 3,250 kg, the BPB 250 has working width of 2,440 mm, features 12 replaceable tungsten-tipped hammers and a hydraulic breaker anvil which crushes rock up to 400 mm in diameter and to a depth of 150 mm, a dual belt drive and internal Hardox armour plating.

As well as the BPB 250, Kirpy offers the smaller BPB 200 model, which retains many of the same features. It weighs 2,350 kg, and has eight hammers and a working width of 1,800 mm. Also available are the BPB-S versions (BPB-S 200 and BPB-S 250), which offer finer crushing.

Tom Reeves, owner of Cumbria-based Making Trax, was full of praise for the Kirpy BPB 250 stone crusher. He said: “It never fails to impress by its sheer durability and doggedness in continuing to push on through any length of road.

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“Sometimes you will rip up a boulder the size of an old telly and you pass over it with a sinking feeling that really you should get out of the tractor and man-handle it to the side – before it sucks it up, chews and then spits it out as aggregate.”

Somerset-based MP & KM Golding, specialising in the provision of road reclamation services, favours the front-mounted Speedy grader from Austrian manufacturer PTH, which it uses with a Fendt 716 Vario tractor.

This 2,100 kg unit has an overall length of 4,000 mm and a maximum digging depth of 290 mm. It can be mounted onto a variety of carrier vehicles such as tractors, wheel loaders, trucks or excavators from 80 hp. It boasts a stable full-frame construction, strong front axle design, 360-degree rotatable wheels, load-sensing hydraulic control block, an articulated joint with 45-degree steering angle, hydraulic shield tilt function and CAN bus control with ergonomic joystick.

PTH offers the larger Speed Grader G2, which weighs 4,400 kg, and has an overall length of 4,800 mm and a maximum digging depth of 300 mm; and also the 1,500 kg Speedy Light, which can be front or rear mounted.

“Our front-mounted graders do an impressive job. We can make a big difference with the one machine and the gradient of the road is the most important factor in its longevity,” said Mark Golding.

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