When This Checklist Works

You're comparing mobile crushers—say a Kleemann MR 110 EVO2 vs. a competitor's impactor—and the upfront price tags are within 10% of each other. The sales rep swears their machine will save you money. But your gut says there's more to it.

You're right. I've been in procurement for eight years, managing equipment budgets north of $2M annually. I learned the hard way that the cheapest quote can become the most expensive machine. This checklist is for anyone who needs to compare total cost of ownership (TCO) for Kleemann gear—or any mobile crusher—without getting burned by hidden costs.

We'll walk through six steps. Each one has a concrete check point. By the end, you'll have a structured approach to cut through the noise.

Step 1: Define Your Operating Context

Before you look at a single spec sheet, answer three questions:

  • What material are you processing? Limestone, granite, recycled concrete? Kleemann's MR 110 EVO2 handles 0–700 mm feed with a rotor diameter of 1,100 mm. But if you're running high-silica gravel, wear life changes drastically.
  • What's your target output? Tonnes per hour matter. The MR 110 EVO2 can produce up to 350 t/h in recycling, according to Kleemann's published data. But your actual throughput depends on feed gradation and moisture.
  • What's your site conditions? Temperature extremes, dust levels, and access for service trucks all affect uptime.

What I mean is: don't assume a machine rated at 350 t/h will hit that in your specific setup. Check point: write down your three key operating variables before you start number-crunching.

In my experience, the procurement teams that skip this step end up with a machine that's either over- or under-spec'd. For example, during the WSG quarry expansion, Miranda (our ops lead) initially assumed a smaller crusher would work. Once we ran the material test, it was clear we needed the full EVO2 line.

Step 2: Collect All Capital Costs

Here's where the first hidden cost trap lives. A quote for the Kleemann MR 110 EVO2 might list $520,000. But what about:

  • Freight and customs charges
  • Site preparation (concrete pad, access roads)
  • Installation and commissioning (Kleemann typically sends a technician—check if it's included)
  • Initial operator training

I once assumed "freight included" meant door-to-door. Turned out it was to the nearest port. That mistake cost us an extra $18,000 in inland transport. Check point: ask for a full breakdown of capital costs with all charges itemized.

Step 3: Map Out Consumables and Wear Parts

This is where TCO gets real. The Kleemann MR 110 EVO2 uses blow bars, impact plates, and screen decks. Their replacement intervals vary wildly by material.

I want to say the blow bar life for our Kleemann 130 EVO2 (the larger model) was around 500 hours in granite, but don't quote me on that—it depends on rotor speed and feed size. The key is to get a wear parts cost per tonne from the supplier, not just cost per part.

Check point: ask for a service manual or a wear life calculator. Most sales engineers will provide a spreadsheet if you push. If they won't, that's a red flag.

Let me rephrase: what is a "breakfast" in this context? It's the daily operational overhead—fuel, wear parts, screen cloths—that you consume every shift. If you don't understand your breakfast costs, you can't budget. So think of Step 3 as defining your breakfast.

Step 4: Calculate Energy and Fuel Costs

Kleemann's EVO2 series uses a diesel-electric drive. The MR 110 EVO2 consumes roughly 28–33 liters per hour under full load, according to VDMA benchmark data I've seen. But diesel prices swing. In 2023, we locked in a fuel hedge that saved 12% over spot.

Also factor in electricity if you use a plug-in setup (some sites run the crusher off grid power). Check point: build a simple fuel cost model that includes average price, operating hours per year, and a 10% buffer for idling and start-up.

Step 5: Factor in Maintenance and Downtime

I have mixed feelings about extended warranties. On one hand, they can cover major rebuilds. On the other, they often exclude wear parts and operator error. We had a situation where a gearbox failed on our MR 110 EVO2; the warranty covered labor but not the $14,000 replacement part because they classified it as "negligence."

Better approach: build a maintenance schedule from the OEM manual. Factor in cost per hour for oil changes, filter replacements, and major service intervals. Also, talk to other users. I called a colleague who runs a Kleemann 130 EVO2 in a quarry near Atlanta—he told me the hydraulic system is robust but the conveyor belt tensioners need weekly checks.

Check point: get a list of recommended spare parts and their prices. Verify lead times for critical items like wear parts—some may be backordered 6–8 weeks.

Step 6: Include Residual Value and Trade-In

I almost skipped this step. I was focused on acquisition cost. Then a vendor offered a trade-in credit for our old machine—it knocked $65,000 off the new Kleemann MR 110 EVO2. That changed the entire payback period.

Kleemann equipment tends to hold value well because of German engineering reputation. Check local auction results. I found that a 5-year-old ≤10,000-hour unit still fetches 45–55% of new price. Check point: ask the seller for a written buy-back guarantee or a residual value projection based on typical market data.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are three errors I've seen repeatedly in my 8 years:

  1. Assuming all OEMs measure fuel consumption the same way. They don't. Some use max load, some use 75% load. Learn to verify the test cycle.
  2. Ignoring the cost of capital. Your company spends money to have money tied up in equipment. If you buy a crusher for $500,000 with a 5-year loan at 6%, the interest alone is ~$80,000. Include that.
  3. Underestimating training costs. Even a skilled operator needs a day or two to learn the controls. We lost three shifts when our main operator was out sick and the backup wasn't trained.

Final thought from Miranda: "The checklist saved us from buying a machine that looked cheap on paper but would have drained us in consumables. We went with the Kleemann, and after two years, the TCO is exactly what we projected."

Want a copy of the spreadsheet I used for the WSG project? Drop me a note. Happy to share.