I've been running mobile crushing and screening equipment for six years. I've personally documented 17 significant mistakes in that time, and together they cost roughly $26,000 in wasted budget. The good news: most were avoidable, and I kept notes.

This checklist is for anyone responsible for a Kleemann crusher or screen — buying one, moving one, or trying to keep production running when the weather and the material are both trying to kill the shift.

Quick detour first.

If your search for "E500 Kleemann" is about the automotive tuning scene, this isn't that article. This Kleemann is the German crushing equipment maker. If that's what you need, keep reading.

Use this checklist when ...

  • You're about to buy a used Kleemann from an auction or reseller.
  • You're starting up a mobile plant after moving it to a new site.
  • Production numbers are dropping and the dashboard shows nothing.
  • You're planning a shutdown service day and want it to actually be productive.

Here are the steps. Follow them in order the first time; after that, you'll know which ones matter most on your job.

Step 1: Verify the exact model, year, and serial number before ordering anything

The model number is a good start. It is not enough. I once ordered a feeder pan for a Kleemann unit I thought was a MR 130 Z. It was actually the older model, and the difference of 40 millimeters meant nothing fit.

Another time, I saved $80 on a "compatible" hydraulic filter. The bypass pressure didn't match the spec. We caught it only when the pump started making noise. Replacement pump: $4,200. Classic saved $80, spent $4,200 moment.

Checkpoint: Write down the serial number and check the parts diagram against it. Call the dealer if the diagram doesn't match. Ten minutes on the phone beats two days of downtime.

Step 2: Check the EVO2 control connections before you replace sensors

Kleemann's EVO2 machines give you a lot of data. The problem is that a loose connector can make data look like a failure.

An MC 110 Z on our yard started throwing a hydraulic temperature alarm that wouldn't clear. We were ready to order a new sender. Then the service tech arrived. His badge said David Kleemann — same spelling as the logo, no joke. He lifted a connector, sprayed contact cleaner, plugged it back in, and the alarm disappeared. His bill: $450.

That felt like both waste and education. The education is more useful: check connectors and ground points before you buy parts.

Checkpoint: Clean and reseat every exposed sensor connector you can reach. Do it before ordering electronics.

Step 3: Build your local support list before the machine stops

When our first plant went down, I was the guy typing "eddie near me" into my phone during a breakdown. Eddie was a former crew member who knew every line by heart. He lived in another state. Not optimal.

Now we have a support list: dealer phone number, parts desk extension, after-hours emergency number, and the name of a field engineer. It took twenty minutes to build. It has saved us far more than twenty minutes.

If you don't have a local point of contact, ask the dealer for the regional applications engineer. That person is your "eddie near me," even if their name is Mark.

Checkpoint: One-page list, printed, taped inside the electrical cabinet. Plus a photo of it on your phone.

Step 4: Use the operator's manual for starting points, not memory

I once said to an operator, "We'll get the chamber cleared before the next shift." He heard, "The crusher can keep running; it will clear itself." Neither of us was saying the same sentence. Result: clogged chamber and a feeder belt that had been running under stress for no good reason.

Why does this matter? Because crusher settings — closed side setting, rotor speed, feed size — are numbers. "It sounded fine last week" is not a technical specification.

According to Kleemann's operator's manual for EVO2 series machines, all settings must be checked with the machine stopped and secured. We do that now. We also write settings for each material on a whiteboard in the yard.

Checkpoint: Record the settings for every material change. If there's a question, go back to the current manual.

Step 5: Make a maintenance log with photos, not just tick marks

In September 2022, the screen bearings on our secondary plant failed. I opened the service file — a clipboard with tick marks. No dates, no notes, no photos. The bearing had been marginal for weeks, and nobody had recorded it.

That repair cost $4,800 plus a week of downtime. The disappointment was not in the machine. It was in the record keeping.

Now we take a photo of the hour meter and the wear surface at every service. It takes two minutes. There's something satisfying about a log that tells a story rather than a column of indistinguishable checkmarks.

Checkpoint: Date, hour meter reading, photo, and a one-line note for each service event.

Step 6: Know when to park the machine — and say it out loud

One of our screens has a name: Henry. Our crew started calling it that years ago, and it stuck. If someone asks, "Why is Henry not playing?" the honest answer is usually a worn bearing, a torn belt, or a missing part that's on order.

Sometimes the right move is to park the machine before it breaks. That sounds obvious, but in the middle of a crushing week, it's hard to stop. We've kept a failing machine running "until the end of the order." It always costs more that way.

And Henry age? The screen is a 2018 model. In 2025, that's seven years old. But run hours and maintenance history matter more than the year. A maintained old screen will beat a neglected newer one on any average job.

Checkpoint: Before every shift, ask: Is this machine safe to run, and is it set up for today's material? If the answer is no, park it and say so.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Ordering parts without a serial number and a parts diagram.
  • Assuming a fault code means a sensor is bad before checking connections.
  • Waiting until the machine is down to ask for dealer support.
  • Treating the operator's manual as optional because "the machine has been around for years."

Honest limitations: when this checklist isn't enough

This checklist works for standard mobile crushing and screening setups. If you're running a fixed plant with a Kleemann crusher module and a whole system around it, the steps still help, but you need a maintenance planner and a larger spare parts inventory. This is not a complete solution for that.

If you're on a remote site with no dealer support and no local contact, the problem is logistics, not checklists. I can't fix that with six steps. At least, that's been my experience — and I'm not 100% sure what the current spare parts situation looks like in your region. Verify before you write the PO.

Prices and examples from my own operation, 2019-2025. Verify current details with your equipment dealer.