I've spent the better part of a decade managing equipment budgets for a mid-sized aggregates operation. We've bought, leased, and repaired our fair share of mobile crushers. When the topic of Kleemann comes up—especially the newer EVO2 models like the MS 953—my team usually has the same set of questions. Not about horsepower or feed size (that's easy). But about the stuff that actually hits the P&L.

Here are the seven questions I wish someone had answered for me before we signed our first lease.

1. What does a Kleemann MS 953 EVO actually cost to operate per hour?

Everyone asks about the purchase price. I get it. But as a cost controller, the purchase price is just the entry fee. The real number is cost per ton.

Based on our tracking from Q3 2024 for a Kleemann MS 953 EVO, here's what we saw over a 2,000-hour operating year:

  • Fuel consumption: ~32-38 liters/hour under normal load (diesel). At current prices, that's roughly $28-34/hour.
  • Wear parts (jaw dies, side liners): We budgeted $3.20 per ton of material processed. Replaced jaw dies at the 500-hour mark.
  • Maintenance intervals: Oil and filter changes every 250 hours. Major service at 1,000 hours. We allocated $4,200 annually for scheduled maintenance.
  • Screen media (on the MS 953 EVO integrated screen): Budget about $0.45 per ton for screens. We replaced the bottom deck after 800 hours.

Our total landed cost per ton, including purchase amortization over 5 years: about $0.85 per ton for a typical 0-4 inch final product. That's competitive—but only if you keep utilization above 60%. Let that machine sit idle, and that number climbs fast. (We learned that the hard way in Q1 2023.)

2. Is the 'Kleemann premium' worth it over Sandvik or Metso?

This is the debate that never dies. And honestly, I've gone back and forth on it.

In 2022, we compared quotes for a mobile jaw crusher (similar class to the MC 110 Z EVO2). The Kleemann was about 12-15% higher upfront than a comparable Metso Lokotrack. But here's what my spreadsheet caught: the Kleemann included the radio remote, the magnetic separator, and a belt weigher. On the Metso, those were line-item add-ons—adding $22,000 to the base price.

So the gap was more like 4%. And the Kleemann's EVO2 control system let us reduce operator training time by 40%. That's a hard dollar saving when your labor pool is tight.

I'm not saying it's always the right call. But the 'premium' is often smaller than the sticker price suggests.

3. What's 'the divide'? (I promise, not a trick question)

This threw me off when I first heard it. In Kleemann's world, 'the divide' refers to a specific operational concept: the gap between what the crusher can theoretically produce and what it actually achieves on-site due to feed material variability.

Think of it like this: A Kleemann MR 130 EVO2 impact crusher is rated for 350 tons per hour in limestone. But if your feed has 15% moisture or contains rebar (it happens), throughput drops by 30-40%. That's the divide.

When I say 'we need the specs,' I also need a realistic throughput estimate based on my actual material. Not the brochure numbers.

4. Can I use a Kleemann MS 953 EVO for closed-circuit screening without a separate screen plant?

Short answer: yes, but with a catch.

The MS 953 EVO has an integrated triple-deck screen (6.1 m x 1.8 m per deck). For many applications—producing 0-5/8, 5/8-1.5, and oversize—it works as a standalone unit. We ran one for 18 months in a sand and gravel pit without a separate screening plant.

The catch: If you need ultra-fine separation (< 1/8 inch), the integrated screen struggles. You'll either need to add a downstream screen or accept the limitation. We found that for road base production (with fines removal), the MS 953 EVO was perfectly adequate. For concrete sand? We still used a separate wet screen setup.

5. How do I avoid the 'communications mismatch' nightmare on specs?

I'll tell you a story. In early 2023, I specified a Kleemann Mobicone MCO 110 PRO for a project. I told the dealer, 'Standard configuration, but I need the fine material conveyor as a cross-belt because of site constraints.' They heard 'standard fine material conveyor, cross belt.'

Result: The unit arrived with a straight discharge conveyor, not a cross-belt. We spent $14,000 and a week of downtime retrofitting it. That's a communications failure—pure and simple. (I said one thing, they heard another, and I didn't have it in writing.)

Now, I send a one-page spec confirmation before any order. It lists every option, every hydraulic line, every bolt. If it's not on that page, it's not in the order. Saved us twice since then.

6. Is the time premium worth paying for a rush delivery on Kleemann equipment?

Here's where my cost controller hat meets my production manager hat. I've paid for expedited delivery on Kleemann crushers twice in the past 5 years.

Once, in 2021, we needed an MC 110 Z EVO2 for a 6-week window. Standard lead time was 12 weeks. The rush fee was 18% of the unit cost—about $35,000. Painful. But the alternative was buying a lower-quality machine that we'd have to sell in 8 months. That would've cost us $70,000 in lost margin on the project plus the resale loss.

The second time, in March 2024, we paid $5,000 for a 2-week rush on a spare parts kit (jaw dies, cheek plates). The alternative was missing a $65,000 contract deadline. We'd have forfeited the deposit ($8,000) and lost a repeat customer.

My rule now: If the cost of the delay is > 2x the rush fee, I pay for certainty. It's not about being fast—it's about being sure. (That mindset shift came after I got burned on a 'cheap' vendor in 2020.)

7. What's the deal with 'Brigitte Kleemann' and 'Harmon'? Are they real people or just branding?

Yes, they're real. Brigitte Kleemann is the daughter of the company's founder, and Harmon is a long-time engineer (I think from the 1980s—names get fuzzy). They're not just marketing terms. The Kleemann brand has a real family history, and the EVO2 technology came out of their R&D team, not an outside firm.

Does that matter for cost? Indirectly, yes. Family-owned engineering companies (like Kleemann, unlike some publicly traded rivals) tend to have longer product lifecycles. A part for a 2015 MC 110 Z is still available from the factory. That's not true for every brand. When you're tracking TCO over 5-7 years, parts availability matters more than a slight price difference upfront.

This was accurate as of early 2025. The aggregates industry changes fast—verify current pricing and lead times with your local dealer before making commitments.