McLanahan Crushed Stone Equipment: What I'd Buy Again (and What I'd Do Differently)

McLanahan crushed stone equipment is worth the premium—but only if you spec it correctly. Our fine material screw washer has run for eight years and still produces spec sand. The feeder breaker has been through two rebuilds and is still going. But I made roughly $400,000 in buying mistakes before I learned how to get the most out of this company.

I'm the plant manager at a family-owned aggregate operation in central Pennsylvania. I've been buying and running crushing and washing equipment for 14 years, and I keep a written log of every significant mistake so the next person doesn't repeat it. The first entry, from 2017, is a doozy.

I bought a rebuilt screw washer from an equipment broker to save $28,000. It failed in 14 months. The rebuild cost more than we saved, and we lost a week of production—or rather, six working days, which was worse because it hit our busiest month. My foreman, Henry, put it bluntly: "The price of rework never goes on sale." He's been at this since the 1980s, and he's right.

What McLanahan crushed stone buyers should know first

McLanahan makes a lot of equipment for crushed stone operations, but most buyers are looking at one of four things: fine material screw washers (sand screws) for washing fines, feeder breakers for primary reduction, filter presses for dewatering, or screens and crushers for sizing. In our case, the sand screw was the first big purchase.

When I called to ask about sizing, I expected a sales pitch. Instead, the applications engineer—a guy named Kel McLanahan—asked a dozen questions about our feed material, water supply, and target spec. Then he said something I didn't want to hear:

"You don't need the biggest machine. You need the right one."

He was right, and this is the most counterintuitive lesson I've learned in this industry: an oversized screw washer is not more efficient. It uses more water and power than necessary, and it's actually harder to dial in the right fineness modulus. Bigger isn't better. The right size is better.

One thing to keep in mind when you compare published throughput numbers: per FTC guidelines, manufacturers have to substantiate the performance claims in their marketing materials. McLanahan's published specs come from lab testing and documented field installations, not guesswork. That matters when you're planning a plant around a claim.

The other thing I'd tell a first-time buyer: don't shop for a machine. Shop for a system. A screw washer doesn't work in isolation—it needs the right screen ahead of it, the right pump, the right settling area. McLanahan's engineers will map the whole circuit with you if you let them. We didn't, initially, and our first setup had a bottleneck at the screen deck that we blamed on the screw washer. The screw washer was fine. The screen was undersized.

The expensive mistakes I made (so you don't have to)

1. I sized based on average feed, not surge

The first sand screw I spec'd was sized on average feed rate. Classic mistake. Aggregate feed is anything but steady—every time a truck dumps into the hopper, you get a surge. The numbers said 200 TPH average, but surges hit 350. The screw bogged down repeatedly.

Looking back, I should have sized for the surge rate. The upgrade to the next size cost about $18,000 more. The downtime and rework from two years of bogging down cost more than that.

2. I bought aftermarket wear shoes to save money

I thought I was being clever. Aftermarket wear shoes were 30% cheaper and looked identical. They lasted about a third as long, and when one failed, it took out a section of flighting. Total damage: $7,400 in parts and a 36-hour shutdown.

Crushed stone fines are sharp and abrasive—harder on equipment than natural gravel by a wide margin. McLanahan's OEM wear shoes are hardfaced specifically for this application. Aftermarket parts might be fine for sand and gravel, but for crushed stone, it's a false economy. (Should mention: their parts team shipped replacements fast, but the damage was done.)

3. I didn't bring in their engineers until I was already committed

For the first few years, I treated McLanahan as a parts supplier. That was my loss. Their applications team has tested crushed stone from hundreds of operations, and they have data I don't have. When they finally got involved in a recent project, they ran a simulation of our proposed circuit and recommended a different feeder breaker configuration. It performed measurably better—more throughput, fewer excess fines.

One example: our feed has a high clay content in certain months. The standard feeder breaker setup we'd planned would have been okay most of the year but would have choked during wet weather. Their simulation flagged it before we committed. That single adjustment saved us at least a week of rainy-season downtime in the first year alone.

The engineering consultation was free. My ignoring it cost me.

4. I bought on price instead of total cost

The numbers said go with the rebuilt machine—35% cheaper, supposedly fully reconditioned. My gut said buy new. I overrode my gut because I wanted to look good to the owners. The rebuilt unit lasted 14 months. I still have the spreadsheet from that decision, and it still embarrasses me.

I get why people buy on price. Budgets are real. But total cost of ownership includes downtime, and downtime is always more expensive than the equipment.

What about the small operation?

When we placed our first order with McLanahan, it was small—a single screw washer. Not a line. Not a plant. Just one machine. I was half expecting to be treated like an afterthought. That didn't happen. The engineers returned calls, the parts team recognized our account, and when I sent a material sample for testing, the lab report came back with specific recommendations rather than a generic brochure.

Small doesn't mean unimportant. Today's $50,000 order might be tomorrow's $500,000 order, but even if it isn't, a good manufacturer should take the work seriously. I've dealt with vendors who only wanted the big accounts, and the difference is obvious. When a company treats a small order with respect, it tells you something about how they'll treat you later.

When McLanahan isn't the answer

I'm not trying to sell you anything, and I don't think McLanahan is right for everyone.

• If you're producing under 50,000 tons per year, new capital equipment may be hard to justify. A used machine from a reputable dealer might be the smarter way to start.
• If you need a one-off custom build that doesn't match any standard product line, a local fabricator may be faster and more cost-effective.
• If you're in a region without the service network, the support calculus changes. McLanahan has global reach, but "global" doesn't always mean "next door."

This all worked for us because we're a mid-sized operation with predictable feed and a long planning horizon. If you're a seasonal operation handling surge volumes only a few months per year, the economics might look very different. Your mileage may vary.

One more thing: this is based on what we've experienced as of early 2025. Equipment models, lead times, and service offerings change. Verify current specs and availability before you commit, especially if you're planning a retrofit. And if you're just starting out, don't be afraid to call McLanahan with questions—even if your first order is small. The worst they can say is no.