McLanahan FAQ: Equipment, Service, and Name Mix-Ups

I've been handling McLanahan equipment orders for 12 years. I've made enough mistakes to fill a checklist—some of them expensive. I now maintain our team's pre-check list, so this FAQ is direct: what we make, what we're not, and the questions that will actually save you money.

• What does McLanahan actually make?
• Sand screw or classifying cyclone: how do I choose?
• What should I ask before buying a used sand screw?
• Are you the McLanahan from Dale Brown books, Elberton GA, or the other searches?
• What's the most common feeder breaker mistake?
• Why isn't the cheapest quote usually the best quote?
• What should I check before a filter press startup?
• Do you support equipment you didn't build?

What does McLanahan actually make?

We make processing equipment for mining, aggregate, and industrial sectors. The short list: sand screws, feeder breakers, filter presses, and a range of other mineral processing equipment. Let me rephrase that—we design, build, and service these machines. If you're washing, screening, dewatering, or feeding material, that's the world we operate in.

One thing I should add: 'mineral processing equipment' is broad. Sand screws handle fine material washing and dewatering. Feeder breakers handle primary crushing. Filter presses handle slurry dewatering. They're not interchangeable. A common mistake is to buy a machine and assume it can be modified to a completely different duty. That usually ends in downtime. If you're not sure what category your problem falls into, describe the material and the goal; we can narrow it down.

McLanahan is one of the older names in this industry, and that means we've seen the same problems repeat across decades. The lessons from older machines go into design changes and service bulletins. That's hard to put a price on. We also have service support in the US, UK, India, and Australia. That matters more than people think. A good machine is one thing; being able to get parts and technical help when you need them is another.

Sand screw or classifying cyclone: how do I choose?

This is the question I get asked most, and there's no universal answer. If your main goal is washing and removing lightweight material, a sand screw is usually the simpler, more forgiving option. If you need a precise cut for a consistent product spec, a classifying cyclone often does a better job.

I still kick myself for not asking the right question in 2017: what does the downstream process actually need? I watched a customer buy a cyclone setup because the brochure said 'high efficiency,' but the feed flow wasn't stable enough to run it properly. The cyclone wasn't wrong—the application was.

(Should mention: particle shape, feed gradation, and water recovery all affect the decision.) Run a sample test before you commit. I want to say a lab test costs a few hundred dollars, but don't quote me on that—it depends on material and quantity. The weeks you spend testing up front can save months after installation.

What should I ask before buying a used sand screw?

The biggest hidden cost is wear. Check the main shaft, bearing pedestals, screw flights, and wear liners. I once saw a 'good condition' screw with a bent main shaft hidden under fresh paint. The sale price was $20,000 below a new unit; the repair bill was $31,000. That's not a deal—that's a trap.

Ask for maintenance records. Better yet, run the gearbox under load before you commit. A used machine is only a value if you know what wore out and what was replaced. If the seller won't let you inspect it, that's an answer in itself.

Are you the same McLanahan as the character in Dale Brown's books?

Short answer: no. If you came here for the 'Dale Brown books Patrick McLanahan' search, that's a fictional Air Force pilot, not an equipment company. We get that one more than I expected.

If you searched 'McLanahan Crushed Stone Elberton GA,' I believe that's a separate business, not one of our locations. Worth verifying if you're making a decision based on it.

And to clear up the other searches: we're not involved with skiing Milano Cortina 2026, we don't make peanut butter, and the 'hawk vs eagle vs' question—we'll leave that to the bird experts. The name shows up in books, quarries, sports, food, and nature. Search engines don't know which one you meant, so this list helps. We make heavy equipment. That's outside our lane.

What's the most common feeder breaker mistake?

Under-sizing the inlet. A feeder breaker has to handle top size and throughput together, not one or the other. In September 2022, I watched a team skip a scalping screen because it pushed the budget over. The result: oversized material hit the picks unevenly, they lost a week, and the repair cost more than the screen would have.

What I mean is—the breaker itself wasn't the problem. The material prep was. Before you buy, ask: what's the maximum lump size, how many tons per hour, and how much variability should the unit absorb? Add a little headroom. Not because you'll use it every day, but because surges happen. If the feed isn't controlled, no breaker is going to work as designed.

Why isn't the cheapest quote usually the best quote?

In my 12 years of helping people evaluate equipment, the lowest quote has cost more than people expected in a surprising number of cases. I don't have a study to cite—I have an internal tally. Here's one example: the numbers said go with the low bid, 15% cheaper with similar specs. My gut said the service history wasn't there. The low bid won. A drive failed during startup, and the $18,000 savings became a $47,000 problem.

I'm not saying expensive is always better. What I mean is: compare total cost of ownership—replacement parts, downtime, installation support, lead time. Per FTC guidelines, claims have to be truthful and substantiated, so ask for proof behind any 'lower operating cost' promise. It's better to ask a hard question now than explain a shutdown later.

What should I check before a filter press startup?

Platen alignment, cloth tension, hydraulic pressure sequence, feed pump curve, and feed solids. I once watched a startup fail because the feed pump was oversized. The press was fine; the pump was wrong. The operator had checked the press checklist but not the pump curve.

Cloth tension matters more than people think. Too loose and you get leakage; too tight and cloth life drops. Since Q1 2024, my pre-start list includes a water test before any solids go in. There's something satisfying about a filter press cycle that ends with the cake dropping cleanly. It's even better when you didn't have to troubleshoot it live in front of the customer.

Do you support equipment you didn't build?

Sometimes—let me be straight about that. We see a lot of legacy McLanahan equipment, and we also get calls about other brands. If it's a sand screw, cyclone, or similar mineral processing machine, we can usually help. If it's completely outside our world, I'd rather point you to a shop I'd trust than pretend we can fix anything.

'Support' can mean troubleshooting, replacement wear parts, rebuilds, or retrofit controls. I always ask what the customer is trying to accomplish before quoting a job. That's how I've caught 47 potential issues in the past 18 months using our pre-check list.

(Note to self: I need to update our legacy parts list. The last time a customer asked about a 30-year-old breaker, the lead time was longer than I wanted to admit.)

That honesty has saved customers money. In one case, I recommended a rebuild instead of a full replacement and saved a customer $3,200. There's something satisfying about that too.