MB Crusher presents attachment equipment that transforms the hydraulic excavator into a mobile recycling plant. The crusher buckets are mounted on the excavator arm via quick couplers and crush construction debris, concrete or asphalt directly on site. The principle: Instead of transporting material away and crushing it externally, the machine processes it on the construction site. This saves truck trips, landfill costs and transport time.
The technology is not new, but MB Crusher is driving it forward consistently. The Italian company offers crusher buckets for carrier equipment weighing 0.7 to 70 tons. The model range extends from mini excavator attachments to heavy-duty crushers for large crawler excavators. The equipment works purely hydraulically, utilizing the oil supply of the carrier machine. No additional units are required.
In practice, this means: A 20-ton excavator with an MB crusher bucket replaces a stationary crushing plant on smaller construction sites. Typical applications are building demolition, road breaking or demolition of concrete structures. The crushed material can be reused directly on site – as a base layer, backfill or for road stabilization. This significantly reduces disposal costs.
However, the technology has limits. The throughput capacity of a crusher bucket is significantly lower than that of a mobile jaw crusher plant. While a Rubble Master RM V550e achieves up to 250 tons per hour, a crusher bucket processes between 10 and 80 tons per hour depending on the model. For large construction sites or recycling sites with high material volumes, the classic crushing plant therefore remains the first choice.
The advantage lies elsewhere: flexibility and low investment. Anyone who already owns an excavator can retrofit it with a crusher bucket for 15,000 to 80,000 euros – depending on size and equipment. A mobile crushing plant, on the other hand, costs from 200,000 euros upwards. For construction companies that occasionally need to crush material but don't need permanent recycling infrastructure, the excavator attachment is more economical.
Competition is not sleeping. Manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Liebherr and Volvo Construction Equipment also offer crusher buckets or cooperate with specialists. The Wirtgen Group with its brand Kleemann is also watching the market closely. The question is: Will the crusher bucket become a standard attachment or remain a niche solution?
Ecologically, the balance is clearly positive. Fewer transports mean fewer CO₂ emissions. Reuse of material reduces the demand for primary raw materials. For urban construction sites, where noise protection and traffic avoidance are important, this is an argument. Moreover, crusher buckets operate more quietly than stationary plants – a factor in inner-city demolition projects.
There are still challenges. The wear parts of crusher buckets – jaws, teeth, bearings – must be replaced regularly. With hard material or high utilization, operating times of 200 to 500 hours are realistic. This drives up operating costs. In addition, the machine operator needs experience: improper operation can overload the excavator or damage the attachment.
MB Crusher relies on training and service networks to bring the technology to a broader market. Whether this is sufficient remains to be seen. The market for demolition and recycling equipment is growing, driven by circular economy and sustainability requirements. Those who want to close material cycles need decentralized solutions – and that's exactly where the crusher bucket comes in.
