When it comes to crushing, flexibility and efficiency are key. Mobile crushers are designed with those priorities in mind, giving contractors, recyclers, and aggregate producers the ability to crush material exactly where and when it’s needed. Unlike traditional setups that stay in one place, mobile crushers are track-mounted and self-propelled, making them easy to move across jobsites or even reposition onsite with minimal effort. This adaptability translates into faster setup times, less downtime, and more opportunities to take on diverse projects.

Mobile vs. Portable Crushers: What’s the Difference?

• Portable crushers are mounted on a chassis with wheels and are designed to be hauled from site to site with a truck or tractor. They typically require multiple loads to move and often need additional components such as conveyors and screening plants. Once set up, they usually stay in one spot and material must be brought to the crusher.
• Mobile crushers are track-mounted and self-propelled. They can be moved around a jobsite under their own power and transported on a lowboy trailer between sites. Compact models can be moved with a single load, making them ideal for projects that require frequent relocation.

Both types of crushers are valuable in the right setting, but mobile crushers bring an added level of flexibility and efficiency that can transform your crushing operation.

Mobility That Works for You

With mobile crushers, relocation is straightforward. A unit can be delivered on a lowboy trailer and is ready to work with minimal setup. Even during a project, the crusher can track closer to the material pile, reducing loader travel time and keeping production flowing.

Portable crushers, while movable, take more planning. They may require multiple loads for transport and additional setup time, making them ideal for projects where the equipment stays in one place for extended periods. In comparison, mobile crushers provide the freedom to react quickly as jobsite conditions change (e.g. back up closer to the material or move to a different material pile).

Without mobility, you...

• lose money on machine setup time
• limit yourself on the range of jobs you can accomplish
• are required to haul material to the crusher

Productivity on Any Scale

Mobile crushers excel at handling both large and small jobs. Their compact footprint makes them a natural fit for tight urban projects or short-term work, but they’re also capable of tackling demanding aggregate production. This versatility allows contractors to expand their range of services and capture more opportunities.

Portable crushers thrive in high-volume, consistent environments such as quarries. Their larger designs often feature wide feeders and multi-deck screening plants, making them powerful tools for steady, long-term production. The burden associated with moving portable equipment results in higher indirect spending associated with trucking, labor, and setup. These additional costs must be absorbed before profits are generated. Therefore, you need more tonnage to compensate for additional costs. 

Without the ability to do also smaller jobs, you ...

• are competing on big jobs on a cost per ton basis whereas on smaller jobs you might be able to charge higher per ton rates or even daily rates
• can't benefit from onsite crushing smaller volumes
• lose out on ad-hoc business

No room for a big portable crusher?

Nathan Henrich with Flatrate Inc runs a concrete pumping and crushing business out of Big Stone, SD. He initially started with a large portable crushing plant. He realized that he was held back crushing concrete because the piles were not stockpiled in convenient places such as a large open pit. Therefore, he switched to the RM 120X Mobile Impactor to gain the freedom to do more jobs and bring the crusher to the material vs. the material to the crusher.

"The problem with a large portable crusher is that often there is not enough room. Those concrete piles are not stockpiled in the most convenient places and then you have to move the piles before you can actually start to crush."

Nathan Henrich, Flatrate Inc.