When recyclers are ready to step up to the plate and drop nearly $250,000 into a shear and baler setup, they'd better be sure they know what they are doing.

Dave Cobb, maintenance supervisor at EKCO Metals, Los Angeles, figures a shear should last about 20 years. His current machine, a Lollini USA model, is nine years old.

"On a scale of one to 10, I'd say it's about a seven on condition," Cobb says. "It's holding up well."

He has relined the floor and has recently replaced the shear head. "The head itself is a 10," he says. "It's like brand new."
The unit still is operating with its original hydraulics. But Cobb says EKCO maintains the unit well, which contributes to machine longevity.

But a lot of other things go into the buying decision. The first question a recycler might consider is whether to invest big bucks in a high-volume stationary unit with a typical 800- to 2,200-ton capacity or to go with a portable unit.

Among the chief considerations when determining whether to buy a portable unit are the consuming markets in a recycler's service area.

STATIONARY VS. PORTABLE. "Typically, stationary units are designed for greater throughput and produce heavier and denser bales," explains Ken Ely, president of Ely Enterprises, an equipment supplier based in Cleveland.

A recycler who is fulfilling a mill contract will almost certainly go with a stationary unit. However, in many cases it is difficult to bring in the required electrical service or to pour a concrete foundation for a stationary unit. In that case, portable equipment can fill the yard's bill.
Jay Klempner is owner of Louisville, Ky.-based Moros/North America, a distributor of Moros shears, which are manufactured in Spain. He says portable machines can do almost anything stationary units can do. He sees the difference as logistical. "Can you better feed the shear by going to where the material is, or will it come to you?" he asks.

Klempner sees a trend toward portable units, except in big cities, where more material typically comes to the yard.

Mike Pass, president of Peachtree City, Ga.-based Vezzani USA, a distributor of recycling equipment that is designed in Italy, says different materials call for different types of machines. Shears will cut material that does not lend itself to baling, such as I-beams, plate and structural material, producing a No. 1 or No. 2 heavy melt grade. Balers can process No. 1 factory clips, bundles or sheet iron, materials that can be bent.

"Portable units can only handle lighter materials due to the overall weight and structural integrity of the machines," Pass says.

John Sacco, president of Sierra International Machinery, Bakersfield, Calif., says, "Most grades can be fed to the stationary shears and balers, from HMS No. 1 to HMS No. 2. Also, clips from production can be baled. Portable loggers handle sheet, iron, appliances and automobiles." Meanwhile, a stationary baler can handle bulkier scrap and offer higher production.

Of course, portable balers come in different sizes, so the purchase decision depends on a recycler's budget and needs. "The quality of the machine is also a big factor," says Sacco.

Al-jon Inc., Ottumwa, Iowa, is another maker of portable balers, and its Scrap Sales Manager Curt Spry says his company is serving the growth portion of the market.

"Portable units are versatile; they can go and get loose scrap and process it into logs or bales to be transported to a high-volume shredder," he says.

Julian Marceglia, CEO of Colmar USA, Wheatfield, N.Y., says the company's Cayman mobile horizontal shears were designed to meet customer requests for a "truly portable shear."

A challenge, though, can be to build the requisite structural integrity into a portable machine in light of highway weight limits.