DS110 improving safety at iconic Wembley Stadium

For those sports and music fans who have frequented Wembley Stadium over years, you’ll have probably walked over the iconic Wembley Way bridge. Today we had the honour of being invited along to assist in part of its demolition.

Demolition contractor Armac Demolition were tasked with bringing down the walkway, however the job was now at a point where the bulk of the material had been removed, but the remaining part was the ramp, without any supports. This was fine for the excavator driver, safe in his protective cab, however bringing in a traditional dust suppression unit would have put the operator at considerable risk, and was not considered an option. This is where Armac invited us to come along.

The new DS110 remote controlled dust suppression unit was the perfect solution for this aspect of the job. Not only is the unit 100% remote controlled, putting no personnel anywhere near the dangerous unsupported ramp, it also gave full dust suppression control to the excavator driver, who was at the perfect vantage point to see exactly where the suppression was needed.

The simple remote control was handed to the excavator, and after a couple of minutes run through of the control, he was in his cab and back to it. Giving this control to the driver meant an increase in productivity as he could reposition the unit as he went along, without the need for additional assistance, he could also be specific and accurate with where the spray went, ensuring the spray of cool water was kept away from the hot excavator parts to remove the risk of damage.

The team at Armac were impressed with how quickly the driver got to grips with the unit, and that the dust suppression could be carried out safely and effectively without any additional personnel getting involved. They also commented on the additional pressure washer lance, used to clear down some of the area, and  were impressed with the additional safety features of the machine, including the mandatory flashing orange safety light.

It was a fantastic opportunity for the Dragon Team to be involved in this job at such an iconic landmark, and we look forward to working with the Armac Team again on more demolition projects. Thank you for inviting us and the DS110 along.

Introducing the CR300H Hybrid Crusher

We wanted to be the first plant manufacturer to launch a compact hybrid crusher that was not only powerful enough for the toughest of jobs, but also functional and easy to operate. The powerful patent-pending jaws of the new CR300H are capable of crushing up to 7 tonnes an hour into reusable hardcore and the hybrid machine has recently been shortlisted for a World Demolition Award.

Built entirely in the UK, the CR300H weighs under 780Kgs, has a single lifting point, and multiple tie-down points – combined this makes for a machine that is easy and safe to transport in the back of a van, a trailer or a 4x4 buck. The machine's transportability makes it easy to attend multiple sites within a day and make more efficient use of time. The 700mm width of the machine also makes it the perfect tool for those jobs with difficult or narrow access, or where access is through an existing building. It's even safe to take through a residential property, given that it can track entirely on battery power, so no hazardous fumes are emitted.

Offering more power, better fuel efficiency and lower emissions under high load conditions, it uses the same Vanguard 400® engine as its petrol-powered counterpart.

Inspiration for the hybrid machine was taken from the automotive industry; which is leading the way with hybrid technology. This proven technology was then applied to the crusher to achieve the desired output. The hybrid powertrain gives the CR300H precise power for the job at hand while optimizing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

The Vanguard 400 single-cylinder, 14 Gross HP petrol engine acts as the primary power source, combined with a 15kW E-Machine and lithium-ion battery. Innovative programming of the engine control unit (ECU) ensures the right source and amount of power at all times.

The hybrid technology dramatically reduces the emissions produced while crushing and caters to the fact that many jobs are not in wide-open spaces. Air pollution can be a real concern, especially for jobs in built-up areas, or those near schools and hospitals. The built-in dust suppression system also helps to alleviate these concerns.

You can find out more about the CR300H here.

CR300H shortlisted for World Demolition Award 2020

Today we’re proud to announce that our CR300H Hybrid Concrete Crusher has been shortlisted for a World Demolition Award in the Plant and Equipment category.

Our powerful hybrid machine beat of stiff competition from all over the world to secure it’s spot among the four shortlisted product innovations for this international award.

These are just some of the reasons we felt this product was the right one for this prestigious award;

• Built entirely in the UK, the CR300H weighs under 780Kgs and has a crushing rate of up to 7 tonnes per hour, higher than the non Hybrid version

• Unique hybrid technology and compact design allow access and safe crushing operation in previously inaccessible areas

• Built-in dust suppression capability reduces risk to the operator when working in confined spaces

• Highly versatile and robust with automatic switching between hybrid and engine modes, allowing rapid charging of the on-board batteries

• Fuel efficient and low emissions offer low environmental impact while also providing on-site recycling, so reducing waste disposal costs

You can read more about the awards here, you can even register to attend the virtual award ceremony on 12 November - we can’t wait!

Case study: Garden makeover - time, money and effort saved

Luke, from local hire company TBS Hire, had our demo CR300 Crusher for a couple of weeks to demo to some interested customers. Rather than it sitting in the workshop over the weekend, the ever-resourceful Luke loaded it onto his truck and took it home with him to help him with his own DIY project! Luke commented;

The CR300 negotiating Luke’s narrow gate

“I’ve been working on my garden makeover since September, and the crusher gave me a great chance to push on with the project!”

One immediate challenge the crusher overcame was the very tight access to Luke’s garden. At just 700mm wide, the CR300 tracked effortlessly through the narrow gate.

The project included pulling down a 40cm high x 17m long retaining wall and uprooting a 12msq slabbed area. The resulting pile of rubble included about 6 tonnes of old concrete slabs, red bricks, blue engineering bricks and broken up concrete.

A mound of rubble ready for crushing

Luke set the CR300 to the smallest jaw setting, meaning the output material was perfect to re-lay a base for his new patio and would compact down nicely. Working alone, it took Luke about an hour and half to get through all 6 tonnes of the rubble, using about ¾ of a tank of fuel. Some of the material he crushed straight back into the ground, some into a wheel barrow, and the remaining in a pile close by the work area.

If Luke didn’t have access to the crusher he would have had to hire a skip and move all the material by wheel barrow to the front of the property, then pay for the removal. He would then pay for the new hardcore to come in and then transport by wheel barrow back into the rear garden.

Luke commented

“I feel that the crusher was perfect for my project, it really did save me time, effort and cost. The material that it produced was perfect for my project and gave me a great base for my patio.”

First compact concrete crusher sold to local business

The first compact CR300 Concrete Crusher has just rolled off the production line and been hand-delivered to local hire company Dale Hire. Dale Hire’s order marks the first of many for Dragon Equipment.

Jeff Haines, owner and designer at Dragon Equipment, enthused;

“We’re delighted that our first order has come from a local company. Dale Hire have been providing plant and tool hire locally since 1978, so they certainly know their business, and we’re excited for them to start sharing the CR300 Crusher with their customers.”

The CR300 Crusher, which can crush up to 6 tonnes of concrete an hour, is our first product , and at just 700mm wide and under 750kg it is a compact and lightweight machine. Jeff continued;

“We’re really proud of how good it is at doing its job - for such a compact machine it punches well above its weight, one of the reasons the Dale Hire Team couldn’t wait for it to join their fleet! Thank you to Dale Hire for becoming our first customer - we look forward to working with you!”

Gordon Rogers from Dale Hire added;

“We have had very positive early interest since taking delivery of the CR300 Crusher, demonstrating it too our customers with some particularly large and dense blocks and getting some excellent responses which can only be positive for future hires. The communication, attention to detail and professional ‘can-do’ approach from Dragon Equipment made the decision to invest in their well thought out mini crusher an easy choice. We look forward to more innovations from Dragon Equipment to enhance the fleet we can offer to our customers.”

Irish dealer appointed for CR300 Crusher

We are pleased to announce Leinster Turf Equipment Ltd (LTE) as the Irish dealer for our compact CR300 Concrete Crusher. This is fantastic news for the Irish landscaping and construction market and will give customers direct access to the powerful crusher, which can crush up to 6 tonnes of concrete an hour into reusable hardcore.

Jeff Haines, owner and designer at Dragon Equipment said;

“We’re thrilled to be working with the LTE team! With their expertise and knowledge onboard, we are excited to introduce the CR300 Crusher to customers all over Ireland!”

At just 700mm wide and weighing under 750kg, the compact and lightweight CR300 Crusher punches well above its weight in performance. As well as being compact and powerful, the CR300 Crusher produces crushed concrete in 3 different sizes, making it the perfect product to use as hardcore in further building works – dramatically reducing not only the amount of waste produced on construction projects, but reducing the cost of materials too. 

Co-owner of LTE, Derek Inglis, commented;

“We are equally excited about getting out and about with the CR300 Crusher and demonstrating it with our customers in Ireland. It’s a great bit of kit and we know our customers will like it as much as we do!”

The demo machine will soon be winging its way to LTE, ready for Derek and his team to show off to Ireland.

Visitors from far and wide are impressed by the CR300 Crusher at the Executive Hire Show

From the 5-7 February, the Dragon Equipment Team took the CR300 Crusher on the road again to attend the Executive Hire Show in Coventry. We were delighted once again to receive an invite from engine manufacturers Briggs & Stratton, who asked us to join them on the stand at the show. As a young business, this opportunity cannot be understated, and we appreciate their ongoing support to help us reach a global market.

The Executive Hire Show was a great place for us to show the CR300 Crusher to members of the hire industry from all over the UK and Ireland, and even some visitors from further afield. Our specially-adapted show machine features a TV screen in each side, meaning we can display video footage of the machine in action - making it much easier for people to see the impressive performance of the CR300 Crusher.

Many visitors walked past, stopped, and backtracked - not only to watch the videos, but also because they had “never seen anything like it”. Talking through the machine’s features and benefits, there were 3 things that stood out for the majority of visitors;

1. The machine’s throughput of up to 6 tonnes an hour - most visitors were from the plant and tool hire industry, therefore many had hired crushers in the past, or still had some in their fleet - most were much bigger than the CR300. With this knowledge of crushers, their first questions was always “what does it crush an hour?”. Everyone was impressed with how the CR300 compared with that of much bigger machines.

2. The recycling opportunities the machine offers - as well as members of the plant and tool hire industry, there were many visitors who either use or hire machinery. The team spoke with multiple farmers, builders, property developers and landscapers who liked the idea of breaking some concrete out of the ground, crushing it in-situ, and putting it straight back into the ground as hardcore. Not only for recycling and environmental reasons, but also the cost and time saving associated!

3. The transportability of the machine - visitors were impressed with the size and weight of the machine, and how flexible it is to transport. At under 750kg it can travel in a trailer or van, and the multiple tie-down points make it easy to secure. Plus, the single lifting point means it can also be lifted into position - especially useful for those hire facilities where there’s lots of machinery coming in and out. But the real visitor favourite was the machine’s width of 700mm - visitors could immediately see how beneficial this would be to accessing smaller sites, or locations where access was narrow or more difficult.

It soon became clear at the show that the CR300 Crusher is challenging how people think about waste on site. The machine makes it so easy to reuse material that people were making comments such as “wouldn’t even need a skip” and “could break it out and put it straight back in”. Our CR300 Crusher was not alone in giving people the opportunity to lower their CO2 emissions on sites. There was definitely a theme across many of the products at this year’s show, and that was the environment. As an industry, it is clear that businesses are trying to do their bit to help reduce CO2 emissions by developing new, more eco-friendly products that produce lower emissions and less waste.

The Dragon Equipment Team had a busy couple of days at the show, and would like to thank everyone who came and saw the CR300 Crusher. We had countless requests for demonstrations, which we’re now filling the diary with. Special thanks to the Briggs & Stratton Team for hosting us again.

BBQ, beer and concrete crushing!

The prefect way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Our first demonstration lunch took place today, kindly hosted by the team at Tomlinson Groundcare. Guests were first introduced to the CR300 Crusher in the Tomlinson showroom, where the Dragon Team talked through many of the machine’s impressive features. Everyone then ventured into the elements to see the CR300 Crusher in action.

The live demonstration was followed by a BBQ lunch and a few beers (non-alcoholic obviously!) where guests had the opportunity to ask a few more questions.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along today, and to the Tomlinson Team for looking after us and our guests so well.

If you were unable to join us today, don’t fret! We plan to host more demonstration lunches over the coming months, so listen out for when we announce the next date. If you can’t wait that long, the CR300 Crusher is on display in the Tomlinson showroom, or get in touch with the Dragon Team and we’d be happy to arrange a one-on-one demo with you.

Case study: CR300 Crusher - loading with mini excavator

Jeff needed to extend his shed base by an area of 3m x 1.5m. He used the CR300 Crusher to crush surplus concrete into hardcore for the new base.

Feeding the machine with a mini excavator made the job even quicker. With help from son Zac, Jeff completed the job in just 25 minutes, using less than 1 litre of fuel for the crushing.

The keen-eyed of you will notice our new Power Barrow in the background – it’s currently in the final stages of testing, so we’ll tell you more about that another day!

Watch this video to see the CR300 Crusher in action on this job:

Keep in touch with Dragon Equipment

It’s an exciting time for the Dragon Equipment team, with the recent launch of our CR300 Crusher, and several new products in development for 2020 and beyond.

Make sure you’re the first to hear about anything new by keeping in touch! There are so many ways you can do this;

• Follow us on Twitter

• Connect with us on LinkedIn

• Follow us on Facebook

• Follow us on Instagram

• Subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Come and see us at an event or Demo Day

We look forward to hearing from you!

CR300 Crusher – Powered by the new Vanguard® 400

Working closely with the best original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) enables us to bring to market the very best machines possible. One of the most important elements of the CR300 Crusher is its powerful Vanguard 400 14HP engine. We have collaborated with Briggs & Stratton to ensure the engine works perfectly with all the other machine elements, to not only get the best performance from the engine, but the best overall machine performance.

The CR300 Crusher is designed with the hire market in mind, helping to empower end users to take control of reducing, reusing and recycling the waste they produce. Research tell us that one of the main problems hire companies have when hiring out machines is oil/fuel dilution during transport. The Vanguard 400 engine features Vanguard’s patented TransportGuard™ system, which simultaneously shuts-off fuel/ignition to protect the engine from such dilution during transport.

The powerful Vanguard® 400 from Briggs & Stratton

One thing that can’t be avoided when crushing concrete is a certain amount of dust! Thankfully, the Vanguard 400 features a fully cyclonic air filtration with Nano Filter Media and Autoshed Technology which provides a 600-hour replacement interval - double the industry standard. It also features an advanced oil management system which allows the engine to run efficiently for up to 200 hours between oil changes thereby substantially reducing the equipment’s total cost of ownership.

In the hire industry easy maintenance and servicing is critical. A recent research study in the UK hire industry revealed that easy maintenance was ranked 2nd as the most vital characteristic for engines in the hire fleet. The new Vanguard engine offers several new features which make the engine easier to maintain including a high mount oil fill on the rocker cover and an automotive style dipstick as standard. Another standard feature is the built-in oil sensor which protects the engine from low oil level conditions.

High mount oil fill on the Vanguard® 400

The engine also offers several features that will ensure you can continue with the job, no matter the weather, terrain or conditions; the engine is optimised to start in temperatures as low as -29°c.

All these features help to make the CR300 Crusher the powerful concrete crushing machine that it is.

Great first outing for the CR300 Crusher to Saltex 2019

Last week we took the CR300 Crusher on the road to the Saltex show in Birmingham. We were delighted to have been invited by our friends at Briggs and Stratton – who manufacture the Vanguard 400 engine that powers the CR300 – and were given pride of place right at the front of their stand. With such a great location, as soon as the doors opened, we were visited by a steady stream of visitors, all brimming with questions about the crusher.  

Visitors were impressed with the size and weight of the crusher and pleasantly surprised by the performance of such a compact machine. Visitors from the hire industry, building trade and landscaping business could all see how the crusher could enhance their day to day work, and left the show with lots to think about!

Working so closely with the team from Briggs and Stratton was great – we could show their customers first-hand their new engine in situ, and their experts were on-hand to answer questions about the latest engine innovations and power solutions behind the CR300’s impressive performance.

Thank you to Briggs and Stratton for hosting us, and thanks to everyone who came along to see the CR300 crusher – we hope to see you all at Saltex 2020!

We’re going to Saltex

October has been an exciting month for the Dragon Equipment team, and to finish the month in style we’re taking the CR300 Concrete Crusher to its first show - Saltex at the NEC in Birmingham.

Saltex attracts over 9,000 visitors from all over the country, from groundsman to landscapers, and from greenkeepers to estate manager. The two-day show brings together the latest products, trends and innovation from the industry. The CR300 Concrete Crusher, with its innovative crushing mechanism and impressive performance, will help to revolutionise this industry and we can’t wait to show what it can do!

We’re delighted to be joining our friends from Briggs and Stratton on stand L077 to showcase their newest Vanguard 400 engine, which powers the CR300.

We look forward to introducing you to the CR300 at the show from 30 to 31 October.