In the selection of sand making equipment, it is necessary to take into account the initial investment, operating costs (energy consumption, maintenance), applicable materials and production capacity and other factors. Comprehensive comparison of various types of equipment, the following two types of sand making machine in the cost control of outstanding performance, especially suitable for small and medium-sized sand production line with limited budget:

Sand and gravel production plant
1. Hydraulic roller sand making machine: the balanced choice with the lowest comprehensive cost.
Hydraulic roll sand making machine realises efficient sand making through the principle of extrusion crushing, and its cost advantage is reflected in:
Low initial investment
Streamlined equipment: a single machine can complete the crushing and shaping process, without the need for multiple equipment, saving procurement costs (about 100,000-200,000 yuan for small models such as 2PGY750×500).
Simplified infrastructure: compact structure, small footprint, reducing plant construction investment.
Low energy consumption and maintenance cost
Significant energy saving: Extrusion crushing saves 20%-30% electricity compared with impact crushing, and the unit electricity consumption is only 0.8-1.2 kWh/ton.
Wear-resistant and durable: the roller skin is made of chrome-molybdenum alloy (life expectancy of 3-5 years), the hydraulic system has good sealing and low failure rate, and the annual maintenance cost is only 3%-5% of the equipment price (annual maintenance cost of 500,000 equipment is about 15,000-25,000 yuan).
Intelligent control: the hydraulic system automatically adjusts the roller gap (precision ± 0.1mm) and pressure, adapting to different material hardness and reducing manual intervention.
Finished product quality and adaptability
Uniform particle size of discharged material (error ≤3%), particles are mostly cubic, low powder content, can be directly used for high grade concrete.
It can handle medium-hard materials (granite, construction waste), but has weak adaptability to sticky wet materials.
Applicable scenes: small and medium-sized sand plant (20-100 tonnes per hour), limited budget and the pursuit of long-term stable income.
2. Double Rotor Hammer Sand Making Machine: low-cost solution for high wet/sticky material scenario
The Double Rotor Hammer Sand Making Machine adopts two-stage crushing design, which is especially suitable for processing construction waste and high wet materials:
Outstanding wet material handling capacity
No screen bottom anti-clogging design: it can handle wet and sticky materials such as concrete blocks and river pebbles with moisture content ≤35%, avoiding the problem of clogging of traditional equipment.
Wet and dry: no need for pre-treatment, reducing the cost of raw material cleaning.
Crushing efficiency and maintenance cost
High finished product rate: double rotor tandem crushing, more than 85% of one-time moulding rate (≤3mm), reducing return material and energy consumption.
Convenient maintenance: hydraulic open box for quick hammer change, the hammer head can be switched for use (one pair tops three pairs), reducing the tonnage maintenance cost by 30%.
Cost-effective investment
The price of small and medium-sized models (such as 800×600) is about 150,000-300,000 RMB, with an hourly output of 35-55 tonnes, suitable for construction waste recycling plants.
Applicable scenarios: construction waste recycling, sand making from high wet materials (e.g. rainy areas), production line with more raw material impurities.
3. Suggestions for selection: match the lowest cost programme according to the scenario

Hydraulic roller sand making machine
Conventional sand and gravel production (dry/medium-hard materials) → Hydraulic roller sand making machine
Advantage: lowest long-term comprehensive cost, energy-saving and power-saving, simple maintenance.

Double Rotor Hammer Sand Maker
Sand production from construction waste/highly humid materials → Double Rotor Hammer Sand Maker
Advantage: anti-clogging design reduces pretreatment cost, long maintenance cycle.
Micro sand plant (very low budget) → spring roller machine or compound sand making machine
Note: Only suitable for low intensity production, long term costs may be higher than hydraulic models.
Conclusion: If pursuing the lowest comprehensive cost of the whole cycle, hydraulic roller sand making machine is the first choice; if the raw material contains a lot of impurities or high humidity, double rotor hammer sand making machine is more economical. It is recommended to combine the material characteristics and capacity requirements to choose the sand making equipment with lower comprehensive production costs.