Case study: LF1000 saves hire customer hours of hard graft and manual labour

It’s a familiar story. You’re doing some construction work in your back garden and you order several bags of sand and MOT hardcore for the project. The delivery arrives, and is loving placed out the front of your house…now what!

Historically, this would be when the hard work starts. Unloading the bags into barrows and wheeling them round the side of the house to the back garden. Hours of hard graft and manual labour before you can even start the actual project!

But this is no longer the case, as a recent hire customer learnt to their delight…

On the project in question, several bulk bags of sand and MOT were delivered to the front of the house. Even at this stage space was tight – there was not enough room for the bags to be laid out, so they were stacked 2 high on the driveway.

Using the LF1000 Lifter, on hire from their local tool hire shop, the customer was able to reach and lift the bags, even stacked 2 high. Since the LF1000 is narrower than the actual bag, the customer could safely track each bag round the side of the house, through the narrow garden gate, and position each bag exactly where it was needed – stacking them 2 high again.

The total trip for each bag was around 180 metres. Without the lifter, the job would have been completed by hand, and as the customer commented;

“We would still be doing the job next month if we didn’t have that cracking little machine!” 

First customer trade in as we approach four years

As we approach the four year anniversary of Dragon Equipment, it’s reassuring to see how far our powerful little machines have come!

As one of our first customers, local Dragon Equipment advocates SD Home & Gardens, who carry out crushing jobs as EcoCrush, have been crushing their way around East Anglia with one of the very first CR300 Crushers. In fact, their micro crusher has been so busy they have just traded it in for the latest model!

The latest modal of the mini crusher includes a power take off point for powering a hydraulic breaker (or other tools), new crush size options of 3mm, 20mm or 40mm, and connection point for our custom-built conveyor attachment.

The EcoCrush team are already hard at work turning piles of rubble into reusable and saleable hardcore material – saving their customers time, money and CO2!

Their original CR300 will be going through our workshop for a thorough service, and will then be available to buy. If you would be interested in buying a second-hand crusher, please get in touch.

The EcoCrush Team - out with the old and in with the new - latest CR300 Crusher modal

Eros Hire Tools take delivery of CR300 Crusher

The Aylesbury branch of Eros Hire Tools has just taken delivery of a Dragon Equipment CR300 compact crusher with the detachable conveyor. The machine was supplied by Tring based Boss Plant Sales, the official Dragon Equipment Dealer for London, and the Home Counties.

 The CR300 was put to work the following day working behind a house on a compact site where a patio was being replaced. The crushed concrete slabs were used as hardcore under the new patio saving transport and disposal costs and the cost of new hardcore.

 Eros Hire Tools’ Director and Plant Manager Shane Sutton commented;

“We’re always on the lookout for new and innovative products to add to our fleet. The Dragon Equipment compact crusher fits the bill, meeting a real need for private and business users. It’s also complimentary to our existing fleet in that it can work with a micro excavator, and a small tracked or wheeled dumper for example. The machine is British, very well made, and with some very clever features to aid reliability and servicing.”

5 reasons why now is the right time for YOUR business to invest in a CR300 Micro Crusher

We all know the purse strings are being pulled a bit right now by the rising cost of fuel and materials. But what if we told you we could create a revenue stream for your business, from something you would usually pay to dispose of? Interested? Read on…

1.       6 tonnes an hour

Our CR300 Micro Crusher can take a pile of old rubble or concrete from any job and crush it into small and uniform pieces – up to 6 tonnes an hour.

2.       Choice of crush size

The resulting crush size can be set to one of three sizes, depending on its desired end use. Choose from 3mm, 20mm or 40mm.

3.       Unlimited access (virtually)

The CR300 Micro Crusher is only 700mm wide, and weighs under 785kg, meaning it can fit through a standard doorway and therefore most garden gates. It can also safely be transported in the back of a van, truck or on a trailer – no job is off limits.

4.       Conveyor attachment

Team the base machine with the custom conveyor attachment, and you can crush straight into a 1 tonne bag – no more double, or triple moving of material.

5.       Saleable product

A full 1 tonne bag of crush is perfect hard core for any construction project, and therefore a saleable commodity – one that is currently in short supply!

Plus, combine the CR300 Crusher with our LF1000 Lifter and you’ll be stacking the bags high in no time at all, and you won’t need to pay to dispose of the rubble once the job is complete.

Interested in finding out more? Get in touch to book a demo!

BEFORE

AFTER

CR300 Crusher in all it's glory!

Recently we were delighted to welcome the lovely and talented Cherry from Simply C Photography to our Suffolk factory. The sun was shining and sky was clear and blue - the perfect backdrop to capture our CR300 Crusher sparkling in the sun light.

Cherry spent a few hours getting up close and personal with the micro-crusher, and we couldn’t be happier with the resulting images. Capturing every detail - large and small - we now have a beautiful library of photographs to help us showcase this impressive, compact machine.

Thank you Cherry. We can’t wait to have you back to photograph more machines!

Pacamat appointed French distributer

The Dragon Equipment Team are excited to announce that construction and landscaping professionals based in France can now get their hands on Dragon Equipment machinery from a dedicated French distributer!

Based near Marseille, France, Pacamat have now taken delivery of their first CR300 Crusher and are ready to start demonstrating their new micro-crusher to the French construction and landscaping market.

As sole distributers for all Dragon Equipment products in France, Pacamat already have several machines on order, now with our Suffolk-based production team.

As well as the CR300 Crusher, Pacamat are will also be selling the DS110 Dust Suppression Unit and LF1000 Lifter.

If you would like to find out more about any of the products in the Dragon Equipment range and you are based in France, reach out to the Pacamat Team now!

Helping you on the road to net zero

The Global Cement and Concrete Association has set out targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and with cement and concrete manufacture being responsible for 7% of global CO2 emissions*, they have a very long road to travel.

As the most used man-made building material in the world right now, concrete is everywhere. It boasts amazing benefits of strength, durability, resilience, safety and affordability, and is fundamentally shaping our world.

This may sound like a problem. Its not. For members of the construction and landscaping industries, this presents an opportunity.

With the demolition or replacement of any concrete buildings, paths or structures comes tonnes of surplus concrete waste. Our CR300 micro crusher can crush up to 6 tonnes of this concrete waste an hour into a reusable material. The crushed concrete makes for the perfect hardcore – often bought in to fill holes, underpin foundations or add support.

So instead of buying in bags of ‘new’ hardcore, why not crush the pile of concrete waste and use this? Saving you the cost and CO2 of waste disposal, and of buying in new hardcore, but more importantly for the race to net zero, this is recycling an otherwise waste product and therefore reducing the amount of waste in the concrete industry.

If you’d like to see our crusher in action, just get in touch, we’d love to arrange a demo.

*Cement and concrete industry launches Net Zero Accelerators across the world – including focus on the ‘global south’ : GCCA (gccassociation.org)

Dragon Equipment appoint Boss Plant Sales Ltd as dealer

Today we are excited to announced the appointment of Boss Plant Sales Ltd as our official dealer for London and the Southeast of England.

This includes our product range, the CR300 Crusher, tracked LF750 and LF1000 ‘lifters’, DS110 Dust Suppression unit, and related attachments. Despite being a relatively young business we are already making an impact in the market through with our innovative products and unique approach to the on-site recycling of concrete, brick, asphalt, and paving.

Dragon Equipment’s Managing Director Jeff Haines commented on the second day of the Executive Hire Show in Coventry:

“Boss Plant Sales is an excellent partner for us with a large and diverse customer base across the territory, and a market leading range of complimentary products for use with our equipment. They bring wide market coverage, excellent customer service, and a very experienced sales and aftermarket team to our mix”

Boss Plant Sales Ltd is an independent company, owned and managed by MD Graham Stansfield, providing sales, service and parts support across London and the Southeast to customers in construction, civil engineering, demolition, recycling, and the plant hire/rental sector for market leading brands including Kubota, Manitou, Bomag, and Ausa. Boss Plant Sales is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022.

Agri-Plant Specialist Vehicles (APSV) appointed Dragon Equipment dealer

We are delighted to announce APSV as the exclusive dealer of all Dragon Equipment products in the North of England. 

Covering the full Dragon Equipment product range means customers in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland now have access to live machine demonstrations and machine hire on their doorstep. This includes our CR300 Crusher, LF1000 Lifter and DS110 Dust Suppression Unit.

Jeff Haines, Managing Director of Dragon Equipment comment:

            “We’re so pleased to have Rob and his team join the Dragon Equipment family. With extensive experience in both plant hire and sales, we’re excited for the APSV Team to start sharing and demoing our products. Their knowledge, experience and passion will really help to drive the name of Dragon Equipment in the north and we can’t wait to start working together.”

Rob Atkinson from APSV added:

            “As a company we’re always looking for new and innovative products. It’s important for us to have something new for our customers. We can’t wait to start showing our customers the Dragon machines.

Find out more about the full Dragon Equipment range, or get in touch with APSV on 01539 267267, email dragon@apsv.co.uk or visit www.apsv.co.uk

We're heading to the Executive Hire Show

On the 9th and 10th February 2022, we’ll be show-casing our CR300 Crusher and LF1000 Lifter at the 2022 Executive Hire Show.

Held at the Coventry Building Society Arena in Coventry, the show brings together innovative suppliers from the tool, plant and and equipment hire industries.

We’d love to welcome you onto our stand to talk you through the latest features on our machines - we’ll be on stand K10.

See our full events calendar here.

Local grant helps fund innovation

Our R&D Team have recently ramped up development work on our innovative Hybrid Drive System thanks to a part-funded grant from the New Anglia Growth Through Innovation Fund, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

This development work has made real improvements to the efficiently of the CR300H and its crushing performance and output. We’re really excited to see this hybrid technology benefit more of our machines.

Our Managing Director, Jeff Haines, commented:

“I'm so proud of the innovation the Design Team at Dragon Equipment keep pushing on with. The future of any company has to come from innovation, and development of truly new products and features. Keep going and driving forward Team Dragon...!”

You can read more about the CR300H and its hybrid technology here.

It’s a WIN for Dragon Equipment!

An excited Dragon Equipment Team attended the hotly anticipated British Demolition Awards in Brighton on Friday 3 September.

The team were absolutely delighted to bring home the Environmental Innovation of the Year Award for the DS110 Dust Suppression machine.

Dragon Equipment Director Jeff Haines commented;

“A huge congratulations to the whole team. The award recognises an enormous amount of hard work and effort over the last 24 months.

Well done Dragons!”

The Dragon Equipment team continues to grow

It’s a busy but exciting time here at Dragon Equipment, and we’re excited to welcome Lee Ellis to join our growing team.

Lee joins us as Production Manager, and will be responsible for managing machines through our new state-of-the-art factory. He brings with him a wealth of experience as a hands on fitter, knowledge from a stint in the motor trade and more recently from working on bespoke machine build projects.

We knew instantly Lee was the man we needed to grow our team, and we’re delighted he agreed to join us at a time where an influx of orders and a new factory to fit-out, meant his skills could immediately be put to work!

Welcome aboard Lee!

Green Plant UK new UK Distributor for Dragon Lifters

We are pleased to announce Green Plant UK as the mainland UK Distributor of the LF750 Lifter and LF1000 Lifter.

Green Plant UK specialise in providing top quality arboricultural and groundcare machinery for long and short term machinery requirements in the UK. Dragon Equipment Lifters join Green Plant’s high-profile range of manufacturers including Timberwolf chippers and Rayco stump grinders.

Jeremy Smithers, Business Development Manager at Green Plant, said: “we are really pleased to be the mainland UK distributor for Dragon Equipment’s Lifters. We love the versatility of the machines and they really complement our portfolio of products.”

The LF750 is capable of lifting up to 750kg, whereas it’s wider counterpart the LF1000 can transport up to 1,000kg. Both machines are available with the Vanguard© 400, 14HP petrol engine from Briggs & Stratton or the Hatz 1B50 Diesel engine, they are also available as a Hybrid machine.

For more information, and videos, visit https://www.greenplantuk.com

Introducing our powerful new lifting machines

Introducing the LF750 Lifter and LF1000 Lifter machines. Built entirely in the UK, the versatile and compact sister machines are designed to make transporting materials around site quicker, easier and safer - whether moving logs, bags of sand or pallets of slabs. 

The LF750 is capable of lifting up to 750kg, whereas it’s wider counterpart the LF1000 can transport up to 1,000kg. Both machines are available with the Vanguard© 400, 14HP petrol engine from Briggs & Stratton or the Hatz 1B50 Diesel engine, they are also available as a Hybrid machine.  

The lifting arm can quickly and easily have additional attachments added, such as a log grab or post hole borer etc. - with new attachments coming soon. Regardless of which attachment is being used, the simple, universal and robust controls make the machine easy to master.  

The machines are built with safety at the forefront of the design, both machines have a front stability foot, which doubles-up as a load stabiliser when tracking. They also both have a raised platform for the operator to stand on to ensure optimum operating visibility.  

All terrain tracks allow the Dragon Lifters to be used in all conditions on any building site or home based project. For ease of transport both machines weigh under 630kg, and will fit in most trailers or vans. The LF750 is just 700mm wide so will fit through a standard doorway, even the LF1000 at just 840mm wide is perfect for jobs where access is narrow or restricted.  

You can read more about these machines and see photos and video here. If you’d like to speak to us in person, get in touch here.

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.”