Can crushers can be categorized in multiple fields and depending either by their usage, their manufacturing material or by the size of can they can crush they divide in multiple sub-sections. All these categories are important because you need to find the best crusher for your individual needs and a crusher for a party room will definitely be different from a crusher where you need to crush only one or two cans every month. These can recyclers come in various prices and usually if you want more from your device it will cost you more so getting the requirements right is in your best interests.
First of all let’s look at can crushers by their usage and more directly the Manual, Semi-Manual and Automatic crushers:
Manual can crushers are those devices that need to be emptied by hand and you can only crush one can at a time. Basically these are the simplest versions of aluminum can crushers and they are also the cheapest but you have to manually insert a new can and take out the crushed can shell every time. Because you have to manually pull the lever with your own force and also insert, take out the cans yourself these models are called manual crushers.
These Semi-automatic crushers are those devices that have a long feeding tube that can hold multiple cans at once and as you crush them by hand they automatically fly out in a collector box. Basically you have to manually crush the cans by pulling a lever but the feeding mechanism is semi-automatic and they also disperse those crushed cans automatically and that is why they are called semi-automatic.
Automatic can crushers are devices that automatically crush aluminum cans and you just have to feed them through a feeding hole and they come out on the other side fully crushed. These devices cost a lot of money (multiple thousand dollars) and they are intended for large scale recycling points or other large scale objects where you need to crush hundreds and hundreds of cans. Basically you plug this automatic crusher into an electrical outlet and put those cans inside and press a button to crush them all at once. These automatic crushers are huge compared to regular manual and semi-automatic crushers but they work wonderfully if you need a lot of crushing to be done.
Electric and nonelectric
If we look at the electrical and nonelectrical working properties we see that only fully automated crushers use electricity and manual / semi-automatic ones are fully hand operated.
Can size
Can crusher can also be categorized by the type of cans that can be crushed. Basically this means that these crushers can crush cans that are smaller than the maximum beverage volume and for example a 18 OZ can crusher can crush 7, 12 and every other size between up till that 18 OZ mark. Here is a table of 11 can size types in millimeters and OZ.
Millimeters |
OZ |
1,000 |
33.8 |
568 |
19.2 |
500 |
16.9 |
473 |
16 |
440 |
14.9 |
375 |
12.7 |
355 |
12 |
350 |
11.8 |
330 |
11.2 |
237 |
8.0 |
200 |
6.8 |
Crusher materials
And last but not least is the categorization of can crushers by the materials they are made of. This manufacturing material is very important to know because you can more clearly predict how long will your device work and also where you can use it and in what conditions, but maybe the most important thing to know about the materials is how will you need to maintain that crusher.
These crusher materials are divided in two main categories, the metal and plastic crushers and both have their advantages and disadvantages:
Can crushers made from Metal are strong, rigid, long lasting and heavy duty so you wont have to worry about it breaking while you crush your recycling cans. Basically metal crushers are better than plastic ones in strength and durability but they can start to rust if a lot of beverage gets on the metal parts and they also need more lubrication from time to time because when metal meets metal in a hinge they tend to make difficult to handle noises and also get harder to operate as the friction increases.
Crushers made from plastic however are more lightweight, they are usually cheaper but they are not as strong as their metal relatives. Basically high strength nylon or other plastic crushers are strong enough to be able to crush any can but they tend to break more in the long run as plastic is not as strong as steel or aluminum and you can expect plastic parts to break first. But plastic crusher also have the advantage of not needing any lubrication in their hinges and also they won’t rust if moisture is constantly on the crusher.
I hope you now know more about what types of crushers there are and you can now make more informed decision of what would be the best aluminum can recycler for you!