Spare parts to ship with your machine

The cheapest spare part you will ever buy is the one that travels in the same container as the machine. The most expensive is the one you air-freight three weeks after a failure, with the yard stopped.

Why spares belong in the original shipment

A part that ships with the machine costs its price plus a few kilos of freight. The same part ordered later costs:

• its price, often at a worse rate because it is a one-off order
• international courier charges, which for a hydraulic cylinder or a blade set are not small
• customs clearance, again, for a low-value consignment
• the downtime while all of the above happens

The last item is the one that decides whether the machine earns money that month.

What to ship with each machine type

Gantry shear

• one spare blade set (the single most-worn item)
• blade bolts
• seal kit for the main and side cylinders
• hydraulic filters
• proximity or limit switches as used on the machine

Metal baler

• wear plates for the bale chamber
• seal kit for the main and side cylinders
• hydraulic filters
• door and ejection cylinder seals

Shear and grab attachments

• blade or cutting edge set
• pin and bushing set
• hydraulic hose set
• seal kit for the rotation unit

Shredder

• one spare knife set (knife changes are routine, not repairs)
• screen plate
• bearings
• drive belts or couplings, if used

Electromagnets and tippers

• control box fuses and contactors
• cable and connector set
• hydraulic filters and seals for the tipper

What to write into the order

Spare parts are where quotes quietly diverge. Two offers for the same machine can differ by a spare blade set that one includes and the other does not. Ask for these four things in writing:

1. the part numbers, not just the descriptions
2. the unit price of each spare, so you can decide
3. whether the spares ship inside the machine crate or as a separate case
4. the lead time to re-order the same part later

That last one matters more than the price. A part that exists but takes twelve weeks to arrive is not a spare.

Storage is part of the plan

Blades and seals have a shelf life in the wrong conditions. Keep them dry, keep them off the floor, and keep the part numbers legible — a seal kit in an unmarked bag is a seal kit you will re-order by mistake.

Questions buyers ask

How many blades should I keep?

One full set is the working minimum for a shear or a shredder. If your machine runs two shifts, keep two — blade changes are scheduled maintenance, and a missing blade turns scheduled maintenance into downtime.

Are Chinese-brand seals acceptable?

On many machines, yes — but ask what is fitted. If the cylinder is built with imported seals, the spare kit should match; mixing seal types is how a cylinder starts weeping.

Can you ship spares after the machine has arrived?

Yes, and we do. It is simply slower and more expensive than putting them in the container in the first place.