Jaw Crusher VS Hammer Mill: Which Crusher Is Best for Your Material?

Both jaw crusher and hammer mill crusher are common popular stone crushing equipment. What is the difference between them? Which is right for your application? Let’s refer to below items.

1. Working principle

A jaw crusher is a primary crushing machine that uses compressive force to break materials. It features a fixed “jaw” plate and a movable jaw plate (powered by an eccentric shaft) that swings back and forth. The working principle of jaw crusher is mainly the curved extrusion type. It uses compressive force with a stationary and a movable jaw. Hard rock are fully squeezed and crushed in the crushing chamber composed of movable jaw and fixed jaw. The ore is crushed under the powerful extrusion and discharged from the bottom port directly.

A hammer mill is a versatile crusher that uses impact force to shatter materials. It has a rotating rotor fitted with swinging hammers; when materials enter the chamber, the high-speed hammers (1,500–3,000 RPM) strike and break them into fine particles. Most models include a screen at the bottom to control output size (often 0–10mm).

2. The location of spare parts

The wear surface of jaw crusher is mainly reflected in the positive material, and the dynamic and static jaw plates are worn during the working process. The main wearing part is the jaw plates.

The hammerhead of the hammer mill crusher will wear on the front, rear and sides during the working process, and the rotor and the bottom sieve plate may also be worn. The main wearing part is the hammerhead.

3.  Maintenance cost

Jaw crusher is mainly composed of frame, jaw plate transmission assembly, adjustment device, flywheel and lubrication device, etc. It requires daily lubrication and maintenance work, repair and replacement of jaw plate, and the maintenance cost is relatively low.

Hammerhead value of the hammer crusher is different. The service time of hammerhead is 3-6 months around. Also the maintenance cost in the process of replacing the hammer head and the sieve plate in the bottom area is higher.

4. The adjustment method of the discharge port

Usually, there are three ways to adjust the jaw crusher discharge port: toggle plate adjustment, wedge adjustment, gasket adjustment. They are common method and used mostly in many jaw crusher plant. For some new model jaw crusher, it also to use hydraulic cylinder to adjust easily and efficiently.

To adjust the discharge of hammer crusher, it could replace the bottom grate or adjust the grate bars gap, or adjusting the length of hammerhead.

5. Scope of application of materials

Jaw crusher is suitable for all kinds of ores and bulk materials with compressive strength less than 320Mpa, such as river pebbles, basalt, granite, quartz stone, iron ore, etc.

Hammer crushing is suitable for crushing medium-hard materials with compressive strength less than 200MPa, such as limestone, dolomite, slag, coke, coal and other materials.

Which crusher is right for your application?

Jaw crushers and hammer mills serve distinct roles: jaw crushers are “workhorses” for hard materials and primary crushing, while hammer mills are “specialists” for soft materials and fine output.

For complex projects (e.g., processing hard limestone into fine concrete aggregates), use a jaw crusher as primary crushing (reduce 1m lumps to 100mm) and a hammer mill as secondary crushing (refine to 10mm). This hybrid setup balances durability and precision—saving time and costs.

Choose a suitable crusher according to the material type, production requirements, investment budget and other conditions. No matter what material you need to reduce, Baichy Machinery can supply the kinds of stone crushers and vibrating screens you need to complete the job efficiently. Contact us for a free quote.

People also frequently asked questions- FAQ

1.What is the different between jaw crusher and impact crusher?

A jaw crusher uses compressive force to break down materials by squeezing them between two plates. Impact crushers use impact force to crush material. They are generally used for crushing soft materials and producing fine aggregate.

2.Is hammer mill a crusher?

The hammer mill is the most widely used crushing device employing the impact principle of breaking and grinding stone. It has high crushing ratio and get sand size or smaller size as final product.

3.What are the advantages of jaw crusher?

Jaw crushers have a relatively simple structure, which means that inspection, repairs and maintenance are pretty straightforward. Jaw crushers are known to be sturdy and reliable, ideal for crushing material with a moisture content of less than 15%, and sticky materials. Moreover, jaw crusher do not jam easily.

4.Which crusher is more efficient?

Compression-style jaw, cone, impact crushers, and gyratory crushers are most often appropriate as primary crushing equipment types, though there can be overlap between primary and secondary crushers as far as suitable types.