I'm the office administrator for a 130-person aggregate and construction company. When I took over purchasing in 2020, I inherited three locations, eight vendors, and about $1.2 million in annual spend. A large slice of that goes to Metso crusher wear parts, Metso slurry pump parts, and the freight that makes or breaks a repair. This checklist is for anyone in the same seat.
One thing I've learned after five years and roughly 180 purchase orders: the cheapest part isn't the real cost. The real cost is the part that doesn't arrive when the plant is down.
Before the steps, a quick context. If you search "global cone crusher market share metso sandvik," you'll get a chart or a comparison. For a buyer, the answer matters less than what it means: both brands have a large installed base, and that means parts availability is usually pretty good. It also means you need to know exactly which version of which machine you have.
Here's the checklist I use.
On a cone crusher, the serial plate is usually on the main frame. On a slurry pump, find the pump case and the frame serial numbers. Write them down. Also pull the current part number from your past POs—but don't assume it's still the same. Part numbers get superseded.
I ordered a "complete rebuild kit" once using a part number from a previous year. The kit had been updated, and the new one didn't include the same components. Restocking cost us $1,300 and two weeks. That's a dumb way to learn to check supersession.
Metso's website (metso.com) has product pages, manuals, and dealer locator tools. If your crusher uses the IC70C control system, you can pull operating data—power draw, pressure, and crusher setting—to predict when a liner will need to be replaced. According to Metso's product documentation, the IC70C system automatically adjusts the crusher's settings. That data helps you order before the liner cracks, not after.
If your machine doesn't have automation, check wear through the feed opening when it's safe. It's not as precise, but it's better than waiting for a liner change to become a liner failure.
Don't skip this step. It's the difference between a planned five-hour changeout and an emergency 10-hour one.
For genuine vs. third-party, I don't believe "genuine is always better." But I do believe "genuine has more predictable fit, traceability, and dealer support." For high-wear crusher liners and slurry pump impellers, we lean genuine or a documented aftermarket source. For bolts, filters, and seals, we buy based on the supplier's track record. The point is to make a deliberate choice before it's an emergency.
When you're standing in front of a down crusher, that is not the time to experiment with an unknown-brand part. If you want a price reference, we've received quotes in 2024 with 25–40% differences between named aftermarket and no-name parts. Prices change, so verify current pricing. But the lowest number is not automatically the best cost.
Verbal "yes it's in stock" doesn't mean much. Ask for a written confirmation with the delivery date. Ask which warehouse it's coming from. Ask if the part is actually on the shelf.
In March 2024, we paid an extra $450 to rush a slurry pump wet-end part. The pump was down, and our only option was to miss a $14,000 contract or pay for guaranteed delivery. We paid. It hurt a little at the time, but the certainty was the product we were buying.
I didn't fully understand the value of certainty until that order. After getting burned twice by "probably on time" promises, I now budget for the rush option on critical parts.
This is the step most people ignore. A part can be correct and still be useless if it can't get to the equipment.
First, know the truck that will deliver or pick it up. What is a 3/4 ton truck? In the old classification, that's a pickup like a Ford F-250 or Chevy Silverado 2500, with a typical payload range of 1,500 to 2,500 lbs. Real payload is printed on the door jamb sticker, not the hood badge. A Shelby truck with a big engine might look like a hauler, but it's still a half-ton platform unless the payload sticker says otherwise. We learned this after a 3,000-lb part sat on a pallet because our pickup didn't have the payload or a lift gate.
Also confirm whether the freight driver has a lift gate. A lot of parts ship curbside only. If nobody on site has a forklift rated for the weight, you just bought a very expensive driveway decoration.
Second, check the electrical side. If the pump motor or crusher control panel needs to be connected, outdoor circuits generally need GFCI protection. A GFCI breaker—ground-fault circuit-interrupter—is a standard safety device. But our electrician refused to energize an outdoor pump circuit because the panel had a standard breaker, not a GFCI breaker. That one was a cheap fix, but it cost us a day because we found out after the part arrived.
Slurry pumps are not like crushers. A pump handling abrasive sand needs rubber-lined parts; one handling a chemical slurry may need metal or a specific alloy. The same pump model can ship with different impeller and liner materials. I always ask for the pump's material code before ordering. The serial plate helps, and so does the original equipment sheet. If your parts person doesn't ask about material, find another parts person.
Send photos of the worn parts if you can. A good dealer can often identify the part from a photo and catch a mismatch before it becomes an expensive return.
After 5 years of managing procurement, I've come to believe that the best part is the one already in your building. Make a short list: a slurry pump impeller, a set of cone crusher liners, a hydraulic hose, a pressure sensor. Look at your IC70C data and your pump maintenance history to pick the top three parts that will actually stop production. Stocking insurance parts is another form of paying for certainty.
Review that inventory once a quarter. The worst thing is paying for a spare part that sat in a corner long enough to become obsolete.
I'm not saying I don't make mistakes. But these are the ones I see in my own purchase history and in the purchase orders I review.
This approach works for us because we're a three-location operation with a fairly predictable maintenance schedule. If you're a one-crusher site with no backup, you need to order earlier and carry more stock. Your mileage may vary.
Nobody asks for a crusher part on a quiet day. It's always a Tuesday morning, there's a loaded truck waiting, and the plant manager is standing next to your desk. Paying a little more for certainty isn't a waste. It's the cost of not being the person who says "I don't know when it'll be here."
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