Granulators – Shredders – Pulverizers

Shannon Treger, KD Machinery · Reviewed 2026-08-12

Size reduction covers three different machines. Granulators regrind moulded parts and scrap, shredders break down bulky material first, and pulverizers take it down to powder. Horsepower is what drives both capability and price, and most machines KD lists fall between $16,500 and $54,900.

Most of the 123 granulators, shredders and pulverizers KD has listed fall between $16,500 and $54,900, with asking prices across the group running from $3,500 to $375,000.

Which machine do you actually need?

These three are often grouped together, and they do different jobs in a plant. A granulator regrinds moulded parts, sprues and runners into regrind that can go back into the process. A shredder handles bulkier, tougher material — purgings, large parts, drums, film — and is often the first stage before a granulator. A pulverizer takes material further down, into a powder fine enough for processes that need it, such as rotational molding.

If you are unsure, the practical test is what you are feeding it. Moulded parts and runners point to a granulator. Anything too big or too tough to feed a granulator directly points to a shredder first. And if you need powder rather than regrind, that is a pulverizer.

KD’s own history reflects that split: of the size-reduction machines we have handled, 121 were granulators, 49 shredders and 10 pulverizers — granulators are by far the most common purchase.

What will we ask you before quoting one?

These are the questions our plastics desk works through, and having the answers ready will get you a straight answer much faster. They differ by machine.

For a granulator:

• What throat opening size do you need? This is set by the largest thing you will feed it.
• What horsepower?
• Will a blower and cyclone be required to move the regrind away?

For a shredder:

• What style — single shaft, dual shaft or quad shaft?
• What hopper opening size do you need?
• What horsepower?
• What type of material is it going to run?

For a pulverizer:

• What horsepower?
• What type of material is it going to run?

Notice what appears on all three lists: horsepower, and for two of them the material. Those are the questions that decide the machine, and they are the ones worth settling before you start comparing listings.

Beside the press or central?

This one is simpler than it sounds. A beside-the-press granulator is usually a 3 to 10 horsepower machine that sits next to the injection molder and grinds sprues and runners as they come off it. A central granulator is a larger machine serving several presses or a whole plant.

So it is a question of size and where the machine sits, not a different kind of machine. If you are grinding at the press as you go, you are looking at the small end of the range. If you are collecting scrap and processing it in batches, you are looking at something larger.

How does horsepower drive the price?

Horsepower is the specification we record on about three quarters of the size-reduction machines we list, and it tracks price closely. Across KD’s own listings:

The three machine classes sit in different places on that scale, which is why they price so differently. The granulators we have listed run to a median of about $19,750 across 87 priced machines, at a median of 50 horsepower. The shredders run to about $57,500 across 32 priced machines, at a median of 75 horsepower.

That gap is the machine class showing through, not a difference in quality. It is worth saying plainly because brand comparisons in this category are misleading for the same reason: every Vecoplan machine we have handled is a shredder and every Rapid machine is a granulator, so comparing their prices compares two different machines rather than two builders.

We now have enough of five makes to quote a figure, and the same caution applies to reading them side by side: Conair at $13,900 across 21 priced granulators, Rapid at $16,500 across 12 granulators, Nelmor at $19,500 across 10, Cumberland at $45,000 across 14 granulators, and Vecoplan at $58,500 across 15 shredders. Vecoplan looks like the expensive builder and is really the shredder builder. We are not publishing medians for the rest — a figure drawn from five or six machines is not a market rate.

What does a used size-reduction machine cost?

Across the 123 machines KD has listed with a published price, most fall between $16,500 and $54,900, with the full range running from $3,500 to $375,000.

That is a wide span because it covers everything from a small beside-the-press granulator to a 300 horsepower shredding system. Use the horsepower table above to place yourself within it rather than reading the headline range as a budget.

The median machine we have listed was built in 2009. Conair and Cumberland are the makes we have handled most among granulators, Vecoplan and Weima among shredders.

Every figure here is an asking price from KD’s own listings, not a record of final transaction values.

What should you ask about knives and screens?

Knives and screens are the wearing parts on this equipment, and their condition is a real part of what a used machine is worth. It is also something that tends to come out in conversation rather than off a spec sheet — with sellers, and more often with buyers who know to ask.

So ask. Worth raising on any machine you are seriously considering:

• The condition of the rotor knives and bed knives, and how much resharpening life is left in them.
• Whether the screen is in good order, and what screen sizes come with the machine.
• Whether any spare knives or screens are included, since they are a genuine cost on their own.

Quote the reference number from the listing when you call and we will find out what we can about that specific machine.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a granulator, a shredder and a pulverizer?

A granulator regrinds moulded parts, sprues and runners into regrind. A shredder handles bulkier or tougher material and is often the first stage before a granulator. A pulverizer reduces material further, into a powder. What you are feeding it is the practical test of which you need.

What do I need to know before asking for a quote?

For a granulator: throat opening size, horsepower, and whether a blower and cyclone are needed. For a shredder: style (single, dual or quad shaft), hopper opening size, horsepower and material type. For a pulverizer: horsepower and material type.

What is a beside-the-press granulator?

Usually a 3 to 10 horsepower granulator that sits next to the injection molder and grinds sprues and runners as they come off it. A central granulator is a larger machine serving several presses or a whole plant. It is a difference of size and position rather than a different kind of machine.

How much does a used granulator cost?

The granulators KD has listed run to a median asking price of about $19,750 across 87 priced machines. Shredders run higher, about $57,500 across 32, because they are larger machines – a median of 75 horsepower against 50.

Does horsepower determine the price?

It tracks it closely. In KD’s listings, 25 to 49 horsepower machines run to a median of about $18,500, 50 to 99 horsepower about $32,500, and 100 horsepower and up about $88,500. Under 25 horsepower runs about $7,400.

What should I check on the knives and screens?

Ask about the condition of the rotor and bed knives and how much resharpening life is left, whether the screen is in good order and what screen sizes come with the machine, and whether any spare knives or screens are included. They are wearing parts and a real part of the machine’s value.

Key facts

• KD has listed 178 size-reduction machines, with 29 available now.
• Most fall between $16,500 and $54,900 asking, across 123 priced machines.
• Granulators run to a median of about $19,750; shredders about $57,500.
• Horsepower tracks price: 25-49 HP about $18,500, 100 HP and up about $88,500.
• Of the machines KD has handled, 121 were granulators, 49 shredders and 10 pulverizers.
• A beside-the-press granulator is usually a 3 to 10 horsepower machine.

What is in stock at KD right now

Browse current inventory, or start from a related category or a machine we are listing today:

• 2020 Conair Viper 17 Series
• CBI Annihilator

Figures on this page are asking prices from KD’s own listings, indicative only, and not a valuation of any particular machine. Specifications and prices change – please confirm anything you intend to rely on with us before purchasing.