Both are hydraulic cone crushers, both crush hard rock, and the price gap can be 30% or more. Choosing by rock type and duty instead of by brochure gets you the right machine — and saves wearing parts.
The two machines look similar from the outside: a cone inside a bowl, hydraulics instead of springs, a drive motor on the side. But the way force gets into the rock is different, and that single difference decides which one is cheaper to run on your material.
Multi-cylinder (SK.D type). The main shaft is fixed and the eccentric bushing drives the concave side; hydraulic cylinders hold the bowl. Crushing force is applied through several cylinders around the circumference, so the machine delivers a high crushing force in a compact stroke. That is why it dominates fine crushing: better particle shape, more fines, tighter closed-side control.
Single-cylinder (SK.Y type). One hydraulic cylinder under the main shaft sets both the gap and the tramp release. Fewer cylinders, simpler hydraulics, lighter frame — and notably more tolerance when unpredictable material goes through it.
| Duty | Multi-cylinder (SK.D) | Single-cylinder (SK.Y) |
|---|---|---|
| Fine crushing, cubical product | Strength — tighter CSS, better shape | Adequate, more flats & elongated |
| Feed with occasional tramp iron | Clearing is fast but protection matters | Very tolerant — cylinder simply yields |
| Wet, sticky or clay-contaminated feed | Choke feeding discipline required | More forgiving of uneven feed |
| Wear cost per ton (hard rock) | Lower — even liner wear from multi-point loading | Higher on abrasive feed |
| Initial purchase price | Higher | Lower (typically 20–30% less) |
| Maintenance skill needed | Hydraulic training recommended | Simpler — one cylinder, fewer seals |
The honest rule: secondary and medium crushing duties with variable feed suit single-cylinder; fine crushing where gradation sells suits multi-cylinder.
The mistake we see most often is the reverse of the marketing: a buyer who needs a cubical, fine product buys a single-cylinder because it is cheaper, then spends the difference on excess screen recirculation and liner changes. Equally, a quarry with a loader that drops teeth into the hopper twice a year should not pay multi-cylinder prices for a duty a single-cylinder handles calmly.
If you send us your feed gradation, target capacity and product sizes, we will tell you which architecture fits — including when the cheaper machine is the correct answer.
Ask us directly. If it is a question we are asked often, it becomes the next article — and you get the answer either way.