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Colorado Prospector - Gem and mineral prospecting and mining forums _ Equipment - Prospecting and Lapidary _ Trommel Alternative

Posted by: swizz Aug 9 2017, 08:25 AM

I'm still trying to settle on a good portable wash plant for my claims. I really want the Heckler Mini Trommel but at $4200 I cannot justify it.
So..... Heckler Fab also offers a 2-stage commercial highbanker for $1869 that looks mighty tempting to me! Need to keep my budget under $2K, so this could be the one. For $89 they sell a dredge adapter that will accept 3" or 4" diameter. Other accessory options include matting configurations to specifically recover fine Gold which might be useful at places like CC. I need the coarse Gold recovery for now and it comes with Clarkson riffles (pictured).

Thoughts? http://www.hecklerfabrication.com/highbanker1020-C.html

Posted by: Crusty Aug 9 2017, 01:19 PM

Not seeing a significant advantage over your current setup. Gonna need a lot of shovels and strong backs to move 7.5 yards an hour. If you're concerned about losses in your keen, add another length with different matting (dream Matt, expanded metal/moss) that'd allow more time for the clay to break up.

I think if you stuck with a banker, spending a few bucks to "frankenbank" yours would be more cost effective than dropping $2k on this

Posted by: swizz Aug 9 2017, 01:52 PM

I think it would be a big improvement from my Keene setup, even if I kept modifying it (which is a pain and sometimes not cheap). Heckler: The hopper box is much larger which gives more clay-bustin time, very aggressive spray bars, the riffle & matting configuration is far better than my existing, it has excellent flap/brush dampeners, plus a boil box where the sluices meet. Heckler Fab is known for well built mining equip and bases their matting and riffle configurations on Clarkson tests, which I strongly approve. I like it.
~7.5 "tons" per hr capability... not yds. I'm not sure which would be more, but more than I can move by myself, which is ok. If my op grows a little this will be able to handle it. If Sig brings up his mini-ex next year I could put that Heckler to work bigly. If I hire temp service help to come up and dig, I can keep them shoveling.
The Keene with that small hopper.... not so much.

Posted by: Crusty Aug 9 2017, 02:33 PM

Good points as always

Posted by: swizz Aug 9 2017, 02:41 PM

Just got off the phone with Sig... I'll elaborate that conversation in the protected forum.

Posted by: swizz Aug 9 2017, 03:12 PM

Whether I buy this thing or not, it wouldn't be until next spring. Gives me something to dream about all winter anyway. If the economy continues on this path I could justify buying it the spring. Then either sell the Keene or keep it as a guest highbanker.