Red Ball Recycling is on a roll, thanks to Harris two-ram power

Scrap recycler Brian Donaghy started Red Ball Recycling in Clarksville, Indiana, six years ago knowing that if his company were to survive and thrive, the right equipment would need to be put in place.

Donaghy says his starting level of capitalization and cash flow caused him to procure a baler initially that was less than ideal for the growing volume of nonferrous scrap that began flowing into his facility. It was a mistake he had no intention of making twice, and it has been rectified with the installation of a Harris Badger L-75 11/8 two-ram baler in late 2019.

Red Ball Recycling handles a wide variety of nonferrous scrap grades, including aluminum used beverage cans (UBCs), copper wire and stainless steel. Donaghy and Red Ball worked with Harris and Ken Ely Jr. from its Ohio-based dealer Ely Enterprises Inc. to specify the right baler.

The labor-saving aspects of a two-ram baler were magnified with the Harris Badger, which has a multi-functional touchscreen interface and an automatic wire tying system. The Badger comes at “a good price point,” says Donaghy, but it was a major upgrade over his previous baler. He calculated that financing a larger balance on the Badger was less expensive than employing someone full-time to tie off bales.

In addition to efficiency, Donaghy likes the power offered by the 11-inch cylinder option he selected. At a less than 5 percent increase in cost, Red Ball Recycling is experiencing up to 20 percent greater performance with the robust 11-inch cylinder.

With the Badger in place, Red Ball Recycling is equipped to bale its nonferrous material some 200 percent faster than it could with its previous model, Ely says.

“Once our employees got the hang of it and we knew what we were doing, it has offered us higher production,” confirms Donaghy.

Speed is one measure of the Badger’s productivity; the others are bale weight and density. “We’ve been getting good, tight bales with the Badger, and making weight on our trailers,” remarks Donaghy. “From a shipping standpoint, it reduces our transport costs.”

Donaghy also has seen savings on wire costs, thanks to the automated tying efficiency and the fewer, heavier bales.

He says working with Harris and its dealer to find the right baler for his situation has been a satisfying experience. “They’ve done a good job for us, and it’s been a reliable machine. For us, based on what we do, the Badger also has been the right baler.”

Two-ram Harris balers have cultivated a reputation globally for value, reliability and flexibility. More information on these heavy-duty models can be found at https://harrisequip.com/products/two-ram-balers.