Breathing new life into a classic: How HydroLoop enhanced a 7’ Symons® crusher

The Symons® crusher has long been a symbol of toughness in the crushing world. Built for durability and designed for simplicity, these machines often run for decades with minimal intervention. Lexington Quarry in Nicholasville, Kentucky, is a prime example: their 7’ Symons secondary crusher, originally manufactured in 1948, remains central to daily production today. The quarry processes limestone, outputting approximately 5,000 tons per day. 

While the crusher’s reliability has stood the test of time, one aspect of its operation remained a challenge: the traditional freshwater sealing system, especially during harsh Kentucky winters. That’s where Metso’s new Symons HydroLoop upgrade, a closed-loop water recirculation system designed for the iconic crushers, came into the picture. 

This is the story of how HydroLoop modernized a classic by improving winter operation, stabilizing sealing flow and reducing maintenance labor, all while preserving the rugged simplicity that Symons owners value. 

Simplifying winter operations 

For Site Superintendent Donald Ross, who has been with the quarry for over 43 years, winter water management was one of the biggest pain points. Before HydroLoop, his team spent cold mornings draining and reconnecting frozen lines just to get the day started. 

Ross shared that the HydroLoop’s ability to run glycol through a sealed system “was the most important part for our operation,” dramatically reducing winter preparation and labor. Once installed, the team simply pressed the start button, resulting in no freezing lines, no repeated hookups and no delays. 

A two-hour plug-and-play installation 

The HydroLoop’s design philosophy centers on simplicity, using standard Symons water-seal connections and compact dimensions that fit into tight quarry environments. Metso’s engineer on this project, Brian Klett, explained that HydroLoop “has the same connections as the existing water system,” enabling a smooth, plug-and-play fit into the site’s 1948 crusher water circuit.

Engineered for real conditions 

Lexington Quarry presented ideal conditions to validate HydroLoop’s ruggedness: heavy limestone dust, outdoor exposure and daily operational demands. 

Klett noted that on day one, “the filter showed significant sediment collection,” confirming that the system was effectively removing dust before it reached the crusher’s critical components.  

Product Specialist Alex Lansing emphasized that this performance was intentional — HydroLoop was built to enhance reliability for the massive global Symons installed base: “We’re upgrading the system to modern technology, but customers still get the benefit of the Symons crusher, which just doesn’t quit.” 

Throughout testing, HydroLoop maintained a steady 10–12 GPM sealing flow, something Ross said was a noticeable improvement over their pond-fed system, which often fluctuated when other hoses were opened.  

Operational and labor benefits 

Beyond winter reliability and improved flow consistency, HydroLoop significantly reduced repetitive tasks. Ross’s team no longer spends time draining lines, diagnosing pumps or troubleshooting frozen connections. The system’s closed-loop design also frees the operation from relying on a single pond pump, meaning crushing can continue even if the external water supply goes down. 

While Lexington Quarry doesn’t rely on municipal water, Ross noted that for sites that do, HydroLoop’s sealed design could significantly reduce costs and increase water efficiency. He also pointed out that while water scarcity isn’t a local concern, the system would be a tremendous help in areas where water is tightly regulated or scarce.  

Promoting sustainable water use 

Although water is not a scarce resource in this area of Kentucky, the HydroLoop upgrade has demonstrated just how powerful closed-loop water management can be for operations around the world. The system captures, filters and recycles more than 99% of the water needed for the Symons sealing system, which is a dramatic reduction compared to the traditional open-loop design that continuously draws and discards water. For regions where water is expensive, tightly regulated or difficult to source, this technology can provide immediate relief by cutting consumption, reducing permitting challenges and lowering both environmental impact and operating costs. 

Today, many sites must meet increasingly strict sustainability targets, and HydroLoop offers a practical, plug-and-play way to do so without modifying the crusher itself. Even though Lexington Quarry doesn’t currently face water scarcity, Ross noted that the system still delivered meaningful value by stabilizing sealing flow, reducing labor and freeing the operation from its dependence on an external pond pump. Together, these benefits make HydroLoop not only an operational upgrade, but a forward-looking step toward more responsible resource use across the entire Symons installed base. 

A win for Symons owners everywhere 

By combining modern engineering with a classic crusher design, HydroLoop represents the next step in sustainability and efficiency of Symons machines. 

For Lansing, HydroLoop’s biggest message is simple: “It’s an environmentally sound solution that reduces water use, meets tightening regulations and helps customers operate more efficiently.”  

As for Lexington Quarry, the proof is in his crew’s reaction and the quarry’s decision to purchase the HydroLoop at the end of the trial. The difference in winter alone was enough to justify this purchase. 

A simple upgrade with big impact 

At Lexington Quarry, HydroLoop didn’t change the workhorse nature of their 76-year-old Symons crusher — it enhanced it. The result is a system that: 

• Reduces winter downtime

• Stabilizes sealing water flow

• Lowers labor requirements

• Performs reliably in harsh environments

• Installs in hours with minimal modifications

• Supports long-term water efficiency 

Symons HydroLoop delivers modern efficiency to a classic machine, proving that even the most trusted equipment can evolve and that the right upgrade can make a great crusher even better and more sustainable.