Construction
The BIGA-KM-8000SXPX comes with triple wall construction ranging from 14 gauge to 20 gauge steel that will not only stand up to years of abuse from hot asphalt, but also has 2" to 3" of high efficiency fiberglass insulation and an aluminum reflective wall around the shell that can maintain hot mix asphalt for a period of up to 72 hours.
Fuel & Heating
The BIGA-KM-8000SXPX is a 58,000 BTU propane fired model which allows you to carry additional propane bottles with you. 30lb bottles are recommended. (not included)
Heating is a piece of cake with a thermostat that can control from 100º F to 350º F, allowing a wide range of control to allow you to warm up cold patch on really cold days or maintain optimum temperatures of hot mix asphalt patch. It can also reclaim bulk stored virgin mix overnight.
The thermostat is housed within a weatherproof control box and the heating system has a full safety shut off in case of any problems.
Discharge
The BIGA-KM-8000SXPX designed as a gravity fed unit with slanted walls and floor that allow easy discharge of asphalt patch by funneling the material towards the shoveling door. The shoveling door(s) are insulated vertical sliding on tracks located towards the lower center portion of the hot box rear.
The 2-Ton is a single 16"H x 16"W door.
The 4-Ton is a dual door with each having a size of: 16"H x 20"W
Asphalt Hot Box and Recycler Breakdown
Maintainer
A maintenance hot box is an insulated storage unit designed to keep fresh, hot-mix asphalt at its optimal working temperature throughout the day. It prevents the material from cooling into a cold set which would otherwise make it unworkable for patching and repair. This tool is best for crews who pick up a fresh load from the plant in the morning and need to maintain heat until the last job is finished.
Reclaimer
The reclaimer is a high-powered unit built to heat bulk-stored cold hot-mix chunked virgin asphalt from a solid state back to a workable liquid. It typically uses high-BTU burners to reclaim cold material overnight so that it is ready for use by the start of the next shift. This allows contractors to operate independently of asphalt plant hours, which is especially useful during the winter or in remote locations. Reclaimers are NOT designed for re-heating recycled millings.
Recycler
A recycler is the most advanced of the three, designed to process old, broken pavement or millings into usable asphalt. It applies high heat to break down the chunks and requires the addition of rejuvenators to replace the oxidized oils that have been lost over time. By turning waste material back into a functional product, it offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution for permanent road repairs.
Propane vs Diesel
What are the differences?
Aside from the normal obvious differences between our Propane models and Diesel models, we get this question a lot.
The biggest difference between the Propane and Diesel versions is the way the heating system works. Obviously, one is propane and the other is diesel, but how the fueling is controlled between the two, is where they differ.
Propane
The propane version has a static thermostat where you set the dial and walk away. It's easy to use and there's not much to think about, but that's pretty much as far as it goes. You can't setup custom time schedules or program the propane version.
Diesel
With the Diesel version, it has what we call a Smart Thermostat which has an actual programming logic controller and this lets the system control heating to be even more efficient, saving you money in fuel costs. The diesel version also has data logging, which let's you take a look at how well the system is heating to know if your hot box is working at peak efficiency. In addition, the smart thermostat will let you control heating requirements, allowing you to literally walk away and forget about it, or you can setup a time schedule and have the burner turn on or off at predetermined times. For example, set it to turn off over the weekend and automatically turn on for the week.
Conclusion
Better tools means a higher cost, so if you're looking at a budget system that's easier to use, the propane is probably the best bet. But if you want to know exactly where your money is going, and you want a system with the highest heating efficiency, diesel is the way to go.
