This article is a complete guide to everything you need to know about hydraulic breaker hammers.

It will cover everything from construction, components and working principles to tips on buying, maintaining and repairing hydraulic hammers.

We’ll also include a FAQ and troubleshooting guide that covers every detail you need to know.

To help beginners and professionals better understand the hydraulic breaker hammer.

Among them, “hydraulic hammer ultimate Purchase guide” is divided into six chapters.

Hydraulic breaker hammer definition. Its history, type and application are briefly introduced.

Structure of hydraulic hammer. This section describes the main components and provides an overall schematic of the structure.

Working principle of hydraulic hammer.An informative section explaining the technical principles of operating hydraulic hammers with diagrams and videos.

How to choose hydraulic hammer. Here are six of the most practical tips for choosing the right hammer; This section is intended to provide general advice in the form of a buying guide.

Hydraulic hammer maintenance guide. Common maintenance suggestions and videos. A complete PDF maintenance guide is available for download.

A list of frequently asked Questions about daily use, repair, maintenance and troubleshooting – all the details you need to know!

What is a hydraulic breaker hammer?

Hydraulic crushing hammer is a heavy construction machinery, installed in excavators, backhoe, skid steering, small excavators and fixed equipment.

It is hydraulically driven to break rocks into smaller sizes or concrete structures into manageable fragments.

They are such versatile tools that can handle a wide variety of jobs and come in different sizes and models to meet specific needs.

A good hammer is built durable and is commonly used in a variety of applications such as demolition, construction, road-building, mining and quarrying, tunneling, and landscaping.

Hydraulic Breaker hammer Structure

In order to understand how hydraulic hammers work, or what is the working principle of hydraulic hammers, it is necessary to first clarify the structure and main components of hydraulic hammers.

Hydraulic crusher hammer is mainly composed of three parts: back head (nitrogen chamber), cylinder assembly, and front head. 

We’ll talk about them separately.

1. Back (nitrogen chamber)

The rear head is a container for storing nitrogen.

Under high pressure, the nitrogen-filled chamber acts as a damper for the piston’s return trip.

As the piston moves downward, it also acts as an impact enhancer.

2. Cylinder assembly

Hydraulic breaker hammer cylinder assembly is the core component of hydraulic crushing hammer.

It is mainly composed of cylinder, piston and control valve.

The piston and valve are the only two moving parts of the hydraulic hammer.

The piston moves up and down, hits the tool, and the valve rotates to control the flow of oil.

It is where motion takes place and where water power is produced.

The oil is controlled by the main valve, and the hydraulic flow drives the piston to produce impact energy.

The cylinder is equipped with a sealing kit to prevent oil leakage.

3. Front Head

This is where the piston is attached to the chisel (or working tool).

The chisel is secured with bushings and pins, and this is the part most in need of replacement.

The front side is in direct contact with the working surface, and the box case prevents wear and tear and provides longer service life.

A hammer has dozens of accessories in addition to these three main parts.

Hydraulic Breaker Hammer Working Principle

Now comes the crucial part.

This chapter contains a great deal of technical information.

If you have an engineering background, this section will help you understand the technical aspects of how hydraulic hammers work and operate.

If you think these flowcharts are boring and incomprehensible, you can jump right to the conclusion.

As described in the previous chapter, the main valve controls the flow of oil in and out, and the hydraulic flow drives the piston up and down, producing impact energy.

In this chapter, four flow charts are used to illustrate the process.

Remarks 

• 1-8 represents the oil flow chamber
• The red area is filled with high-pressure oil
• The blue areas are filled with low-pressure oil streams
• The pressure in chambers 3 and 7 is always low because they’re connected to the outside.
• Chamber one and eight always have high pressure because they’re connected to “in”
• The pressures of chambers 2, 4 and 6 vary with the movement of the piston

1.High-pressure oil enters and fills chambers 1 and 8, acting on the end face of the piston and pushing the piston upwards.

2. When the piston moves up to the limit, chamber 1 is connected with chamber 2, and oil flows from chamber 2 to chamber 6.

Control valve due to pressure difference upward (6 chamber oil pressure is higher than 8 chamber oil pressure).

3. When the control valve reaches the upper limit, the input hole connects the oil flow of cavity 8 to make the oil flow into cavity 4.

Due to the high oil pressure in chamber 4, supported by nitrogen, the piston moves downward.

4. When the piston moves down and hits the chisel, chamber 3 is connected to chamber 2, and they are both connected to chamber 6.

Due to the high oil pressure in chamber 8, the control valve moves down and the input hole is connected to chamber 7 again.

Then a new cycle begins.

Conclusion

One sentence is enough to summarize the working principle of the hydraulic hammer: “The relative position change of piston and valve, which is driven by oil flow going “in” and “out,” transforms hydraulic power into impact energy.”

Watch the short video for a thorough explanation.

How to choose a hydraulic breaker hammer?

Now that you know what a hydraulic circuit breaker is, you’re going to buy one.

A hydraulic crusher is not a small investment, nor is it built for the convenience of life.

Choosing the right hammer can save a lot of money in the long run and improve your efficiency.

We’ve compiled six practical tips to explain how to choose the right hydraulic hammer.

1. Size

Hydraulic hammer must be installed on suitable size carrier. The right mix can optimize efficiency and protect your valuable investment.

Since there is no general industry standard, crusher size can be measured by weight ratio, impact energy level, chisel/piston diameter, etc.

Each has its own advantages, the piston/chisel diameter is what I consider most.

In short, larger tools and chisels generally result in higher power and lower frequencies. The circuit breaker is fitted with a heavier carrier.

For example, a 140mm tool diameter hammer is a good match for the 20 ton class, such as the Cat 320C, Komatsu PC200 excavator.

And a 45 mm chisel diameter breaker is a good fit for your 2 ton Bobcat skidding or 1.8 ton Kubota mini excavator.

2. Projects and applications

Hydraulic hammers are versatile enough to work in a variety of applications, so matching your machine to the intended project is critical.

In mining or quarrying, impact power is most important, which may require a larger hammer and slower speed to break rock or limestone into smaller pieces.

In road demolition or tunnel construction, penetration and impact rate are key factors to improve efficiency. The 10-ton medium hammer is a good choice.

For rear hole excavation or landscaping, anti-skid steering or small excavators fitted with a 1 ton breaker work best.

Demolishing the road with a 30 ton hammer is your choice, but I think it’s a waste.

3. Aropriate hydraulic flow

The hydraulic breaker is driven and powered by the hydraulic flow of the excavator. Some can handle a wide range of traffic, and some can’t.

Overflow can damage the hammer due to the extra pressure. And without enough flow, the hammer will become slow, weak, and ineffective.

In principle, the wider the scope, the better the universality, the greater the capacity of the narrow flow breaker.

For example, the Cat 130H hydraulic breaker hammer (tool diameter 129.5mm, excavator class 18-36 tons) has a flow range of 120-220 L /min.

Its best match is about 20 tons; It is most suitable for road construction and construction.

There’s no doubt that it can work at higher oil flows and heavier loads (which means wider applications like mining and quarrying),

This may not be a perfect choice.

In this case, a new hammer with a larger piston and tool diameter might work better.

For example, a heavier hydraulic hammer, a 155mm diameter chisel and piston are more powerful and productive in a quarry.

So do you choose one for better versatility or multiple for better flow matching? This is your phone number.

4. Type of housing

There are three types of shells or casings, each with its own characteristics.

Choose a box, or a silent one, and make the most of it, not just for noise reduction.

The fully enclosed shell made of thickened wear-resisting steel plate protects the main body and front head from wear and impact.

The rock breaker is not easy to use, and better protection will extend the service life, thus protecting your investment.

5. Maintenance costs

When choosing a hydraulic breaker, maintenance costs are a long-term cost to consider.

Hydraulic circuit breakers cost money to maintain and are worth every dollar you spend.

This happens when parts wear out and need to be replaced regularly.

Ask your dealer or service center for retail prices of pins, bushings, chisels and seals, and replacement intervals.

Then figure out how much you’re willing to pay for it.

Regularly and properly maintain your hydraulic breaker to ensure working efficiency and service life.

6. Used and rebuilt hydraulic hammers

Hydraulic hammers are not toys and usually work in harsh environments.

Sometimes it needs to be rebuilt.

Hammers can indeed be rebuilt, which is a great way to extend the working time of hammers.

But this can be a problem when buying a used or rebuilt home.

You never know if the piston is broken or the cylinder is scratched.

There may be sealing kit damage after a week, or due to cylinder rust and oil leakage.

Buying a substandard rebuild fracking hammer may seem cheap at first, but after a few months of use it can cost thousands of dollars.

Make sure you buy used or rebuilt hydraulic hammers from a trusted rebuilding center. Or buy a new one.

Hydraulic hammer maintenance guide

Proper maintenance and regular replacement of parts can make your hydraulic hammer performance better.

Is the key factor that makes its service life long.

To get an overview of it, we’ve summarized the most common maintenance tips to clear up your daily confusion.

Greasing

Proper lubrication is very important for prolonging the service life of rock breaker.

We recommend oiling the hammer every two hours.

Irregular oiling will significantly increase wear rates and reduce the life of your tools, bushings and front components.

Storage

Hydraulic breaking hammers can be stored vertically or horizontally. For long-term storage, it’s best to keep it upright.

This will allow the weight of the breaker to push the tool and piston inside the breaker.

If you hold them on their sides for a long time, all seals have to support heavy internal components such as pistons.

O-rings and support rings are not used for carrying.

Nitrogen check & Nitrogen charging

Click the link below for a step-by-step video guide.

FAQ & Troubleshooting Guide

1. What are the factors that affect the power of hydraulic hammer?

There are three main factors that affect the power of hydraulic hammer: nitrogen pressure (back pressure), hydraulic flow rate and impact rate.

The amount of nitrogen is very specific; Overcharging will stop hammering, while low nitrogen pressure will weaken hammering.

Hydraulic flow directly affects working pressure. Overflow can quickly damage the hammer, so be sure to work within the proper hydraulic range.

A frequency valve in the cylinder block is responsible for the impact rate. Adjust manually according to working conditions.

Basically, under certain working conditions, the slower the impact rate, the stronger the impact, the higher the frequency, the lighter the impact.

2. How often do sealing kits need to be replaced?

It depends on working conditions, gender and age. We recommend once every three months.

3. Can the broken piston be repaired?

No, a broken hydraulic hammer piston can never be fixed or chrome plated. Tight tolerances and impact energy make it impossible. It can damage your cylinders and cost thousands of dollars in the long run.

4. What are the common causes of piston damage?

Contaminated oil, excessive wear of liner and lack of grease may cause piston damage. Remember, pistons can’t be repaired, so be sure to replace damaged pistons immediately.

5. Can the hydraulic fracturing oil cylinder be repaired?

Yes, normal scratches can be repaired and polished, but only once! This is because the thickness of the carburizing layer after heat treatment is about 1.5-1.7mm, so there is still about 1mm after polishing, and the surface hardness is still guaranteed. This repair is only possible for the first time.

6. Why does the hydraulic hammer suddenly stop hammering?

Rear top pressure is too high. Release nitrogen and replenish as required.

The barrel was filled with oil. Remove the rear cover and replace the seal.

The control valve is stuck. Remove and clean valve and replace worn valve.

Insufficient oil flow. Repair pump, adjust hammer valve.

7. Why is the impact so weak?

Back pressure is too low. Check the back pressure and charge as needed.

Oil pollution. Replace hydraulic fluid and filter.

Low operating pressure. Check pump and reducing valve.

The loopback voltage is too high. Procedure Check the connection between filter and hose.

The working tools are not fully engaged. Use the right downward pressure. Ensure steel and front cover are not worn and properly greased.

8. Why does the hydraulic hammer not work after installation?

Improper bushing replacement. Reinstall the liner sleeve. Always use the original manuscript.

The quick connector is incorrectly installed. Check the connectors and replace them as needed.

The supply hose is upside down. The pressure line from the pump must be connected to the port marked IN. The return line connects to the port marked OUT.

The nitrogen pressure is too high. Release nitrogen and replenish it as needed.

Stop valve closes. Open stop valve.

9. Why is hydraulic hammer air injection prohibited?

When the tool is not in contact with the work surface, the hammer stroke of the piston is called “blank firing”.

This can cause serious damage to the hydraulic hammer. Because of the tremendous impact energy, the pins and bolts may crack and the front end may break.

Any questions about the hydraulic hammer? 

Ask a professional for buying tips? 

Please leave a message, we will provide solid solutions according to your requirements!