Rock Drill Hose

Choosing the Right Type of Jackhammer
Picking the right type of jackhammer is not that hard. Each type of jackhammer has limitations, and you just need to pick the option with limitations that don't affect your project. We cover the four types of jackhammers: Pneumatic (air powered), Hydraulic, Electric, and Gas Powered.

Pneumatic jackhammers are a great place to start because it's what we see most often on utility and infrastructure jobs. You need a compressed air source and an air hose to operate these jackhammers.

We offer a 90lb Pneumatic Jackhammer. These are popular because they are reliable, comparably lightweight, and powerful. To operate one of these, you need a compressor capable of outputting a minimum of 90 PSI. Most of the time, you'll see workers using a tow behind compressor to operate a range of air-powered tools.

The downside to a pneumatic jackhammer is that you are tethered with the hose. Most air hoses are 50ft or 100ft. If you're connected to a tow behind compressor, and your work goes beyond your hose, you'll need to move the truck and compressor. Worse yet, if you can't get the compressor close enough, you might just be out of luck.

Hydraulic jackhammers are similar to pneumatic. You've got the jackhammer connected to a hydraulic pump with a hose. You can find hand-operated hydraulic jackhammers, but for the most part, these are a more popular option for excavating equipment that already has hydraulic lines.

In addition to the limitations of the pneumatic jackhammer, hydraulic jackhammers have a couple more downsides. First, they tend to be heavier. Jackhammers are heavy tools. Adding a fluid-powered system doesn't help. The bigger issue is stand-alone hydraulic pumps aren't as readily available as air compressors. Often a Jobsite will already have an air compressor for all the other tools. With a hydraulic jackhammer, you will likely need to bring a pump just for that tool.

Electric jackhammers are quickly growing in popularity. With the rapid progress in electric motor technology, these jackhammers can now match the power of all the other jackhammer options while remaining lightweight and quieter. We predict in the coming years, we will see more and more manufacturers pushing electric jackhammer options.

There isn't much to explain with electric jackhammers. They operate the same as any other plug-in power tool. You need a power source which could include a generator or AC outlet. As you can imagine, the big limitation revolves around being tethered to that power cord. If you're plugged into a tow-behind generator, you're in the same predicament as the pneumatic jackhammer.

Gas-powered jackhammers break the mold. This is the only jackhammer option that is not tethered to a stationary power source. Gas-powered units operate completely independently and produce as much power as any other option. Sounds perfect, right?

Not so fast. Having an onboard gas tank makes these jackhammers one of the heavier options. And although gas-powered jackhammers aren't tethered, they aren't exactly a "go anywhere" option. Gas motors produce exhaust, so you can't use these on indoor projects or in confined spaces.

And, of course, gas-powered jackhammers are loud. All jackhammers are loud by nature, but the addition of an onboard engine pushes the loudness factor to a new level.

So, picking the type of jackhammer is pretty easy. You just need to ask yourself if you will work indoors vs. outdoors and what power sources are available.

Choosing the Right Bit for the Project
If you've picked your type of jackhammer and the specific jackhammer model you'll be using, the next thing you will need to do is figure out the size of the jackhammer shank. The shank size will usually be indicated somewhere on the jackhammer. If not, you can look up the make and model.

We primarily carry 1-1/4" bits and 1-1/8" bits. Those are two very common shank/bit sizes for construction-sized jackhammers. Once you've established your bit size, you'll need to choose a type of jackhammer bit. There is a large variety of jackhammer bits; we will focus on the options common in utility and infrastructure work.

When people think of jackhammers, they think of demolishing concrete, pavement, rocks, and many other surfaces. Not every jackhammer bit is made for demolishing. If you set out to break some hard surfaces into removable pieces, you will need a chisel bit, and there is more than one type of chisel bit.

Operating a Jackhammer
The actual jackhammer operation is very intuitive. After it's connected, the handle will have a trigger that turns the jackhammer on. Some electric models will require the unit to be powered on for the trigger to work. Before using the jackhammer, you'll want to ensure the bit is locked in. If you are completely new to jackhammers, you should attend safety training before using the jackhammer.

When using a jackhammer for any purpose, you should never put your weight on it. You run the risk of the jackhammer slipping and you falling on top of it. Let the jackhammer do the work. The operator only needs to apply enough pressure to keep the jackhammer positioned in the right direction.

First-time users often think the jackhammer should be operated as vertically as possible but most quickly learn that is incorrect. The jackhammer should lean back slightly towards the operator, ideally 20-30 degrees.

Best methods depend on the project and user, but workers generally like hammering in rows. Working in a specific direction helps control the direction of the cracking surface. This allows you to quickly break manageable pieces of debris instead of jackhammering randomly all over the place, which will take more time and yield varying sizes of debris.

Dust mitigation is something that is often overlooked. Over the past decade, has set its sights on reducing the amount of silica dust inhaled by workers. A big part of that is controlling and containing concrete demolition dust. Two popular dust control options include the wet and vacuum methods.

The wet method works the same as wet cutting. The area that is being jackhammered is continually sprayed with water to keep dust from getting into the air. The vacuum method requires a special attachment for the jackhammer that attaches a vacuum that collects the dust as the jackhammer works.

And finally, remember that a jackhammer is an aggressive tool, and prolonged use will take a toll on your body. Proper ergonomics are very important with tools like these. Make sure your stance doesn't create additional strain on your body, and hold the handles so that the jackhammer is doing most of the work.

Henglong is one of the world's leading manufacturers of top quality percussive rock drilling tools.Our high-performance products include TOP hammer drill bits, extension and tunneling rods,integral steel,tapered rods,shank adapters,coupling,blast tapping furnace tools,self drilling anchor tools,coal mining tools and other drill tool accessories.HENGLONG is a flexible company that puts all its efforts to developing first class rock drilling tools especially button bits.HENGLONG provides a wide range of tools to mining,construction,tunneling,quarrying,and water well projects from China to all of the world.