Keep the tool greased
The tool bit must be lubricated frequently to prevent accelerated wear of the tool bushings. Most manufacturers recommend applying tool grease (aka chisel paste) every 1-3 hours of operation. The type of grease is also important as it must stand up to the heavy-duty requirements of breaking rocks. Fel-Tech sells specially-formulated tool grease in standard grease-gun tubes and in 35 lb pails for bulk application. Our grease is recommended for use in all manufacturers of hammers, and can prevent costly repairs down the road.
Store upright for long-term (tool removed, or still in it)
When you plan to leave your hydraulic breaking hammer idle for long periods of time, (for example, over a winter) it is important to store the hammer in an upright orientation. Long periods of horizontal storage can cause premature wear or damage to the hammer’s internal components. For smaller hammers, a section of pipe welded to a base makes a good stand by simply inserting the tool bit into the top of the pipe. Larger hammers may need to be chained or strapped to something sturdy like a piling or a tree. If you have a firm smooth surface like a concrete floor, many medium and large hammers will balance nicely on their bottom end with the tool removed.
Proper setup of the hammer on the carrier is critical
There’s more to putting a hammer on your machine than simply choosing a hammer that matches the weight of the carrier. The flow rate and pressure must be compatible, but also must be set up to the proper specs. To work reliably, you should have your machine flow-tested at the appropriate pressure. Improper flow and pressure setup is one of the most common reasons why hammers fail to work correctly.
Beware of the fresh paint-job when shopping for a used hammer
While we always give our rebuilt hydraulic hammers for sale a new paint job to match the high-quality internal work that’s been done, fresh paint alone should not be considered an indication of a hammer’s condition. We frequently see very nicely painted hammers come into our shop for rebuild for someone who unfortunately discovered that their just-purchased used hammer does not work correctly.
Condition of the hammer cannot be determined before disassembly
The extent of the repairs a hammer needs simply cannot be determined prior to taking it apart and inspecting the parts. We’ve seen leaking hammers come in that need just a basic reseal, and we’ve also seen hammers that looked just the same from the outside that but had a cracked chuck housing, broken tie rods, damaged cylinder, and cracked piston. Beware of anyone who offers to quote your rebuild before they’ve taken your hammer apart: you’ll probably either end up paying for things you didn’t need done, or getting an unwanted surprise when the rebuilder is not able to honor the quote and needs to charge you more. Fel-Tech only finalizes repair quotes after inspection, and our quotes don’t change.