Hi guys. We have some cross bedded sandstone which we've been drilling and popping out via a darda to get to the splittable rock underneath...needless to say it is quite labour intensive and takes way too long to get the results we desire. We have a Caterpillar 235 excavator with a general purpose bucket that we've used to rip some stone out but we've broken a few teeth off in the process. Which brings me to this forum...anyone have any success with removing sandstone with a ripper? Or would a rock hammer be better? Any guidance would be appreciated guys!
mate seen people doing it with rippers and hammers i would suggest if you look at a ripper make sure its a good one not just a cheap mild steel one. also mate about the hammer look at how long the job is going to last might even just be worth renting a hammer or even a machine with a hammer on it so you dont have to wear out your machine or pipe it .
Ideally, you'd want a ripper and an severe duty rock bucket and a hydraulic quick hitch so that you can switch back and forth between the two. You will have a significant production increase over your general purpose bucket with this setup.
As joispoi says. The ripper will help greatly. Just make sure it is a good one. There are some junk rippers floating aropund, but the good ones work well. Also, don't get one too long, or you loose the leverage you need to get tip pressure.
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