I am considering purchasing a breaker for one of our Komatsu PC210 excavators. My question is are they bad on the hydraulic system leading to a shortened life span of the machine? This would not be a dedicated setup just as needed. We seem to be attracted to projects with rock on them so I think that I could pay for the breaker within a year's time frame as much as we have been renting them. I just worry that I could be making a miss step putting hammer on a machine that we regularly use for pipe work etc. as its main function. Both of our 210's are in great shape and are tight regarding pins and bushings.
While I don't have experience with hammer operations, I do know that they run on a one way circuit. I should think that as long as there is proper filtration on the return flow, there should not be any excess wear on the hydraulic system. The one way flow pressurizes the nitrogen bladder until the release valve is tripped, then the hydraulic flow is bypassed until the release valve is reset (after the hammer releases its energy) then using flow to repressurize the bladder. It's a very basic flow setup. I would not expect heavy wear on the hydraulics as long as there is good filtration and good maintenance on the components and oils. My PC200 was delivered with an accessory line setup for one way and two way flow. The hammer function included an inline filter for when the accessory line was used as a one way flow. It requires throwing a couple of valves to put it into hammer mode. I have never had a need to use it that way - I'm always in two way mode. I would expect heavier wear on the bushings and pins of the carrier machine if good operation methods are not followed.
Breakers are hard on everything especially with poor operators. Have gouged and welded many cracks on machines with breakers. You will also see reduced pin and bushing life. As long as you keep a good qualified operator on it and keep plenty of grease to it you can slow the wear down some. On the other hand using a breaker is way easier on everything than trying to break things out with a bucket.
I have thousands of hours of breaker use on machines 16-35 tons. With a good operator and good greasing it's honestly not that hard on the machine. As stated way easier on the machine than just trying to scratch through it with the teeth. Hydraulic wise it's really not that bad, the worse thing is hooking and unhooking frequently is a lot of opportunity for debris to enter the system. Make sure fittings are clean when hooking it up. Grease daily while running the hammer, helps to invest in a higher quality grease that will resist being pounded out of the pins a little better. Grease the breaker itself every couple hours, I'll either run a chisel paste made for breakers or just normal grease if I don't have any chisel paste on hand Keep an eye on nuts and bolts all over the machine, breakers will losen up all kinds of hardware. Hard line clamps, counterweight bolts, pin retaining bolts, body panel bolts, etc...
Every time I ran a breaker, I ended up with a migraine. Something to do with the positioning and hammering caused anxiety and gnashing of my teeth. It was rewarding, when you called a break before it happened but just too stressful for me. I have run one on a backhoe a few times, I’d rather run a jackhammer.
You're welcome! Here's a more natural, human-like response: A breaker can be a solid investment, especially if you're frequently working on rocky projects. It sounds like you're already renting them often, so owning one could definitely pay off. That said, you're right to consider the impact on your PC210’s hydraulic system. Breakers do put extra strain on the hydraulics, mainly due to pressure spikes and heat buildup. Over time, this can lead to faster wear on hoses, seals, and pumps. But if used correctly and maintained well, it shouldn't drastically shorten your excavator’s lifespan—especially since you’re not using it full-time as a dedicated breaker machine. Breakers can add stress to the boom and arm, so frequent greasing and periodic inspections will help keep everything tight. If rock breaking is becoming a big part of your work, you might consider rotating between machines or even dedicating one excavator to it down the line. if you're still weighing the pros and cons, this very interesting guide breaks down how rock breakers work and their effects on excavators: Hydraulic Rock Breaker Guide
I would be more concerned about renting one and putting it on your machine you have no idea used it last and what their machine and maintenance was like. Worked for a dealer for close to 50 years in both service and parts like most said keep a good operator on the machine and above all remember grease is cheap compared to pins and bushings and especially hammer bits and bushings. Have seen more than a few hammers destroyed by lack of grease. Fact is the only ones we had any longer all had automatic greasers on them and would shut off when they ran out of grease.
This right here.
Did you use a chatbot to write this? OP: hammers can cause cylinders to wear more if always used in the same position but I'm talking a lot of hours of hammering. Hoses not being clean contaminats the system as will hammers failing. Bushings will have a more wear if not greased. Nothing is instantly disastrous but I wouldn't buy a used machine that had a lot of hammering in its history.
Much worse on machine, need to make sure your hammer line accumulators are charged and if you have a quick dump to tank valve to use it in breaker mode. It shorts work equipment life span on cylinder, pins and bushes etc. Big one is you will shorten your hydraulic pump life span, the small impulses travel up the line and literally hammer the slippers on the lense plate in the pump. Oil life is also reduced your owner manual for the machine should specify but heavy breaker use just about halves hydraulic oil life as it fractures and breaks down the oil plus the heat.