I recently acquired an excavator hammer but have very little experience with them. It is unbadged and will charge (raise up) when activated but will not cycle (bounce the hammer). I figure I need to get some manufacturer info but to do that, I need to figure out the manufacturer. Any ideas?
Cant help you with brand, but sounds like it's low on nitrogen in the accumulator
Yeah, I wondered the same thing. I got the one guy in my local area that services all the logging equipment to take a look at it but the net result was him telling me I needed to get more info on the unit. I'm thinking it may be NPR. It is probably one of those items that someone looks at says "I've got one of those in my yard..."
It looks like an older NPK
Yeah, I thought the same but NPK have confirmed that it isn't one of theirs. Thanks for the comment though, I still haven't found what it actually is.
you are running the hydraulics the right way?
I believe so. I'm no expert but I have auxiliary lines with matching connectors and I made sure that the lines flow by bleeding the existing fluid from the unit before I connected the circuit loop on one side (I connected the flow side and then bled the fluid into a bucket until is was clear). I may be missing something but I don't know what which is why I'm trying to ID the unit. I think that the most likely cause is the accumulator but without an ID on the unit to get more info, I'm pretty hooped.
Swap the hoses a see what it does. Unless the internals are buggered it should work. A changed accumulator gives it the punch. I have seen plenty of breakers run with near zero gas pressure, kind like May going West, all bust and no dust.
It is probably also way too big for the CAT 305 that I'm trying to run it on but I chatted with a couple of guys that know way more than me and their view was that there is no reason it shouldn't work but it will run with less power and slower than it would on a 200 or 300 series. I only need it to punch pilot holes for fence posts in rocky ground and then pound the posts into the holes so I'm thinking it should at least manage that. I'll try switching the hoses but wouldn't the same thing be achieved using the thumb button that activates it? The auxilliary circuit is hooked up to the excavator thumb control and the rocker on the joystick opens and closes the thumb which I assume is the same as reversing the flow as is being suggested here. It's equally likely that I have no idea what I'm talking about... :-D
I believe the return oil from the breaker should return to the tank and not pass through the thumb control valve. This might be part of the reason it is not operating.
100% correct. There shouldn't be any return line pressure but have to establish which is the feed and return on the breaker. The easiest way is to run it and it doesn't work then swap the lines over and have another go
On the ones I've had if you hit the hydraulics backwards it just shoves the stinger out and doesn't hammer. You are right reverse the toggle it will change directions of flow.
have you switched the selector from thumb to breaker mode? Nobody asked, so I figure what's the harm?
Yes- like he said. On my 307 & 310 there is a handle somewhere towards the base of the boom that rotates 90 degrees. I was told 1 direction is for 2 way flow likew a thumb, the other position is 1 way flow like a hammer. Like Sky says, just a thought.
On the JohnnyHitachi it's right underneath the step where you get to the operator station.
Yea that appears to be way too much hammer for that mini ex. Assuming the hyd. are hooked up correct and you have the valving set for single direction. I would mention that years ago I had bought an ESCO hammer at a RB sale It was a 1500 pound hammer that required like 30 gpm of flow to run it. I used it on a 95XT with high flow to break lava rock. Not before or since I have seen a hammer that required so much flow, perhaps this hammer requires similar flow.
It looks like my Stanley MB250, only bigger. Stanley was a primary manufacturer in the 90ies On mine, with the hoses facing you, the left line is pressure and right line is return. They will raise with the lines reversed, but won't hit. Stanley breakers have 3 nitrogen chambers, the top, the front, and an accumulator that takes the shock to the machine. Yours has the same ports and riveted pressure tag as mine. Measure the diameter of the point and call Stanley or a Case dealer.