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A portable jackhammer being used to break up roadworks. Pneumatic hose can be seen leading to the compressor on the back of the truck. The operator is using his body weight to increase the effectiveness of the device.

A pneumatic drill or jackhammer is a portable percussive drill powered by compressed air. It is used to drill rock, break up pavement, among other applications. It works similar to a hammer and chisel, by jabbing with its bit, not rotating it. (A drill driven by compressed air, which rotates its cutting bit is called an air-drill or familiarly, a windy-drill or rotary hammer.) The word jackhammer is used in North American English and in Australia, and pneumatic drill is used colloquially elsewhere in the English speaking world, although (road) breaker is used in the trade.

The portable pneumatic jackhammer is impractical for use on walls and steep slopes, as it relies on the inertia of the mass of its body to drive the bit into the work, and manipulating that mass when not supported by the work is difficult. Also, gravity is required to bring the mass back into contact with the work after each blow. Though it is unhealthy practice, the operator may lean on the tool to assist but is not really capable of overcoming the forces involved when not assisted by gravity. A technique developed by experienced laborers is the use of two man teams to overcome this obstacle of gravity. One laborer operates the hammer and the second assists by holding the hammer either on his shoulders or cradled in his arms. Both use their combined weight to push the bit into the workface. This method is commonly referred to as horizontal jackhammering. Another method is overhead jackhammering, requiring strength conditioning and endurance to hold a smaller jackhammer, called a rivet buster, over ones head.

Its pneumatic hose connections are designed so that any hose will connect with other any hose without attention to male and female hose-ends. see Gender of connectors and fasteners.

A hydraulic jackhammer, much larger than portable ones, may be fitted to mechanical excavators or backhoes and is widely used for roadwork, quarrying and general demolition or construction groundwork. In mining, it is possible to use this against a vertical wall as the machine can be braced against the opposite wall of the gallery or some comparable device. Pneumatic tools are likely to be used in underground coal mines due to safety concerns.

Hydraulic breakers usually use a hydraulic motor driving a sealed pneumatic hammer system, as a hydraulic hammer would develop a low strike speed and transfer unacceptable shock loads to the pump system.

Makita single phase demolition breaker.

While the term "jackhammer" is occasionally used to mean "pneumatic drill", the electromechanical tool that performs the same function is normally the one called a "jackhammer" in Britain. This tool is useful where the work is light and inaccessible to compressor.

The Makita breaker pictured uses standard 25mm (1") points and chisels identical to the ones used in medium sized pneumatic tools. It uses 1300W of power and weighs about 19 kg (about 42 pounds) with a point installed.

This type and size of machine is commonly rented by amateurs for renovation jobs.

The sound of the hammer blows, combined with the explosive air exhaust, makes pneumatic jackhammers dangerously loud, emitting 100 decibels at two meters. Sound-blocking earmuffs must be worn by the operator to prevent a form of hearing damage of which tinnitus is the main symptom. Most pneumatic jackhammers now have a silencer around the barrel of the tool, which is the black item in the image below.

Prolonged exposure to the pronounced vibration set up by the tool can lead to blood-circulation failures in the fingers, a condition known as white finger. Using atheltic-tape on the fingers is not effective, but seems to help. Pneumatic drill usage can also lead to a predisposition for development of carpal tunnel syndrome.

90 lb

60 lb (most common)

Rivet Buster (moniker from when rivets were used)

35 lb

22 lb Chipping gun (small jackhammer with variable speed trigger)

Small chipping gun

Spade - provides flat finish for concrete or edging in asphalt or dirt

Flat tip - allows direction control or finer edge finish

Point - general breaking

Stake driver - drives concrete form stakes

Scrabbler - finishes surface smooth or for cleaning prior to bonding

Pneumatic drill / jackhammer, with black silencer attached

Compressor for running a pneumatic drill / jackhammer

Close-up of hose coupling for pneumatic drill / jackhammer air hose

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Jackhammer

• Using a jack hammer non commercial help site.