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Why do you rarely see jackhammers and air compressors?

emmett518

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Joined
Mar 24, 2021
Messages
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USA
Back in the 60s and 70s, you always saw big, burly, construction guys manning jackhammers, breaking up the street. Those jackhammers were connected to gas or diesel air compressor trailers.

Curious why you rarely see them anymore?
 

Willie B

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Jan 2, 2016
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Mount Tabor VT
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Electrician
My back hoe is set up with the needed hydraulics for a hammer. It never had one, but it is set up for one.
Having run a jackhammer a day on a few occasions in my life, I easily understand not having one, who wants to run it?
Physically painful days after, loud, dusty & either sweltering heat, or in VT, more often to break frozen ground.

Last round was Smokey House Center, one of those big acreage non profits formed from the estate of a billionaire. They had built a greenhouse, & direct buried the feeder inches deep under a road. The new feeder they needed, I priced for them with the written limit of one week in late November. After that, all offers were off, it'd be time & expenses. They waited a week into January to decide. I then suggested they wait until spring. That was out of the question.

Their cost doubled.
 

dirty4fun

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Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
N. IL
Years ago there weren't very many hydraulic excavators, which have now dominated the construction industry. They have reduced the need for a hammer that is slow, and makes a lot of noise. I still have a hydraulic hammer that I can put on my skid steer, or my mini excavator. I don't use it except when I can't get it done another way. If I can get a thick chunk of concrete out I use it by dropping it to break up concrete.
 

heymccall

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Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
5,349
Location
White Oak, Pa
Aside from the physicality of operating a jack hammer, the cost per hour of personnel easily exceeds the cost per hour of machinery.
By the time you drag out the compressor, hoses, and hammer, a skidsteer or hoe could be done and gone on small jobs like buried utilities, plus you still need something to dig with.
 

Willie B

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Mount Tabor VT
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Electrician
Charlie Abbott started his excavation business in 1953. He had an air powered hammer likely weighed 1000 LBS. It lifted by a short chain. Any machine able to lift 1000 LBS could run it. I'd have been tempted to buy it, but it was an antique & parts weren't going to be easy to come by. His compressor had also seen better days.
 

Tyler d4c

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Mar 2, 2016
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Location
Salix Pa
When I was a little fella dad and uncle dug a septic tank hole in solid rock for about 3 feet it taken 2 weekends and 2 weeks of evenings. Now we have a hammer on a mini and 1 on the 416 and 2 spares also. Got lines on the 312b just need to get the hammer. Life lessons have been learned. All our hammers came from auctions and work great.
 

Willie B

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Jan 2, 2016
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Location
Mount Tabor VT
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Years ago there weren't very many hydraulic excavators, which have now dominated the construction industry. They have reduced the need for a hammer that is slow, and makes a lot of noise. I still have a hydraulic hammer that I can put on my skid steer, or my mini excavator. I don't use it except when I can't get it done another way. If I can get a thick chunk of concrete out I use it by dropping it to break up concrete.
You say "years ago"
I believe the first hydraulic excavators I saw were 1978? I've no doubt they were built earlier, I didn't see them. Where I live, it is rural. We saw private homes being built, ranch houses under 2000 Sq Ft for locals, chalets for ski vacation homes. Excavation was done with bulldozers, or backhoes. Only when Federal money started flowing in did we actually see our first excavator.
Vermont had two major flood events 1973 & 1979. A local contractor won a Federal contract to dredge local streams. He bought used a John Deere 690 & a 790. One had a wrist. I remember being awestruck at the efficiency of moving boulders in a streambed.
 

digger242j

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Oct 31, 2003
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6,628
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Southwestern PA
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Self employed excavator
Good point, Tinkerer. I hadn't noticed which forum it was in, since I generally just look at "New Posts."

Moved to "General Industry Questions."
 

1693TA

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Feb 27, 2010
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Location
Farmington IL
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FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
My old girl supported two 90# plus jackhammers a lot of it's life.

Now it enjoys the sedate lifestyle of supplying blasting air only.
 

cuttin edge

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Joined
Nov 9, 2014
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2,690
Location
NB Canada
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Finish grader operator
When I look at power curbing machines, I figure the guy that invented that must have formed a lot of curb by hand. I remember the old 966B, the levers were 2 feet long, now the new loaders the controls are 2 inches long
 

emmett518

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Mar 24, 2021
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810
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USA
I thought "gone but not forgotten" referred to heavy equipment stuff. Never thought it was for humans.
 

Willie B

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I thought "gone but not forgotten" referred to heavy equipment stuff. Never thought it was for humans.
I apologize! & be with the starving pigmy's down in New Guinea!
I too never noticed what forum slot this was in. Gee, I thought forum meant something akin to conversation. All these rules! I'll be more careful.
I'll offer an opinion; When I attend a funeral, I try to not dwell on sorrow. I thought the purpose of funeral was to support those grieving most severely. If possible, divert them briefly to other thoughts.
My father was the master. He attended a funeral, calling hours, any time before people go home to be alone, Always said the right thing, never offended anyone. Mother never attacked his behavior. I've always envied his mastery of how to behave after a death.
I'm not that good. I get uncomfortable with crying my eyes out. Again, I apologize. I do my crying alone, & yes I have done some crying a few times, but I prefer to do it alone.
 

CM1995

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Jan 21, 2007
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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
Good point, Tinkerer. I hadn't noticed which forum it was in, since I generally just look at "New Posts."

Moved to "General Industry Questions."

Well I didn't notice either..I think it'll be ok.
 

Buckethead

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Apr 4, 2007
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1,055
Location
Waterfront
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Operator
When I look at power curbing machines, I figure the guy that invented that must have formed a lot of curb by hand. I remember the old 966B, the levers were 2 feet long, now the new loaders the controls are 2 inches long
I never ran a 966B, but I did operate a few 966Cs and early 950s and I liked them. The new ones may be a little more comfortable, but those loaders were not bad at all. Very reliable.
 

JLarson

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Aug 23, 2020
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AZ
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Owner- civil and heavy repair/fab company
We still use big chipping hammers fairly regularly for concrete structure rehab but haven't used like your typical air "jackhammer" in a long time.
 

1693TA

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Feb 27, 2010
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Farmington IL
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FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
Mine still gets used from time to time with a local concrete contractor with a small jackhammer, (35#) to break stuck concrete from inside mixer drums.

The air type hammers are still a better balance to the guy pushing it than the electric types I'm told. Wouldn't know myself directly.
 
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