Hydraulic Breakers and Hammers in Southern Alberta
Foothills Equipment carries 6 hydraulic breakers for skid steers, mini excavators, backhoes and excavators, from TMG Industrial. We are in Calgary and Lethbridge, serving Southern Alberta, everything south of Red Deer. A breaker turns the machine that is already on site into the one that takes out the slab, the footing or the frost, instead of waiting on a subcontractor.
This is a single line category. Of the five attachment lines we carry, only TMG builds a breaker. Three of the others are fabricators who build no powered percussive tools at all. We would rather say that plainly than dress up a small range as a broad selection.
6 hydraulic breakers, all from TMG Industrial.
TMG Skid Steer Hydraulic Breaker
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TMG Hydraulic Breaker, 4-7 Ton Carriers
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TMG Hydraulic Breaker, 6-9 Ton Carriers
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TMG Hydraulic Breaker, 10-15 Ton Carriers
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TMG Hydraulic Breaker, 10-16 Ton Carriers
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TMG Hydraulic Breaker, 17-25 Ton Carriers
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No breakers and hammers match those filters.
Clear a filter to see the rest, or tell an advisor what machine you run and we will find the right one.
The carrier decides the breaker, not the job.
A breaker is rated by impact energy in joules and by blow rate, and those two numbers pull against each other. High energy at a slower rate suits reinforced concrete and rock, because each blow has to do real work. Lower energy at a faster rate suits thin slab, asphalt and frost, where you are cracking rather than shattering.
But the first constraint is the machine. A breaker too big for the carrier will damage the machine and will not work properly, because the machine cannot hold it down hard enough to transfer the blow. A breaker too small will bounce and take all day. So the sizing runs from the carrier out. Here is the range we carry, as the manufacturer rates it.
| Carrier | Impact energy | Blow rate | Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 to 100 HP skid steer, two sizes | 1030 J on the larger unit | 500 to 800 BPM | 13 to 24 GPM |
| 4 to 7 tonne excavator or backhoe | 838 J | 500 to 900 BPM | 9.5 to 16 GPM |
| 6 to 9 tonne excavator or backhoe | 1030 J | 500 to 900 BPM | 13 to 24 GPM |
| 10 to 15 tonne excavator | 1960 J | 400 to 700 BPM | 21 to 32 GPM |
| 10 to 16 tonne excavator | 2600 J | 400 to 700 BPM | 21 to 32 GPM |
| 17 to 25 tonne excavator | 4930 J | 400 to 650 BPM | 35 to 45 GPM |
Flow, pressure and a mount.
Flow and pressure
Each breaker has a working flow and a working pressure range, and both have to be inside what the machine makes. A machine plumbed for a thumb or a grapple is not automatically plumbed for a breaker, because a breaker runs continuously and at volume. If the machine is not set up, an advisor will say so before you order.
The two biggest excavator breakers have their mounts sold separately, and it is not optional
The 10 to 16 tonne breaker takes either a quick coupler mount or a 65 mm pin on mount. The 17 to 25 tonne breaker takes an 80 mm or a 90 mm pin on mount. If the breaker is quoted, the mount is quoted with it. A breaker that arrives without its mount is a tool nobody can put on a machine. The skid steer units are universal skid steer mount and the smaller excavator units come in a quick change or a pin on version, so this only applies to the two largest.
What comes in the box on the big two
Both of the largest breakers ship with a nitrogen charge kit and a service tool kit, so the first recharge does not mean a parts order and a wait. Hoses and flat face quick couplers are included, in 3/4 inch on the 10 to 16 tonne and 1 inch on the 17 to 25 tonne.
Chisels are a wear part and a choice
A moil point is the general purpose tool. Flat chisels, blunt tools and other shapes each suit a different material. Ask about spares at the same time as the breaker, because a worn tool is what stops the job, not the breaker itself.
Breaker or ripper?
For concrete, reinforced material and rock, the breaker. For frost, frozen clay and hardpan, a ripper often does the job for less money and no hydraulics at all. An advisor will tell you when the cheaper tool is the right one.
Questions we get asked
What size breaker do I need for my excavator?
Size it to the machine, not the material. The range we carry runs from 838 J for a 4 to 7 tonne carrier up to 4930 J for a 17 to 25 tonne carrier. A breaker that is too big will damage the machine and will not transfer its blow, because the carrier cannot hold it down. Tell us the machine operating weight and hydraulic flow and an advisor picks the size.
Do I need extra hydraulics for a breaker?
Yes. A breaker needs an auxiliary circuit with the right flow and pressure, and it runs continuously, which is harder on the machine than an open and close function like a thumb or a grapple. Tell us the machine and we will confirm what it can run before you buy.
Is the mount included?
On most of them, yes. On the two largest excavator breakers it is not: the 10 to 16 tonne takes a quick coupler mount or a 65 mm pin on mount, and the 17 to 25 tonne takes an 80 mm or 90 mm pin on mount. We quote the mount with the breaker as a matter of course, because a breaker without its mount cannot go on the machine.
Can I put a breaker on a skid steer?
Yes. We carry two skid steer breakers on a universal skid steer mount, for 30 to 70 HP and 45 to 100 HP machines, running on 13 to 24 GPM. They handle sidewalk, footings, frost and rock without a second machine coming to site.
Should I buy a breaker or a ripper for frozen ground?
For frost and frozen clay, usually a ripper. It uses the machine own force, it needs no hydraulics and it costs less. For concrete, reinforced material and rock that will not shear, the breaker. Tell an advisor what you actually hit and we will say which one, including when the cheaper tool is the right answer.
Tell us the carrier weight and the flow.
Those two numbers pick the breaker. Talk to an advisor and we will size it, quote the mount with it, and tell you if a ripper would do the job for less.