Hammers FAQ

Does the Hammer Depot always have hammers in stock?

Yes. We have large stocks of hammers available in North America and in Europe. We have many different brands and sizes of hammers both new and used. If you are looking for a specific hammer brand and model that we do not have we will try our best to find one for you and offer to in used checked tested condition or rebuilt condition.

Why are some used hammers more expensive than some new hammers?

Good quality hammers command and get a better price. Lower quality hammers are of course cheaper.

There are several low priced hammers on the market offering long warranties. Why is this and can you offer me such a hammer?

Yes, we do offer such hammers also. Please see our Magnatek range of hammers with three year manufacturers warranty that we just pass onto you our customer. The long warranties are mainly an eye-catching sales gimmick. The extended warranty usually covers only those parts that generally do not fail for many years anyway. The cheaper, not so good quality hammers tend to offer these gimmick warranties. As well as low-value limited warranties, many of the cheaper brands exaggerate the ft lbs class power of their hammers. As a general rule with many things, if the price is cheap so is the quality!

What warranties does the Hammer Depot offer?

The Hammer Depot offers warranties on rebuilt hammers. We offer comfort warranties on used hammers. On new hammers, we pass on the warranty offered by the manufacturer. The warranty specifics depend on the brand of hammer.

It’s all rather confusing. What hammer do I need? What energy class do I require?

Tell us all about your carrier, typical job application, expected hours of use per year and your budget and we will recommend and narrow down various brands and options for you to choose from.

Hammer prices seem to vary a great deal, why is this?

Buying a hammer is not like buying a car. When buying a car, the price has much to do with the year and the model of the car. When buying a hammer, much that determines the price is its condition. Hammers can be rebuilt and brought into very good serviceable condition. A 10 year old hammer that has been totally rebuilt can be worth a lot more money than the same brand and model of hammer that’s only two years old and is in pretty bad shape because it may need a lot of money spent on it to bring it up to good shape. Pricing also has much to do with brand and model. A good quality rebuilt hammer can be worth a lot more money than a cheap quality brand new hammer with an extended but low cover warranty.

Sometimes we see a hammer at a very special price. Why are these hammers at a very special price?

Sometimes we obtain bankrupt stock parts and hammers. We can offer these at special prices. Most of the hammers we offer are owned and stocked by ourselves, however, occasionally a customer will ask us to sell his hammer quickly under distress conditions to generate cash. Distress sale hammers are usually sold fast and at special prices.

I purchased a 3000ft lbs class hammer from a local dealer and it’s working on a job where there are other hammers. There is another 3000 ft lbs class hammer working on the job site next to my hammer and he is producing between 30 to 40% more output. His hammer just seems so much more powerful than mine. Why is this so?

Yes, this does and can happen. You need to make sure your hammer is correctly plumbed with the correct pressures and flows. Also, check hammer adjustments and nitrogen pressures. Check to make sure the tool bit you have fitted in your hammer is actually the correct bit for your brand and model of hammer. If your hammer is still not performing as well as the competition, it may well be that the foot lbs rating on your hammer has been grossly overstated. Many manufactures of cheaper hammer try to make their hammers more attractive by overating the ft lbs class.

I prefer to purchase an American or Canadian built hydraulic hammer. Can you sell me a good one?

This is a tough request. There used to be a time when there were good hammers built here at home. Unfortunately, like most things, much has changed. Over the last twenty years or so, many of the so called well known “American Brands” have actually been built overseas either entirely or the guts of the hammer, the power cells, have been imported and placed in the outer casings which are just of simple steel fabrication.

My excavator is already plumbed can I use this for a hydraulic hammer?

You may be able to use all or most of your existing plumbing to run a hydraulic hammer. Please call us and we can discuss with you what you have and what modification you may need to make if necessary.

When you quote me for a hammer what does this usually include?

Used Hammers – The price we quote you includes the hammer, the tool bit and delivery to most destinations in Continental USA and Canada. The price does not include the plumbing kit or the mounting bracket or pin and bush kit. We do all the paperwork and the hammer will turn up at your door. You must make arrangements for off-loading the hammer at your end. If your carrier is already plumbed, we will often quote you a package price that includes: hammer, new tool bit, mounting brackets, pin and bush kits and delivery to your door. When buying a new hammer, we will often quote you a price that includes: new hammer, new tool bit, head mounting bracket and delivery to your door. We will clarify everything clearly at the point of sale. There are no hidden extras.

Are your salespersons deal commission driven?

No, our salespersons are not commission-driven. We will only sell you what you need and not try and sell you that which you don’t need. In fact, if you try and buy something from us that we feel you can do without or do more economically, we will tell you straight. We are in business to make money but we only want to make money with benefits to our customers. Our customers are in business to make money just as are we. A happy customer is always good business.

What happens if I buy a hammer and it’s not doing the job I bought it for?

This depends on who you buy it from. If you buy it from The Hammer Depot, we ask you to tell us all about your carrier and the work you have in hand. We will recommend various options. Once you make a decision to buy a certain brand and model, we will run over things with you again to make sure it’s the correct hammer for the job. As long as the hammer is set up with the correct hydraulic parameters and it’s working correctly we will stand by our recommendation. If you still feel you need a bigger hammer within two weeks, we will take most hammers back and allow you to upgrade. You pay only the difference. This may not apply to special orders or special offers or some brands. We will be pleased to clarify prior to sale.

I bought a hammer from a dealer who sells all types of earth moving equipment and now I am not getting any help or support. What can I do?

This is a common problem. If you are not getting the support you need because your dealer’s main business is not hammers or perhaps he does not know the answers to your questions, then please feel free to call us. We are not here to down-talk any other supplier and we are not prepared to make comments about other dealers – but if you cannot get assistance from them, please feel free to call us. We cannot guarantee that we can help you, but if we can, we will assist you in anyway possible. We don’t care where you bought your hammer. If you are stuck and need help, just call us. You don’t have to buy anything from The Hammer Depot to get help from us. If we can help we will.

I have a hammer I bought used elsewhere. I am not sure what brand it is? I have problems with it, what can I do? How do I get parts for it? Can you help me?

Yes, give us a call and give us as much info as you can. We can’t promise a positive result everytime but we will do our best to identify your hammer for you. Please email us pictures of your hammer, along with any numbers stamped on it. This will assist us in identifying your hammer correctly.

I buy a hammer from Hammer Depot and it doesn’t work, where do I stand?

If we tell you a hammer works, then it works. Normally, the problem will be the plumbing or something minor, then we will work with you on this until you get it up and running. If you follow our instructions, it will work. If for some very rare reason there is something wrong with the hammer, we will of course fix it or replace it.

Why should I buy a hammer from The Hammer Depot?

We specialize in hammers and have been in the business a long time. We sell many different brands – new, used and rebuilt. We have a very varied and very wide range of hammer stocks in different parts of the world. We have hundreds of hammers (sometimes even thousands) in stock. We will not try and push you towards one particular brand as we sell many different brands. We stand by what we sell. Nothing in the world is perfect and if mistakes can happen then sometimes they will happen. If we make a mistake and it’s our fault, no if’s or but’s, we will put it right.

Is Hammer Depot the cheapest?

Often we are, but not always. We try to offer the best value for money so that problems are minimized for our customers and ourselves. Hammers by their very nature tend to be more troublesome than other equipment. We aim always to minimize costly troubles and costly downtime. Using quality parts is a good starting point.

I want to buy a hammer but am on a tight budget. How can you help me? What do you suggest?

Don’t buy a hammer unless you have enough work for it. If you just need it for short periods, just rent or borrow one locally. If your work load or convienience factor warrants you need a hammer, then buy one. If required, we can assist in hooking you up with a finance company. On Stelco Hammers, we often have factory promotions offered by the manufacturer that we can pass on to you. We will try our best to satisfy your requirements.

How do I know I am going to get what you tell me when I buy a used hammer?

With used equipment, this is always a concern. We will advise you what you will be getting. We will advise you of the condition in writing, send you photos, etc. If it’s any different to what you are told, you must notify us immediately and we will put it right or give you a full refund.

How do I know hammer will fit my excavator when I receive it?

If you buy the hammer mounting bracket from us, then we will check your excavator specs against our data bank and fabricate heavy duty mounting bracket to suit accordingly. If there is any doubt, we will fax you a diagram and ask you to make a few simple measurements and fax back to us so that we can marry dims against our data bank of information prior to fabricating mounting bracket and or pin and bush kit.

Call toll-free 1-877-426-6373 for all your hydraulic hammer / rock breaker questions and concerns. Our Staff Will Happily Assist You.