If you’re removing the concrete from a driveway, removing rocks from a landscape or carrying out some other general demolition work, hiring one of our rock breakers to attach to the mini excavator will save you loads of time. You could use a manual jackhammer, which we have available for hire as well, but you may as well save time and energy.

Let’s walk through how to operate the rock breaker on the front of a mini excavator:

Always make sure the rock breaker is laying with the hoses facing upwards. This prevents the hoses from getting damaged.

Pick up the rock-breaker with the hook on the hitch and carefully tilt the hitch back. Push the right joystick to the left, to tilt the hitch backwards and the quick-hitch should lock everything in place safely. If it doesn’t, you’ll just need to release the spring hitch with the little rod that belongs inside it. Once the breaker is in place, put the safety pin back in the hitch.

Prior to attaching the hoses, it is important to release the pressure in the hoses. If you don’t, it can be hard to connect due to the fittings on the machine end being so full of oil. It can also cause damage to the seal inside the hose fittings, rendering the mini excavator unfit for use due to all the hydraulic oil leaking out.

To do this:

1. Turn the key to the on position, without actually starting the engine
2. Drop the safety lever on your left hand side
3. Press the hydraulic engagement (joystick) button on the right to activate the hydraulics, like you would when the engine is running
4. Push the joysticks and foot pedals as though you’re operating the machine. You should feel the arms on the boom release and see them move – this means the pressure is releasing.

It is also very important to make sure that the hydraulic connections on both the auger end and the mini excavator end are cleaned off thoroughly with a rag. This will prevent any dirt or rubbish interfering with the hose seals. If dirt does get in there, it can cause the hoses to leak and ultimately the machine to malfunction. Replacing these fittings is also very expensive.