Rock Drills and DTH Hammers for Quarries, Mines and Tunnels
Thirteen drills and hammers, sorted by the direction of the hole: hand-held for downward holes, air-leg for horizontal and inclined, a stopper for overhead, rig-mounted drifters, two DTH hammers, two breakers and a coal auger. Top hammer holes 32 to 45 mm; DTH from 75 mm.
- Nearly all pneumatic, one hydraulic drifter, all on 22 x 108 mm shanks
- Air consumption published for every model, so the compressor can be sized honestly
- Built in Ankara since 1991, parts and service direct from the manufacturer
2 models - 18 and 24 kgHand-heldOne operator, one drill, holes going down. The lightest way to put a 32 to 45 mm hole in rock.Y20 - Y24 
2 models - 75 and 84 N.mAir-legA pneumatic leg takes the weight and pushes. For horizontal and inclined faces where you cannot stand over the hole.YT24 - YT28 
1 model - drills upwardStopperThe drill that works against gravity: roof bolting, back holes and upward drilling between 60 and 90 degrees.YSP45 
3 models - rig mountedDriftersNo handles. These bolt to a column, a rig or a crawler and drill as fast as the feed will carry them.MP90 - MP100 - HD100 
2 models - from 75 mmDTH hammersThe hammer travels down with the bit, so the hole stays straight at depth instead of wandering.SETJET 1.8 - SETJET 2.1 
3 tools - breaking and augerBreakers and augerNot drilling holes: breaking concrete and rock, splitting blocks on a drilled line, and augering soft coal.TIGER 8 BREAKER - TIGER 8 PLUG HAMMER - RD20 The direction of the hole picks the drill, not the rock
Buyers usually start from the rock and ask which drill is strong enough. That is the wrong end. Every top hammer drill on this page works the same medium-to-hard rock, f8 to f18, and they all drill 32 to 45 mm on a 22 x 108 mm shank. What separates them is how the operator holds the drill against the hole, and that is decided by which way the hole points.
Down: the operator is the feed
On a downward hole the drill's own weight does the feeding and the operator only has to steady it. That is the hand-held case, Y20 and Y24, and it is why they are the lightest and cheapest way to drill. The Y20 at 18 kg and 1.32 m³/min is the one you carry up a bench; the Y24 at 24 kg buys you 55 N.m instead of 39, at more than double the air.
Horizontal and inclined: the leg is the feed
Point the same drill sideways and the weight stops helping and starts fighting you. An air-leg is a pneumatic prop that carries the drill and pushes it into the face, so the operator aims rather than presses. The YT24 and YT28 are built around this, with water flushing included because a horizontal hole will not clear its own cuttings.
Up: everything works against you
Overhead drilling is its own problem. The cuttings fall back down the hole and onto the operator, and the drill has to be held up for the whole hole. The YSP45 stopper is the answer: a 1,500 mm machine with its own feed leg built in, designed for 60 to 90 degrees from the ground. Nothing else on this page will do that job comfortably.
Mounted: the machine is the feed
Once holes are routine you stop holding the drill at all. The MP90, MP100 and HD100 have no handles: they mount on a column, a quarry rig or a crawler and the machine's feed carries them. These are the drills inside our drilling machines, and if you are drilling all day they are the honest answer rather than a bigger hand-held.
The exception is DTH. A top hammer drill strikes at the top of the rod and sends the energy down the steel, which costs you a little straightness and a lot of energy on every metre. A down-the-hole hammer puts the piston directly behind the bit, so depth stops degrading the hole. That is a different method, not a bigger drill, and it starts at 75 mm.
Which drill for which hole
Find the job on the left. The air figure is the published consumption at 6 bar, which is the number that decides your compressor long before the drill price does.
| If you need to | Use | Why that one | Air at 6 bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drill downward holes, one operator, light kit | Y20 | 18 kg, the lightest machine here; the hole's own direction does the feeding | 1.32 m³/min |
| Drill downward holes with more impact per blow | Y24 | ~55 N.m against the Y20's ~39 N.m, same 32-45 mm hole | 3.00 m³/min |
| Drill horizontal or inclined blastholes | YT24 | Air-leg takes the weight; air and water flushing included | 3.60 m³/min |
| Drill horizontal or inclined holes in harder going | YT28 | ~84 N.m and 36 Hz, the heaviest hand-guided drill here | 4.80 m³/min |
| Drill upward: roof bolts, back holes, stoping | YSP45 | Purpose-built stopper, 60 to 90 degrees, 6 m depth | see spec |
| Put a drill on a column rig or quarry machine | MP90 or MP100 | No handles, 2,000 blows per minute, built for continuous feed | 4.2 / 4.5 m³/min |
| Drill from a hydraulic carrier instead of a compressor | HD100 | Hydraulic drifter, 6.5 kW, 100-180 bar, 70-88 Hz | hydraulic |
| Drill deeper than top hammer holds straight | SETJET 1.8 | Hammer goes down the hole; 62 mm body, holes from 75 mm | 1.8 m³/min |
| Drill the same way at larger diameter | SETJET 2.1 | 74 mm body, holes from 90 mm, 6-25 bar | 2.1 m³/min |
| Break concrete, rock or oversize | TIGER 8 BREAKER | Breaker, not a drill; 8.7 kg, flat or pointed pick | 0.73 m³/min |
| Split a block along holes you already drilled | TIGER 8 PLUG HAMMER | Drives wedges and plugs; 22 x 70 mm shank | 0.73 m³/min |
| Auger soft coal for drainage or pre-blast holes | RD20 | Rotary auger, 42 mm, not a percussive drill | 54 L/s |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
The holes we drill, and the ones we do not
We get a steady stream of enquiries for drilling work that is nothing like ours, so it is worth being blunt about the range before you spend time on a specification. Everything on this page is rock drilling for quarrying, mining, tunnelling and construction, in a narrow band of diameters.
What we make
- Top hammer rock drills, 32 to 45 mm hole diameter, on 22 x 108 mm shanks
- Hand-held, air-leg and stopper drills for hand-guided work
- Rig-mounted drifters, pneumatic MP90 and MP100, hydraulic HD100
- DTH hammers in two sizes: SETJET 1.8 for holes from 75 mm, SETJET 2.1 from 90 mm
- Pneumatic breakers and a plug hammer for breaking and block splitting
- One coal auger, the RD20, for soft coal at 42 mm
What we do not make
- No DTH hammers above 90 mm. We do not build 4 inch, 5 inch, 6 inch or larger hammers, and we do not supply DHD, QL, COP, Mission or SD pattern hammers
- No water well, borehole or geothermal drilling rigs, and no mud rotary or tricone equipment
- No oil and gas drilling of any kind, and no PDC or roller cone bits
- No piling, micropile or ground anchor rigs, and no casing or duplex drilling systems
- No horizontal directional drilling and no utility boring equipment
- No electric or battery rotary hammers and no SDS or hex chisels for construction power tools
If your hole is larger than 102 mm, deeper than about 30 m, or in soil rather than rock, we are not the right manufacturer and will say so rather than quote you something that will disappoint. If it falls in the band above, the matching consumables are on our drilling tools and bits page, and the machines that carry these drills are on drilling machines.
Hand-held rock drills
Two pneumatic drills for downward vertical holes in medium to hard rock, f8 to f18. Both drill 32 to 45 mm on a 22 x 108 mm shank, both run on 6 bar and both ship with the FY200B external line oiler. The difference is impact energy against air consumption: the Y20 gives about 39 N.m on 1.32 m³/min, the Y24 about 55 N.m on 3.00 m³/min. Used in open-pit mines, natural stone quarries, construction and foundry work. Available as TIGER or LIGER.
Tell us the hole diameter, the depth and how many metres a shift, and we will say which of the two fits and how much compressor it needs. Price a hand-held drill →
Air-leg rock drills
The same drilling principle turned sideways. A pneumatic air-leg carries the drill and feeds it into a horizontal or inclined face, so the operator aims instead of pushing. Both include a water connection and flush with air and water, because a horizontal hole cannot clear itself. The YT24 runs on the FT140BC or FT140BD leg at about 75 N.m; the YT28 on the FT160BC or FT160BD at about 84 N.m and 36 Hz. Both can also be mounted on a rig, wagon or sled.
Send the face direction, the hole length and your available air, and we will specify the drill and the matching air-leg together. Price an air-leg drill →
Stopper: upward drilling
One machine, for the holes that point up. The YSP45 is a 45 kg, 1,500 mm vertical drill with its own feed leg, built for drilling between 60 and 90 degrees from the ground: roof bolting, back holes, shaft sinking and stoping. Hole diameter 34 to 42 mm, drilling depth 6 m, 95 mm cylinder, 47 mm piston stroke, and it is supplied with the FY500 line oiler rather than the FY200B used on the hand-held drills.
YSP45, as published
- Weight 45 kg
- Length 1,500 mm
- Cylinder diameter 95 mm
- Piston stroke 47 mm
- Working pressure up to 0.63 MPa
- Pulse frequency 42 to 45 Hz
- Impact power 68 to 75 J
- Torque 18 to 32 N.m
- Rotation speed 350 to 375 rpm
- Drilling speed 410 to 500 mm/min
- Air consumption 100 to 113 L/s
- Hole diameter 34 to 42 mm
- Drilling depth 6 m
- Feeding length 720 mm
- Shank 22 x 108 mm
- Air hose 25 mm
- Water hose 13 mm
- Noise level up to 132 dB
Several YSP45 figures are published as a pair because the drill is rated at two working pressures; both ends are shown rather than the flattering one. Supplied with the FY500 line oiler, which is a separate 4 kg item of 500 ml capacity and not part of the drill's own 45 kg.
Tell us the hole direction, the length and the bolt type, and we will confirm whether the YSP45 suits the work. Ask about the stopper →
Rig-mounted drifters
Drills without handles. These mount on a column, a quarry rig or a crawler and let the machine's feed do the work, which is what you want once holes are a daily production number rather than an occasional job. The MP90 and MP100 are pneumatic, 2,000 blows per minute, differing in piston diameter and air: 90 mm on 4.2 m³/min against 100 mm on 4.5. The HD100 is the hydraulic one, 6.5 kW at 100 to 180 bar and 70 to 88 Hz, for carriers that offer hydraulics rather than air.
Send the carrier you intend to mount on, the hydraulic or air supply it offers and the hole you need, and we will match the drifter to it. Match a drifter to my rig →
DTH hammers
A different method rather than a bigger drill. The piston sits directly behind the bit at the bottom of the hole, so impact energy is not lost down the drill string and the hole stays straight as it deepens. Two sizes: the SETJET 1.8 has a 62 mm body, weighs 10.5 kg, runs on 1.8 m³/min at 6 bar and drills from 75 mm; the SETJET 2.1 has a 74 mm body, weighs 16 kg, takes 2.1 m³/min and drills from 90 mm, with a working range to 25 bar. Both use a female RD 50 top sub and both carry CE marking under 2006/42/EC.
Give us the hole diameter, the depth and the compressor pressure available, and we will say which hammer fits and which bit goes with it. Price a DTH hammer →
Breakers, plug hammer and auger
Three tools that are not drilling holes. The TIGER 8 BREAKER is a pneumatic jack hammer, 8.7 kg on 0.73 m³/min, with flat or pointed picks, CE marked and published with an ATEX marking of I M2 Ex h c I T5 Mb for underground use. The TIGER 8 PLUG HAMMER drives wedges and plugs to split a block along holes you have already drilled, on a 22 x 70 mm shank. The RD20 is a rotary coal auger, 42 mm, 1,800 rpm free and 900 rpm loaded, for pre-blast, ventilation and drainage holes in soft coal.
Tell us what you are breaking or splitting and how much air you have, and we will quote the tool with the right pick or wedge set. Price a breaker →
All thirteen compared
Everything published, in one table. Shank size is 22 x 108 mm on every top hammer drill here, and 22 x 85 mm on the breaker and 22 x 70 mm on the plug hammer.
Open the full comparison table
| Model | Type | Hole direction | Impact energy | Air at 6 bar | Hole dia. | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand-guided, pneumatic | ||||||
| Y20 | Hand-held | Downward vertical | ~39 N.m | 1.32 m³/min | 32-45 mm | 18 kg |
| Y24 | Hand-held | Downward vertical | ~55 N.m | 3.00 m³/min | 32-45 mm | 24 kg |
| YT24 | Air-leg | Horizontal, angled | ~75 N.m | 3.60 m³/min | 32-45 mm | 24 kg |
| YT28 | Air-leg | Horizontal, angled | ~84 N.m | 4.80 m³/min | 32-45 mm | 26 kg |
| YSP45 | Stopper | Upward, 60-90 deg | 68-75 J | 100-113 L/s | 34-42 mm | 45 kg |
| Rig-mounted drifters | ||||||
| MP90 | Pneumatic drifter | Set by the rig | 2,000 blows/min | 4.2 m³/min | set by bit | 35 kg |
| MP100 | Pneumatic drifter | Set by the rig | 2,000 blows/min | 4.5 m³/min | set by bit | 39 kg |
| HD100 | Hydraulic drifter | Set by the rig | 70-88 Hz, 6.5 kW | hydraulic, 100-180 bar | 22-45 mm | 50 kg |
| Down-the-hole hammers | ||||||
| SETJET 1.8 | DTH hammer | Follows the hole | ~23 Hz | 1.8 m³/min | from 75 mm | 10.5 kg |
| SETJET 2.1 | DTH hammer | Follows the hole | 27 Hz or more | 2.1 m³/min | from 90 mm | 16 kg |
| Breaking, splitting and augering | ||||||
| TIGER 8 BREAKER | Pneumatic breaker | Any | ~25 N.m, 28 Hz | 0.73 m³/min | not a drill | 8.7 kg |
| TIGER 8 PLUG HAMMER | Plug hammer | Any | ~22 N.m, 30 Hz | 0.73 m³/min | not a drill | 8.6 kg |
| RD20 | Coal auger | Horizontal, angled | 900 rpm loaded | 54 L/s at 5 bar | 42 mm | 8 kg |
The YSP45 figures are published as a range because the drill is rated at two working pressures. Where a figure is set by the rig or the bit rather than the drill, the table says so rather than printing a number that would not hold.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Sizing the compressor
The single most common reason a new drill disappoints is that the compressor cannot feed it. The published consumption is what the drill draws when it is working properly, not a maximum you can shave. Add headroom for hose losses, leaks and altitude, and add it again for every extra drill on the same machine.
| Running | Published air at 6 bar | A compressor should deliver at least |
|---|---|---|
| One Y20 | 1.32 m³/min | about 2 m³/min, so the drill is never starved |
| One Y24 | 3.00 m³/min | about 4 m³/min |
| One YT24 | 3.60 m³/min | about 4.5 m³/min, plus water supply at the face |
| One YT28 | 4.80 m³/min | about 6 m³/min, plus water supply at the face |
| One MP90 on a rig | 4.2 m³/min | about 5.5 m³/min including the feed and controls |
| One MP100 on a rig | 4.5 m³/min | about 6 m³/min including the feed and controls |
| One SETJET 1.8 | 1.8 m³/min | about 2.5 m³/min, more if you run above 6 bar |
| One SETJET 2.1 | 2.1 m³/min | about 3 m³/min, more if you run above 6 bar |
| Two Y24 on one compressor | 6.00 m³/min combined | about 8 m³/min; two drills on an undersized machine means neither works |
These are working allowances, not a specification. Long hose runs, high altitude and worn couplings all cost pressure at the drill, and a drill fed below 6 bar will drill slowly no matter how good it is. Tell us your compressor and hose run with the enquiry and we will tell you honestly whether it will carry the drill you are asking about. Our article on designing compressed air networks goes further into this.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Send us your compressor output, your hose length and the hole you want to drill, and we will confirm the match before you commit to a machine.
Check my air supplyHow to specify, in five questions
Answer these and the model follows. Most enquiries we can answer properly arrive with three of the five already in them.
1. Which way does the hole point?
Down, horizontal, inclined or up. This is the first filter and it removes most of the catalogue immediately: down means hand-held, sideways means air-leg, up means the stopper, and routine production in any direction means a rig-mounted drifter. Everything else is detail by comparison.
2. What diameter and how deep?
Up to 45 mm and a few metres is top hammer. Beyond that depth the energy lost down the drill string and the hole deviation start to tell, and DTH becomes the better method from 75 mm. If your answer is larger than 102 mm or deeper than roughly 30 m, say so early, because that is outside what we build.
3. How much air, at what pressure?
Compressor make, output in m³/min, and the hose run from it to the drill. Everything here is 6 bar except the DTH hammers, which can work to 20 and 25 bar. A drill specified without this number is a guess, and it is the most common reason a machine underperforms from the first day.
4. How many metres a shift?
This decides whether you want a hand-guided drill at all. Occasional holes, secondary breaking, a small quarry: hand-held or air-leg is right. Hundreds of metres a day: you want a drifter on a feed, and at that point the question becomes which drilling machine rather than which drill.
5. Underground, and is the atmosphere a factor?
Pneumatic tools are the normal answer underground because they generate no heat and no sparks. Where an explosive atmosphere is in play the certification matters: the TIGER 8 BREAKER is published with an ATEX marking of I M2 Ex h c I T5 Mb. Tell us the zone and the directive you must satisfy and we will tell you what we can and cannot certify for it, rather than assuming.
TIGER or LIGER?
The Y and YT series come in two builds. TIGER is the premium line and LIGER is the economy line, and the difference is in materials and finish rather than in the drilling principle. They are not interchangeable on certification: ask us which build carries what before you specify one into a tender, and we will put it in writing.
Where these drills work
The same thirteen tools turn up in very different places, which is why the direction-of-hole question matters more than the industry.
Technical insightHand-held or air-leg?The direction of the hole decides. A model-by-model comparison of the Y20, Y24, YT24 and YT28 on impact energy, flushing, air consumption and compressor sizing.Read the comparison 
Technical insightDTH or top hammer?Where the energy goes, why top hammer holes deviate as they deepen, and the point at which a down-the-hole hammer becomes the cheaper metre.Read the method guide 
Technical insightATEX undergroundWhat ATEX certification actually means, which underground environments legally require it, and how to read a marking string before you specify one into a tender.Read the certification guide Frequently asked questions
Which drill should I buy if I only know the rock is hard?
Hardness is rarely the deciding factor here, because every top hammer drill on this page is rated for medium to hard rock, f8 to f18. What decides the model is the direction of the hole, the diameter, and how much air you can supply. Tell us those three and we can answer in one message; tell us only that the rock is hard and we cannot.
What is the real difference between the Y20 and the Y24?
Impact energy against air. The Y20 delivers about 39 N.m on 1.32 m³/min and weighs 18 kg; the Y24 delivers about 55 N.m on 3.00 m³/min and weighs 24 kg. Both drill the same 32 to 45 mm on the same 22 x 108 mm shank. The Y24 drills faster in harder rock, but it needs more than double the air, so on a small compressor the Y20 will out-produce it simply by not being starved.
Can I drill horizontal holes with a hand-held drill?
You can, briefly, and you will regret it. On a horizontal hole the drill's weight no longer feeds the bit and the operator has to supply the thrust by hand for the whole hole, which is exhausting and gives an uneven penetration rate. More importantly the hand-held models flush with air alone, while a horizontal hole needs water to clear its cuttings. That is why the YT24 and YT28 exist and why they include a water connection.
Do I need a water connection?
It depends on the hole. On the air-leg drills water flushing is included because horizontal and inclined holes will not clear themselves. On the Y20 the water connection is published as optional on the TIGER build and included on the LIGER build. Water also suppresses dust, which may be a requirement where you work regardless of whether the hole needs it. Tell us the site and we will say which configuration to order.
When does DTH become better than top hammer?
When depth starts costing you. A top hammer strikes the top of the rod and the energy travels down the steel, losing some at every joint and letting the hole wander as it deepens. A DTH hammer sits behind the bit, so the hundredth metre is struck as hard as the first and the hole stays straight. Our range starts at 75 mm with the SETJET 1.8, so below that diameter the question does not arise.
How big a compressor do I need?
Start from the published consumption at 6 bar and add headroom: roughly a third more than the drill's figure for a single machine, and more for long hose runs or altitude. A Y24 at 3.00 m³/min wants about 4 m³/min available. Two drills on one compressor need the sum of both plus the same headroom, not an average. Send us your compressor and hose run with the enquiry and we will check it rather than let you find out on site.
Are these drills ATEX certified for underground use?
Only where it is published. The TIGER 8 BREAKER carries a published ATEX marking of I M2 Ex h c I T5 Mb along with CE marking under 2006/42/EC and 2014/34/EU. The SETJET hammers publish CE marking under 2006/42/EC. We will not claim a certification for a product that does not carry it, and the TIGER and LIGER builds are not interchangeable on this point. Tell us the zone and the directive you must satisfy and we will answer in writing.
What is the difference between TIGER and LIGER?
TIGER is the premium build and LIGER the economy build of the same drill. The drilling principle, the shank size and the hole range are the same; the difference is in materials and finish. They are not equivalent on certification, so if a tender requires specific marking, ask us which build carries it before you write the model number into the document.
Can the MP90 or MP100 be used by hand?
No. They have no handles and no trigger; they are drifters designed to bolt onto a column, a rig or a crawler, where the machine's feed pushes them into the rock. If you want a drill an operator holds, the Y and YT series are the hand-guided ones. If you want the drilling done by a machine, the question is really which machine, and our drilling machines page covers the carriers these drifters sit on.
Do you make larger DTH hammers?
No. Our DTH range is two hammers, the SETJET 1.8 at 62 mm body for holes from 75 mm and the SETJET 2.1 at 74 mm body for holes from 90 mm. We do not build 4 inch, 5 inch or larger hammers, and we do not supply DHD, QL, COP, Mission or SD pattern hammers or their bits. If your project needs those we will tell you so rather than take the enquiry.
Do you supply the rods and bits as well?
Yes, and they are matched to these drills: integral drills, extension rods, coupling sleeves, shank adapters and button bits for the 22 x 108 mm top hammer drills, plus bits for both SETJET hammers. They are on our drilling tools and bits page, which also sets out the thread and diameter range we cover.
What does the plug hammer actually do?
It splits a block along a line of holes you have already drilled. You drill the line with one of the rock drills on this page, set wedges and feathers in the holes, then drive them with the TIGER 8 PLUG HAMMER until the block separates along the line. It is not a drill and it is not a breaker; it is the tool between drilling the line and lifting the block.
Related categories and reading
Tell us the hole, not the model number
Which way it points, how wide, how deep, how many metres a shift, and what compressor you have. We come back with the drill, the air it needs and the rods and bits that go with it. If the hole is outside the 32 to 45 mm top hammer band or the 75 mm DTH floor, we will tell you that too rather than sell you the nearest thing.