• Torsion. Tools can experience a twisting torsion effect as they follow cracks of seamed material. A chisel is most susceptible, as its cutting edge naturally tends to follow cracks. Excessive tool torsion can put torsional stress on the breaker. Some breakers use retainer bars for tool support and protect themselves from torsion. Square body breakers also aren't as vulnerable. But no breaker can prevent tool breakage in the wrong material.
• Material Match. To choose the proper tool, evaluate material type and its physical state. A chisel in lightly fissured granite invites torsion trouble. But a chisel is ideal if the same granite was heavily fissured and fragile. Torsion may not affect a moil point, but material hardness might. Concrete and sedimentary rock can be broken with a penetrating moil point, but granite is another story.
• Application. Consider why the material is being broken. Blunt tools won't experience torsion and break harder materials. But because a blunt tool uses shattering vibration, it cannot control size and shape, such as while breaking stones to specific sizes or creating postholes in concrete.

Many contractors get by with one tool type. For uncommon jobs, consult with an expert.

Maximizing Steel Life
While obtaining correctly sourced steel and matching tool type to application are necessary first steps, proper operation is essential to maximize the tool's useful life.

• Repositioning. A common error is breaking too long in one spot, which often occurs if trying to crack hard material. A breaker's recommended cycle is 15 to 30 seconds, after which the tool should be repositioned. Breakers deliver rapid blows in solid material, so hammering away in one area produces excessive heat. This heat buildup can mushroom the tool tip, rendering it useless. Heat can also infiltrate the breaker.
• Don't Pry. The tool should not be used as a prying device. This maneuver fails to utilize the breaker's percussive technology and puts unnecessary stress on the tool, bushings and other wear items.
• Replace As Needed. An obvious sign a tool needs replacing is when the working tip is so short it can't drive into material. Operators must reposition every few seconds, seriously hampering productivity. Tools also wear at the bushing-tool interface. If a worn tool is out of spec, the piston and tool impact surfaces won't be aligned, risking damage to both. Check shank diameter every 100 operating hours, and more often for demanding jobs.

There's no definitive timetable for a tool. In highly abrasive material, steel could wear out in two days. When in softer materials and following proper guidelines, a tool may last two years. Many variables account for everything in between.

Not Worth the Risk
Many pieces of equipment lead productive lives having never been serviced with OEM parts. But too often this isn't the case with breakers and working tools. Imagine a $100,000 breaker requiring $60,000 worth of repairs because of an aftermarket tool. It has happened. Tool failure, piston failure, and breaker failure are real consequences when the wrong tool is used in a hydraulic breaker.