A pneumatic rock drill selection can fail when a model name is chosen before the job conditions are clear. Use this page to build a first RFQ path: decide whether the work calls for a hand-held or air-leg arrangement, then confirm the exact model, shank, hole requirement, air supply and accessories with the supplier.
Start with the drilling position and feed support
Hand-held path: use this route when the operator needs to carry and position the tool directly. Start with the current Hand-Held Rock Drills collection, then compare the job with Y19A and Y24 information.
Air-leg path: use this route when the drilling position and duty call for supported feed. Review the Air-Leg Rock Drills collection, then confirm the requested configuration against YT28 or YT29A.
A model name is not a final configuration. Confirm the current supplied suffix, shank interface, leg arrangement and accessory package before ordering.
Use this purchase screen before comparing individual models
| Confirm first | Why it changes the route | Put it in the RFQ |
|---|---|---|
| Working position and access | It determines whether the operator must carry the tool or whether supported feed is practical. | Face, bench, tunnel or other work position; access and handling limits. |
| Hole requirement and tool interface | Diameter, depth, bit/shank arrangement and drill steel affect the compatible configuration. | Target hole diameter/depth, shank or drill-steel interface, and current bit setup. |
| Duty and feed support | Continuous work, support arrangement and operator handling should be reviewed together. | Duty pattern, required feed support and any leg or mounting constraints. |
| Actual air conditions | Tool figures are reference points, not a compressor-sizing promise for your site. | Available pressure at the tool, hose length/ID, simultaneous users, leakage and altitude. |
What “maximum drilling capacity” means on a pneumatic rock-drill data sheet
“Maximum drilling capacity” is not one universal performance number. For a hand-held or air-leg pneumatic rock drill, first identify whether the data sheet is describing a hole-diameter range, a reference or maximum hole depth, a drill-steel length, or another model-specific limit. Then read that figure together with the stated shank, feed arrangement, operating conditions and application. A depth figure does not authorize a larger bit, and a diameter range does not prove that the drill will reach the required depth in every rock or site setup.
| Specification label | What it can tell the buyer | What it does not prove | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended drilling diameter | The nominal hole-size envelope published for the stated model or configuration. | That every bit inside the range matches the installed rod, taper, rock or flushing setup. | Exact model or suffix, H22 or other shank, rod and taper, bit diameter/design, rock condition. |
| Maximum or reference drilling depth | A documented depth limit or reference under the supplier’s stated assumptions. | That the same depth is achievable in every direction, rock condition, rod plan, air system or operator setup. | Required finished depth, drilling direction, rod lengths, flushing method, support and test basis. |
| Rod or drill-steel length | The length of one supplied or permitted steel component. | That usable hole depth equals that length, or that repeated rod changes are approved for the tool and job. | Overall versus effective length, chuck engagement, working clearance, withdrawal space and allowed connection plan. |
| Air pressure and consumption | The operating point at which the referenced machine figures were stated. | That compressor discharge pressure or nameplate flow will remain available at the drill under combined load. | Dynamic pressure at the tool, hose ID/length, couplings, leakage, altitude and simultaneous users. |
| Air leg, pusher or other feed support | The support arrangement used to apply and control feed in the intended working position. | That a hand-held and air-leg drill with overlapping hole figures are operational substitutes. | Drilling direction, footing, feed travel, working height, access and exact leg/interface. |
Use a required point, not the word “maximum,” to shortlist a model
Write the job as a controlled requirement—for example, a 38 mm nominal hole to 4 m in a stated drilling direction and rock condition—then compare every axis with the current product data. The current Y19A product page lists a 34–40 mm reference hole range and a reference depth up to 5 m, while the current YT28 product page lists a 34–42 mm recommended diameter and a maximum depth up to approximately 5 m. That nominal overlap only creates a shortlist. It does not settle the more important operating decision: hand-held positioning versus supported feed, or whether the real air, steel, bit, flushing and access conditions match the quoted configuration.
Do not combine the best-looking figure from one variant with the shank, air consumption or feed arrangement from another. If a supplier uses the phrase “maximum drilling capacity,” ask it to identify the exact model/suffix, the capacity axis and units, the test or reference conditions, the compatible drill steel and bit, and any assumptions that reduce usable field depth. Record that answer in the quotation or approved data sheet.
Capacity wording that belongs in the RFQ
State: “Required hole diameter ___; finished depth ___; direction ___; rock condition ___; drill-steel/shank and taper ___; rod-length plan ___; feed support ___; flushing ___; dynamic tool-inlet pressure and available flow ___; simultaneous tools ___.” Ask the supplier to return the confirmed model/configuration, published diameter and depth references, and all limiting assumptions. This turns an ambiguous capacity claim into a comparable purchase decision.
Choose the family, then validate the exact comparison
Use the family route below to narrow the discussion; do not use it as a substitute for a configuration review.
- Hand-held vs air-leg: Y19A and YT28 — start here if feed support is the decision.
- Y24 hand-held vs YT24 air-leg — use for that specific family comparison.
- YT24 vs YT28 — use for an exact air-leg comparison.
- YT28 vs YT29A — use when those two configurations are the real shortlist.
Air requirement: treat site conditions as part of the selection
Reference consumption values on a product page are measured at stated conditions. They do not by themselves prove the available compressor free-air delivery at the tool during your shift. Pressure loss through hose, multiple simultaneous users, leakage, altitude and the actual duty pattern all need confirmation. Share the site air details with the requested model so the supplier can check the configuration rather than infer it from a static tank size or compressor horsepower.
Send one RFQ with the decision inputs attached
For a useful quotation, send: working position and application; target hole diameter and depth; rock condition; hand-held or feed-supported preference; current drill-steel/shank interface; air pressure at the tool; hose and simultaneous-user conditions; duty pattern; quantity and destination. Start with the full Rock Drills collection if your team has not yet narrowed the family.
Request a quotation with these selection inputs.
FAQ
Is a hand-held drill always the better choice for short holes?
No. Working position, access, handling, tool interface, duty pattern and site air conditions still need review. Use the family route first, then confirm the exact setup.
Can I select YT28 or YT29A from a model name alone?
No. Confirm the current supplied configuration, shank interface, hole requirement, air conditions and support arrangement before RFQ.
What air information should I provide?
Provide pressure measured at the tool, hose length and inside diameter, concurrent users, leakage condition, altitude and duty pattern. This lets the supplier assess the configured tool against the real site condition.