A Guide to Purchasing Hydraulic Breakers at Auctions

Plenty of excavation and general contractors don’t use a hydraulic hammer every day. They want to save on excavator and hammer rentals but can’t justify spending the money on a brand-new hydraulic breaker.  

Many look to purchase a hydraulic breaker at auction. Many reputable auction companies will research hydraulic hammers offered for sale at their auction. They will often get a commitment from the seller/consignor to its current running condition and hold that person accountable for misrepresentations. However, for the most part, hydraulic breakers are sold as “buyer beware”, which is reflected in the price. There are three basic types of offerings.

New/Unused Hydraulic Breakers

Nearly all these are non-established brands from overseas whose only connection with the United States is their distribution network through auctions. An example of this is Rockram. Whatever the brand is, these hydraulic hammers may or may not have a warranty. Still, they typically do not have any physical representation or parts in the United States. Hence, parts and support are usually nonexistent, and the warranty is meaningless unless backed by the auctioneer. We get many inquiries regarding these hydraulic breakers, looking for demolition tools/working steel, parts, and the specifications to properly operate them, with the parts often being proprietary.

Used Hydraulic Breakers 

These are the most common hydraulic hammers found at auctions. There are no representations on these. Prospective buyers should look these over for missing or broken parts and fasteners, ensure that the top bracket will work with their machine, and check the lower bushing for too much play between it and the demolition chisel. They should also research that breaker model to confirm parts support for that breaker model in the United States. If you have questions about whether it will fit your carrier, Gorilla will be more than happy to help. We have specifications on nearly every hydraulic hammer and hydraulic breaker ever sold.

Listed as Used But Looks Brand New

A lot has been done by the various auction companies over the years to weed these hydraulic hammers out of their offerings and hold consignors responsible, but we still get lots of calls from unhappy purchasers. These hydraulic breakers are typically so well detailed, with the bodies sanded down, painted, and declared as OEM, that they are often mistaken for new. They naturally come with beautiful new hoses in a perfect curve along each side of the breaker and a demolition tool/working steel that looks brand new. Prospective buyers should note that if these were new, the seller/consignor would have made that claim at the time of consignment.

Regardless of what hydraulic hammer you are considering at auction, there are a few things to remember.