Breaking up concrete

Soldato
Joined
20 Mar 2004
Posts
4,418
I have a small waterfall in garden, which a family member built.

0fk8jbX.jpg

The thing started leaking years ago, but I have no way of repairing the lining inside since he's concreted everything in place.

I tried to have a go at the thing with a hammer and chisel but I didn't even dent it.

I was thinking of hiring a breaker to tear it all down.
https://www.hss.com/hire/c/breaking-and-drilling/electric-breakers

This is the model I was looking at.
https://www.hss.com/hire/p/breaker-vibration-damped-110v

Is this the right tool for the job?
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Apr 2007
Posts
3,043
I have a small waterfall in garden, which a family member built.

0fk8jbX.jpg

The thing started leaking years ago, but I have no way of repairing the lining inside since he's concreted everything in place.

I tried to have a go at the thing with a hammer and chisel but I didn't even dent it.

I was thinking of hiring a breaker to tear it all down.
https://www.hss.com/hire/c/breaking-and-drilling/electric-breakers

This is the model I was looking at.
https://www.hss.com/hire/p/breaker-vibration-damped-110v

Is this the right tool for the job?
Thats the boy yea, my tip would be to attack it horizontally from the sides instead of chipping at it from the top, itll break up quicker. I've used them to remove over engineered fireplaces and a garden wall when we were widening our driveway.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Posts
12,096
Massive overkill by the looks of it, but I'm sure it'd do it. Don't forget you'll need to rent a 110V transformer as well. And probably something pointy to go in the breaker.

A decent-sized sledgehammer and some effort would probably take care of it.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Apr 2007
Posts
3,043
Massive overkill by the looks of it, but I'm sure it'd do it. Don't forget you'll need to rent a 110V transformer as well. And probably something pointy to go in the breaker.

A decent-sized sledgehammer and some effort would probably take care of it.
They'll usually include 3 attachments in the case with the breaker and ask if he needs the transformer.:)
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2003
Posts
23,627
I was using a 2.8J SDS - drilling through and then chiseling the telescope pier (desalt make a good three set of SDS chisels for £12). I had to then cut the rebar with an angle grinder. The pier was deliberately over specced to not move. 3/4 ton of concrete.. and the 0.8t mini excavator didn't even dent it! The fish pond was about a meter and a bit away. No lasting effect with the koi. The larger breakers may have more effect.

I would say using a smaller 2Kg SDS, the gearbox really heated up. It's metal case with metal gearing and even has air cooling for it. So worth going larger of you can't simply put a couple of holes and crack it with a hammer.
 
Soldato
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24,261
Soldato
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Plus 1 on that titan, I've got a battery makita and my dad has that same titan, just broken up a shed base and whilst mine did it, that thing annihilated it :D
 
Associate
Joined
10 Dec 2007
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1,943
Location
SE
Another vote for the Titan. Great bit of kit for the price. I've used one for breaking and drilling as well and it'll eat through your task. That said, I would also expect a pick axe and some manual labour would also get it up fairly quickly. As soon as you get under it, it'll break up very easily.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2019
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3,307
we got rid of ours with a pick axe that way. It's unlikely to be too thick. Drain the pond, without the weight of water to contend with you should have an easy time.

Dig down the side first and see what thickness you're dealing with.

If you just want to repair the liner chisel off the paving slabs, remove the liner. check concrete for cracks and seal. Then install new liner and relay the paving slabs. No need to dig the whole thing out unless you want rid of it, but with all those fish is that really your intention?

The liner should just be held in place by pond-safe silicon and a bit of mud in the bottom which you can dig out easily enough.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Aug 2003
Posts
24,261
Ordered the Titan, hopefully it'll do the job.

It will, it’s an absolute monster for the money.

I don’t tend to use it for drilling holes for example for a 7mm rawl plug or similar because it’s a bit too big and rowdy and very easy to just open up the hole much bigger than you want it, but for large holes and chiselling away concrete and so on it’s fantastic for £60ish.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2019
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3,307
agreed. We borrowed a friend's and were so impressed we bought one ourselves. I spent ages trying to chisel a backbox into a wall in our extension where the old flint render had been plastered over. Couldn't make a dent on it. The Titan got through it. It's heavy though, if you're not used to using this grade of power tool be careful you brace properly (though it has a good damping system it has to be said) and it will tire your arms for the first couple of sessions until you get used to it. It also comes in a version with a set of SDS bits too which is what we bought.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Posts
12,096
IMO a 2kg SDS is a better longterm tool.

Mine still hits hard enough to be useful for demolition jobs like the OP's without being a big heavy lump that's overkill for most other jobs.
 
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