Power Tools Category Winner
BH24 Gasoline Breaker
Wacker Neuson
Wacker’s BH24 gasoline breaker has been re-engineered to increase power and reduce HAV (hand-arm vibrations) by up to 50-percent. Packaged together with Wacker’s own EPA certified 2-cycle engine, the BH24 brings the industry the most convenient and hardest hitting breaker in its class. This innovative design focuses around an optimized percussion system that increases power and reduces the vibrations. The piston and striker have a reconfigured shape reducing the striker’s weight to increase its velocity resulting in higher impact energy. The striking mechanism directly hits the tool, reducing the amount of vibration that returns to the operator. Also contributing to the reduced vibration is Wacker’s patented vibration damping protective housing. Wacker’s system isolates the entire upper housing, reducing the vibrations not only to hands and arms, but also the entire body resulting in lower operator fatigue. All of these features are packaged in a lightweight (under 60 pounds), compact tool that provides the best performance by combining machine efficiency and operator productivity.
RER: What makes the BH24 Gasoline Breaker innovative?
Rebekah Gallert, demolition product manager for Wacker Neuson: First of all, the fact that the BH24 is gasoline-powered means that the contractor can get the job done without the need for an external energy source (compressor, hydraulic power pack, or generator). This saves the operator both time and money. The power of the tool meets and in many cases exceeds the performance of other tools in the 60-pound category.
The BH24 is an innovative tool because of its optimized percussion system and upper housing vibration-dampening system. These product features increase the breakers impact energy and reduce the vibrations to the operator’s entire body.
The new percussion system has a reconfigured piston and striker. A lighter striker, longer stroke and increased velocity combine to increase the impact energy. The longer stroke increases the velocity of the striker. The new percussion system also runs efficiently and consistently so that minimal power is lost in between the strokes.
All of this power is combined with an ergonomic package that isolates the upper housing from the lower percussion system, which reduces the vibrations to the operator’s entire body rather than just the hands and arms. An additional spring is placed within the machine to further dampen the vibrations. Wacker’s unique 3rd handle provides greater operator control and comfort. The relatively light weight of the BH24 (less than 60 pounds) also helps to reduce operator fatigue.
RER: What are the benefits to the BH24 Gasoline Breaker? How does the unit make jobs more effective and efficient for rental professionals and their contractor customers?
Gallert: The BH24 maximizes contractor productivity by the following:
1) High impact energy breaks through concrete for high machine efficiency
2) Low vibration levels reduce operator fatigue, ultimately increasing his or her productivity
3) Because of the gasoline engine, the breaker has virtually no set up time as you would have with a compressor, hydraulic power pack, or generator. By eliminating this downtime, operators are able to get the job completed in less total time.
For the rental customer, the BH24 is a low-maintenance machine. Wacker’s gasoline breaker has an open grease system that can be greased easily on the job. There is no need to send the unit to a service repair center to have its oil changed. The 2-cycle engine has been designed and manufactured by Wacker, specifically for the tough conditions of a construction jobsite. Because the BH24 is powered by its own engine, it is easy to use and reduces potential operator error on the jobsite. Common errors could include incorrectly using an extension cord, failing to safely tow the compressor to the jobsite or allowing dirt into the hydraulics of a hydraulic power unit.
RER: Describe the development process of the BH24 Gasoline Breaker. Where did the idea come from and who was responsible for its engineering and development?
Gallert: Wacker designed its first gasoline-powered breaker more than 50 years ago. The idea first came about because of the synergy with the rammer, through which Wacker already had a lot of experience in gasoline-powered tools and percussion systems. The gasoline breaker is designed and manufactured at Wacker’s headquarters in Munich, Germany.
The BH24 is the next generation to Wacker’s BH23. Wacker’s BH23 had always been popular as a tent-stake driver but hadn’t been used often as a demolition hammer to break through hard, thick concrete. Through marketing research, Wacker noticed an opportunity to improve operators’ efficiency by designing a tool with fewer vibrations and higher impact energy that could effectively demolish hardened concrete. The key to success is the new percussion system. The BH24 is a new alternative to existing tools in the market.
