Top Hammer vs DTH: Choosing a Used Surface Drill Rig

What is the difference between top hammer and DTH?

In top hammer drilling, a rock drill above the hole transmits impact through the drill string. A DTH hammer works at the bottom of the hole. Epiroc's surface-drilling reference book explains this distinction. For a buyer, the useful question is which complete arrangement suits the work. A crawler chassis or a familiar brand badge does not identify the drilling method. Ask for the rock drill or hammer identification and a clear view of the feed and tooling before putting machines in the same comparison.

• Record the drilling method beside each stock ID, rather than grouping every crawler rig as DTH.

• Epiroc — Surface Drilling reference book

Start with the hole specification

Prepare one project brief for every supplier: required hole diameter, working depth, ground description, inclination, access constraints and the client's hole-quality criteria. Explain whether the application is quarry production, civil construction or another task. A maximum number in a brochure is not a complete working envelope. A machine that reaches one headline limit may need different tooling or support equipment for your project. Have the person responsible for the drilling plan review the shortlist against actual site requirements before a purchase decision.

• Send the same project brief to each supplier so the responses can be compared directly.

What belongs in the air and tooling package?

For a DTH candidate, identify the proposed hammer and obtain its manufacturer's air-demand information before selecting the compressor. Epiroc's COP M6 instructions illustrate that compressed air serves the hammer and flushing circuit; this does not establish the needs of every hammer. List the compressor, hoses, connectors, rods and bits included in the offer. For a top hammer candidate, identify the installed rock drill and compatible drill steel. Keep any additional flushing or dust-control equipment in the scope of comparison rather than treating it as an unpriced accessory.

• Use the existing compressor-sizing guide to check the proposed DTH air package.

• Epiroc — COP M6 operator instructions and parts list

How should two used machines be compared?

Separate three columns in your shortlist: model-family information, the equipment actually fitted to the stock unit, and the observations recorded during an agreed inspection. This prevents a modern brochure from becoming a claim about an older machine. Compare the feed assembly, rod handling, controls and component identity on that basis. Photographs help establish what is present; a suitable operational test addresses function. Neither a photograph nor a catalogue provides a universal output rate for your rock, operator and tooling.

• Request a configuration list linked to the machine serial number and the seller's stock ID.

Which of our listings can start a shortlist?

We list individual Sandvik DX700 machines and an Epiroc T35 record, among other used surface rigs. Use their stock IDs to distinguish units before discussing suitability. For example, Sandvik DX700 CR-006 and Epiroc T35 CR-034 have separate listing photographs and records. Those pages are useful starting points for a technical discussion, not evidence that either machine is the correct answer to every hole specification. Send the selected stock ID with your project brief and ask for the exact installed configuration.

• Compare CR-006 and CR-034 through their own product pages, then request a unit-specific review.

• Sandvik DX700 · CR-006
• Epiroc T35 · CR-034

When is a shortlist ready for a quotation?

A shortlist is ready when each candidate has an identified drilling method, a documented configuration, a complete support-equipment scope and an inspection plan. Compare purchase and preparation costs only after those items are aligned. Where the site requires a capability absent from the offered configuration, either obtain a defined compatible package or remove that candidate. We sell used equipment; this guide does not provide a drilling design or certify a machine. The buyer's project team must verify the exact machine against the intended work.

• Attach the agreed configuration and included-equipment list to the quotation request.