- The word jackhammer is also used in the name of the type of combat shotgun called the Pancor Jackhammer.
A jackhammer (known as a pneumatic drill in Britain) is a portable drill operated by compressed air and used to drill rock, break up pavement, etc. It works by jabbing with its bit, not by rotating. A hydraulic jackhammer (on a much larger scale) may be fitted to mechanical excavators and is widely used on roadworks, quarrying and general construction works. It is impractical for use on walls and steep slopes: it relies on its weight to operate, and is highly difficult (and impractical) to use in such situations.
Jackhammers are quite noisy, emitting 100 decibels at 2 meters. Sound-blocking earmuffs must be worn by the operator to prevent hearing damage such as tinnitus.
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