Darda Concrete & Rock Splitters — C2S to C12 Hydraulic Splitting Cylinders
Five hand-held hydraulic splitters that crack rock and reinforced concrete from the inside — up to 1,817,000 lbf of theoretical force, nearly silent, no vibration, no flying debris, no blasting permit. Every model is on our shelf bare or as a complete kit with its power pack.
The short version
Most first-time buyers take a complete kit — splitter plus BP3 gas, EP3 electric, AP3 air, or D4 diesel power pack — from the kit rows below (from $30,758). Already have a Darda power pack? Jump to the cylinder-only section. Splitting from an excavator instead? See the carrier-mounted C20 and WIDA rig. You can compare every splitter brand we stock in Concrete & Rock Splitters, browse all Darda splitter kits, or start at the Darda brand hub. Not sure which model? Call 1-888-883-5144.
The Five Darda Splitter Kits
This is how most Darda systems leave our warehouse: the splitting cylinder matched to the power pack of your choice — BP3 gas, EP3 110V electric, AP3 air, or D4 diesel — sized together and ready to work. Pick your model by drill hole size, depth, and force, then pick the power that fits your site.
Darda C2S Splitter Kit
The smallest cylinder in the line drills the smallest hole — 1.22–1.26 in. — and still delivers 783,000 lbf of theoretical splitting force. At 37 lb and 29 in. long, it splits where nothing else fits: crawl spaces, vaults, basements, and trench walls.
Choose it when: you demo next to occupied space, remove curbs, steps, and boulders in tight quarters, or your drill tops out at 1-1/4 in. holes.
Key specs
Darda C4E Splitter Kit
The mid-size step-up: 1,017,000 lbf from a 1.38–1.42 in. hole with the N set. Swap to the WL wedge set and it trades force (734,000 lbf) for a longer 0.55 in. splitting travel — the wider crack when the rock wants coaxing.
Choose it when: you want real force from a mid-size drill hole, with the option to run the longer WL set in blocky or layered material.
Key specs
Darda C9 Splitter Kit
The classic first Darda: same 1.77–1.89 in. hole as the C12, shortest minimum depth in the heavy class at 16.1 in., and with one enlarging plus one special enlarging counter wedge its splitting distance stretches from 0.7 to a full 2.1 in.
Choose it when: you split a bit of everything — foundations, ledge, boulders — and want the widest crack per hole without stepping up to C12 money.
Key specs
Darda C10S Splitter Kit
The deep-hole specialist: 1,111,000 lbf from a 1.61–1.69 in. hole drilled to 24.8 in. — the reach that block quarrying and thick foundations ask for. The Jura wedge set (911,000 lbf, 22 in. depth) is the soft-stone option for marble and limestone.
Choose it when: you quarry dimension stone or split deep, thick sections where hole depth does the work.
Key specs
Darda C12 Splitter Kit
The flagship and our best seller. Three wedge sets tune it to the job: N for all-around work (1,363,000 lbf), L for maximum force — 1,817,000 lbf, the hardest push in the hand-held line — and W for wide travel, stretching to 3.1 in. with enlarging wedges.
Choose it when: you break hard rock, reinforced foundations, and piers day in, day out — or you want one splitter that covers everything with a wedge-set swap.
Key specs
Cylinder Only — Already Running Darda Power?
Every Darda power pack drives up to three tools at once, so a bare cylinder on the pack you already own is the cheapest way to grow a splitting crew. Same splitters as the kits above, no power pack.
Spec Comparison — Every Model and Wedge Set
| Model / Set | Drill hole (in.) | Min depth (in.) | Split distance (in.) | Theoretical lbf | Effective lbf | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2S N | 1.22–1.26 | 10.6 | 0.35 | 783,000 | 430,000 | 37 |
| C4E N | 1.38–1.42 | 16.9 | 0.39 | 1,017,000 | 507,000 | 46 |
| C4E WL | 1.38–1.5 | 21.3 | 0.55 | 734,000 | 419,000 | 49 |
| C9 N | 1.77–1.89 | 16.1 | 0.7–2.1¹ | 672,000 | 441,000 | 49 |
| C9 L | 1.89–1.97 | 22.8 | 0.7–2.1¹ | 672,000 | 441,000 | 51 |
| C10S N | 1.61–1.69 | 24.8 | 0.7 | 1,111,000 | 573,000 | 73 |
| C10S Jura | 1.61–1.69 | 22 | 0.7 | 911,000 | 485,000 | 71 |
| C12 N | 1.77–1.89 | 24 | 0.75–2.4¹ | 1,363,000 | 789,000 | 68 |
| C12 L | 1.77–1.89 | 26.8 | 0.6–1.7¹ | 1,817,000 | 911,000 | 71 |
| C12 W | 1.77–1.89 | 21.7 | 0.9–3.1¹ | 1,089,000 | 708,000 | 68 |
| C20 C / C20 J | 3 | 29.5 / 37.4 | 0.9 / 1 | 3,307,000–3,968,000 | — | 660 / 860 |
Swipe the table sideways for all columns.
¹ With one enlarging counter wedge and one special enlarging counter wedge. Weights exclude hydraulic hoses. Source: Darda factory data sheet 08/24.
Outgrown Hand-Held? Put a Darda on the Machine
Carrier-Mounted Splitters & the Drill & Split Rig
Up to 1,800 tons of splitting force on a 5–7 ton excavator or Brokk robot — and the WIDA AB C20-T4 rig drills the hole and splits it in one remote-controlled cycle.
Choose it when: production volume outruns what a hand-held cylinder and a two-man crew can split in a shift.
Wedges, Hoses & Grease for These Splitters
The full wear-parts lineup — enlarging wedges, both lubricants, and seal kits — lives on the Darda hub.
Darda Splitter Questions, Answered
What is a hydraulic rock and concrete splitter?
A hydraulic cylinder that breaks rock and concrete from the inside instead of hammering it from the outside. Drill a hole, insert the wedge set, and the pump drives a central wedge between two counter wedges at 7,250 psi — the sideways force cracks the material in seconds, in the direction you aimed. Almost no noise, no vibration, no flying debris, and no blasting permit. Darda invented the principle in 1967 and still builds the line in Blumberg, Germany.
Which Darda splitter is best for me?
Start from your drill and your access: the C2S (1.22–1.26 in. holes, 37 lb) for tight interior work, the C9 as the all-rounder with the widest crack per hole, the C4E between them, the C10S for deep quarry holes, and the C12 flagship when force decides — up to 1,817,000 lbf with the L wedge set.
Should I buy the bare splitter or the complete kit?
If this is your first Darda, buy the kit: the splitter arrives matched to a BP3 gas, EP3 110V electric, AP3 air, or D4 diesel power pack, sized and ready to work — $30,758 to $47,258 by model and power source. Buy bare ($15,576–$21,912) only when you already run a Darda power pack; every pack drives up to three tools at once, so a second cylinder on an existing pack is a common upgrade.
What size hole do I drill, and with what?
C2S wants 1.22–1.26 in., C4E 1.38–1.42 in., C10S 1.61–1.69 in., and C9 and C12 both 1.77–1.89 in. — the smallest diameter in each range splits hardest, and depth must clear the wedge set (10.6 to 24.8 in. by model). Any rock drill that makes the hole works: gas crews like the Cobra Combi, air crews run hand-held pneumatic drills. We stock drills, steel, and bits alongside the splitters.
Will a Darda splitter break reinforced concrete?
Yes. The crack forms through the concrete and smaller rebar breaks with it; heavier reinforcement gets cut with the HCS8 Combi Shear or a torch once the split exposes it. Splitter plus shear is the standard quiet-demolition pairing for machine foundations, piers, and thick walls.
How much does a Darda rock splitter cost?
Bare cylinders: $15,576 (C2S) to $21,912 (C12). Complete kits with a power pack: $30,758 to $47,258. Ongoing costs are wear parts — central wedges from $662, counter wedge pairs from $1,398, lubricant from $74. Carrier-mounted C20 systems are quoted with wedge sets and mounting.
Can I split indoors, in tunnels, or underwater?
That is the point of the tool: splitting is nearly silent, vibration-free, and dust-light, so it works in occupied buildings, hospitals, tunnels, and plants that cannot stop production — and the cylinders run fully submerged for pier and dam work. Pair an EP3 110V electric power pack for indoor jobs and an AP3 air pack underground.
Size Your Splitter in One Call
Tell us the material, the thickness, and your drill — we will match the cylinder, the wedge set, the power pack, and the spares.