Chicago Pneumatic Rock Drills and Pneumatic Hammer Drills
Five hand-held air sinker drills from 9 lb to 60 lb, $974 to $2,594. Percussion plus rotation in one tool, drilling anchor holes, dowel bar, blast holes and deep production holes in rock and concrete off a jobsite compressor.
The short version
These are pneumatic hammer drills in the true sense — a piston hammers the drill steel while a rifle bar rotates it between blows, so the bit indexes to fresh rock on every strike. That is a completely different machine from an electric rotary hammer, and it is why a 32 lb CP 0022 will out-drill anything you can plug into a wall. Pick on hole depth first. Under 18 in., the CP 0009 at 19 CFM is all you need. To about 8 ft, the CP 0022. For production blast holes and depths past 10 ft, the CP 0032 or the CP 0069. Then check the air: the line spans 19 CFM to 130 CFM, and the CP 0069 alone needs a CPS 185 behind it.
The CP Pneumatic Sinker Drill Line
Five weight classes on one design. Every drill takes hollow drill steel and blows air down the bore to clear cuttings, and every one runs on plain jobsite air. What changes across the line is energy per blow, air draw, and how deep a hole the tool will stay in.
CP 0069 Pneumatic Rock Drill
The big sinker. 64 lb, 24-1/4 in. long, 1,920 blows a minute on 130 CFM, and rated to 2-1/2 in. diameter holes nearly 20 ft deep. CP publish a drilling rate of 10.2 in./min in hard rock at a 1-3/4 in. hole — the fastest in the hand-held line.
130 CFM at 90 psi · 1,920 BPM · 64 lb · 24-1/4 in. · 2-1/2 in. max hole · 236 in. max depth · 10.2 in./min in hard rock
CP 0032 Pneumatic Rock Drill
Where production drilling starts. 54 to 56 lb, 23 in. long, 2,220 BPM on 103 CFM, and good for 2 in. holes just under 10 ft deep at 9.0 in./min in hard rock. Three shank sizes and a latch retainer; an optional muffler (R 125569) is available.
103 CFM at 90 psi · 2,220 BPM · 54 to 56 lb · 23 in. · 2 in. max hole · 118 in. max depth · 9.0 in./min in hard rock
CP 0022 Pneumatic Rock Drill
The general-purpose sinker and the widest-use drill in the line. 32 lb, 19-7/8 in. with the retainer, 2,220 BPM on 56 CFM, drilling to about 8 ft at 6.0 in./min in hard rock. Both shank sizes carry the same price.
56 CFM at 90 psi · 2,220 BPM · 32 lb · 19-7/8 in. · 1.7 to 2 in. max hole · 94.5 in. max depth · 6.0 in./min in hard rock
CP 0014 Pneumatic Rock Drill
A one-hand drill at 14.77 lb and 18-1/2 in., running 2,520 BPM on 47 CFM through a spring hex chuck with rotation release. CP rate it at 18 in./min in hard rock and concrete on a 1-3/4 in. hole — genuinely quick for its size.
47 CFM at 90 psi · 2,520 BPM · 14.77 lb · 18-1/2 in. · 3/8 in. NPT inlet · 25.5 in. max depth · 18 in./min in hard rock
CP 0009 Pneumatic Rock Drill
The lightest sinker CP builds: 8.82 lb, 14-3/4 in. long, 3,420 blows a minute on just 19 CFM through a 3/8 in. inlet. Round-shank and spline-drive chucks, with or without rotation release. A shallow-hole tool — 17.5 in. maximum depth.
19 CFM at 90 psi · 3,420 BPM · 8.82 lb · 14-3/4 in. · 3/8 in. NPT inlet · 17.5 in. max depth · 12 in./min in hard rock
Compare All Five Drills
Factory figures from the Chicago Pneumatic sinker and surface rock drill product reference sheet, measured at 90 psi.
| Model | Class | Air at 90 psi | Blows/min | Weight | Length | Max hole dia. | Max depth | Rate in hard rock | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CP 0009 | 9 lb | 19 CFM | 3,420 | 8.82 lb | 14-3/4 in. | 1-1/4 in. | 17.5 in. | 12 in./min | $974 |
| CP 0014 RR | 15 lb | 47 CFM | 2,520 | 14.77 lb | 18-1/2 in. | 1-3/4 in. | 25.5 in. | 18 in./min | $1,774 |
| CP 0022 | 30 lb | 56 CFM | 2,220 | 32 lb | 19-7/8 in. | 2 in. | 94.5 in. | 6.0 in./min | $2,074 |
| CP 0032A | 45 to 50 lb | 103 CFM | 2,220 | 54 to 56 lb | 23 in. | 2 in. | 118 in. | 9.0 in./min | $2,351 |
| CP 0069 | 60 lb | 130 CFM | 1,920 | 64 lb | 24-1/4 in. | 2-1/2 in. | 236 in. | 10.2 in./min | $2,594 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
The drilling-rate column is not a ranking. Chicago Pneumatic quote each rate at that tool’s own reference hole size, so the CP 0014’s 18 in./min is a 1-3/4 in. hole and the CP 0022’s 6.0 in./min is a bigger hole in the same rock. Read the rate together with the hole diameter and the maximum depth, not on its own.
Depth is the real dividing line. The CP 0009 tops out at 17.5 in. and the CP 0014 at 25.5 in. — these are anchor and pinning tools. The CP 0022 reaches 94.5 in., the CP 0032A 118 in. and the CP 0069 nearly 20 ft. If the hole is deeper than the tool is rated for, no amount of air will get you there.
Sinker Drill, Hammer Drill, Rotary Hammer: What to Search For
The same tool goes by several names depending on who is talking, and the names do not map cleanly onto each other. Here is what each one usually means when someone says it.
Pneumatic hammer drill
The everyday name for what is on this page: an air tool that hammers and rotates a hollow drill steel at the same time. If you searched for a pneumatic hammer drill for concrete or rock, any of these five drills is the tool you were picturing.
Sinker drill
The trade name Chicago Pneumatic and the rest of the industry use. A sinker is a hand-held percussive drill designed to sink holes downward under its own weight plus operator feed pressure, as opposed to a mounted or feed-leg drill.
Pneumatic rotary hammer
Usually means the same thing, but the phrase is borrowed from the electric SDS world. An electric rotary hammer drives rotation with a motor and adds hammering; a sinker drill hammers first and indexes the steel between blows. The sinker hits far harder.
Jackhammer
A different tool. A jackhammer or paving breaker only hammers, with no rotation, and it breaks material rather than boring through it. If you need a hole, you want this page; if you need to break slab, you want the breakers.
CP pneumatic paving breakersWhat Compressor You Need Behind Them
Air consumption at 90 psi, running continuously. Rock drills are among the thirstiest hand tools Chicago Pneumatic build — the CP 0069 alone draws more air than two 60 lb paving breakers.
| What is running | Total draw | Compressor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| One CP 0009 | 19 CFM | CPS 110 (95 CFM) | Uses a fifth of the machine. Run it alongside almost anything. |
| One CP 0014 RR | 47 CFM | CPS 110 (95 CFM) | Half a 110, with room for a tamper or a chipping hammer. |
| One CP 0022 | 56 CFM | CPS 110 (95 CFM) | Comfortable, with about 39 CFM left over. |
| One CP 0032A | 103 CFM | CPS 185 (180 CFM) | Too much for a 110. The 185 runs it with real headroom. |
| One CP 0069 | 130 CFM | CPS 185 (180 CFM) | The 185 is the smallest machine that will feed this drill properly. |
| Two CP 0069s | 260 CFM | CPS 400 or larger | Production drilling with two operators is a 400 CFM machine. |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Underfeeding a rock drill costs you the hole. A breaker starved of air simply hits softer and you notice straight away. A sinker starved of air loses both blow energy and the flushing air that clears cuttings from the bore, so the bit binds, the steel heats and the penetration rate collapses. If a drill that was cutting fine at 3 ft stops advancing at 6 ft, look at the compressor and the hose before you blame the bit.
Run 1 in. hose. At 103 and 130 CFM the CP 0032A and CP 0069 will lose meaningful pressure through 3/4 in. hose over any distance. Keep the run short, keep the diameter up, and keep the whip hose to the tool as short as the job allows.
Drill Steel, Bits and Chucks
Every drill on this page takes hollow drill steel: the shank end fits the chuck, the far end carries the bit, and air blows down the centre to flush cuttings out of the hole. Order steel by the chuck size, not by tool model.
| Model | Standard chuck sizes | Chuck notes |
|---|---|---|
| CP 0009 | 3/4 x 3-3/4 in. round, or spline drive | Offered with or without rotation release; the spline build is rotation-release only. |
| CP 0014 RR | 7/8 x 3-1/4 in. | Spring hex chuck with rotation release as standard. |
| CP 0022 | 7/8 x 3-1/4 in. or 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. | Can also be equipped with a 3/4 x 4-1/4 in. bushing and spring. Both listed builds are the same price. |
| CP 0032A | 7/8 x 3-1/4, 7/8 x 4-1/4 or 1 x 4-1/4 in. | Latch retainer. An optional muffler is available under part R 125569. |
| CP 0069 | 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. or 1 x 4-1/4 in. | Both builds are the same price. Water kit R 147457 is available for wet drilling. |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Rotation release earns its money on stuck steel
The rotation release lets you back the rifle bar off so the steel can be worked free without pulling the drill off the hole. On the CP 0009 it is an option; on the CP 0014 RR it is standard. If you drill in fractured or blocky ground where steels get pinched, order it.
Wet drilling and dust
Silica dust from dry drilling in concrete and rock is a regulated exposure. The CP 0069 takes water kit R 147457, which feeds water down the hollow steel instead of air to suppress dust at the hole. Ask about the equivalent for the model you are ordering.
Match the steel length to the hole
Drilling a 6 ft hole with a 2 ft steel means changing steels twice, and every change is a chance to lose the hole. Buy the steel long enough for the work you actually do, in the chuck size the drill carries.
A note on the CP 0014. The Chicago Pneumatic factory sheet rates this drill at 47 CFM. Some listings, including our own product page historically, have shown 38 CFM. We publish the factory figure. Size your compressor on 47 CFM.
Chicago Pneumatic Rock Drill FAQ
What is a pneumatic hammer drill and how is it different from an electric one?
A pneumatic hammer drill, or sinker drill, uses compressed air to drive a piston that strikes the drill steel thousands of times a minute while a rifle bar indexes the steel between blows. An electric rotary hammer drives rotation with a motor and adds a lighter hammering action. The air drill puts far more energy into each blow, drills much larger and deeper holes, and has no electrical parts to fail in wet or dusty ground. The trade is that it needs a compressor: 19 CFM for the smallest CP drill and 130 CFM for the largest.
What size air compressor do I need for a Chicago Pneumatic rock drill?
The CP 0009 draws 19 CFM, the CP 0014 RR 47 CFM, the CP 0022 56 CFM, the CP 0032A 103 CFM and the CP 0069 130 CFM, all at 90 psi. A CPS 110 at 95 CFM covers the first three comfortably. The CP 0032A and CP 0069 want a CPS 185 at 180 CFM. Two CP 0069s together is 260 CFM and needs a 400 CFM machine.
How deep can a Chicago Pneumatic sinker drill go?
Maximum drilling depth by model: CP 0009 17.5 in., CP 0014 RR 25.5 in., CP 0022 94.5 in., CP 0032A 118 in. and CP 0069 236 in. Those are factory maxima in good conditions. Depth is the single most useful number for picking a drill, because a tool that runs out of depth cannot be made to reach further with more air.
Which CP rock drill is best for anchor holes and rebar dowels?
For shallow anchor holes and rebar pinning, the CP 0009 at 8.82 lb and 19 CFM is the easiest tool to live with and will run off almost any compressor on site. If the holes are deeper than about 17 in. or you want noticeably more energy per blow, step up to the CP 0014 RR. For dowel bar and general anchor work at scale, the 32 lb CP 0022 is the all-rounder most crews settle on.
What is rotation release and do I need it?
Rotation release lets the operator disengage the rifle bar so the drill steel can be turned and worked free without taking the drill off the hole. It is the difference between a two-minute recovery and losing a steel. It is standard on the CP 0014 RR and optional on the CP 0009. If you drill in fractured or blocky ground, order it.
Can these drills be used wet to control silica dust?
Yes, with the right kit. Water is fed down the hollow drill steel instead of flushing air, which suppresses dust at the hole rather than letting it into the air. Chicago Pneumatic list water kit R 147457 for the CP 0069. Call 1-888-883-5144 with your model and we will confirm what is available for it.
What drill steel and bits do these take?
Hollow drill steel sized to the chuck: 3/4 x 3-3/4 in. or spline on the CP 0009, 7/8 x 3-1/4 in. on the CP 0014 RR, 7/8 x 3-1/4 or 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. on the CP 0022, 7/8 x 3-1/4, 7/8 x 4-1/4 or 1 x 4-1/4 in. on the CP 0032A, and 7/8 x 4-1/4 or 1 x 4-1/4 in. on the CP 0069. Order by chuck size, and buy the steel long enough for the holes you actually drill.
Do you stock these, and how fast do they ship?
Yes, and same day on orders placed by 4 PM Eastern. Add a configuration to the cart above, or call 1-888-883-5144 if you are buying more than one and want freight quoted with the drills.
Get the right drill and the air to run it
Tell us the hole size, the depth and the rock, and we will tell you which drill and which compressor. Same day shipping on every model on this page.