Chicago Pneumatic RDR Hydraulic Rock Drills
A hand-held hydraulic rock drill on a 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. shank, with counter-clockwise rotation, running off a PAC power pack or a carrier circuit. No compressor required.
The short version
Hand-held hydraulic rock drills are rare, and they exist for one reason: oil delivers far more of the power source’s output into the drill steel than compressed air does. Air loses a large share of its energy to compression and expansion before the piston ever moves. That efficiency is why a hydraulic drill will out-drill a pneumatic sinker of similar weight, and why it does it off a power pack you can wheel to the work rather than a towable compressor. The trade is the range: CP build one hydraulic hand-held drill and five pneumatic sinkers, so if you need a specific weight class or hole depth, air still has the choice.
The CP RDR 48M
One model, one shank, counter-clockwise rotation. Currently on sale at $3,900 against a $7,500 list.
RDR 48M · hydraulic hand-held drifter · 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. shank
Hydraulic percussion with CCW rotation · 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. shank · runs off a CP PAC power pack · no compressor required
A hand-held hydraulic rock drill, which is a rare thing. Hydraulic percussion transfers far more of the power pack’s output into the steel than compressed air does, so an RDR drills faster than a pneumatic sinker of the same weight and does it without a compressor on site. Counter-clockwise rotation on a 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. shank.
On the specification. Chicago Pneumatic do not publish a technical datasheet for the RDR 48M in the literature we hold, so this page does not print a spec table we cannot stand behind. What we can tell you: it is hydraulic, it has counter-clockwise rotation, it takes a 7/8 x 4-1/4 in. shank, and part number 1801 3800 05 is what ships. Call 1-888-883-5144 for oil flow, working pressure, HTMA class, weight and impact rate and we will get them from CP before you order.
Why Hydraulic Percussion Drills Faster
The physics is the whole argument, and it is not marketing.
Air wastes energy before the piston moves
Compressing air puts energy in as heat, and most of that heat is gone by the time the air reaches the tool. Then the air has to expand again to do work. A pneumatic system delivers a fraction of the engine power at the compressor into the steel at the drill.
Oil is effectively incompressible
Which means the pump’s output arrives at the piston almost intact. That is why hydraulic hand tools consistently out-perform pneumatic tools of the same weight, and why they can run off a much smaller prime mover.
No compressor, no air line
A power pack is smaller, lighter and quieter than a towable compressor of equivalent capability, and two hoses are easier to manage across a site than a 1 in. air line.
CP hydraulic power packsWhere air still wins
Choice and cost. CP build five pneumatic sinkers from 9 lb to 60 lb covering hole depths from 17 in. to nearly 20 ft, and hand tools are cheaper than hydraulic ones. On a site that already has a compressor for other tools, air is the obvious answer.
CP pneumatic rock drillsHydraulic, Pneumatic or Gas
Three ways to get a hole into rock without mains power, and the honest case for each.
| Hydraulic RDR 48M | Pneumatic sinker drills | Gas Red Hawk Drill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Models available | One | Five, from 9 lb to 60 lb class | One |
| Power source | PAC power pack or carrier circuit | Towable air compressor, 19 to 130 CFM | Onboard 185 cc two-stroke |
| Energy delivered | Highest per unit of prime-mover output | Lowest — compression and expansion losses | Self-contained but limited by engine |
| Depth and hole size | Not published by CP | Up to 2-1/2 in. diameter and 236 in. deep on the CP 0069 | Not published by CP |
| Best for | Sites already running hydraulic tools; efficiency-critical work | Production drilling, deep holes, choice of weight class | Remote single-operator work with no machine at all |
| Price from | $3,900 on sale | $974 | $5,880 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Power Pack and Carrier Matching
Same standard as the rest of the CP hydraulic line.
HTMA class is the thing to get right. The Hydraulic Tool Manufacturers Association standardised circuit ratings so a tool from one maker runs off a pack from another. Class I is 5 GPM at 2,000 psi and class II is 8 GPM at 2,000 psi. Feed a class I tool from a class II circuit without a flow restrictor and you overspeed it; feed a class II tool from a class I circuit and it runs slow and hot. Every CP tool on this site states its class, and every CP pack states what it delivers.
We do not have a published HTMA class for the RDR 48M, so we will not put one in a table. In practice it runs off the same PAC power pack range as the BRK breakers and PDR post drivers, and off any carrier circuit that matches. Call 1-888-883-5144 with the pack or the carrier you have and we will confirm the match with CP before you buy either.
Chicago Pneumatic Hydraulic Rock Drill FAQ
Why would I use a hydraulic rock drill instead of a pneumatic one?
Efficiency. Compressed air loses a large share of its energy to compression and expansion before the piston moves; hydraulic oil is effectively incompressible and delivers the pump’s output almost intact. The result is that a hydraulic drill out-performs a pneumatic sinker of similar weight, off a smaller and quieter prime mover. The catch is choice: CP build one hydraulic hand-held drill and five pneumatic ones.
What powers the RDR 48M?
A hydraulic circuit: a CP PAC power pack, or a carrier such as a skid steer, excavator, tractor or utility truck with a matching auxiliary circuit. If you already run a CP hydraulic breaker or post driver, the same pack drives the drill.
What is counter-clockwise rotation and does it matter?
It is the direction the drill steel indexes between blows. It matters because your drill steel and bits have to match the rotation direction of the machine. Check what your existing steel is cut for before ordering, or tell us and we will confirm it.
How deep will it drill?
Chicago Pneumatic do not publish a maximum depth, hole diameter or penetration rate for the RDR 48M in the literature we hold, and we will not invent one. Call 1-888-883-5144 with the hole size, the depth and the formation and we will get the figures from CP, or tell you honestly if a pneumatic sinker is the better tool for that job.
What shank does it take?
7/8 x 4-1/4 in., which is the same shank as several of the pneumatic sinkers, so hollow drill steel cut for a CP 0022, CP 0032A or CP 0069 will physically fit. Confirm the rotation direction as well as the shank.
Do you stock it?
Yes, and it is currently on sale at $3,900 against a $7,500 list. It ships the same day on orders placed by 4 PM Eastern. Call 1-888-883-5144 if you want a power pack and drill steel quoted with it.
One hydraulic drill, five air alternatives
Tell us the hole, the rock and what power you have on site, and we will tell you honestly whether hydraulic, air or gas is the right answer.
$974.00 – $1,124.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
$1,774.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
$2,074.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
$2,351.00 – $2,509.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
$2,594.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Paving Breakers & Jackhammers, Pneumatic & Gas Rock Drills
$5,880.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page- $3,900.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
