I've just picked up a couple of what I think are CP9 breakers at auction (£15 the pair - bargain). When I bought them I thought they were air picks, however rooting around on t'interweb leads me to suspect that they might be rotary action as well as percussive - anyone got any thoughts?

(I realise that the easiest way to find out is to put some air into them however the starter motor on my compressor is knackered and being a modern, efficient bit of kit it doesn't have a starting handle :thumbdown: )

Ordinary CP9s had a little flick switch on the side that turned the rotary on and off as I remember. Some of the similar small tools had either a hexagon shank which would key for rotating or a round shank that fitted inside the hex. diameter so no rotation for picking.

Loads of diffrent makes around, all reffered to as "CP9s" in the same way that all vacuum cleaners are called Hoovers! 😉
Most common type these days is Sulair SK5, looks similar, but not rotary. Usually green and have a big chromed locking ring to secure the bit. Do you have photos? Someone will ID them. :thumbup:

---

the CP9 was a tiny thing with a hex chuck for small-diameter drilling. Throw it away and buy a Kango.

The larger CP22 ( the tunnel miner's "jigger pick" ) had no rotary motion and usually had a square chuck and a securing bezel which unscrewed to change the picks and rubbers. Usually you would lose the little cotters and/or securing spring while doing this .... might have a point, or clayspade in a range of widths. There was a Holman one which was similar.

the Haus Herr ( or "German jigger" ) was the biggest of the lot with a round-shank pick. I've never seen a clayspade for a Haus Herr because (a) the round shank meant you couldn't control the cut and (b) you would need to be Desperate Dan to handle the thing. There was a lever on the side to release the pick for changing. I've spent many happy hours gunning out solidified cuttings in the bottom of BOP pits on land rigs with these things..

---