What fits a 3 to 5 tonne carrier
Most 3 to 5 tonne excavators have an auxiliary hydraulic circuit running 30 to 65 litres per minute at 140 to 180 bar. That's the operating envelope you need to land inside.
- Montabert SD12: 1.5 to 5 tonne carriers. Best fit for the lighter end of this band where the carrier is also doing fine grading or trenching, not just breaking.
- Montabert SD16: 3 to 7 tonne carriers. The most common choice across this class. Good balance of impact energy, hose pressure tolerance and tool life.
- Montabert SD22: 4.5 to 9 tonne carriers. Only for the upper edge of the class, and only if your hydraulics genuinely deliver. Many 5-tonne carriers undersell their actual flow once you account for back pressure.
Typical applications
- Residential strip-outs and pool excavations through limestone or laterite
- Footpath, kerb and driveway demolition
- Utility trenching through capping and weathered rock
- Indoor demolition with adequate ventilation
- Landscape boulder breaking
On Perth metro residential sites, this class spends most of its time breaking weathered limestone and concrete kerb. Material like that rewards a faster cycle rate over raw impact energy, which is why the SD16 outsells the SD22 in WA by a wide margin.
Model comparison
| Model | Carrier weight | Operating weight | Oil flow | Working pressure | Tool diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD12 | 1.5 to 5 t | ~120 kg | 30 to 50 l/min | 120 to 145 bar | 53 mm |
| SD16 | 3 to 7 t | ~160 kg | 40 to 60 l/min | 130 to 150 bar | 62 mm |
| SD22 | 4.5 to 9 t | ~210 kg | 50 to 75 l/min | 140 to 160 bar | 72 mm |
Indicative figures, drawn from current Montabert technical data. Always confirm against the specific model's data sheet before commissioning.
Operator tips for this carrier class
- Use a narrow chisel for trenching, a moil for breaking. Carrying both on site costs a few hundred dollars and saves hours of glancing strikes.
- Watch for boom lift. If the boom lifts during work, the breaker is recoiling. Reduce engine speed or step down a tool size before damage compounds.
- Check auxiliary back pressure. Many 3 to 5 tonne carriers ship with undersized return hose. The breaker will appear to work but lose 20 percent of impact energy.
- Lubricate before every shift. Auto-lube is rare in this size class. Run two to three pumps of breaker grease into the bushing every two hours of breaking.
For pricing, sizing on a specific carrier, or to demo an SD16 on your own site in WA or the NT, contact Monty Products. We hold the SD12, SD16 and SD22 in stock at the Malaga workshop.