3 ton digger and breaker capabilities

[Alasdair]

Hello all

I may be doing a access road for a new house but it involves some rock hammering which is lewisian gneiss.the area required would be about 2mx6m (just at the start of the road).
I plan on getting a 3 ton excavator, hopefully a komatsu as I like them.
Can any one tell me if a 3 ton excavator will manage?
Time scale is not important.

[Muz]

Hi Alasdair .. welcome to the forum .. I havent dug rock on Lewis, but I have across on the mainland opposite, at my croft, so I'm guessing its not hugely different, although we only tend to get gneiss in odd fissures, or boulders. Its certainly quite hard, some times very hard, but any time if been on it, it seems to split and fissure reasonably well, since the stuff we have is quite crystaline. If you could quote a volume, other than square area, it might be easier to anticipate the work involved, but I'm guessing you certainly wouldnt want to go any smaller than a 3 tonner, you will also experience fairly high chisel wear too ... tool damage from prying with this stuff if its a big lump , will also be a consideration