The JH20 is John Henry’s full-capacity excavator-mounted rock drill platform built for contractors who need consistent output in hard ground. This is the class you look at when drilling is a core production step—when you can’t afford “pretty good” penetration or a setup that only performs when conditions are perfect. The JH20 is designed around jobsite mobility, operator control, and the kind of drilling consistency that keeps blasting work, trench rock, and heavy civil schedules moving forward.
JH20 Rock Drills
Why JH20 Works So Well on Real Jobsites
Rock drilling isn’t a static operation. Holes move, access changes, and the work zone rarely stays ideal for long. The JH20 concept leans into that reality by using the excavator as the platform—giving you reach, fast repositioning, and the ability to drill in uneven or constrained areas without constant setup headaches. That “excavator-first” approach is a major reason crews like this style of drilling: it fits the pace of construction and helps drilling keep up instead of slowing everyone else down.
JH20/210: Komatsu Platform + Full-Capacity 20’ Drill Boom
One of the flagship configurations in the JH20 family is the JH20/210, built on a reputable Komatsu excavator platform with a full-capacity 20’ drill boom setup. The goal with this configuration is simple: strong, steady penetration by dedicating excavator power to drilling functions. For contractors, this translates into predictable performance you can schedule around—especially when drilling is repetitive and production-based (blast hole patterns, long rock sections, or jobs where drilling footage per day matters).
JH20/323F: Caterpillar Platform + Full-Capacity 20’ Feedshell
The other core JH20 configuration is the JH20/323F, built on a reputable Caterpillar excavator platform with a full-capacity 20’ feedshell setup. As with the Komatsu configuration, the emphasis is on penetration and production achieved by dedicating the excavator’s power to drilling functions. In real-world terms: fewer slowdowns, fewer “we’re fighting the machine today” moments, and a drilling setup that’s built to maintain pace when the rock is stubborn and the project timeline isn’t flexible.
What Can a DH20 Do For Your Job Site?
What “Full Capacity” Means for the Way You Drill
On many projects, drilling reach and drilling rhythm dictate the whole operation. A full-capacity 20’ class drilling setup helps crews tackle deeper drilling requirements and maintain a smoother hole-to-hole workflow—especially when working on benches, ditches, or patterns where repositioning efficiency matters. The JH20 family is a good fit when you need that bigger “work envelope” without abandoning the excavator-mounted advantages of mobility and access. The result is a drilling platform that can handle heavy-duty expectations while still fitting how construction crews move on site.
Typical Use Cases: Blasting, Pipeline Ditch, Soil Nailing, and More
The JH20 sits in the same real-world application space as the rest of the John Henry lineup: drilling and blasting work, pipeline ditch rock sections, soil nailing, and other contractor rock drilling needs. The key difference is that JH20 is the bigger full-capacity option when the job demands more reach and production consistency. If your projects regularly encounter rock where drilling becomes a critical-path activity, the JH20 family is built to be the tool you bring when you need drilling to stay predictable day after day.
Rent, Buy, or Package Mount: Multiple Ways to Put JH20 to Work
Not every contractor needs the same path to drilling capability. Some need to rent to cover a phase, some want to purchase for long-term fleet needs, and others want a mount solution to leverage an excavator they already own. The JH20 fits into all three paths. Rentals are especially useful when timelines are tight and you need drilling capacity now. Package mounts are the route when you want the JH20 drilling system on your existing late-model excavator—keeping your fleet standardized while adding serious rock drilling capability.
Support and Consumables: The Uptime Layer That Matters Mid-Project
A JH20 setup is only as valuable as the uptime you can sustain. Rock drilling eats consumables, and downtime loves to show up at the worst time. That’s why the John Henry ecosystem includes support around drill steel and consumables—so crews can stay stocked on the wear items that keep drilling moving. If drilling is on the critical path, the support layer matters as much as the drilling platform itself. The goal is fewer stalled days, faster recovery from wear-item issues, and a drilling operation that stays reliable through the most schedule-sensitive parts of the project.