Abstract: A hydraulically operated impacting device includes a differential piston slidably disposed in a bore, and having an impacting surface and a piston rod facing at the other end a valve sleeve circumscribing the piston rod, there being an annular space between the rod and the valve, the valve having a first and a second position; a first duct leads from a pressure source to the bore and is governed by the valve for acting or not acting on the larger one of the two piston surfaces respectively in the first and second positions of the valve; a second duct leads from the source to the bore for acting on the smaller one of the piston surfaces; a third duct leads from the bore at a location below the valve to a ring chamber adjacent the valve, the valve having a collar which is movable in the ring chamber, the piston has a portion which depending on the position of the piston permits or prevents communication between the annular space and the third duct to obtain or not obtain pressurization of the ring chamber for s