According to similarity theory, we carried out a dimensional analysis of the shearer drum correlation parameters and built similarity criteria. Based on these, similarity models of shearer drums were developed. Simultaneously, based on an estab- lished cutting testbed of the coal and rock, cutting tests of different pick arrangements of the drum models were carried out, where the compressive strength of the analogous cutting material was 2.48 MPa and the drum rotary speed 67.5 r/min. The variance, the mean values, maxima and mean maxima of the torque load were analyzed for different type drum models. Moreover, the relation-ships between the type of pick arrangements and the cutting lump coal percentage were studied. The results indicate that the load fluctuation of the sequence drum is larger than that of the punnett square drum in the cutting process and the lump coal percentage and economic benefits of the sequence drum are inferior to the punnett square drum. We conclude that the punnett square drum is superior to the sequence drum. According to similarity theory, we carried out a dimensional analysis of the shearer drum correlation parameters and built similarity criteria. Based on these, similarity models of shearer drums were developed. Simultaneously, based on an estabished testbed of the coal and rock, cutting tests of different pick arrangements of the drum models were carried out, where the compressive strength of the analogous cutting material was 2.48 MPa and the drum rotary speed 67.5 r / min. The variance, the mean values, maxima and mean maxima of the torque The results indicate that the load fluctuation of the sequence drum is larger than that of the punnett square drum in the cutting process and the lump coal percentage and economic benefits of the sequence drum are inferior to the punnett square drum. We conclude that the pu nnett square drum is superior to the sequence drum.