Does anyone know of any manufacturer of or way to get a gasoline powered rotary hammer drill in the US?
The last one we purchased, about five years ago, was made by Ryobi, but according to Ryobi is no longer available. No wonder since Ryobi had to go the ultra-cheapo junk deal with Home Depot…
One tool retailer we consulted when we bought that last drill indicated that gas-powered tools are not really legal in the US. Anyone know why?
—I know that the electric powered hammer drills aren’t too bad, but running them off a 1000W inverter is not really wise.
Replies
>> ... gas-powered tools are not really legal in the US.
Several million chainsaw and post hole auger owners will sure be surprised to hear about that!
Sounds to me like your retailer considers you a difficult customer and wants you to go away.
We used to have some gas powered drills in the Army, and I always thought they were kinds neat.
Wonder why they never caught on? Seems like they would be useful in some cases. Especially on remote sites w/o electricity.
I didn't like the play, but then I saw it under adverse conditions - the curtain was up.
We bought some gasoline powered drills in the utilty business about ten years ago. The guys on the on the bucket trucks loved them, especialy the ones that had limited slip clutches. Try using a brace and bit on a utility pole forty or so feet in the air, and you can see why they liked them so much. After some rough use, they became high maintenance items, mostly because the crews would not take proper care of them. They later switched to hydrulic powered saws and drills. Much lighter and easier to maintain.
Do a search under electric utility construction equipment, and I bet you find them.
Dave
> Wonder why they never caught on?
My guess would be that they're limited to outdoor use because of the exhaust gasses, so they're going to be a very low-volume and therefore high priced product.
The more widely used approach to this problem is to buy a generator. That way you put the noise and exhaust someplace else, and you can use your whole existing inventory of tools either inside or outside. And you have only one gasoline engine to maintain. Honda generators seem to be the king of that hill.
-- J.S.