I’ve been whacking away at drilling holes in concrete, max ¾”, for years now with a series of combination drill/ hammer drills. I’m tirrrrrrrrred of the vibration, and ridiculous amount of time it takes me to drill a hole.
Time for a small, toolbox size Rotary Hammer. Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
This time-tested installation method for flangeless windows ensures smooth operation and provides air, water, and vapor control.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
The Bosch Bulldog does a good job. The Hilti's are better.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
I was looking at the Hatachi ones at Lowes the other day. They had several models. About $400. Wonder if they are any good? Matt
I really like Hitachi tools; our company has several types. The Hitachi 1 1/8" spline drive rotohammer is a great tool, and it costs less than the Bosch. We've had it for four or five years now without so much as new brushes to buy. Personally, I think Bosch is not what it used to be.
I have the $400 spline drive hitachi for bout 5 years. Great tool- as good as the bosch that the rental yards have. Spline drive makes the bits more expensive though.
Spline drive makes the bits more expensive though
Immensely more, and 3/16" not available AFAIK. And, if mine's (Red Head) any indication, they're a lot slower drilling. SDS mostly replaced my spline drive use.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Went to Blows to look at em. The ones they had that interested me were the Bosch 11236vs and the Hitachi DH30PC. Hitachi seemed to be a bit more heavy duty, although the specs are nearly the same. Hitachi weighs a little more than a pound more. Bosch's case is a little better - latches may be better and will store longer bits. Bosch is $30 more (negligible). Right now I'm leaning toward the Hitachi, just because it seems to be more HD.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002246R/qid=1095008698/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-8424987-4563052?v=glance&s=hi
http://www.hitachi.us/Apps/hitachicom/content.jsp?page=RotaryDemolitionHammers/RotarySDSPlus/details/DH30PC%20-%20SDS-Plus%20Rotary%20Hammer.html&level=2§ion=RotaryDemolitionHammers&parent=RotarySDSPlus&nav=left&path=jsp/hitachi/forhome/PowerTools/&nId=iD
A few questions: are there any SDS Plus wood bits available for these, or some kind of adapter - they have a drill mode, and I'd love to be able to use the tool like a "hole hog" too? It looks like the SDS Plus bits is interchangeable between manufactures?
Matt
Matt,
Bosch has a SDS chuck available [1/2"]. I got one at Home Depot for about $30. Beside the masonary bits, there are also chisel bits and wook chisel bits for use in the hammer only mode.
The Bulldog has changed the task of drilling holes in concrete from a chore to be avaoided to a ho-hum type of operation. If you have to drill more than 3 holes a year in concrete, they are worth getting.
I am interested in the core bit function. Currently I use the drill a circle of small holes and then enlarge them. This works. 23 minutes for a 3" hole in 4"+ concrete. Incidently, when drilling through a concrete wall, work from both sides or at least from the good [visible] side since the bit will blow out a crater if/when it breaks through.
~Peter
I got the "little" Bosch hammer drill. The 1124 or something like that. I got a Jacobs chuck for it and so theoretically, I can drill any size hole that will fit in the Jacobs chuck. I use the Bosch to drill 3/4 inch holes in trusses with when I have multiples ganged together, then I switch to the Jacobs chuck and tighten the nuts up. That Bosch is heavy duty enough for 99% of the jobs a framer or remodeler is going to come up agaqinst.
I don't think you can go wrong with either Bosch or Hilti products, although Hilti is gonna cost you! I've rented both and they go through concrete like butter!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=46582&item=3836653117&rd=1
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
The Bosch Bulldog does a good job. The Hilti's are better...
Now it's down to the size of yur budget...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I looked at some Bosch rotary hammers today at Home Cheapo. Have some railings to install on concrete which will require drilling about a dozen 1/2" holes in 3 mo old concrete for read-heads and about 40 holes for Tapcons - not looking forward to it with my Mil. hammer drill - vibrator. Some of the Tapcons may need go directly into brick. So anyway I see that Bosch has like maybe 4 different models of rotary hammers at the store. All the way from the 1 1/8" SDS Plus model for about $320 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002246R/qid=1094931001/br=1-12/ref=br_lf_hi_12//002-6185437-6947216?v=glance&s=hi&n=228261 up to the SDS MAX (Bulldog?) model for about $800. Really, too many choices: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/ref=br_ncs_/002-6185437-6947216
I wonder if I can get away with the 1 1/8" SDS Plus model. I probably end up drilling about a half a dozen holes in concrete every 2 months - hot often - but often enough for it to be a nuisance. BTW - what is this SDS Plus? - just some proprietary thing so you have to buy their bits?
Blows had some Hitachi ones that looked nice, but don't know anything about them...
I'm thinking with tools, the brand to get is nearly entirely dependent on the type of tool you want (although some brands are just HO duty). In other words, for example, PC makes great circ saws, but their cordless nailers are terrible...
Thanks for your insight, Matt
The 7/8" SDS Bulldog will do all that you have mind... The "D" handle is easier to use than the pistol style grip.. It'll do the holes faster than the 1-1/8" SDS... But it will have it's limits... Also the 7/8 seems to be taylor made for tapcons and is rated for 7/8" holes in CC and 2-1/2" coring...
That 1-1/8" is a lot heavier duty and you could do scaling, chipping and light demo with it... This I think makes it a bit more versitile... Fudging every so often won't hurt it... In the long run the better tool...
I have the 7/8" plus and 1-9/16"Max CH... My 7/8 lives a dedicated Tapcon life, Tapcons by the case.... That's all it's done it for years...
IIRC - SDS, SDS Plus and SDS Max are like good, better and best... There are after market bits for the Bosch... look into Galaxy...
BTW... That second link was closed by anti-virius when I tried to connect.... don't know what you wanted me to look at...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Thanks guys... I don't know what happened to the second link - it was supposed to be an amazon page with a bunch of Bosch rotary hammers shown. Well, I feel good that the one I'm looking at is one or 2 above the bulldog which you all like and I've heard good stuff about before. Then I got a little paranoid after reading the Amazon customer reviews on the 11236 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002246R/qid=1094950188/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/002-6185437-6947216?v=glance&s=hi which it sounds like the SDS Plus tools are not the best for chipping - not sure how much I'd really use that feature much - if at all. Thinking I may still go for it - I gotta do the concrete drilling on Mon or Tues.
Member a while back I needed to drill some 30 year old concrete footers to pin in a new footer with rebar - borrowed a concrete buddy's Bosch - he did mainly commercial work - needed the help of a boy just to get that monster out of the case - drilled out maybe a dozen 5/8" horizontal holes in less than 10 or 15 minutes! Matt
Just to close the loop, here is what I ended up buying...
Hitachi DH30PC - and I LOVE it!!!
http://www.hitachi.us/Apps/hitachicom/content.jsp?page=RotaryDemolitionHammers/RotarySDSPlus/details/DH30PC%20-%20SDS-Plus%20Rotary%20Hammer.html&level=2§ion=RotaryDemolitionHammers&parent=RotarySDSPlus&nav=left&path=jsp/hitachi/forhome/PowerTools/&nId=iD
drilled ~20 Tapcons and 10 1/2" anchors bolts today and the thing acts like it's drilling into butter... (holes in concrete and brick). When drilling down into the above, the weight of the tool is enough to bore the hole in 10 sec for an anchor bolt and 3 sec for a Tapcons. Gaud I love this tool!!! My Mil hammer drill POS would have taken at LEAST an hour. Spent $300 for the tool and ~$100 for bits, etc (for now)
Maybe I would have been happy with the Bosch Bulldog that you all recommended, and I was very tempted, but how many times have I needed a tool, and ended up buying less than what I really wanted and regretted it... Had a really hard time making up my mind, but once I read the 5/2004 FHB article, I decided that the Hitachi was the way to go. This tool will last me for life! I ruled out the 1 1/8" Bosch because there were some bad reviews on Amazon - something about if you use it as a chipper, the mechanism wears out very quickly.
I went ahead and got a 4 pack of smaller bits, and a few 12" ones, and the Bosch chuck that allows the use of regular dill bits.
Only thing I don't like about the whole deal is that the Hitachi Case sucks - not enough storage space for bits, etc. I'm going to go see if I can find something to remedy that and pick up a few more bits too.
Did I say I LOVE THIS TOOL!!!
Thanks for the advice,Matt
Hilti or Bosch. Event the Hilti rep around me in CA won't bad mouth Bosch. She did claim that Hilti had better bits.
I think the Bulldog is around $200. For another $100, you can get the Bosch 11236 (1 1/8"), which has more power and can also do light chipping with the chisel bit. That's what I bought and haven't regretted it since. Although it's bit heavier than I would like, but that's the tradeoff for more power and capabilities.
Home Despot carries the Bosch 11236 and some carry the full line of Hiliti around me.
I have the 11224vsr Bulldog and the 11222evs (basically old number for 11236). Both chip for reasonable jobs. I cut a 36" doorway in a 8" cmu wall with them. Put one on each side and whacked away. If you are not going to do any heavy stuff often go for the 11224. Both of them are three mode, hammer, hammer drill, and drill only. Make sure you do not get one of the look a likes with only two modes. If ebay does not scare you you can score some pretty good deals.
Bosch 7/8" SDS Bulldog.
I am a homeowner/neighborhood handyman and have gone the "factory recon" route on major tool purchases - Bosch tablesaw, Bosch rotary hammerdrill, small Makita fibercement saw. Zero problems and lots of use.
Eric Svendson
Silver Spring, MD
Just this last week I wanted the electrician to swing by and throw a GFI outside a house. Since this was an add on and a "maybe I will, maybe I won't" thing for the HO, price seemed to be the deciding factor. He said he'd do a surface mount for 125, a flush for 200. I said "you're gonna charge her 75 to cut a box into the brick?" and he said yes. Ok. Do you mind if I cut the hole while I'm standing here and we go with the 125? That'd be fine. Apparently his guys use spoons to chip brick away. I punched the hole with the Hilti, and including cleaning up with a dustpan, a nice tight fit took twelve minutes from the time I grabbed the extension cord to the time I was backing out of the drive. Actual cutting was obviously about 2.
If your billfold can take it, Hilti.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
$75 for 12 min = $375/hr
My dentist still has you beat.... ;~)
I'm really dreading to spring for a new Hilti although I have built up a collection of bits over the last couple of years which will certainly take off some of the ouch. And I know the Hilti will probably outlast me and I'll be passing it to my sons. So If I take the money out of their inheritance it will really be more of an investment than a purchase...hmmm...
Bosch Bulldog SDS Plus is the machine I'd recommend. If the Hilti's any faster, it'd have to drill the hole by itself before you even took it out of the case....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
One thing I'd like to add ... I have a bulldog SDS-Plus ... it will drill anything up to it's 7/8" rating and do so fast and cheap too. The bits are more than the ones for a jacob's chucked hammer drill (I've worn out many of those) but they are vastly cheaper per hole (especially if your labor is worth anything). So you don't need the larger models for what you are doing now. One of these (Bulldog's) will last an occaisional user MANY years. Don't get the bigger one for a chipper either. If you have any significant work chipping to do you will be FAR better served with an additional demo hammer. The multi-purpose units are less cost effective and poorer performers than you would have investing similar money in two specialized units. So get a drill to drill and a demo hammer for chipping. You'll be better served and save money too.
"Had a really hard time making up my mind, but once I read the 5/2004 FHB article, I decided that the Hitachi was the way to go. This tool will last me for life! . . .Did I say I LOVE THIS TOOL!!!
Thanks for the advice,Matt"
Matt, you just made my whole day.
Thank you.
DRC
Hows come? Matt
I wrote the review you referred to in FHB. Over the past few years I've written a bunch of tool reviews for JLC, FHB, and Tools Of The Trade.
I've been wondering to myself recently whether this is a good use of time, or whether it was no different than discussing religion, politics, and carburetors. <G>
But if anyone actually benefits from it, then I guess it is worth doing.
DRC
For something from the other end of the scale.....
I also worked with a small hammer drill for punching holes through various bricks and bits of concrete (mainly to stuff sprinkler wire through as I added zones).
Getting ready for a new patio, I needed to punch some holes through a 5 inch foundation and then an interior slab to run O2 barrier pex inside (I put 4 loops of pex in the patio to cool it in the hot summer sun). Conveniently enough, the Harbor Freight flyer arrived and they had a rotary hammer with bits for $59......
I picked one up, and chucked up the biggest bit it came with (about 7/8, I think). I was planning on drilling a series of holes in the foundation, and then whacking out the center to make the hole I wanted.
It really worked pretty good...took about 4 or 5 minutes to get the hole drilled through with much less effort than my hammer drill (which would have cooked itself on that job).
After the first hole, I went to HD and rented their big Hilti with a 3" core bit, and punched 8 other nice perfectly round 3" holes in about 45 minutes (including breaks to drink a gatorade and exclaim "holy sh*t" a few times about how quickly it worked through the foundation and then the slab).
Still, the Harbor Freight model is a lot nicer to drill holes than my old hammer drill . . . :-)