Advice on a new cordless (hammer?) drill

JBH · Mar 6, 2018

I know little to nothing about power tools. Except for my Dewalt gyroscopic screwdriver, a power tool that works like an overgrown hand tool, I rarely use power tools. I currently have a Porter Cable box store set with a drill, sawzall,and circular saw. Recently I needed to drill a 2" hole in a 2x6 pressure treated pine deck frame board for some some wiring. The Porter Cable drill couldn't do it. So I'm looking for an upgrade.

Any recommendations, or good sites to read reviews? I have no prior brand affinity, and I am not too concerned about battery sharing between tools.

Aside from this one pesky hole, I would want it to be able to handle drilling into brick and concrete, because I have a project coming up that may require drilling into 1920s brick.

Generally I gravitate towards German brand hand tools. My HF tool box is full of Knipex, NWS, Felo, Wiha, Stahlwille, Gedore, Witte, and the like. Are the German brands - Metabo, Fein, Festool, Bosch, etc. - worth considering, or at my level just vanity purchases?

6PTsocket · Mar 6, 2018

JBH said:
I know little to nothing about power tools. Except for my Dewalt gyroscopic screwdriver, a power tool that works like an overgrown hand tool, I rarely use power tools. I currently have a Porter Cable box store set with a drill, sawzall,and circular saw. Recently I needed to drill a 2" hole in a 2x6 pressure treated pine deck frame board for some some wiring. The Porter Cable drill couldn't do it. So I'm looking for an upgrade.

Any recommendations, or good sites to read reviews? I have no prior brand affinity, and I am not too concerned about battery sharing between tools.

Aside from this one pesky hole, I would want it to be able to handle drilling into brick and concrete, because I have a project coming up that may require drilling into 1920s brick.

Generally I gravitate towards German brand hand tools. My HF tool box is full of Knipex, NWS, Felo, Wiha, Stahlwille, Gedore, Witte, and the like. Are the German brands - Metabo, Fein, Festool, Bosch, etc. - worth considering, or at my level just vanity purchases?

Bosch tools are very good quality. The other brands that you should be looking at are Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita even if the last 3 are not German. Brick is usually not that hard to drill. It is old concrete that can be a bear, especially with a lot of stones in it, when using a pistol grip hammer drill. Using my corded Milwaukee on an old concrete garage wall, I had to give it a hand with a star drill and hammer when it ran into big stones. I've never ownd one of those SDS monsters but they are probably better for that.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

JBH · Mar 6, 2018

6PTsocket said:
Bosch tools are very good quality. The other brands that you should be looking at are Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita even if the last 3 are not German.

Thanks for the recs!

To be clear, I’m not looking for a German brand drill. I just generally find I prefer German hand tools - though my most recent purchase was Toptul - and see that the more expensive cordless drill brands tend to also be German.

Moe_Hushlin · Mar 6, 2018

I bleed red and black, Milwaukee is all I have to say. Anything fuel will not disappoint you.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T377A using Tapatalk

bob15 · Mar 6, 2018

German-made Metabo SB18LTX-3 BL

I have an earlier generation of this drill, and it is nice to use.

finn · Mar 6, 2018

I have a corded Bosch hammer drill that has served me well for drilling small holes in concrete. However, it was struggling putting 3/4” holes in the floor so I bought a Dewalt cordless SDS plus drill and appropriate bits.

World of difference drilling holes that large. If you are drilling large holes, go SDS plus.

I picked the Dewalt simply because I could use batteries I already had.

Rc_Guy · Mar 6, 2018

We use the heck out of our Bosch hammer drills, 1/2" impacts and battery drills at work and that is what I'm buying next for home use.

dr_clyde · Mar 6, 2018

I have makita for my cordless stuff. I like it. It works like I expect it to.

I have mostly metabo for my corded stuff, with a sprinkling of Milwaukee here and there.

I should probably have you clarify, are you looking for a cordless drill with a light hammer function or are you looking for a rotary hammer, because they are 2 totally different things. My makita has a "hammer" function that barely will do holes for tapcons.

I have a Bosch Bulldog rotary hammer that works great for holes up to about an inch in concrete. I've done up to 2-1/2" with a core drill. Anything bigger and the Hilti TE-70 comes out.

JBH · Mar 6, 2018

dr_clyde said:
I should probably have you clarify, are you looking for a cordless drill with a light hammer function or are you looking for a rotary hammer, because they are 2 totally different things. My makita has a "hammer" function that barely will do holes for tapcons.

I have a Bosch Bulldog rotary hammer that works great for holes up to about an inch in concrete. I've done up to 2-1/2" with a core drill. Anything bigger and the Hilti TE-70 comes out.

TBH I didn’t know the difference until I googled “Bosch Bulldog.” I don’t think I need anything that stout. At most something with a trigger and a side handle.

I didn’t even know that a “hammer drill” was a thing until my drill couldn’t get through that 2x6 and I started looking to see what’s out there. I do know that I have no foreseeable need for an “impact driver,” so the two-tool kits don’t interest me.

I don’t currently have any concrete drilling needs. Aside from a few holes in the deck to run wiring for the immersive sound system, maybe small holes in brick to mount IP cameras and that sort of thing.

kctyphoon · Mar 6, 2018

Honest answer - any big name will work well for you.. that said my personal preference, and that of many others these days is Milwaukee..

Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, or even Ryobi and Ridgid are probably the best choices to stick with - simply because they are popular here (Untied States) and very easy to find and get.. a trip to Home Depot or a visit to their website is all you need to do.. decide what you wanna spend - or what your WILLING to spend, decide what tools you want now, what you might want later if any, and then start looking at brands.. buy into a system, not just your first tool. Consider future purchases before the first purchase you make.

Every brand has had its turn being on top - but right now it's a honest statement to say Milwaukee dominates this forum and most of the professional field these days. They have a few different tiers to pick from, you don't need to buy the most expensive. They also seem to offer the most promos with free tools or batteries with purchases, and their system covers a wide range of more specialized tools all the way to heated clothing, and hands down has the most cordless lighting options available if that interests you.

There is a dedicated Milwaukee thread on the forum, filled with knowledgeable people that are more than willing to help or make recommendations - and it's always helpful to hear from people that actually own the tools or know about what they don't even own.

It's your money - buy whatever you like, but my personal preference is Milwaukee. I own a ton of their stuff, and there are very few tools that don't actually exceed expectations. Good luck and happy shopping, but it sounds like the first tool you need is an 18v hammer drill.

Don't discount buying a combo kit just yet.. an impact driver is a great tool to have number one, but more importantly, you can get one for just a few more $$ then buying a single tool kit that comes with 2 batteries..

Buying refurb kits from CPO is another option to save a few bucks on a purchase. But right not there are current "free tool" promos if you buy some Milwaukee kits..

Any current, competitive 18v hammer drill should have no issues drilling 3/16 or 1/4" holes for tapcon screws btw.. not the ideal tool to drill 50 or 100 at a time, but "barely" being able to drill those holes is not an accurate description of today's leading hammer drills.

6PTsocket · Mar 7, 2018

finn said:
I have a corded Bosch hammer drill that has served me well for drilling small holes in concrete. However, it was struggling putting 3/4” holes in the floor so I bought a Dewalt cordless SDS plus drill and appropriate bits.

World of difference drilling holes that large. If you are drilling large holes, go SDS plus.

I picked the Dewalt simply because I could use batteries I already had.

I once drilled 1" diameter 15" deep hole through a concrete floor in a commercial garage. My friend wanted to bring a compressor air line up to the shop. I did it with my corded pistol grip Milwaukee hammer drill. The drill was actually smoking when I broke through to the basement but still works fine, many years later.

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finn · Mar 7, 2018

6PTsocket said:
I once drilled 1" diameter 15" deep hole through a concrete floor in a commercial garage. My friend wanted to bring a compressor air line up to the shop. I did it with my corded pistol grip Milwaukee hammer drill. The drill was actually smoking when I broke through to the basement but still works fine, many years later.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

The Bosch hammer drill did put a few anchor holes in the floor, but the Dewalt SDS Plus can drill three or four holes in the time it takes to drill one with the conventional hammer drill, both with new bits.

I am not knocking Bosch, as they pioneered the SDS drill, and have the best reputation.

The Dewalt bare tool works with my existing battery inventory. All of my Bosch batteries are thesmall 1.5 or 2.0 amp hr size.

Rc_Guy · Mar 7, 2018

There are days that I'll drill 60-80 1/2" holes for 3/8" hilti anchors in a day and the Bosch keeps on going, day after day.

dr_clyde · Mar 7, 2018

You'll be fine with pretty much any drill from Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Bosch, or Metabo.

The hammer function in all of these is fairly limited, but does work for smaller holes.

Milton Shaw · Mar 7, 2018

The SDS type drills will drill circles around the hammer drills. Since I bought my SDS Dewalt I have not used my Milwaukee hammer drill in the hammer function. Why would I drill with something that takes 3 minutes to drill a hole versus something that drills so fast you need a stop rod to keep from drilling through the slab. Northern has some really cheap drills if you need something for just a few holes, although I have not had any problems with Northern tools. My new Dewalt SDS broke on the very first hole I drilled, but has worked fine since factory repaired.

cgrutt · Mar 7, 2018

Jrboulder said:
A word of caution, most of the advise you'll get here will be irrationally brand loyal and more tailored to the poster's situation than yours.

My own biased advice:
If this 2" hole is once in a blue moon occurance forget about buying a new drill and try to make it work by getting a better cutting tool or borrowing a drill from someone else. Then take that money and if you really want to drill holes in masonry buy a small rotary hammer. CPO usually has a small 3/4" reconditioned Bosch rotary hammer (made in Germany too) for $109. I have the $99 Makita cordless hammer drill/drill-driver kit and while it would somewhat easily do a 2" hole saw it's atrocious at drilling in masonry compared to my Bosch rotary hammer. The 18v DeWalt I used to have and my cousin's 18v Milwaukee were similarly bad at drilling in masonry. With a hammer drill you basically just chatter your way through a hole so your holes end up out of round, off course and require a lot more pressure. You already have a drill, why get another?

I was thinking same thing.

2" hole in wood is much different than a bunch of small holes in concrete/masonry and requires different tools. Never heard of using a hammer drill for large holes in wood. What type of bit are you using for the wood? Spade? Hole saw? Spiral bit? Is it sharp? Maybe new bit is the answer here. I recently drilled a bunch of large holes with a spade bit in hard wood (maple and walnut) with my Milwaukee. No issues at all. Bit was sharp.

For small holes in concrete/masonry I use a small Hilti SDS-Plus works great. I've used it in Concrete and Bluestone up to about 1/2" For larger jobs I have a Bosch SDS-Max but generally use this for demo or clearing rocks out of holes, etc.

Any of the major brands should handle your application without issue. Good luck.

engineer2 · Mar 7, 2018

The Makita XPH07 is a good drill. Specs look to be similar to the Metabo. One advantage of staying with the major players is you can add all sorts of tools while staying with the same battery system. I find cordless yard tools to be very convenient for a suburbanite.

JBH · Mar 7, 2018

cgrutt said:
I was thinking same thing.

2" hole in wood is much different than a bunch of small holes in concrete/masonry and requires different tools. Never heard of using a hammer drill for large holes in wood. What type of bit are you using for the wood?

The bit was the hole saw from the Ryobi drill bit set rec’d on The Wirecutter. Never previously used but I didn’t inspect first.

I had honestly never even heard of a hammer drill until my research this weekend! Shows how much I use power tools. Literally I think my whole Porter Cable cordless tool set has under 5 minutes of total runtime in 4 years, half on the sawzall and half on the drill.

As for yard work, even on our urban postage stamp that’s one task I loathe, and outsource to an excellent landscaper.

I’m going to HD, my local Ace, and Highland Woodworking (they’re within easy walking distance of our home) to put my hands on drills and get advice. HD has what they have, not sure what Ace has, and HW has a big Festool section, even though I would really need to be convinced that I need to spend that much.

cgrutt · Mar 7, 2018

JBH said:
The bit was the hole saw from the Ryobi drill bit set rec’d on The Wirecutter. Never previously used but I didn’t inspect first.

I had honestly never even heard of a hammer drill until my research this weekend! Shows how much I use power tools. Literally I think my whole Porter Cable cordless tool set has under 5 minutes of total runtime in 4 years, half on the sawzall and half on the drill.

As for yard work, even on our urban postage stamp that’s one task I loathe, and outsource to an excellent landscaper.

I’m going to HD, my local Ace, and Highland Woodworking (they’re within easy walking distance of our home) to put my hands on drills and get advice. HD has what they have, not sure what Ace has, and HW has a big Festool section, even though I would really need to be convinced that I need to spend that much.

Hole saws work in wood but cut very slow. Try pulling it out of hole every so often to clear chips out.

Or maybe try a forstner bit

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-2-in-High-Speed-Steel-Forstner-Bit-FB-015/100098845

although forstner bits this large are typically used in a press.

Or better yet, a self feed bit which will cut very aggressively (note you will need a 1/2 drill chuck for this).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009YV64/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Your Porter Cable drill should work fine unless the batteries are shot. Good luck.

Monte · Mar 7, 2018

theoldwizard1 · Mar 7, 2018

6PTsocket said:
Bosch tools are very good quality. The other brands that you should be looking at are Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita even if the last 3 are not German. Brick is usually not that hard to drill. It is old concrete that can be a bear, especially with a lot of stones in it, when using a pistol grip hammer drill.

IMHO, skip Makita. Not in the same class as the other 3.

Make sure to use a masonry bit !

6PTsocket · Mar 7, 2018

finn said:
The Bosch hammer drill did put a few anchor holes in the floor, but the Dewalt SDS Plus can drill three or four holes in the time it takes to drill one with the conventional hammer drill, both with new bits.

I am not knocking Bosch, as they pioneered the SDS drill, and have the best reputation.

The Dewalt bare tool works with my existing battery inventory. All of my Bosch batteries are thesmall 1.5 or 2.0 amp hr size.

When I bought that Milwaukee it was before SDS and even before decent battery tools. Things have come a long way.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

engineer2 · Mar 7, 2018

IMHO, skip Makita. Not in the same class as the other 3.

Why do you say that? No brand is perfect, but all 3 top brands are decent tools.

Shiftless · Mar 7, 2018

Has anybody mentioned a corded half inch drill?
I use my M12 fuel for most jobs around the house but for heavy duty stuff, my half inch corded Milwaukee hole shooter does it in short order.
Corded drills are easily found at estate sales if you are not in the mood to spend a hundred bucks on a new one.

kctyphoon · Mar 7, 2018

You guys do realize his project could be a single hole in brick, as he did not list how many holes, or even the size or depth of said hole - lol - and your already jumping into "buy an sds rotary hammer", to a guy that hasn't even had a need to own a "real" cordless drill yet.. we ARE aware of this correct??? :spit:

Dingleburry · Mar 7, 2018

You need a percussive drill to drill concrete.
A cordless drill with hammer function cannot percussive drill.

Crazyjake8493 · Mar 7, 2018

I'm a Milwaukee guy for cordless tools, but I have a lot of Bosch corded tools, including an SDS-plus Bulldog. All my tools of both brands have performed great, and I've never had an issue with either.

For brick or hollow block walls, a regular hammer drill will suffice. If you're drilling into solid concrete, rock, or even drilling many holes, you'll want an SDS rotary hammer like the Bulldog.

IndyGarage · Mar 7, 2018

theoldwizard1 said:
IMHO, skip Makita. Not in the same class as the other 3.

Make sure to use a masonry bit !

Absolutely incorrect. I've had all of them. Makita is every bit as good as the other brands - better for some tools, average for others.

The only tool I've really seen a standout on is Milwaukee for the LED lighting - it's better than the other brands.

I personally would skip the cordless drill with hammer function - 'They add size and weight to the tool and barely work to drill holes in concrete.

You are always better off with an SDS. I actully do have a 14.4 volt SDS+ Panasonic cordless drill - It's a beast and very convenient to use. They make a Hilti version of it in 18 volts I think. I actually sold off my Hilti corded SDS because I didn't need it anymore after I got the Panasonic.

bonneyman · Mar 7, 2018

Moe_Hushlin said:
I bleed red and black, Milwaukee is all I have to say. Anything fuel will not disappoint you.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T377A using Tapatalk

Seems like shorty cordless Lithium drills are the big thing these days, and Milwaukee 18v's tend to show up alot.

jumbojak · Mar 7, 2018

Dingleburry said:
You need a percussive drill to drill concrete.
A cordless drill with hammer function cannot percussive drill.

Bull. It might not be fast but for smaller holes they work. And besides, the man is talking about brick. Brick.

To the OP, get the best that fits your budget. I have a Milwaukee. It's not bad but not the greatest thing since sliced bread either. If it comes down to it you could probably rent the tool you need for thsee two jobs.

Dingleburry · Mar 8, 2018

jumbojak said:
Bull. It might not be fast but for smaller holes they work. And besides, the man is talking about brick. Brick.

To the OP, get the best that fits your budget. I have a Milwaukee. It's not bad but not the greatest thing since sliced bread either. If it comes down to it you could probably rent the tool you need for thsee two jobs.

From the OP

Aside from this one pesky hole, I would want it to be able to handle drilling into brick and concrete,

Your right!

Maybe i should have said you will "want" and not "need"
Sure you can drill small holes in concrete with an m18 "hammer drill" you can also do it without the hammer function aswell. You can also do it with a twist drill or a kitchen spoon if you really want. Regardless, the m18 hammer drills might as well be considered "not able to drill holes in concrete" so you can drill holes in concrete with the hammer function on the m18 cause it works for you. And ill continue to use rotrary hammer drills.

JBH · Mar 21, 2018

To close the circle, I ended up buying...this German-made* Akku-Bohrschrauber

First, I went to HD to sample all of the mainstream brands. They had a display where I could actually try unscrewing a screw in each one, which was VERY helpful. My notes:

Makita 18v xlr -229 with 2 batt and impact
+ Nice black, comfortable grip, compact
- odd gap btw body and chuck, shadow from light over trigger

Ridgid r86116k -179 w/ 2 batt
+ nice side handle system, light atop battery, cordless router available!
- ugly, shell fit a little dodgy, grip joint on back felt in hand, no router in store

Milwaukee 2701-22ct -199 w/ 2 batt
+ better fit/finish than Makita/Dewalt/Ridgid
- horrible grip (forces thumb into safety), side handle way way too long, shadow from light over trigger

Dewalt dcd791d2 - 199 w/ 2 batt
+ comfortable grip, nice clutch detents, light over batt, 3 sp.
- really bad case fit/finish on two samples - mocks the made in USA label

Of those, the Ridgid would've actually been my favorite. The fact that they have a cordless router with the same battery was also a plus, as I'd like to get into more speaker cabinet making and the closest thing to a router I currently have is a "12V Max" cordless Dremel.

However, then I saw the Fein online for a price not much higher and free returns, so I decided to try it out first. From unlatching the case on it was clear that it wasn't going back.

The fit and finish is perfect, the materials all feel first rate, and it feels great in the hand. I don't think I'll ever drive screws with it, but if I do the chuck change is super simple. For a little icing they throw in a little bit set, presumably sourced from Wiha.

*The battery charger is Chinese.

theoldwizard1 · Mar 22, 2018

Fein makes good quality (but expensive) power tools.

I will be curious if you can get that 2" hole through your PT 2x6 ! My son's 1/2" deWalt could not go through a PT 4x6.

bob15 · Mar 23, 2018

Good luck with it. I have a Fein oscillating tool and it has been great to work with, when needed.

cgrutt · Mar 23, 2018

Wow, nice! Good luck with it. Fein has some great tools. I have a SuperCut and it's awesome.

Advice on a new cordless (hammer?) drill

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