DeWalt SDS Rotary Hammers

[Handyandy23]

Wondering if anyone that has any experience with the DeWalt SDS / SDS+ rotary hammers could give me some advice?

Basically I'm looking at picking up one of the 20V versions, but trying to figure out what the differences are between the units, and how that will affect me.

My immediate uses for it are to drill 3/4" anchor holes in concrete, and to core a 3" hole through Hardie plank siding (I'm guessing that won't be too taxing), with future intended use with the hammer/chisel function to pull up old tiles and whatnot.

The models I'm looking at are the DCH133 and DCH293:

DCH133:

Specs: 20V Max XR Brushless, 5,550 BPM, SDS+, 1,500 RPM, 2.6J impact energy, recommended up to 5/8" holes in concrete, 5 lbs weight.

DCH293:

Specs: 20V Max XR Brushless, 4,480 BPM, SDS+, 1,000 RPM, 3.5J impact energy, recommended up to 7/8" holes in concrete, 8.2 lbs weight.

Just by specs it sounds like I can get away with the smaller DCH133, but just trying to put some perspective on the differences between the two - especially 2.6 joules vs 3.5 joules. Will this difference be important for chipping up tile? I'm not expecting to do heavy demolition / breaking up concrete with this, so keep in mind I don't necessarily need something that will rattle me out of my boots.

 

[ItsNemo]

I have a corded 1" sized SDS plus Dewalt...works great, have done dozens getting towards hundreds of holes with it, has never given me any trouble. Have used it for 5/16" all the way up to 1" holes through 8-10" foundation concrete and all the 3/4" holes for my lift. I wouldn't want a cordless version of it, there's a lot of run time doing big holes.

 

[ItsNemo]

Sorry, should have answered your impact related...the more the better, these aren't going to rattle the **** out of you, they are pretty weak in terms of hammer action.

 

[loranger]

I have a corded Kobalt I got from lowes on clearance. Its pretty small compared to those big monsters but I used it a lot to bust up tile in a small bathroom and kitchen. It worked pretty good but I cant see how a battery version would last very long. For something used as infrequently as this, I preferred the corded version just to cut down on a little weight.

 

[finn]

I bought the DCH273, that looks to be the “in between” size.

Bought the bare tool and have been using a flexvolt battery.

Worked great to put the 3/4” anchor holes for my lift in the shop floor and now for chipping and trimming block for another project in the basement.

It’s pretty heavy with the large flexvolt battery, so perhaps a smaller battery would be a better choice for small projects.

I can’t remember for sure, but mine may have come from CPO. If not there, then Amazon.

 

[Farmall450]

I just got the DCH133 last month. It's rated for drilling 1" holes so I wouldn't be too worried about what you're planning to do. I've done a few more or less just to try it out in concrete and cinderblock and it did quite well. Hard to compare too much, though -- I have no idea the model of the corded Makita I've used predominantly before.

I've also seen people fly through tile with them, although I haven't had a chance to yet. It's also a lot more ergonomic than the latter for tile, etc.

 

[mike93lx]

2.6J is plenty for tile. I just did a a bathroom demo with a Bosch rated at that and it flew through it. Best tool i have ever bought.

Almost went dewalt 20v but it will be used so infrequently that the tool will be around longer than i will be using dewalt cordless, more than likely

 

[Handyandy23]

I bought the DCH273, that looks to be the “in between” size.

Bought the bare tool and have been using a flexvolt battery.

Worked great to put the 3/4” anchor holes for my lift in the shop floor and now for chipping and trimming block for another project in the basement.

It’s pretty heavy with the large flexvolt battery, so perhaps a smaller battery would be a better choice for small projects.

I can’t remember for sure, but mine may have come from CPO. If not there, then Amazon.

I might be wrong, but I think the DCH273 is the predecessor to the DCH293, which is why I didn't mention that one specifically. You can find them for sale still though BNIB and seem to sell for closer to the DCH133 price, but then the impact rating is very similar as well. They are all still listed on DeWalt's website though so maybe they are all current and just have lots of overlap.

Good to know that unit works well for you though - installing a lift is the exact reason I need it for 3/4 holes as well. How did you find it lasted on a battery for drilling those holes? And did it heat up a lot or seemed to manage OK? Also was it the 6ah Flexvolt battery you used? I don't have FV batteries but I do have the 5ah ones.

 

[Handyandy23]

2.6J is plenty for tile. I just did a a bathroom demo with a Bosch rated at that and it flew through it. Best tool i have ever bought.

Almost went dewalt 20v but it will be used so infrequently that the tool will be around longer than i will be using dewalt cordless, more than likely

That's good to know re: the energy rating. Bathroom type demos is about as '********' as I would be getting with this tool.

I'm also a bit on the fence re: corded vs battery, but as I collect more of the 20V tools my confidence seems to grow in them. I tend to the side of caution usually buying corded tools for longevity as well, but the current 20V lineup is so huge and the lithium batteries are so good that I feel like even if technology moves on, I will still be able to use the tool for a very long time. But definitely something to think about more.

 

[mike93lx]

That's good to know re: the energy rating. Bathroom type demos is about as '********' as I would be getting with this tool.

I'm also a bit on the fence re: corded vs battery, but as I collect more of the 20V tools my confidence seems to grow in them. I tend to the side of caution usually buying corded tools for longevity as well, but the current 20V lineup is so huge and the lithium batteries are so good that I feel like even if technology moves on, I will still be able to use the tool for a very long time. But definitely something to think about more.

The other factor for me was run time. My expectation was that demo would chew through batteries.

Either way, its an amazingly useful tool that can save a ton of time and physical effort

 

[finn]

I might be wrong, but I think the DCH273 is the predecessor to the DCH293, which is why I didn't mention that one specifically. You can find them for sale still though BNIB and seem to sell for closer to the DCH133 price, but then the impact rating is very similar as well. They are all still listed on DeWalt's website though so maybe they are all current and just have lots of overlap.

Good to know that unit works well for you though - installing a lift is the exact reason I need it for 3/4 holes as well. How did you find it lasted on a battery for drilling those holes? And did it heat up a lot or seemed to manage OK? Also was it the 6ah Flexvolt battery you used? I don't have FV batteries but I do have the 5ah ones.

I don’t think the 5ah battery would be a limitation.

I don’t remember if I had to stop to recharge or switch the 6ah flexvolt battery when drilling the anchor holes. I think not, though.

With a good, sharp Bosch bit. It was incredibly easy drilling in the floor. Things slowed once in a while if I hit a piece of hard aggregate.

I had initially started the first hole wit a conventional hammer drill, but that went nowhere fast, so I ordered the Dewalt SDS, and it was almost like drilling through butter.

I considered ordering a bigger drill, but I am now glad I didn’t do that. This was cheaper and lighter.

A corded drill would have been cheaper, but most of my projects at this stage are smaller and in random locations, and I have no tolerance for a tether.

The one thing I would advise is to get a longer bit than you think you need, in case your concrete is thicker than you think.

It’s best to through drill so you can pound an anchor into the foam or fill if there is an issue. I had no problems, but my bit was barely long enough to expose the foam insulation under the floor.

 

[Handyandy23]

I just got the DCH133 last month. It's rated for drilling 1" holes so I wouldn't be too worried about what you're planning to do. I've done a few more or less just to try it out in concrete and cinderblock and it did quite well. Hard to compare too much, though -- I have no idea the model of the corded Makita I've used predominantly before.

I've also seen people fly through tile with them, although I haven't had a chance to yet. It's also a lot more ergonomic than the latter for tile, etc.

Where did you see the DCH133 is rated for drilling up to 1" holes in concrete? All I can see on DeWalt's website is the "recommended" range of up to 5/8". I'm guessing if they recommend it for that then it's likely capable of much more, but just curious if this is published anywhere.

 

[ChrisLS8]

I can't speak to the differences but I can say that the 293 is a workhorse. I've drilled literally thousands of 4-5 inch 3/4 anchor holes in concrete and it hasn't skipped a beat. If you only will need it very infrequently get the cheaper model otherwise spring for the 293

 

[Farmall450]

Where did you see the DCH133 is rated for drilling up to 1" holes in concrete? All I can see on DeWalt's website is the "recommended" range of up to 5/8". I'm guessing if they recommend it for that then it's likely capable of much more, but just curious if this is published anywhere.

Right on the label. It's a 1" SDS + Hammer drill; that's how the industry rates them. The range you saw on their site is "optimal" likely meaning continuous use.

Edit: Here's a snip from their site. That's what it means.

 

[MattT]

Where did you see the DCH133 is rated for drilling up to 1" holes in concrete? All I can see on DeWalt's website is the "recommended" range of up to 5/8". I'm guessing if they recommend it for that then it's likely capable of much more, but just curious if this is published anywhere.

IME rotary hammers are slow drilling at their rated capacity so you really don't want to be exceeding it. Amazon describes that hammer as 1" but the joules are lower than a couple corded 1" I also looked at. So it's probably more like 7/8" rated which is about right for a 5/8" recommendation.

IMO you'd be best picking up a corded true 1" D handle hammer in your favorite color. Or if you don't care about color you might be able to find a Makita with free grinder for the same price as everyone elses bare hammer.

 

[toplessHO]

do you really need a cordless model?
Theres a few things I think are left better to a corded model,this is one.
For SDS I like Bosch and Hilti with Milwaukee a close 3rd.All of those corded models.
Battery powered Dewalt hammer drills are great for tapcons,1/4" anchors etc. But larger holes are better with a corded model.

 

[claas880]

the dch133 is small for what you want to use it for. will it do the work yes but it will be slow.

 

[Farmall450]

IME rotary hammers are slow drilling at their rated capacity so you really don't want to be exceeding it. Amazon describes that hammer as 1" but the joules are lower than a couple corded 1" I also looked at. So it's probably more like 7/8" rated which is about right for a 5/8" recommendation.

IMO you'd be best picking up a corded true 1" D handle hammer in your favorite color. Or if you don't care about color you might be able to find a Makita with free grinder for the same price as everyone elses bare hammer.

DeWalt and Milwaukee Cordless SDS+ Hammers are nearly identical to their corded counterparts and share the vast majority of their components.

The reign of corded is over when you have any of the big 3 in cordless tools.

the dch133 is small for what you want to use it for. will it do the work yes but it will be slow.

He wants to drill 3/4" holes...a whopping 75% of what it's rated for. IK garagejournal is big on overkill, but let's be realistic now. That is the all the hammer the average Joe will every need, and is nice and ergonomic for bathroom/kitchen demos.

 

[Farmall450]

There are some great videos on the DCH133. Here's one of it blowing away a corded DeWalt:

and just one of a Russian guy putting it through the paces.

The idea cordless is always going to outperform corded is a misnomer. Just watch a cordless worm drive kill a Skill 77 if you don't believe that

 

[mike93lx]

DeWalt and Milwaukee Cordless SDS+ Hammers are nearly identical to their corded counterparts and share the vast majority of their components.

The reign of corded is over when you have any of the big 3 in cordless tools.



He wants to drill 3/4" holes...a whopping 75% of what it's rated for. IK garagejournal is big on overkill, but let's be realistic now. That is the all the hammer the average Joe will every need, and is nice and ergonomic for bathroom/kitchen demos.

I drilled six 5/8" holes in my 50 year old poured foundation last year with a $30 HF hammer drill. I find it laughable that people question whether a rotary hammer could do it.

 

[Robinson1]

Better off going corded if at all possible especially for demo work. These work great for tile but don't expect it to do much with concrete. Its not a jackhammer by any stretch of the imagination.

The cordless rotary hammers are nice if you need to drill a few holes but for extended work corded all the way

 

[finn]

do you really need a cordless model?
Theres a few things I think are left better to a corded model,this is one.
For SDS I like Bosch and Hilti with Milwaukee a close 3rd.All of those corded models.
Battery powered Dewalt hammer drills are great for tapcons,1/4" anchors etc. But larger holes are better with a corded model.

These aren’t simple hammer drills. The SDs drills are much more effective than a conventional corded hammer drill. My Bosch struggled drilling the 3/4” holes for my lift anchors. The Dewalt cordless drilled them almost like a hot knife through butter.

Major improvement. Why waste money on an obsolete corded platform, especially if you have other cordless tools that use the same battery platform.

I’m one step away from donating all of my corded tools to Habitat.

 

[Farmall450]

I drilled six 5/8" holes in my 50 year old poured foundation last year with a $30 HF hammer drill. I find it laughable that people question whether a rotary hammer could do it.

They argue it's inefficient, and they're right, compared to the biggest offerings on the market. But he isn't looking to drill 1" holes day in and day out. Classical case of diminishing returns...spend 2x as much for something rated 12.5% more.

 

[toplessHO]

Im pretty sure I use SDS drills more than 99% of the professional mechanics here.
When I can drill 10 holes with a corded Bosch,with a vacuum attachment to contain the dust(required by OSHA) ,in the time that it takes to drill half that many with a cordless, Im not sold on that.
Add to that concrete thats 100 yrs old and the battery ones are at times laughable.

Sounds like a lot of you here have money to burn.
How long do your battery packs last ?How many times have battery packs been remodeled and discontinued? Corded power tools last longer period

Dont get me wrong,I have quite a few battery tools,but SDS isnt one of them.
I want to pick up the same SDS drill that can do a 3/4" hole or a 2 inch core.

 

[Handyandy23]

Thanks to everyone for their input, and thanks to Farmall for clarifying the size ratings.

As far as corded versus battery discussion, for me it comes down to my uses. If I was in a trade and using it every day for hours straight then I can see the practicality of battery would be reduced. For grabbing to drill a handful of holes or chipping tile in a small bathroom, I appreciate the ease of not dragging a cord around.

I also think the power of a cordless version versus corded is debatable. There are plenty of underpowered corded versions out there, and plenty of battery ones that are very powerful. I can find YouTube videos of a cordless DeWalt destroying a corded Bosch model drilling holes, and I can find videos showing the opposite too. Lots of different model numbers and power levels in every lineup.

Ultimately I picked up a DeWalt DH133 locally for $200 CAD bnib. Couldn't pass up the deal as any other comparable models are $300-$400 through Amazon / eBay etc (remember this is CAD not USD). For reference, the only Bosch model on Amazon for $200 CAD is a 3/4" corded version.

 

[Farmall450]

Under $150 American, can't beat that. Especially when a good bit is $20+

You'll enjoy it.

 

[Handyandy23]

Under $150 American, can't beat that. Especially when a good bit is $20+

You'll enjoy it.

The guy I bought it from said it was a gift to him and he's not a handy / tool using guy at all. Pretty strange gift for someone to pluck off the shelf at HD for someone that doesn't even really use tools, but worked out ok for me!

 

[Farmall450]

The guy I bought it from said it was a gift to him and he's not a handy / tool using guy at all. Pretty strange gift for someone to pluck off the shelf at HD for someone that doesn't even really use tools, but worked out ok for me!

Might be better off not questioning it. If we get some more pallet racking this summer mine will have been worthwhile just there.

 

[kctyphoon]

For anyone else in the same boat - Long story short. Get the bigger rated drill.. i had both comparable milwaukee’s. They were both great and would do 7/8” holes though 24” of concrete. But i was just doing one or two of those at a shot.. the ratings are for max hole size. Rule of thumb is half that rating for heavy use.. if you have the room, and have the $ - just get the bigger one. It’ll be fine.

 

[Farmall450]

For anyone else in the same boat - Long story short. Get the bigger rated drill.. i had both comparable milwaukee’s. They were both great and would do 7/8” holes though 24” of concrete. But i was just doing one or two of those at a shot.. the ratings are for max hole size. Rule of thumb is half that rating for heavy use.. if you have the room, and have the $ - just get the bigger one. It’ll be fine.

So what you're saying, is for anyone else only looking to do a few holes and tile demo, buy the more expensive one even though the cheaper, more ergonomic one was "great" and would do it just fine.

The heaviest thing I haul is a Farmall 806 or a Case 85XT Skidsteer, but maybe I should get a semi and a lowboy because that's towards the upper limit of what my 2500HD truck is rated for.

 

[kctyphoon]

So what you're saying, is for anyone else only looking to do a few holes and tile demo, buy the more expensive one even though the cheaper, more ergonomic one was "great" and would do it just fine.

The heaviest thing I haul is a Farmall 806 or a Case 85XT Skidsteer, but maybe I should get a semi and a lowboy because that's towards the upper limit of what my 2500HD truck is rated for.

I’m saying if your goal is to do bigger holes frequently, then buy the drill rated to do those bigger holes - because they will do them faster and it’s easier on the drill - and the battery will last longer. Or do you need a translator?

Not sure how much more obvious that can be...and we’ll just ignore the fact the difference in price minimal.. I’m sure if the difference between a 2500 and 3500 series truck was $40 - you woulda went for it - but wtf do i know..

Dewalt’s coming out with a cordless 2” sds max - whats that in your truck analogy?

 

[Farmall450]

I’m saying if your goal is to do bigger holes frequently, then buy the drill rated to do those bigger holes - because they will do them faster and it’s easier on the drill - and the battery will last longer. Or do you need a translator?

Not sure how much more obvious that can be...and we’ll just ignore the fact the difference in price minimal.. I’m sure if the difference between a 2500 and 3500 series truck was $40 - you woulda went for it - but wtf do i know..

Dewalt’s coming out with a cordless 2” sds max - whats that in your truck analogy?

No, but you might need some reading glasses
From the very first post: "My immediate uses for it are to drill 3/4" anchor holes in concrete."

I'm sure if the price of one was 150% the other, things would change too. No need to be so absolute, c'mon

 

[finn]

If he’s drilling anchor holes for a lift, get the smallest SDS drill that will do the job.

I used the baseplate as a template for mine, and there was just barely enough clearance between the drill body and the lift post to keep the bit perpendicular to the floor.

A larger diameter drill body would have required moving the posts after I marked the hole centers or making a thick wood template. Both introduce risk to getting the spacing correct

Of the available options, having the correct sizeed, rather than a hopelessly oversized Garage Journal overkill drill worked best.

Bigger isn’t always better.

 

[toplessHO]

the better SDS drills are offset so you can get in tighter spaces

Im betting that the max size they are rated at ,the drill will be flush with wall at that diameter.

 

[toplessHO]

one thing that not one has mentioned is that hammer drills have a finite lifespan.
The percussion mechanism will wear down with time.
This is one reason a smaller brand new drill will outdo a larger older one.
I have quite a few "retired" combo hammer/drill/screw that work fine to drill or screw,but have a hard time drilling in hard(especially older) concrete.IIRC Hilti said that 500 holes was about the level that falls off in performance.

 

[Farmall450]

one thing that not one has mentioned is that hammer drills have a finite lifespan.
The percussion mechanism will wear down with time.
This is one reason a smaller brand new drill will outdo a larger older one.
I have quite a few "retired" combo hammer/drill/screw that work fine to drill or screw,but have a hard time drilling in hard(especially older) concrete.IIRC Hilti said that 500 holes was about the level that falls off in performance.

Wow, that low. I could see a contractor easily hitting several times that under warranty if they're setting fences, etc.

The right tool for the job isn't always the biggest.

 

[Handyandy23]

In regards to the "bigger is better" theory, I was trying to avoid going that route on this purchase, just because I have a tendency to get carried away sometimes. And needing to drill huge holes or do heavy demolition for me is very unlikely.

With my main immediate use for this to drill a dozen or so 3/4" holes, I'm thinking the 1" SDS will be plenty to do that, and with enough "umph" to be useful to me in other situations. In fact, probably the most volume of holes this will drill will be small (around 1/4") holes through baseplates into basement floors for Tapcons installing framing. So I don't really want to lug around a huge tool when even this SDS is going to be overkill.

Also just to put it in perspective, the prices jump pretty quickly when looking at these. I got this 1" version for $200, but just to keep an even perspective, it can be had for $240 CAD on Amazon as a bare tool. Going up to a 1 1/8" the price jumps to $459 CAD. And then up to $590 CAD for the bare 1 9/16", which uses the 60V MAX batteries. For anyone that doesn't have a MAX battery, you can either pay another $150ish per battery, or get the SDS kit with two batteries and fast charger for $959. The corded versions are pretty much right on par (or even a few dollars more) with the bare cordless versions. And no idea what a new 2" model will sell for, but you can bet another significant jump.

So overall you can spend a lot of money on these things if you follow the "bigger is better" theory. The jump from 1" to 1 1/8" is basically $200, or a 100% increase. Even going from a 2500 series truck to a 3500 is nowhere near double the price. So for me, not really worth having the extra capacity at that cost.

 

[Farmall450]

In regards to the "bigger is better" theory, I was trying to avoid going that route on this purchase, just because I have a tendency to get carried away sometimes. And needing to drill huge holes or do heavy demolition for me is very unlikely.

With my main immediate use for this to drill a dozen or so 3/4" holes, I'm thinking the 1" SDS will be plenty to do that, and with enough "umph" to be useful to me in other situations. In fact, probably the most volume of holes this will drill will be small (around 1/4") holes through baseplates into basement floors for Tapcons installing framing. So I don't really want to lug around a huge tool when even this SDS is going to be overkill.

Also just to put it in perspective, the prices jump pretty quickly when looking at these. I got this 1" version for $200, but just to keep an even perspective, it can be had for $240 CAD on Amazon as a bare tool. Going up to a 1 1/8" the price jumps to $459 CAD. And then up to $590 CAD for the bare 1 9/16", which uses the 60V MAX batteries. For anyone that doesn't have a MAX battery, you can either pay another $150ish per battery, or get the SDS kit with two batteries and fast charger for $959. The corded versions are pretty much right on par (or even a few dollars more) with the bare cordless versions. And no idea what a new 2" model will sell for, but you can bet another significant jump.

So overall you can spend a lot of money on these things if you follow the "bigger is better" theory. The jump from 1" to 1 1/8" is basically $200, or a 100% increase. Even going from a 2500 series truck to a 3500 is nowhere near double the price. So for me, not really worth having the extra capacity at that cost.

I agree. In the odd scenario you need to drill a large hole, it'll do it, it just will be slow. There's nothing wrong with that for extremely rare cases.

 

[MattT]

Wow, that low. I could see a contractor easily hitting several times that under warranty if they're setting fences, etc.

Pretty sure he's talking about hammer drills. There's one in every rotary hammer thread

A homeowner is unlikely to ever wear out a name brand rotary hammer. That's one of the reasons corded was recommended. Going cordless the OP is likely to be stuck with a perfectly good, expensive, tool and obsolete, dead, batteries at some point.

 

[mike93lx]

Pretty sure he's talking about hammer drills. There's one in every rotary hammer thread

A homeowner is unlikely to ever wear out a name brand rotary hammer. That's one of the reasons corded was recommended. Going cordless the OP is likely to be stuck with a perfectly good, expensive, tool and obsolete, dead, batteries at some point.

C'est la vie

Its his money. The value of cordless outweighs your concerns, at least to him.