Ground Rod Pounder-SDS Hammer

[purplezr2]

So I'm sure lots here have seen SDS hammer drill used to pound ground rods for electrical service.

I recently needed to install two new rods for my shop service. I was going to by a pounder attachment for my M18 SDS hammer drill*. The attachment seems expensive for what it is, they run $50-$75+ for the SDS Max version to fit my drill, also they aren't stocked locally that I could find.

So I was walking through Menards trying to come up with an idea, and it dawned on me to by a socket and weld it to the end of a cheap bit.

I bought a socket and a bit for ~$25 dollars.

I didn't even weld them together, set the socket on the rod and slide the bit in. Socket is there to help keep the bit centers and help transfer energy.

Just a tip for those that might borrow a SDS or have one, and plan to pound the ground rods.

*I have no reason to own a hammer drill, other then it was on a deal of the day at HD about 5 years ago, and I bought it.

 

[rlitman]

That works. I've also seen ground rods put right into the jackhammer without a tool in place. The only advantage of the proper drivers is that you get less mushrooming and deformation on the top of the rod. If you're not driving through rocks, it doesn't really matter.

 

[sparky 1971]

I put the rod straight in to my spline drive. I bought a driver attachment for it, but the hammer works better without it.

 

[engineer2]

I've used my .401 air hammer on ground rods without an attachment and they fit and drive in just fine, but our soil is clay.

 

[mike93lx]

Great option. I have a small but already that would probably work like that, although it's likely going to destroy the socket pretty quickly.

It saves some effort to do your rods inside your electrical trench. It's a couple feet of depth that you don't have to hammer in

 

[Crazyjake8493]

SDS max should do well. SDS plus is pretty much useless for ground rods unless you're on the beach. I drove mine in with an electric demo hammer.

 

[infinkc]

I had bought and used this one, wasn’t that expensive

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088YM2XT7/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[acer66]

I had bought and used this one, wasn’t that expensive

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088YM2XT7/?tag=atomicindus08-20

We got one of those for a proper jackhammer too.
Always fun to get it up there but once up there its go time.

 

[BreeStephany]

We have VERY rocky soil / glacial till in most areas I work in, so pounding ground rods with an SDS is just too time consuming and often not that effective. Our shop has a SDS-Max drill that we often use for driving ground rods, but it too struggles in some of the soil conditions we work in.

A couple of years back I got a great deal on a new "open box" 35lb 1-1/8" hex drive jackhammer and got a 1-1/8" TEMco industrial hex ground rod pounding bit for it that works GREAT and I generally can pound a 10' ground rod in less than a minute with minimal effort in most soil conditions. Starting the rods can be a bit sketchy if we only have ladders on site, given the weight of the jackhammer, but is doable.

For anyone looking for a ground rod pounder to use professionally, especially those working in rocky soil conditions, a jackhammer is the way to go!

 

[cybrdyke]

Ground Rod Dawg

CD

 

[Shortbuscandid8]

The soil here is sandy river bed full of tennis ball sized rocks. I've installed 8 ground rods around my place over the last few years using this guy's second method. It worked great and it's free! YMMV.

 

[Metal-Marc]

Came here to post this. ^^

Wondering how fast it would go if you use a hammer drill and have a buddy pour water into the hole at the same time.