hammer/chisel drill advice

[kc-steve]

I am going to remove some old tiles from concrete-backed bathroom walls. One of the easiest techniques I've seen is using a hammer drill and chisel.

I have an old Milwaukee hammer drill from the 80s and would like to use it. I know it's not as good as newer ones but they would lighten my wallet.

But here's the problem I foresee. My Milwaukee HD chuck turns as it hammers. The chisel needs to stay in the same position while it hammers the tile. Are the chisels made so the shank allows the chisel to stay in place, or what is it I'm seeing that works properly? Is it the newer hammer drills?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

 

[fitz11]

All the ones I've seen have 3 settings, drill only, hammer only, and hammer drill. If yours doesn't have this then it likely is only a hammer drill and can't be used to chisel.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

you need a little chipping/demo hammer...buy a used on off CL.

 

[foodgroup]

All the ones I've seen have 3 settings, drill only, hammer only, and hammer drill. If yours doesn't have this then it likely is only a hammer drill and can't be used to chisel.

Those are called SDS hammer drills, which refers to the shank that supports both chisels and drill bits.

 

[kc-steve]

Thanks guys. I think I can rent one at Home Depot. I'm sure I'll never use one again. I still have my obsolete hammer drill too.

Steve

 

[Finky198]

Buy a used hilti or bosch combi hammer. Just pick the size you need and check ebay. I got a very good deal on my Hilti te70 avr...

I paid under $500 for an 1800 tool with some cosmetic wear and light use one of my best purchase ever

 

[JimDon]

Steve,
Common mistake is calling a tool a hammer drill when actually it is a rotary hammer. (like the combi that others mentioned.) Hammer drill is the lightest duty of that genre of tool and all it does is drill or drill with a clutch that makes it "hammer" as it drills down. The rotary hammer (with SDX or SDX plus fitting) will either drill, will drill and hammer simultaneously, or will just "hammer." It is activated with a piston that actually drives the mechanism as opposed to the "clutch" in hammerdrill tool. I will get flamed for this I'm sure, but I bought (and use a lot) the Horrible Freight version of the SDX rotary hammer (paid like $49 bucks for it with coupon) and just love the thing. I had wooden carpet tack strips to take out of a basement floor (nailed to the concrete with hardened concrete nails) and used that brute with the HF supplied chisel. Spent a couple hours knocking the tack strips out and the chisel never even showed a mark from cutting all those nails in half and ripping the rest of them out of the concrete. I was readily prepared to buy Bosch bits to use on that job, but so far no need. YMMV. I would buy the tool again I like it so much. Also MUCH faster with the rotary hammer to drill holes in concrete to set anchors of any type. Using a hammer drill (I have an expensive Dewalt I bought years ago) is no comparison to how efficient that rotary hammer is.
Cheers and hope this helps.
Jim Don

 

[kc-steve]

That makes a lot of sense Jim. I checked the rental price on those today at Home Depot and found it ranged from $28/day to $55/day for the smaller ones. They also offered 4hr rates for not much less as well, but sheeesh! The same store didn't even have them on their shelves for sale. I don't own a lot of Harbor Freight tools but they do have their place, like when someone wants to own something that we can only afford by renting it otherwise. If I ever use it twice it will have paid for itself. I'll check further into this option.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[pauls_workshop]

That makes a lot of sense Jim. I checked the rental price on those today at Home Depot and found it ranged from $28/day to $55/day for the smaller ones. They also offered 4hr rates for not much less as well, but sheeesh! The same store didn't even have them on their shelves for sale. I don't own a lot of Harbor Freight tools but they do have their place, like when someone wants to own something that we can only afford by renting it otherwise. If I ever use it twice it will have paid for itself. I'll check further into this option.

Thanks,
Steve

KC be sure to check out the HF pass/fail thread on their options. Some I know were liked better than others. I don't have one of these rotary ones but did get the HF $27 on sale regular hammer drill, corded. It is pretty nice for what it is. Some day, I might step up to a rotary sds type, but haven't needed it yet. - Paul

 

[theoldwizard1]

I am going to remove some old tiles from concrete-backed bathroom walls. One of the easiest techniques I've seen is using a hammer drill and chisel.

Let us know how that works !

I have run into this once or twice and wound up just busting out everything down to the studs. Getting the wire mesh off the studs might even take a 4" grinder.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I have a Mikita hr2811f rotary hammer. I use it for demo work at my laundromats. I would be lost without it. I think it was around $299 a few years ago. It came with a nice angle grinder I use for my welding projects.