Hammer Drill

[DNK]

So I want to get a hammer drill.
Totally home owner stuff. Will use it for holes in concrete and brick and chiseling concrete for replacement.
Harbor freight currently has this
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-18-i...zIjoiNjkuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk IjoiOTIzNiJ9
For 69bucks or
I can get this
http://www.cpooutlets.com/factory-r...r5262-81,default,pd.html?xsell=milr5263-81--0

What's the opinion of the board

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I have the Milwaukee. It's a beast and I rarely use it but I would recommend it over the Chicago Electric by a mile. I typically use my 18V Makita 1/2" cordless hammer drill.

 

[road_warri0r]

Find a pawn shop and buy a used Hilti, I worked in construction 25 years and the Hilti hammer drills were all we used drilling thousands of holes in concrete most of the time for 3/4 hilti bolts. They are good hole after hole. I have one I bought in a pawn shop for about $50, great investment in my opinion.

 

[1990 Grand Wag]

I purchased that exact same Harbor Freight unit last year, and believe it or not, picked up the SAME Milwaukee off of Craigslist this year (barely used). Of course, the build quality of the Milwaukee is better, but the Hf hits harder.

 

[trentonmakes]

X2 on the hilti.



Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[rlitman]

Of course, the build quality of the Milwaukee is better, but the Hf hits harder.

SDS drills are rated by the largest size they can comfortably drill a hole in concrete (you can exceed that diameter by using core drills). That HF drill is rated for 1 1/8". The Milwaukee linked is rated for 7/8". Of course a drill designed to make 1 1/8" holes will hit harder than a drill designed to make 7/8" holes.

Both are SDS+. While many SDS+ rotary hammers have a rotation stop setting for "chiseling" they're pretty awful at the task. They're good with a wide chisel for lifting tiles, but are darned near useless at chiseling concrete. You'll want an SDS-MAX at a minimum for that.

I'm quite happy with my Bosch. From what I've seen, the new cordless SDS drills are quite capable too (if you're already well invested in a battery system, this may be an option).

As for HF vs name brand, I'll leave you with this one piece of advice:
Name brand rotary hammers have a clutch, that when used with the side handle will slip before it rips your shoulder and elbows apart when the bit grabs. The Chinese imitations have no such safety feature.

 

[mattyrattypoo]

Defiantly hit up your local pawn shop and/or ebay and search for a used Hilti.

Something like a Hilti TE 6-C/ TE 7-C would fit what you are looking for. The "C" means that you can drill, hammer drill, and chisel.

 

[Finky198]

Buy a used hilti trust me I own 4 they are the "snap on" of hammer drills... They build some of the best concrete and industrial tools on the market

 

[jask]

If it is just homeowner jobs ( if you are drilling 1/2" and under ) and you do not need SDS have a look at the Milwaukee 5378-21. You will end up with a heavy duty drill and a light duty hammer that is first class. I have had mine for years and it gets lots of regular use with big wood bits. Paint and mortar mixing and masonry drilling. The few times I need a big SDS I rent a Hilti.

 

[gungatim]

I have the HF one you posted. very robust. nice case, takes the special bits, etc. I used it to install my 2-post lift and a few other things.

Hilti's are nice, but I think you said general homeowner stuff, so if you're not a contractor, the HF is more than adequate. I've also got a Milwaukee (new, used twice) and a Ryobi (new, used once) that were given to me free to fix...both of them have broken brush holders, the Milwaukee got so hot the brush spring lost it's temper...the HF just keeps on working, while the other two broke after one or 2 uses and aren't worth the cost/trouble to fix so they sit in their cases in the junk pile, FWIW...

 

[djjsr]

I bought the HF about 5 years ago. I thought it was a cheap Chinese piece of junk but I only needed to drill a few holes and figured it would last that long. I have since used it dozens of times and I'm amazed at how well it works. If I needed a rotary hammer to use every day on my job, I would probably spend a few hundred dollars on something better but for the money you can't beat that HF. Whatever you decide, spend the money for a decent set of bits.

 

[Bobcat753]

When deciding on a hammer drill you must look at the BPM or Beats Per Minute. The lower the BPM the better it will be, meaning it will "hit harder". The higher the BPM it will be just like a ******** and do nothing.

 

[finn]

I've had a Bosch for years. I needed to drill some holes in a concrete wall to mount an electrical panel a couple of years ago. My Bosch was 400 miles away, so I thought I'd rent a drill from HD for a few hours.

I ended up buying a Ryobi for a few dollars more than the rental cost, and didn't have to make an additional trip to return the rental.

While not a Bosch or Hilt, the Ryobi is satisfactory for general homeowner use.

 

[cashishift]

I had bought a used Dewalt 515k and used it for a long time, had no issues with it. But always wanted a rotary hammer, just because I like tools.

I finally found one on clearance.. bought it. Dewalt 25223. There is absolutley zero comparison. The rotary is just so much better.

 

[bcradio]

You will want to size your hammer to the type of drilling and/or chipping you want to do. For bulk chipping you want the biggest you can get whereas drilling has specific hammers that are ideal for specific sized holes. The HF hammer is great for concrete and such and as had been said above is fairly reliable.

I would skip the used Hilti unless you know for certain that the tool has not been abused. These tools are prone to being highly abused by contractors so be aware.

Of the two listed, I would get the one that best matches your tasks. Both will serve you well. For me, I'd get the HF with a 20% off coupon.

 

[1990 Grand Wag]

SDS drills are rated by the largest size they can comfortably drill a hole in concrete (you can exceed that diameter by using core drills). That HF drill is rated for 1 1/8". The Milwaukee linked is rated for 7/8". Of course a drill designed to make 1 1/8" holes will hit harder than a drill designed to make 7/8" holes.

Both are SDS+. While many SDS+ rotary hammers have a rotation stop setting for "chiseling" they're pretty awful at the task. They're good with a wide chisel for lifting tiles, but are darned near useless at chiseling concrete. You'll want an SDS-MAX at a minimum for that.

I'm quite happy with my Bosch. From what I've seen, the new cordless SDS drills are quite capable too (if you're already well invested in a battery system, this may be an option).

As for HF vs name brand, I'll leave you with this one piece of advice:
Name brand rotary hammers have a clutch, that when used with the side handle will slip before it rips your shoulder and elbows apart when the bit grabs. The Chinese imitations have no such safety feature.

This post above is why you should take most of what you read on GJ with a grain of salt. People give their opinions regularly, and can tell you why you shouldn't purchase an item, but have never used the the item in question, I have both. Several things:

1) The HF unit does indeed have an internal safety clutch (it's in the manual). Bear in mind, the HF is damn near an exact copy of higher end unit(s), right down to the internals!

2) The capacity of the chuck has nothing to do with the joules put out by the unit. Check the specs on some of the higher end SDS+ units. You can literally have too much capability if you're not careful.

3) If you're not depending on the unit for your living and to just drill a few holes around the house, the HF is a good deal. Warning, it's heavy! The reason I got the Milwaukee (off of Craigslist) was because it was almost new. Owners only needed it for a few holes and had no further use for it. It was still shiny and not dogged out. Be careful of used hammer drills (especially the used Higher end ones like the BoschHammers, The Bulldogs, and the Hilti's) because those are the ones the trades use, and they beat the living **** out of them and sell them when they are almost used up!

 

[brook41]

I think the Milwaukee is a very good buy for $99 but the chiseling capabilities are very limited. CPO has a Bosch , more money of course , larger drill capacity and better at light chiseling on concrete. Best bang for your buck IMHO . If price dictates your decision then go for the HF, only problem at almost 12lbs its heavy! http://www.cpooutlets.com/factory-r...ition&prefv1=recon#pr-header-back-to-top-link

 

[DNK]

Gentlemen thank you all for the input .
Is the HF TO big for holes in masonry brick on a house?
Will need to drill a 3/4 - 7/8" hole in that

 

[brook41]

Drill capacity is 1 1/8 in masonry its fine.

 

[djjsr]

Just a word of caution. When you drill through a wall using a rotary hammer, you may find that the hammering action tends to blow a big chunk out of the back side of the brick or block.

If you need a nice clean hole and can get to both sides of the wall, drill a smaller 'pilot' hole first. Then you can drill in from both sides and you won't knock out a chunk.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Ditto the Milwaukee ones. I've worn out Craftsman.. Not sure about Hilti but I do see them in the pawn shop now and then....

 

[Coach James]

I've been going in pawn shops for years and have yet to see a used Hilti hammer drill for sale in one.

A friend bought the HF rotary hamer a few years ago and has used it many times with no problems.

I bought a Northern Tool rotary, looked about like the HF, and have drilled 100+ 1" diameter holes through 4" thick concrete with no problems.

I have two hammer drills, a B&D and a Ryobi. Neither has failed me. I have found Vermont American hammer drill bits to be poor quality. Bosch bits for hammer drills and rotary hammers have always worked well for me.

Coach

 

[M6erfan]

I've had a Bosch 18v hammer drill for a couple of years and am very happy with it. Set 100's of screws in our new fence, drilled into mortar/concrete/wood, etc. Has never missed a beat and the batteries are still strong as new. Their 18v 1/2" impact is on my wish list for the garage...

 

[rlitman]

This post above is why you should take most of what you read on GJ with a grain of salt. People give their opinions regularly, and can tell you why you shouldn't purchase an item, but have never used the the item in question, I have both. Several things:

1) The HF unit does indeed have an internal safety clutch (it's in the manual). Bear in mind, the HF is damn near an exact copy of higher end unit(s), right down to the internals!

2) The capacity of the chuck has nothing to do with the joules put out by the unit. Check the specs on some of the higher end SDS+ units. You can literally have too much capability if you're not careful.

1) I must admit that I have not used the model 69274. Looking at its manual, it does claim to have a safety clutch (and independently tested by ETL at that). I stand corrected. I know for a fact that the predecessor model from HF did not.

2) ALL SDS+ drills have the same chuck capacity, because SDS+ is simply the type of chuck included. All SDS+ drill bits have the same shank, because of the need to fit an SDS+ chuck.
SDS DRILL (not chuck) "capacity" (measured in diameter) is directly related to impact energy (measured in joules), simply because too little impact energy on a large drill bit will not have enough energy spread over the cutting area for the bit to advance.
That being said, I have used both 1 1/8" rated drills (I own three Bosch 11236VS drills), and several 7/8" rated drills (Makita cordless and Bosch Bulldog). The 1 1/8" drills are much faster when drilling 3/4" holes, but have a higher tendency to blow out chunks out the back side (not an issue on blind holes), and I have a hard time with them with the 5/32" bits for tapcons (but for 1/4" and up holes, they're just fine).

3) Yes, you do need to be careful with used rotary hammers. Though I've gotten several like-new ones not yet even broken in. On that note, breaking in a grease packed rotary hammer can take several hours of drilling, and the heat can emit foul smoke... But once you've got it all loosey goosey inside, you'll notice a significant increase in energy.

 

[rlitman]

I've been going in pawn shops for years and have yet to see a used Hilti hammer drill for sale in one... I have found Vermont American hammer drill bits to be poor quality. Bosch bits for hammer drills and rotary hammers have always worked well for me.

Coach

I've seen used Hilti tools, but they generally look like they were dragged behind a truck across several state lines.

Yeah, Vermont American carbide bits just plain ****.

Bosch bits are quite good, but if you find you're wearing them too fast (not a problem I've had, but I've got a friend who does have this issue), I've been told to look for their more expensive line of bits with an X shaped cutting edge using 4 carbides instead of two. They're supposed to last at least twice as long.

 

[1990 Grand Wag]

1)

2) ALL SDS+ drills have the same chuck capacity, because SDS+ is simply the type of chuck included. All SDS+ drill bits have the same shank, because of the need to fit an SDS+ chuck.
SDS DRILL (not chuck) "capacity" (measured in diameter) is directly related to impact energy (measured in joules), simply because too little impact energy on a large drill bit will not have enough energy spread over the cutting area for the bit to advance.
That being said, I have used both 1 1/8" rated drills (I own three Bosch 11236VS drills), and several 7/8" rated drills (Makita cordless and Bosch Bulldog). The 1 1/8" drills are much faster when drilling 3/4" holes, but have a higher tendency to blow out chunks out the back side (not an issue on blind holes), and I have a hard time with them with the 5/32" bits for tapcons (but for 1/4" and up holes, they're just fine).

Not trying to start a fight, but are you aware that YOU are the one that confused SDS+ and SDS Max and implied that SDS+ wouldn't chisel concrete which is absolutely not true! It's not the chuck, it's the impact energy the tool is capable of, which is what I told YOU! That is the very reason you can purchase these units from homeowners cheap and almost new because they don't have a clue how hard these things hit (impact energy) until they start punching holes in the wall from chiseling tile or blowing out large chunks of concrete on the back side of the holes they are drilling. You're only asking for trouble if you don't understand what these tools can do! Finally, don't quote me if you don't have a clue as to what you are talking about or write! Have a nice day.

 

[coralnut]

I managed to find a Boschammer RH540M on closeout at one of the big box stores, and I bought it for abut 30% of it's retail price.

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=RH540M

I bought it because it ended up being cheaper to buy the 1-9/16" SDS-Max rotary hammer than it would have been to rent something similar. I've put several hours on it and it's not even broken in yet. It's getting stronger the more I use it. It's a total beast.

Murphy's Law being what it is, I met the local Hilti rep a couple of weeks after I bought it. He has some great deals on used tools. He doesn't really discount his products, but he readily buys used tools off of people to help them swing the cash to buy into a Hilti. If you're interested in something that's heavy duty and you're willing to buy used, one thing that you might think about is calling your local Hilti rep. I guarantee that guy's got a huge pile of used competitors' tools that he'd like to get rid of. My guy told me that his standard offer is $75 towards a Hilti product, and he's accumulated lots of competitors products that just sit in a pile in his garage. He'd love to move them.

 

[Fugio]

Rotary hammer or hammer drill?

I have 2 of the cheap HF hammer drills. One has shaken itself apart almost, but both work fine after about a year. They run pretty hot, but don't seem to die, yet. hard to beat for 18 bucks with coupon.

My favorite rotary hammer is the bigger ones from Milwaukee. But there aren't many bad ones. I like the Hilti and Bosch I've used too. Not sure if I've used any others recently.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I managed to find a Boschammer RH540M on closeout at one of the big box stores, and I bought it for abut 30% of it's retail price.

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=RH540M

I bought it because it ended up being cheaper to buy the 1-9/16" SDS-Max rotary hammer than it would have been to rent something similar. I've put several hours on it and it's not even broken in yet. It's getting stronger the more I use it. It's a total beast.

Murphy's Law being what it is, I met the local Hilti rep a couple of weeks after I bought it. He has some great deals on used tools. He doesn't really discount his products, but he readily buys used tools off of people to help them swing the cash to buy into a Hilti. If you're interested in something that's heavy duty and you're willing to buy used, one thing that you might think about is calling your local Hilti rep. I guarantee that guy's got a huge pile of used competitors' tools that he'd like to get rid of. My guy told me that his standard offer is $75 towards a Hilti product, and he's accumulated lots of competitors products that just sit in a pile in his garage. He'd love to move them.

What a cool recommendation... You Rock!

 

[coralnut]

glad i could help.