Rotary Hammer Recommendation

[upperb]

Hi all.
Will be installing a 2-post lift in my garage. Will need to drill some 3/4" x 5" holes in my concrete floor. Am looking to buy a rotary hammer to do so. Would the Bosch Bulldog be a good choice? Others?
Thank you.

 

[GeoBruin]

Hi all.
Will be installing a 2-post lift in my garage. Will need to drill some 3/4" x 5" holes in my concrete floor. Am looking to buy a rotary hammer to do so. Would the Bosch Bulldog be a good choice? Others?
Thank you.

Are you looking for corded or cordless? For one project worth of holes, and then some occasional use thereafter, any sds plus rotary hammer should do the trick. For cordless, match your platform. For corded, pick your poison.

 

[sparky 1971]

Hi all.
Will be installing a 2-post lift in my garage. Will need to drill some 3/4" x 5" holes in my concrete floor. Am looking to buy a rotary hammer to do so. Would the Bosch Bulldog be a good choice? Others?
Thank you.

I have a 7/8" rated corded Bulldog from about 15 years ago. The only problem I have is that it has a cord, so I no longer use it at work. On my service truck is a Milwaukee M18 1-1/8". Even though it's rated for a smaller bit, the Bosch blows the Milwaukee away. The only rotary hammer that's better than Bosch is Hilti, but I don't think they are enough better to justify the price. For what you are doing, the Bosch is perfect.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, Hilti is the class leader in Rotary Hammers, other rotary hammers will work; but Hilti is the World Standard that all others try to equal.

 

[cgrutt]

I have a Bosch sds-max but prefer my Hilti (te2?) for drilling concrete holes it works great but have only used bits up to 5/8 with it. I'm sure 3/4 would not be a problem. If I were buying new I'd probably buy a Milwaukee cordless since I'm already on the M18 platform. The Bosch and Hilti are both corded. If this is just for one project I'd see if you could rent one though. I believe the Hilti is SDS-Plus.

 

[sparky 1971]

IMHO, Hilti is the class leader in Rotary Hammers, other rotary hammers will work; but Hilti is the World Standard that all others try to equal.

Bosch has done better than the others at trying to be like Hilti but is still playing second fiddle, and that's coming from a Milwaukee fan boy. For a hammer that is going to drill eight 3/4" holes and then may never get used again, Hilti isn't worth the money. For that matter, Bosch isn't worth the money for it. If I were the OP, I'd be looking at renting one.

 

[bpwoodworking]

Totally agree, Hilti is my preference here also but for a couple holes I would probably just rent one.

I've drilled 1" holes 12" deep into concrete with the TE22 and it didn't even blink.

 

[tjansson]

I have the the HF/ Bauer corded Milwaukee rip off. It's driven alot of ground rods and drilled alot of 5/8, 1/2" holes in concrete. If I knew how much I was going to use it, I woulda gotten a cordless M18 one, for convenience, but those are some serious cash.

 

[RTM]

Maybe check here too.

 

[Rusted Nut]

A Bosch Bulldog will be fine for 3/4”.

 

[mike93lx]

I have drilled a good number of holes in concrete with my Bosch bulldog... Works great.

For just one project, did you consider renting? You can get a larger unit than you might otherwise buy. That said, I love having an sds rotary hammer on hand, so no regrets buying one for me

 

[upperb]

Many thanks to all of you.
I can rent a Bosch for $35/day. $8/day for a 3/4 bit.
Will probably do so, unless I come across a deal on a used Bosch, that I can’t pass up.

 

[B_Bimmer]

For just a few holes anything will work. I'd buy my cordless platform and have something that will work for any other random project that might come along.

 

[N_Jay]

Bumpety Bump.

Getting ready to install my lift, and have been waiting for a sale on a Rotary Hammer but running out of time.
Looking at maybe this; https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7HT1VXP/?tag=atomicindus08-20
or renting for $50 or so.

 

[sparky 1971]

Why bother buying what is more than likely going to be a hunk of junk? I've used a cheap SDS and the difference between it and a good drill is night and day. Unless you have a bunch of concrete drilling projects coming up, just rent a good one. Later on down the road when you need to drill 100+ holes over the span of a week or two you can buy a good one.

 

[MichaelP]

Surprisingly, good Bosch SDS + rotary hummer drills are very inexpensive now. You can buy, let's say, Bosch 11255VSR Bulldog Extreme for only $167. So renting one makes little sense unless you know for sure you'll never need one again.

My model 228 is a bit more powerful than 11255 (8.5 Amp, 1 1/8" capacity), and it was one of the very best tools I bought for my infrequent uses. It cuts concrete literally like butter. Comparing it with a regular hummer drill is like comparing a luxury car with bicycle.

 

[N_Jay]

Someone help me out.
There seem to be Rotary Hammers and Hammer Drills.
The Bosch 11255VSR looks more like a Hammer Drill. (Motor in-line with chuck)
All the bigger ones are built like a "Rotary Hammer (Motor at 90 Deg to chuck).

The question is how big a "hunk of junk"?
Do they break?
Do they just not drill as well, hit as hard?

 

[mike93lx]

The effectiveness of any hammer drill/rotary hammer entirely comes from how hard it hits. The rotating of the bit just clears debris.

I would rent before buying a cheap one. It's hard to appreciate how good a quality unit is until you have a comparison, but it's worth it. I mentioned earlier, but my sawzall style Bosch has done a lot of work. I sometimes with for better demo power, but the form factor has been nice more than once

 

[MichaelP]

Someone help me out.
There seem to be Rotary Hammers and Hammer Drills.
The Bosch 11255VSR looks more like a Hammer Drill. (Motor in-line with chuck)
All the bigger ones are built like a "Rotary Hammer (Motor at 90 Deg to chuck).

The question is how big a "hunk of junk"?
Do they break?
Do they just not drill as well, hit as hard?

Hammer and rotary hammer drills deliver energy in a different way. Rotary hammers do it much more efficiently using pistons and air pressure (vs. ridged disks slipping as in regular hammer drills).

Rotary hammer drills may look both, "in-line" or "90-degree". The 90-degree ones, are, usually, more powerful meaning they can handle drills of larger diameters. You can base your choice on hole diameters you need and amperage of the device. 3/4"-1" holes can be handled by any of them. But then you need holes above 1 1/8" dia. or so, you may need to go with one of the 90-degree models. Just make sure you realize that their weight increases significantly.

I'd also add that I'd stay with a reputable brand vs. being a beta-tester for an unknown maker.

 

[N_Jay]

Bosch does call it a "Rotary Hammer" so maybe the style does not always prove the internals.

I have no idea how many jobs I will need it for, but guess I am renting this time unless I find one of my helpers has one.

 

[LopezBart]

I have M18 tools, so when I needed to drill 50+ holes in the foundation to anchor my shop, I bought a M18 SDS plus drill. This and some new SDS plus bits (mostly Bosch believe) have made short work of drilling the needed holes. I also played around with it a bit - it is slower, but by no means slow, drilling 9/16" holes in granite rocks uncovered during foundation excavation.

 

[Rusted Nut]

The Bosch 11255 is a roto hammer, not a hammer drill. It will work fine on 3/4” holes in concrete.

 

[neophyte]

Someone help me out.
There seem to be Rotary Hammers and Hammer Drills.
The Bosch 11255VSR looks more like a Hammer Drill. (Motor in-line with chuck)
All the bigger ones are built like a "Rotary Hammer (Motor at 90 Deg to chuck).

The question is how big a "hunk of junk"?
Do they break?
Do they just not drill as well, hit as hard?

The Bosch 11255VSR is a genuine “rotary hammer” not a “hammer drill”.
The internal layout of the rotary hammer action is just different from the right angle layout of most rotary hammers.
Regular “hammer drills” usually use a set of toothed gears to accomplish the back and forth “hammer action”.
“Rotary Hammers” tend to use a piston system that is more effective.
I presume the inline design of the Bosch “Bulldog” rotary hammers, was to fill some need for a rotary hammer that could fit into a tighter space parallel to the drill.
There used to be “hammer drills”(with the toothed gears), that came in larger 3/4” and 5/8” sizes, with a similar layout to the Bulldog drills, so maybe these were the “older” solution, and Bosch designed the Bulldog for the same purpose, but with a better mechanism?

The Bulldog drills have had a solid reputation for decades though.
The $180 price tag is about what the drills cost a couple decades ago when the rotary hammers were made in Germany, and maybe also the USA (although I think the US distribution ones were German made).
Nowadays the drills are supposedly made in Mexico. (According to Grainger)

 

[dscheidt]

I presume the inline design of the Bosch “Bulldog” rotary hammers, was to fill some need for a rotary hammer that could fit into a tighter space parallel to the drill.
There used to be “hammer drills”(with the toothed gears), that came in larger 3/4” and 5/8” sizes, with a similar layout to the Bulldog drills, so maybe these were the “older” solution, and Bosch designed the Bulldog for the same purpose, but with a better mechanism?

They're longer. The inline d-handle models -- essentially everyone makes one similar, even the people who didn't just copy the bosch design -- are better for drilling vertical holes in floors, because you can do it standing up. Put a 12" bit in one, and I can start the hole with no bending. The right angle ones requiree kneeling or squatting, at least for me. These holes are rarely more than 3/4", so a drill with 1" capacity means a bit lighter, too.

 

[KnurledNut]

Since its never mentioned when the Bosch Bulldog is referenced, I have to assume some dont realize their is more than one model.
By default, it seems the well known Xtreme is the typical reference. But it has a slightly stronger twin, the Xtreme Max.

Xtreme:
Model 11255VSR
8A
1” max (concrete)
2.0 Ft.-Lbs. of impact energy
6.7 lbs.

Xtreme Max:
Model GBH2-28L
8.5A
1-1/8” max (concrete)
2.4 Ft.-Lbs. of impact energy
6.9 lbs.

Also, with any rotary hammer dont confuse the max concrete size (i.e. 1”) with the optimal capacity range.
While the Xtreme has a max rating of 1”, the best performance will be within the optimal range of 3/16 - 5/8” as Bosch specs.

I personally own the Max, so speaking from experience.

 

[N_Jay]

Any thoughts? (I know a lot of you like name brand)
11A vs 8A

https://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/demo-hammers/rotary-hammers/11-amp-1-916-in-sds-max-type-variable-speed-rotary-hammer-59100.html

VS.

Amazon.com

 

[MichaelP]

German 8 Amp over Chinese 11 Amp any day.

 

[N_Jay]

German 8 Amp over chinese 11 Amp any day.

You mean "Mexican" 8, or is that a German 6.2579345 (JK)
Any real value of SDS-Max over SDS+?

 

[Coach James]

The crew that just did my kitchen renovation used this one:

https://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/demo-hammers/rotary-hammers/10-amp-1-18-in-sds-type-variable-speed-rotary-hammer-64288.html

I have the old HF, before they came out with Bauer, etc. Drilled lots of holes over 1" diameter. Used the old HF SDS max to drill holes up to 1.5" diameter.

Both tools are still working when I need them.

Coach

 

[stioc]

I recently bought one just for sh*ts-n-giggles, I seldom pass up an opportunity to buy a tool so I'm the wrong person to ask but as DIYers there's no need to buy SnapOn...craftsman, tekton, HF stuff works 8 out of 10 times and for the cost of an expensive tool I can buy a few other tools too. They're all pretty much the same with different color and badge unless you go way off into the weeds where the reviews are seldom or questionable. HF is a good option but I recently got one from Amazon because I had a $50 credit with them.

Having said all that you can get by with a corded hammer-drill (like I did 15yrs ago) to drill 8-10 3/4" holes. The rotary hammer though is way faster especially these heavier ones...of course the weight will be an issue if you want to drill a lot of horizontal holes though.

 

[neophyte]

Any thoughts? (I know a lot of you like name brand)
11A vs 8A

https://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/demo-hammers/rotary-hammers/11-amp-1-916-in-sds-max-type-variable-speed-rotary-hammer-59100.html

VS.

Amazon.com

Bosch has spent decades (ie. 50+ years) making motors.
Who knows who makes the Bauer motor, and how long the manufacturer has been making motors.
The same goes for the rotary impact mechanism inside the tool.
The Bauer might be a good Rotary Hammer, but I wouldn’t just judge the tool based on an Amperage Rating to determine power level.

 

[MichaelP]

Any real value of SDS-Max over SDS+?

Not unless you want to drill very large holes (over 1.25" or so) or plan on heavier demolition job. SDS-Max drill shank diameter is almost twice larger than SDS Plus.

 

[blue-5]

Hilti isn’t what it once was. Buy the Bosch and never look back

 

[N_Jay]

OK, you guys convinced me.

I have a Bosch GBH2-28L-RT coming from Amazon Renewed.

Hopefully they do as good a job as CPO Outlet (Have had good luck with them)

 

[N_Jay]

Well, the Bosch showed up.

1) Looking only slightly used. (Probably no more scratches than I would cause after the first use)
2) In a Bosch factory reconditioned box.
3) With a Bosch 1 year warranty
4) With a CPO sticker (guessing CPO is Bosch's refurb contractor)

So far lots of good feeling about "Amazon Renewed" products.

 

[Uofime]

Well, the Bosch showed up.

1) Looking only slightly used. (Probably no more scratches than I would cause after the first use)
2) In a Bosch factory reconditioned box.
3) With a Bosch 1 year warranty
4) With a CPO sticker (guessing CPO is Bosch's refurb contractor)

So far lots of good feeling about "Amazon Renewed" products.

My brand new one a few months ago showed up looking a little scuffed with a case that also looked a little beat up too so would be someone did what I thought about and returned a new one.

I didn’t return because like you I figured it would have that much wear the first time I used it and I just going the throw the blow molded case away.

Don’t know what the conclusion here is, don’t buy from scamazon or Bosch Mexico. Both?

 

[N_Jay]

Next stupid question.
How long do bits last and are name brand that much better?

I need 12 holes for mounting my lift (Guessing 3/4")

 

[mike93lx]

Next stupid question.
How long do bits last and are name brand that much better?

I need 12 holes for mounting my lift (Guessing 3/4")

If getting another will be a pain, I'd start with two, but unless that first one breaks, I would expect a single bit to get it done

I've had good luck with Bosch and makita bits

 

[dscheidt]

Next stupid question.
How long do bits last and are name brand that much better?

I need 12 holes for mounting my lift (Guessing 3/4")

You can do it with one, unless you have lots of steel in your floor. Get a good bit, made in Germany. The chinese made bits have inconsistent carbide, sometimes they're good, sometimes they ****. the german ones are consistently good, and last a long time. brand is not very important, past that.

 

[Coach James]

Next stupid question.
How long do bits last and are name brand that much better?

I need 12 holes for mounting my lift (Guessing 3/4")

The best results I have gotten were from using Bosch and Dewalt bits for holes from 1/2 to 1.5 inches diameter as well as chiseling concrete.

Coach