I have the feeling to this question maybe to get a SDS drill but here goes
Further to my washing line pulley questio nthe other week I now have my parts and today I tried to drill into my concrete fence post. My normal domestic drill on hammer mode wasn;t doing anything.
Whats the solution?
The drill bit wasn't the most expensive but I have a feeling it wouldn't make much difference either way!
Some possibilities:
The concrete is very hard; in which case, yes a SDS will fix that problem.
Fence posts usually have a fair amount of steel re-enforcement in them, and if you hit a bit of that, a normal masonry drill bit won't make any impression on it. The solution there would be one of the bits designed for the purpose, or one of the Bosch multi material bits that will drill masonry and steel.
SDS. No chance whatsoever with anything else.
True!
Thanks
I could be tempted into buying an SDS drill I spose if I could justify further use.
Something like so:
2) Any difference between the difference type shapes? i.e the one I linked above as opposed to the normal shaped drills that don;t have the fat bit infront of the handle
3) Does the weight 5kg or 6kg just mean the higher weight the more heavy duty?4) Can the chisel action be used for something like taking out pointing on a patio?
Anything else to think of?
SDS dont substitute well for an ordinary drill. They have the wrong type of chuck, and if you fit a chuck adaptor you end up with a drill that's excessively long, heavy and the bit waggles. They also dont turn as fast.
the relevant differences in SDS are:
- weight, 5kg gets tiring
- 1 versus 2 versus 3 function drills - get a 3.
- impact energy in joules
- whether the bit locks in position for chiselling
- and reliability/brand
not really, compare the impact energy
angle grinder much better.
NT
mo expressed precisely :
SDS will drill it, but it would be better overall if you could do it without any drilling. Could a metal clamp/bracket be put around it instead? Chances are if you drill you might hit a reinforcing bar in the concrete.
No - not like that. Like this:
(Current special, as of yesterday. If you want one, go today. If the link doesn't work, go to their current specials - changing postcode to somewhere in the South of England if it still doesn't appear.))
The Screwfix one is a heavy, awkward brute. The Lidl one is cheaper, more manageable and is up to the job. And far more likely to be usable for other purposes, if needed. I have the equivalent they were selling last year and actually rather like it. Well aware that it isn't up to the standard of a Makita or Bosch blue, but perfectly adequate for my needs.
Yup - IMHO Screwfix not the place anymore for cheapo/introductory tools for DIY...they could only offer me a "titan" 9"angle grinder for =A360 recently - next door at (gasp) Argos a perfectly-adequate-for-my- needs-cheapo was =A335 with 14 days no quibble return (and some form of
2year guarantee I expect will be not worth bothering with).Cheers JimK
Cheap ones tend to be bigger - but you can get ones which are closer to an ordinary hammer drill in size. However, add a chuck for normal drills and they may become longer. They don't usually give the speeds of a 'normal' drill.
If you intend using it for chasing, I'd pay the extra for a smaller lighter one. Most cheap ones are incredibly heavy which makes holding it up to chase walls a true pain.
You'll have no problems finding uses for an SDS once you have one!
I use my (DeWalt, fairly light, 2kg I think) SDS for everything which needs any amount of oomph. I don't have another corded drill (except an el cheapo, very heavy, Aldi SDS which I use for really heavy duty jobs). I use my Site/Makita drill/driver for everything else.
While I don't see any point with having a non SDS corded drill any more, I do still plan to get an impact driver at some point when I feel I can justify (i.e. lots of fairly hardcore screwing, like replacing floors).
I'd recommeng getting accessories for your SDS, like a chuck to take regular wood and driver bits, and a socket adaptor.
That's what I have and have never found it wanting for any DIY task I've needed it for. One of the best purchases I made - even although it was very expensive when I bought it many years ago.
A cheap heavy one might make sense for breaking up lots of concrete - but still wouldn't be butch enough for thick hard stuff.
Given how cheap a basic mains drill is, I'd still have one unless storage is a problem. Most will already have one - so I wouldn't chuck it out. Mine has a low speed screwdriving function so gets used for that if I've got lots to do. And for drilling with large drills that my cordless won't take.
They might just cost more than a basic mains drill. ;-) And if it's a plug in chuck makes the thing longer - and they wobble. I did buy one but have only used it when I haven't got an ordinary mains one to hand.
Some posher SDS have interchangeable chucks - i.e. the sds chuck pops off and the 3-jaw chuck pops on. Got this on my bosch, and either chuck locks in place very solidly, no wobble at all.
On mine, the chuck quick releases from the body, and it came with a standard chuck too, with same quick release mechanism (as well as being a quick release check). Don't know how common that is, but it's certainly very handy. There's no hammer action available with the standard chuck - it deliberately doesn't engage with the hammer, so you can't use any of your existing hammer action masonary bits, at least not in hammer mode.
but have much higher torque - the drill doesn't stall just because the bit jams. Either the drill body spins round, or the bit snaps (or both), or if you bought one with a safety clutch, the clutch slips providing you have a good grip on the drill, usually avoiding a trip to A&E.
Or like this:
I got one of these
Most of the answers:
Decent ones are not that much bigger - but they are a bit longer. The main difference is a slower rotation speed
Weight generally...
No. Cheap SDS drills tend to be 5kg, but perform no better than the good
2kg ones. Good 5kg ones *are* higher performance in the sense that they deliver more impact energy per blow.Yes.
Make sure what you get has a good speed control (one without is very all or nothing and makes the chisel function far less useful). You need a clutch. Look for a drill that does not have a grease tank that needs refilling, and also look for one that lets you lock the bit in a rotation of your choosing when in chisel mode.
The cheap and heavy JCB I have is good for drilling into concrete, but the chisel action is a bit of a joke on anything resembling hard concrete. Well worth the 30 odd quid though.
In message , mo wrote
I guess for the type of general purpose work you may be doing a 2kg model would be a lot better.
What does 'SDS' mean anyway? 'Define: SDS' in google comes up with nothing about drills. What is it that makes 'SDS' able to do a job that a 'hammer' drill won't?
S
JimK
Its the initial letters of 3 German words which mean 'insert, twist, lock', or something like that. It can also apply to tool free blade change on a jigsaw.
In our context the SDS chuck & drill shank allow movement of roughly 15mm in and out - and also ensure the bit can't slip as it rotates.
The back of said bit is then thumped as it spins by a pnuematic piston inside the drill.
A normal 'hammer' drill more or less just vibrates back & forth, an SDS applies much more energy.
Chalk & cheese in use, concrete lintels, hard render, engineering bricks will cause the bit to burn out on a hammer drill before the hole even starts. SDS will sail through difficult materials like a knife through butter. You have to try it to believe it.
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