I've used the Rawtool - but very hard work into a concrete lintel.
As for second-hand tools, some are quite good. For a few quid I bought a wheel brace that has a 1/2" chuck and 1:4 and 1:1 ratios - it'll put a 1/2" bit through almost anything in bottom gear.
I used to have an earlyish model Bosch hammer drill, and it was the fact that it just bounced off the concrete lintels that led me to rediscover the delights of the Rawtool: hard work (and a tad noisy in that instance!) but for me then, it was the only thing that worked. Another advantage is that the 'bits' are solid, so you are not forever having tungsten tangs breaking off. In our concrete post and panel garage, I must have spent a small fortune on masonry bits of all sorts, getting through as many as two or three per hole, when I want to put up brackets and so on. In this case I couldn't use the Rawl as the concrete would probably shatter. Never have found a satisfactory way of drilling it - even glass drills just have the cutting tip fall off.
Good to hear someone else appreciates how clever some of the old stuff was - and still is. Shame so much of it ends up just pinned up on pub walls!
Cheers, S
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