Rotary Hammer questions

Also, what does the size mean in a rotary hammer? For example a

It's an informal rating, The manufacturer claims it will drill 1" holes in 'average' concrete in a 'reasonable' time, a 'significant' number of times. It may drill larger holes in weaker materials, smaller holes in very high strength concrete, etc.

Also, what does the size mean in a rotary hammer? For example a

Oh, that should be bpm, bumps per minute, not seconds.

MC-

I find the chuck style designations confusing. I have a small rotary hammer (Milwaukee Falcon) and a larger (midsized) Hilti TE-54

Originally the TE-54 used TE-Y type bits (& years ago were referred to as Hilti SDS) but this are now also referred to as SDS Max

The Falcon (when I got it was referred to as SDS Plus or SDS+)

all of which I still find confusing........whenever I go to buy a bit for a particular tool, I either bring matching bit to compare or, if buying online, I double / triple check to make sure the chuck style is correct.

I believe you are correct, in that now, SDS & SDS Plus (SDS+) are the same and used on smaller capacity hammers. Larger hammers use SDS Max (the old / current Hilti TE-Y chuck system)

I routinely use my Falcon (nominal 3/4" hammer drill) to drill 5/32" thru 5/8" holes in concrete but I've also used it to drill 7/8" & 1" holes as well. The larger / longer bits will tax the capacity of the tool.

If I need to drill LARGE holes, deep holes or lots of smaller (like

With the TE-54 I've drilled holes as large as 1 5/8" x 12" in concrete but these were clearly beyond the normal capacity of the TE-54 and I should have used a Hilti water cooled diamond coring system, but I only need to drill 5 holes.

You CAN use larger bits in a small capacity tool if you dont over do it.

I've used Milwaukee, Hilti & Bosch rotary hammers and Hilti's have been the best; long trouble free service and fastest drillling. Bosch have been the worst. :(

cheers Bob

On 11/6/2009 4:12 PM Existential Angst spake thus:

Well, it doesn't take much to figure that out: I don't see a lot of (or any for that matter) "Chicago" tools sold anywhere else, or even tools that look like them. You know, those ugly orange portable power tools.

I've got a few Chicago tools (i.e., Harbor Freight) and am happy with them, but I don't use them day in and day out.

Exactly how would a consumer "figure out" that Bosch et al make, say, a Bulldog 11224 VSR *just for HD*, but which appears identical to "other" Bosch 11224's?

HD is little more than a pervasive destructive mold on the fabric of society. But a diabolical penicillin-resistant mold.

On 11/7/2009 12:16 AM Existential Angst spake thus:

My bad; I mistook your "HD" for "HF".

Yep. (But I still shop there. Help me ...)

Thanks for the info. I already have a pistol grip Bosch Bulldog rotary hammer, it was a hand-me-down and I have always used the half dozen or so masonry bits that was with it but recently I needed a chipping bit. I use it once in a while. I have a hammer drill as well from Makita and used it only for small masonry holes like drilling holes for Tapcons.

As for Harbor Freight I have purchased a few tools from there but each time end up tossing them out and replacing them.

I guess the 1" rating got me confused. It just seemed a but arbitrary to rate a rotary hammer this way.

MC

replying to MiamiCuse, Pablo wrote: Harbor freight sells junk electric tools.