Entry-level SDS buying query

[Geo]

Old hammer drill has been struggling with some (DIY) brick drilling recently so need to get a corded (240v) SDS type for less than £100.

Hitachi seem to get good reviews and the DH24PX/J2 2kg is available at Screwfix/ B&Q. It has a 3 year warranty but according to the manual uses special grease which has to be replaced by an agent. Is this normal?

An alternative might be the Bosch Blue Professional GBH 2000 2kg Only 1 year warranty and the user manual is not so helpful - no mention of grease or sending to agents.

To be honest a £40-£60 Energer/Titan would probably outlive me.

What do people do about grease?

[JimK]

Get a cheapo unless you plan using it every couple of weeks.

Jim K

[harry]

The cheapos are OK so long as you don't subject them to continuous use. ie, they need a break every half hour for a half hour to cool off. So not very good for demolition/lots of chisel work. Excellent for drilling, even if drill is blunt.

The grease is just bolix IMO. Ans excuse not to honour the guarantee.

Some come with a pot of grease that goes in the gearbox where the hammer ac tion crankshaft is and for the drill shafts.

[JimK]

/The cheapos are OK so long as you don't subject them to continuous use. ie, they need a break every half hour for a half hour to cool off. /Q

Never bothered me in that regard.

Jim K

[stuart noble]

It has a 3 year warranty but according to the manual uses special

Only 1 year warranty and the user manual is not so helpful - no

My cheapo JCB has been excellent. The only downside is the weight, which makes anything above waist height really tiring

[michael adams]

Can't you take the weight of the bucket on your shoulder ?

michael adams

...

[RJH]

I have no frame of reference, but my £40 1100W Lidl SDS has been excellent. Used it yesterday for drilling some large holes in wood - made the 18V cordless feel like a toy. Using the non-SDS chuck for the first time, which worked well too.

Problem being you'll need to wait for them to come round again - usually every month or two.

I just dip the non-sharp end of the bit in the supplied tub of grease. For no better reason than that's what it says to do in the instructions.

[Tim Watts]

The Hitachi 2kg I have has a low duty cycle (20 mins until it throws grease around) - however it has as much useful energy as a cheapy Aldi

8kg that eventually died.

Size is not everything. The Hitachi is perfect for drilling and knocking tiles off. If you need to attack something bigger it will often manage, subject to taking some breaks.

[GMM]

I've had the Bosch for a couple of years now and it's been very good. It had a 3-year warranty when I bought it, validated through Bosch online but I don't see any mention on the current listing.

[John Rumm]

How about:

A very nice drill indeed.

With the decent SDS drills you just need a dab of grease on the shank of the drill bit from time to time - a small 50g tube (CPC) will last you years. Cheap SDS drills are more renowned for using a spewing grease like an explosion in a chip shop.

[stuart noble]

:-)

[tony sayer]

Look up the Makita hr2450 or its more modern equivalent had one for years , no bother at all. performs fine, best tool I ever bought:)....

[Geo]

Good price but now seems to be mostly out of stock of course. They have this one - slight more expensive:- Makita HR2611F 800w 26mm 3 Function SDS Hammer Drill with LED Light

Ah - ok - maybe I misunderstood the way an SDS drill worked. I seem to remember when they first appeared they had a large grease reservoir that needed topping-up and I thought the grease played some large part in the action of the beast (not just lubrication).

[John Rumm]

Seems to be in stock now...

The first bit of that is certainly true, but the latter not as far as I am aware... the hammer action usually comes from a swash plate that drives a cylinder back and fourth along the axis of the drill. In that is a closely fitting weight that is in effect pneumatically coupled to the cylinder. So the weight it accelerated forward to strike the back of the bit/bit holder - but its not mechanically coupled - that's what allows the hammer action to kind of "float".

A small amount of grease on the bit holding mechanism allows the bit to slide in and out without sticking - especially when you have a slightly off centre push applied to it.

[Geo]

Weird - the page I see has no way to "add to basket" and when I ask for all makita drills it displays 11 - but not including that model.

Many thanks for the clear explanation - I understand now.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If you can wait until the 20th, Lidl have theirs for sale at 40 quid. I don't have one, but their power tools are generally excellent value and better made than other budget types.

Has the usual 3 year money back warranty too - but do keep the receipt safe.

[Syd Rumpo]

Lidl have one from 20th Aug for £40.

Cheers

[John Rumm]

Same here now... :-(

Having said that, I am sure the other one you found would be its equal or better.

[PeterC]

I've had a Lidl SDS for 5 years or so and it's been very good (I have no experience of an expensive one for comparison). It managed a long and arduous job of putting a 117mm hole through a cavity wall without overheating or leaking grease.

[robgraham]

I would go with that too on the basis that I bought an 'Aldidls' one well o ver ten years ago - it occasionally still gets heavy use and soldiers on we ll.

The 'grease' discussion makes it look like I missed something in the origin al instructions as I've never used it at all. Perhaps I should do so in fu ture !! Rob