Hammer Drill?

I'm using Tapcon screws to hold "stuff" in cinder block and concrete block walls. They recommend using a rotery hammer drill. Any recommendations in a tailed tool?

I've always gone towards Milwaukee in heavier hand drills, as they've seemed a bit heaftier than similarly powered competetors. However, I've noticed smaller-sized hammer drills from DeWalt at the Borg.

Are they worth any thing?

Thanx

Charles

Reply to
Charles Krug
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I have a Skil 1/2" HD that seems to work prettyy well.

Reply to
Gfretwell

DeWalt, Bosch, Hitachi, and Hilti all make nice small hammer drills. You don't hear much about the Milwaukee ones.

GTO(John)

Reply to
GTO69RA4

I use a 3/8" Milwaukee HD for drilling for Tapcons, works great for both the 3/16" & 1/4" sizes. The drill can also be used in non-hammer mode. I also use it for drilling sole plates for 3/8" wedge anchors with no problem.

Scott

Reply to
Scott Brownell

Reply to
Lawrence A. Ramsey

Don't have a fully educated opinion on the DeWalt, but FWIW I've got a Bosch hammer drill and I love it. Despite a ton of use and abuse it's never missed a beat. Much recommended if you can spare the $$.

Abe

Reply to
Abe

In article , snipped-for-privacy@pacbell.net says... ...

Oops. Addendum: it's the 1194 with the little gearbox.

Reply to
Abe

There are hammer drills and rotary hammers. For the job at hand, a hammer drill will be plenty - usually $100 or less and can be used as a drill as well. I have a Makita.

Rotary hammers are considerably more expensive, require bits with special splined shanks. The bits are typically only available as masonry bits with carbide points. Not usually used with ordinary twist drill bits. But their performance in masonry and concrete is significantly better than a hammer drill. I have a Bosch.

Reply to
Thomas Kendrick

I would lean toward the Milwaukee or Bosh in a hammer drill, though I have friends with Makita's that have served them well. I picked up my Milwaukee for $100 refurbished at a close out place and have put it through heck with 1/2x12" carbide bits. It's the squarish one and looks just like the Bosh, says made in Germany on the label. AEG makes both Bosh and Milwaukee, and since they invented the hammer drill that's ok with me. Dean

Reply to
dean b

SDS is the magic term to look for - accept no substitute !

They're also cheap these days (for unreliable bargain basement values of "cheap")

A Google of uk.d-i-y for "SDS" will give you more opinions on SDS drills than you can shake a core drill at. Personally mine is a £200 AEG, bought a few years back and that has paid for itself many times over.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Hi Chalres,

I'm not familiar with your application but I have experiences with hammer drills (like the Bosch 1194 VSR) and rotary hammer drills (like the Bosch 11234VSR).

I can assure you that a rotary hammer drill works a lot better in concrete than a normal hammer drill. The reason is that modern rotary hammer drills use pneumatic technology to produce the beat while hammer drills work with mechanic technology.

Speaking of rotary hammer drills, there are basically two different chuck systems:

- SDS plus (for smaller dia holes, basically up to 26 mm = about 1")

- SDS max (for larger holes)

Simple SDS is no longer made as far as I know, and different systems are hardly ever used, maybe on large demolition hammers mainly from Makita, Hitachi, Kango

IMO the most versatile tool is a rotary hammer drill with a two speed gear box. They can be used for drilling, hammer drilling and driving. For example: Hilti TE 2M

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for example. Metabo UHE 28 Multi The Metabo's are even more useful because they can be used for small chiseling jobs, too.

I consider both brands to be excellent quality, Hilti is industrial standard here but I think you'll be more than satisfied with a Metabo as well.

Personally, I use an (30 year-old) AEG hammer drill, a Kress hammer drill and a Hilti TE 12S rotary hammer (old model too).

Regards,

Christian Aufreiter, Austria

Reply to
Christian Aufreiter

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Metabo UHE 22 Multi Availabel at

Reply to
Lawrence A. Ramsey

I use the Porter-Cable hammer drill. My other corded drill is a Milwaukee, but I bought the PC because it seemed even more durable than the Milwaukee hammer drill.

Andy

Reply to
Andy

This would be new to me. A hammer drill (like the Bosch 1194 VSR) can be used for drilling in concrete, metal, wood and for driving screws. The chuck of a hammer drill doesn't even accept chisels. Rotary hammer drills can be used for the same things (as you can switch off the hammer mode usually) and *some* (the Metabo UHE 22 Multi, for example) have a hammer only mode which allows to use them for chiseling. I'm not sure but I think SDSmax rotary hammers can't be used for drilling wood or metal because they don't have enough rpm and a normal chuck might not be available.

Regards,

Christian

PS: Sorry, Charles, I wrote "Chalres" in my previous post.

Reply to
Christian Aufreiter

I got a Skil today and just finished drilling 4 (1/2") holes and I was impressed considering that this is a low end. I really did not expect the performance that this $52.00 cdn has to offer.

It will do the job just fine for my needs.

D.Martin

Reply to
D. Martin

That is my impression too. If you are just shooting TapCon holes it is plenty. I got mine for about $30 at Harbor Freight (refurb) and I have used it a lot.

Reply to
Gfretwell

I picked up a Clarke for $40 cdn a year ago... No great quality, but I only have to drill into concrete at a rate of maybe 4 holes a year.

I didn't see the point of buying a $200 hammer drill and having $160 sitting on the shelf and unable to be spent on things I'll use all the time, like turning tools, sandpaper, bandsaw blades, drill bits, etc, etc.

djb

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

All good points. How long it will last is the question. Hammer drills lead a hard life, with all of the vibrations, the bearings will go first.

Reply to
Morgans

If I was going to use one with any regularity, I certainly would buy the best I could afford.

And if I needed one for a serious one-off job I'd rent a good one before I'd use the Clarke.

djb

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

Reply to
Brian Sack

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