Replies

1. 
   nigel_martin | Dec 01, 1999 08:03am | #1

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   I have the bosch bulldog 11224vsr, you can drill, hammer drill and chisel with great ease. Its also light enought to hold easily. I have chopped and chiseled a 12x4 hole through a 18" stone wall, took 3 hours but i did not need to patch the hole once the vent pipe was installed. cost about $225.00

2. 
   Guest_ | Dec 01, 1999 08:42am | #2

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   I've had good luck with the Milwaukee 5378-20. It's a VSR, 2-speed, hammer drill or drill only. Grainger sells them for $139.

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 01, 1999 03:55pm | #3

   *Most of my subs swear by Bosch and Hilti. I have an AEG SB2E16RL, about $140, that has held up great. It's a little 1/2" chuck model with the 0-1200/0-3000 rpm speeds, and is great for little holes for tapcons and small lags but is slow on 3/4" holes and no chipping bits work with it. I've also used Metabo and Bosch versions of this tool and loved both.My company has a B&D Macho III rotary hammer that is great for any size hole and for chipping-it's really strong, although my impression is it is in the shop a lot. I think I'd get a Bosch next time. Rotary hammers cost in the $400/up range. I have a friend with a smaller SDS hammer that cost about $250, a Milwaukee, that he likes. Seems to do most of what the big ones do only a little slower, but you save a lot up front and it's a lot easier to lug around.

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 01, 1999 05:48pm | #4

   *The Bosches are awfully nice to use and seem to be THE choice of rental shops around here. I saw someone using a Bulldog and wasn't too impressed, but he WAS trying to break up a solid 500 lb. piece of concrete... I used a 11232EVS to demo our chimney a few days ago and it did a super job ... but this is a $500 tool. I used the $750 model on another job and felt like the Terminator.I may well buy the new drill/rotary drill/hammer Bosch makes for $340 or so -- I forget the #'s but HD of all places has picked it up. I'm buying it from a professional supply house that will let me try it out before I buy it, well worth a few dollars extra over HD. The place said they couldn't keep them in stock -- a contractor had just bought 10 for his guys, another had picked up 5, in one week.You will have to choose between power and $$$. The least expensive hammer drills will drive you insane and will eat up expensive masonry bits faster.

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 01, 1999 05:54pm | #5

   *What Andrew says is correct. Depending on the amount of work you want to do, I would say go for the $400 and up range of tools. If you need to do some serious hole drilling or punching big holes in thick walls, only the bigger models will do the job. The bits last a lot longer and the drilling is a lot faster. There was a really good article in FH a few years back on masonry bits... if you have access to old copies, look it up.I have a Hilti that is no kidding at least 20 years old... it still works unbelievably well, and amazes me every time I pick it up. Even the bits for it are ancient and they still work.

3. 
   Bob_Hedlund | Dec 02, 1999 10:21am | #6

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   I have a little Makita roto-hammer that I bought about six years ago. It is great and I haven't had any problems with it. It predates the dominance of the Bosch Bulldog. It is small, but has great power. I drill a lot of 1/4" holes and actually did my whole house earthquake refit drilling 1/2" holes with no problem. It is SDS.

   Good luck,

   Bob

1. 
   Mike_Menaster | Dec 02, 1999 10:39am | #7

   *I want to do an earthquake retrofit that involves drilling 7/8" wide x 12" deep holes in the foundation. Does anyone have experience/recommendations for a hammerdrill?Thanks in advance.

4. 
   Guest_ | Dec 02, 1999 03:59pm | #8

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   For light drilling, up to a 1/2 ionch hole, I love my little makita. For bigger stuff I rent one. I dont use it enough to purchase one. I had a hilti that my grandfather bought in1973. It still works but the hammer action is almost gone. I wont buy form hilti any more. If you dont buy a few thousand a year in tools you can forget about service.

   Rick Tuk

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 03, 1999 07:04pm | #9

   *I have a Milwaukee 3/8" hammer drill about 26years old. Have used it to drill up to 1" holes , but it prefers to drill 1/2" or smaller. I think that I would buy a 1/2" hammer drill if in need of another one.

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 04, 1999 05:12am | #10

   *We've had Milwaukee 1/2" hammer drills for years.......no problems.It seems that just about all the major brands have been covered here. Pick one of the many above that fits your budget and start drilling. You'll be a fan of "that" one.Good drilling,Ed. Williams

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 04, 1999 10:09am | #11

   *Well. no one has mentioned the Hitachi D38YE. It's a 1-1/2" spline drive; nice tool for less than $400.Jerry

5. 
   Ian_Giesler | Dec 05, 1999 04:37am | #12

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   This past summer while working near downtown Dallas, my truck was broken into, they got the old bosch hammerdrill, and 5k worth of other stuff. I called Bosch, the rep came out and geared my up totally, all from his truck, he said try all of the tools out, take your time, etc.etc. He saved me some big headaches. Needless to say, I now only buy what he sells. Call your local Bosch rep., not the distributor, contact Bosch directly, they have a program where you try out the tools before you buy, sure sold me. Ian

6. 
   Guest_ | Dec 05, 1999 08:26am | #13

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   Fellas - thanks for the feedback. I've spent the last couple of days looking over rotary hammers. Most look durable, and today's tool market has created some good competion, resulting in quite a number of good products. We are the lucky ones. And I'm sure most will perform just fine. For the amount of work I plan to do, I think something in the 7/8" to 1" department will do. When I finally pick something up and get some experience with it I'll write back. Thanks again. EG

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 07, 1999 07:05pm | #14

   *I did buy the Bosch 1 1/8" hammerdrill -- it has drill-only, hammer-only (chiseling), and rotary hammer settings. I haven't had much time to play ... er, work ... with it but the bricks I set it to parted beautifully. This is the one where you can lock the chicel in any position to want rather than do the contortionist thing to get it where you want. It looks like a awfully nice tool.E., when you go shopping and consider price, don't forget how heavy drilling with a lighter tool will wear out bits faster. The bits cost bucks, and of course your time is worth something... Happy hunting, and always wear glasses for masonry demo...

7. 
   McDane | Dec 11, 1999 05:26am | #15

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   If you intend to stay in the mortar for the most part any sds (Miwaukee Falcon) has been good to me since Christ was a corporal should suffice. If your thinking of attacking the stone itself, and this is field stone choose your rocks well. I am not a geologist but have experience trying to bore basalt and quartz boulders and found it a ponderous endeavor. Have you checked your local rental store? I would start with their most serious weapon and make adjustments upon a little hands on.
   I hear and I forget,I see and I remember, I do and I understand.

8. 
   Guest_ | Dec 11, 1999 06:43am | #16

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   One of the main reasons I bought the Bosch is an odd sideline i have developed: hanging paintings and sculpture over stone fireplaces. Stone fireplaces, either veneer or solid, are all the rage in new construction around here, and an art gallery with several outlets is now using me as "the" contractor for installs of their products in this situation (got two jobs in ten minutes yesterday just answering the cellphone!). More work than I actually want at the moment... but a quickie job worth $100 or so is hard to pass on, plus I want a reputation for reliability.

   I have found it easiest to place a couple of Tapcons exactly where I want them by drilling into the rock itself. I don't know what kind of rock this is, but it is sedimentary and thus somewhat easier to drill. The Bosch goes through it like "butter." These are $3,000+ objects I really don't want to see fall later....

9. 
   Guest_ | Jan 05, 2000 12:58am | #17

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   I am in the process of renovating an old stone home and find that I'm going to need a hammer drill enough to warrant purchasing one. Does anyone have any experience with corded models in the 5.5 to 8 amp range? Bosch? PC? Milwaukee? DeWalt?