Replies

1. 
   dovetail97128 | Jan 24, 2007 12:14am | #1

   Haven't used that but have used my Bosch bulldog roto hammer (locked so the bit won't rotate) and a 2 1/2" wide chisel bit that I resharpened so as to get a better angle on it.

2. 
   MarineEngineer | Jan 24, 2007 02:00am | #2

   how does your air compressor shape up re: 5CF/minute? We use large pneumatic tools on the ship, needle guns, barrel pumps, etc. and they use a lot of air.

   Marine Engineer

   fair winds and following seas
3. 
   Shep | Jan 24, 2007 03:14am | #3

   Years ago my dad sent me and another guy to demo a shower in an old house. We had sledge hammers and wrecking bars.

   After whaling on the walls, and watching the sledges just bounce off the tile, we decided to re-assess our tactics.

   We ended up renting a demo hammer, and it still took us 2 days. The walls of that shower were close to 4" thick of solid cement. I don't think explosives would have damaged it.

   Rent the biggest demo tool you can handle in that area your working in. The faster you get the nasty part done, the better.

4. 
   mikeroop | Jan 24, 2007 03:19am | #4

   never used one myself but seen one being used once on commercial tile. had to

   stop and watch! it seemed to work really well!!

5. 
   Snort | Jan 24, 2007 03:38am | #5

   If you search here, I think Andy Engle had this problem...and IIRC, which doesn't happen often, he rented a demo hammer drill, or a roto hammer...maybe this will bring him in?

   "But to be honest some folks here have been pushing the envelope quite a bit with their unnecessary use if swear words. They just put a character in to replace a letter. But everyone knows what they're saying." Sancho

1. 
   PaulBinCT | Jan 24, 2007 03:52am | #6

   Thanks guys,

   We (me and a helper) need to do about 400 sq... we spent allllllllll day yesterday with an assortment of chisels and my Bulldog and barely got maybe 40% done (the easier parts). Rented a bigger Hilti, and it barely made a dent.  Main problem is that it just chips and powders the tiles making an incredible mess not to mention that it still leaves large areas where the tile remnants are still adhered to the subfloor.  I genuinely think the tilesetter used some kind of epoxy (I snapped a 12" flat bar prying on one of the tiles).

   Hopefully this will work better, I'll letya know...

   PaulB

1. 
   airplaneengineer | Jan 24, 2007 07:28am | #9

   My second post so I am still getting used to this...

   Anyway, I had a similar project earlier this year to pull up 350 sq ft of tile to put carpet down.  Two rooms and a hallway.  I rented a Bosch SDS hammer and used a 2" chisel.  I broke up most of tile in one room and the hallway in a couple of hours and spent the rest of the day carting the small tile pieces out.  The next day I finished the last room (bigger of the two) and did it all in about 3 hours, including the removing of the thinset.

   The trick, I think, is to apply "gentle" pressure to the edge of the tile and let the hammer slowly break loose the tile.  It doesn't seem to make sense, but you end up with most of the tiles in one piece and that alone save loads of time.  You can watch the dust dance as the thinset breaks loose.  I had the blade as close to parallel to the ground as I could.  Dust everywhere!!!    

   Hopes this helps. 

1. 
   caseyr | Jan 24, 2007 08:31am | #10

   I have an old Bosch 11304 "Brute" breaker hammer that I picked up well used at a bankruptcy auction of a rental yard. I just broke up some concrete sidewalk with it and am surprised at how well it did. I ran a 100 lb pneumatic jackhammer in my youth and I would be surprised if it would have worked any better than the electric Bosch hammer. I would guess that if you rented one of these from you local rental yard along with a 3" chisel (I think I paid about $50 for the 3") would do far more work more effectively than would the device you are looking at.(A new Bosch Brute will run you over $1500, so I am assuming renting might be more attractive than buying.)

1. 
   zak | Jan 24, 2007 08:42am | #11

   I've run a 90 lb jackhammer (pneumatic), a 90 lb drill (pneumatic) and a bosch brute all side by side (for a couple weeks).  I can tell you for sure that with a good compressor behind them, the pneumatic tools will leave the bosch in the dust (pardon my pun). 

   But for the size of jobs you normally encounter remodeling, I would probably pick the brute, because it's easier to transport and set up, it's much quieter, and it doesn't beat you up so much the first couple days.zak

   "When we build, let us think that we build forever.  Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin

   "so it goes"

    

2. 
   AndyE | Jan 24, 2007 08:21pm | #12

   Sorry, man, wrong Andy. I'm a stagehand, not an editor.I did remove a tile floor from my old kitchen using a hammer and a cold chisel, though.12" ceramic. Two or three hits along each edge and they popped up whole, for the most part.Andy

1. 
   PaulBinCT | Jan 25, 2007 01:50am | #13

   Update time... rented one of the pneumatics. Was not impressed, I'd say it was slightly more powerful than my Bulldog, not as powerful as the large Hilti.  Gonna finish it with lots of cussing, chiseling and misery...

   PaulB

6. 
   DonNH | Jan 24, 2007 04:04am | #7

   Don't know what that unit costs, but Harbor Freight has a similar unit, for $99:

    

   http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37073

    

   Don

7. 
   alwaysoverbudget | Jan 24, 2007 05:09am | #8

   i'd have them come out and demo that ride on tile remover they sell,man i know i could tear something up with that thing. down in the left corner of there page under tile removing.larry

   hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.