Discussion Hammer Drill & Bits

[Texas_Signmaker]

20v Max DeWalts here... gives me the same power as corded and those batteries last FOREVER. Screwing around with a cord in a bucket is frustrating at the very least.

 

[Oroscoe]

Forget the cordless models.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-B...y-Handle-and-Carrying-Case-11255VSR/202080348

Get this one, or one like it. Bores through like hot butter. You will be glad you did.

 

[Moze]

Forget the cordless models.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-B...y-Handle-and-Carrying-Case-11255VSR/202080348

Get this one, or one like it. Bores through like hot butter. You will be glad you did.

Forget the cordless models?

The cordless models also have zero issues drilling through brick/masonry. Plus he said he wanted cordless. That model you posted has no notable benefits over the cordless model. Slightly faster? Yes. Slightly. But you also have to deal with a cord and a power source. How is that a better choice?

 

[James Burke]

Adobe vs Corel pissing match....round 2.

 

[Moze]

OP asked a pretty straghtforward question: best cordless drill & bits.....just trying to give him answers based on actual use drilling thousands and thousands of holes in brick, concrete, stacked stone, stone, etc. I'm drilling in that stuff monthly....sometimes weekly.

I've been through a good many of the makes and models out there over the past few years, both corded and cordless. So when someone says 'forget cordless' or some other comment that simply isn't true, I'd prefer to steer the OP in the right direction and not give unfounded advice.

These are some of the SDS rotary hammers I've had and compared:

These are the ones I currently have...The DeWalt 20v is perfect for smaller anchors and studs. And if you're working on a jobsite now and you're not OSHA compliant with dust collection, you may not be allowed to continue until you are.

The 60v SDS Max Combi hammer is great for larger holes, demo work and digging post holes....

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

How long will a charge last?

On a side note, I'll never invest in another tool that isn't Festool. I'd rather pay the extra 20% and know that it's not gonna burn up in a year (or less).

 

[Moze]

How long will a charge last?

On a side note, I'll never invest in another tool that isn't Festool. I'd rather pay the extra 20% and know that it's not gonna burn up in a year (or less).

Kind of a broad question since the run time depends on a number of factors (outside temp, battery size, number and size of holes being drilled, material you're drilling into, etc.), but with an average size battery, I can easily drill around 150 holes for 1/4" drop-in anchors in concrete.

Drinking that Festool koolaid huh? lol.....That's all good, they make some great tools but their line is also pretty limited and targeted to cabinet makers, trim carpenters, fine woodworking, etc.

Which of the big name line of tools are burning up in a year or less?

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Kind of a broad question since the run time depends on a number of factors (outside temp, battery size, number and size of holes being drilled, material you're drilling into, etc.), but with an average size battery, I can easily drill around 150 holes for 1/4" drop-in anchors in concrete.

Drinking that Festool koolaid huh? lol.....That's all good, they make some great tools but their line is also pretty limited and targeted to cabinet makers, trim carpenters, fine woodworking, etc.

Which of the big name line of tools are burning up in a year or less?

150 holes is a lot more than I thought you were going to say. That's actually pretty impressive. I've burned up a Makita battery drill and a DeWalt in the past year, both brand new out of the box. The Makita barely made it two months. Full disclosure though, we've got two other Makitas and a DeWalt that are doing just fine.

Ha! Yeah, I used to be a cabinet and trim carpenter. If you've never used Festool, you need to try them out. You can really tell the difference in most of their tools. Their track saw is A++. Expensive, but worth the money IMO.

 

[Jester1167]

The key is SDS which is 100's of times better than your standard drill with hammer drill functions. Not only do the SDS drills chew through the toughest concrete and brick, but the bits last longer as well. Over a short period of time you will save enough money on bits to pay for the drill. I prefer the Bosch SDS bits but there are other good ones.

If you do a lot of this work make sure you buy one that you can add a hepa vacuum to it. A lot of job sites are requiring them, especially union one, because of silicosis.

 

[equippaint]

150 holes is a lot more than I thought you were going to say. That's actually pretty impressive. I've burned up a Makita battery drill and a DeWalt in the past year, both brand new out of the box. The Makita barely made it two months. Full disclosure though, we've got two other Makitas and a DeWalt that are doing just fine.

Ha! Yeah, I used to be a cabinet and trim carpenter. If you've never used Festool, you need to try them out. You can really tell the difference in most of their tools. Their track saw is A++. Expensive, but worth the money IMO.

It's tough to make a blanket statement on brands because the big box kits have different quality tools at different prices. With Milwaukee, typically the tools packaged with the standard battery are a lower quality than the kits with the XC batteries. Id assume that its the same with the rest of them.

 

[Moze]

Just to reiterate how far tool technology has come, Hilti just released an impact that can scan the bar code on the box of fasteners and it will automatically set the impact to fasten to the specified torque. That's pretty awesome.

 

[Gino]

That's not how far technology has come, but how frickin' dumb people that are using tools have become and they don't even hafta plug in. That's dangerous.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...aw3X-9sL1iqj44HFWDkIJ1kR&ust=1537387774315918

 

[Jester1167]

I have snapped enough tapcons off in brick that I wouldn't mind having that scan to torque feature. Part of the reason I stopped using the longer thin tapcons.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

I have snapped enough tapcons off in brick that I wouldn't mind having that scan to torque feature. Part of the reason I stopped using the longer thin tapcons.

It happens to the best of us.

 

[Rocco G]

For drilling in masonry, SDS (or SDS Max if you are using larger bits) is the only way to go. For anything over 3/8" I like Hilti bits. While they are more expensive they last. I have one 5/8" x 42" bit that is at least 25 years old though that beastie doesn't get used all that much. For 1/4" and 3/16" I usually get the Bosch since you can get them in packs of 25 for much less than when bought individually. For 3/16" and 1/4" bits you are usually going to break it before wearing out the tip.

For cordless/VS corded I'm going to say cordless for smaller bits (say up to 1/2"). A friend recently bought the cordless Hilti (forget the exact designation) but he can drill all day long with a 5/8" bit and two batteries. I have the cheaper 20V Dewalt ($180 in the big box stores) and it hits about as hard as the Hilti, although it's not a 36V battery. The Hilti will last much longer if you are drilling a lot of holes. Of course for the cost of the Hilti I could have bought two of the Dewalt and some extra batteries. Another friend swears by Milwaukee cordless drills.

For corded drills, IMHO it's Hilti or nothing. If you need to drill some 1 1/2" holes in concrete with a core bit, hilti is the way to go. The only issue I have with them is that they discontinue models and stop making consumable parts. TBH, I'm sure that a bigger Bosch would also do the job. PLEASE avoid buying anything from harbor freight. That's just total junk and a waste of money.

I guess it comes down to what you can get locally, or even more importantly, who has a repair shop nearby. Avoid cheap junk and you should be fine with any name brand.