I'm looking to get some powertools, preferably, drills. Definitely hammerdrill and corded. But, there's a few to choose from. I'm always looking at Milwuakee, but there's some comparable other choices, like DeWalt, which is about $100 less. I use Bosch a lot, but it's provided by my EC. A bit pricey for my taste.

I wanted to see what you guys choose for powertools, especially in the drills department.

If you're looking for a drill for concrete go with a rotary hammer. Hammer drills are nearly useless in comparison. I have a Porter Cable that I'm happy with.

Dave

I just picked up a new Bosch. It has a swapable chuck head. It's sweet. 1 drill, but within seconds (am I'm talking under 5) I can go from SDS to keyless chuck.

Rotary hammer will cut like butter, hammerdrill will vibrate your wrists into early retirement. I went Bosch a long time ago and would never go back.

Hilti, is a good choice in rotary hammers.Milwaukee, IMO has a good corded/ cordless line of drills.

From my experience......Hilti. Excellent service, if you ever need it.

And...in this corner...the "Great MisFit" speaks! :-)

I have found a hammer-drill is only practical for holes 1/4" or smaller in size- just right for screw anchors and tap-cons. A hammer-drill does drill better if you push harder on it. My DeWalt 14.4 cordless works just fine- but try making larger holes, and you'll wear it out in a year. Trust me on this!

A Roto-hammer is another animal entirely. How well it drills has nothing to do with how hard you push. Ultimately, you will probably end up owning a two of these, plus their "big brother," the demmolition hammer.

My small roto-hammer is an SDS drive Chinese special. It has a roto-hammer function, as well as chisel/hammer without spinning. It is an absolute dream. I can drill up to 1" (best to go in multiple steps) using masonry bits, or to 2 1/2" using core drill bits. It does feel a little silly, though, putting a $130 drill bit in a $75 tool!

My Hitachi SDS Max roto-hammer recently bit the dust, and will have to be replaced. It was useful for larger holes, and could make a good start on driving ground rods.

The "Big Daddy" of the set is my Makita Demolition hammer. Looking like a small jackhammer, it makes short work of breaking up concrete lamp bases and rocky earth. It uses 1 1/8 hex shank bits. If the Hitachi isn't enough, the Makita will usually finish driving the ground rod.

You may notice a lack of "big name" tools on my list. I simply don't use them enough to warrant my spending the big $$$ for the fancy ones. Lets see.....$75 for Harbor Freight, vs. $450 for Bosch (much more for Hilti) ....what would you choose?

My "rule of thumb," by the way is: If I wear out the cheap one, then I get the fancy one. Until then, the cheapie on the truck beats the heck out of the expensive one on the store shelf! And- nobody steals Harbor Freight!

For a hammer drill you stuck for corded?
I tapcon all day with my DeWalt 18v XRP no problem.
For rotary I use the DeWalt naturally.
As far as demo go I use an old but rebuilt Milwaukee, looks like something the terminater would carry, really heavy, very big, but damn can it drive some ground rods in the toughest of hardend clay.
For an auger drill I use a Milwaukee auger drill that was (No lying, will take picture if need be) purchased new in 1982, now 23 years of un-interupted service is pretty damn good, and it has been used ever since date of purchase.

I keep telling people on this and other forums. If you ever get the chance to try out a Kango demo hammer you will want one for yourself. Mine is kinda old but still chugs along just fine. I don't even really know where they are made, I think it is British. Anyway it is sweet.

Whoooo...I can attest to THAT.

Back in September I helped a friend install some 'duit. She's got a brick wall around the front yard.

It's made out of Korean brick (she lives in Korea). HARD stuff. It's even harder than the stuff I've seen used in New York. A normal masonry drill bit will not even scar this stuff.

We used a hammer drill to punch out the holes in the brick for putting in the anchors for attaching the conduit support straps.

My arms and hands were sore for the next couple of days! I had never used one of those bad boys before.

EDIT: By the way, my friend's hammer-drill was a Bosch, made for the 220-volt market however.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 11-05-2005).]

I have a group of DeWalt 24-volt tools; a hammer-drill, reciprocating saw, and circular saw. The batteries can be replaced with a plug-in battery eliminator for those times you have power available.

We have a total of six 24-volt batteries, two chargers, and two battery eliminators; no waiting. I have developed the habit of immediate recharging, and putting the dead battery back in the tool otherwise.

I also have a Bosch rotary hammer, an SDS-Max, that I have rod drivers for. It will sink a 1/2" rod in about 15 seconds in most soil, and has never taken over a minute, no matter how firm the terra firma.

I also have a Milwaukee D-handle drill with the removable 90-deg. head, and just bought the 30" extension with the 33-deg. angle head. I can't wait for our next rough-in. Good-bye ladder drilling!

Plus, a B&D 2-speed 6-volt rechargeable screwdriver, a T-handle 18-volt drill, a Skil worm-drive circular saw, a RotoZip, a portable shop-vac, a 5.5Kw generator, an air compressor, and framing-, trim-, and palm-nailers.

Almost forgot: I also have a 2500-watt (cont.) power inverter in case we have plenty of 12-volt power and no 120-volt. It'll drain a vehicle battery rather quickly if you don't run the engine.

[This message has been edited by Larry Fine (edited 11-05-2005).]

Larry -

"I also have a Bosch rotary hammer, an SDS-Max, that I have rod drivers for. It will sink a 1/2" rod in about 15 seconds in most soil, and has never taken over a minute, no matter how firm the terra firma."

What are the "rod drivers" and where do you get them? (or, are they a "home-made" thing?)

Steve

Steve, I bought them. They look like this:




They can be bought at most places that sell the tools and bits.

[This message has been edited by Larry Fine (edited 11-05-2005).]

Thanks for the replies guys.

MacMikeman...I tried looking for "Kango," and they don't seem to have made it completely across the ocean....any guidance you can offer?

[This message has been edited by renosteinke (edited 11-07-2005).]

Just purchased the new Makita LXT400 18-Volt Lithium-Ion set from the Home Depot and I must say I am VERY impressed. Great power, light and easy to hold. Highly recommended if they do what you are looking for.

I have my eye on the Hilti TE 2-S Rotary Hammer actually. It's the same one we use at work and I love it.

Renosteinke, they used to carry them on Oahu at a tool place called FKS, but don't anymore. It is too bad cause I would love to get me another brand new one.

makmikeman,
Is this what you are talking about?: http://cgi.ebay.com/KANGO-900-BV-DE...216QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Tim