ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area $89 hammer drill

This falls under the category of You Get What You Pay For.

I guess I was blinded by the name Makita. Anyway, beware of their 9/16" hammer drill. I've broken two of them in the last year. I have a 3/8" Makita drill that's 20 years old and only needed a new power cord. I'm so reluctant to but new tools, that the quality won't be there.

I got a Bosch and paid about $160, so hopefully it'll last. I really like that it has a keyed chuck. I'm really tired of bits loosening in keyless chucks.

Dave

Dave:
Yes, ya get what ya pay for.....

Bosch makes an SDS hammer drill (Bulldog, I think) variable speed, goes to 1"+ with the right SDS bits. It's #11224VSR, about $250.00, and there are similar models by DeWalt, etc.

Been using them since about 1988 or so, and have nothing but praise. You can drill 3/8" for wedge anchors all day (8 hrs) with little effort, by design.

A 'regular' type hammer drill, with the carbide, masonry bits can't hold a candle to the Bosch.

No, I don't work for Bosch, nor have stock!

John

I have a 1/2 Makita hammer drill that I've had for years. When I bought it I knew it wasn't made to drill 1" holes all day long but it does fine for 3/8 wedge anchors and whatever else I need to do in small doses.
Its pretty easy to tell when looking at hand tools as to what will stand up and what won't.

The only "work" I did with the Makita hammer drills was 1/4" holes for plastic anchors (in cement block), and about 4 holes with a 1" bit through cement block. The chuck froze up on the first one. Yesterday I was drilling with a 1" spade bit in wood. It was almost all the way through the wood and caught. Instead of twisting the bit, the inner gearing self-destructed. Not exactly abusing a tool, but rather light-weight use for a cheap tool.

Dave

Dave
I can see why you'd be disappointed. Must have plastic gears??

There is only one word needed when it comes to power tools - Milwaukee!

Makita quality seems to have gone down over the years,the old stuff was great and I hear another good name is going to the toilet,Two different tool suppliers have told me that Dewalt is buying Porter-Cable/Delta.


P.S. 1 more vote for Milwaukee.

If it's Concrete Drills your'e after, you really can't go past the Hilti TE-22!.
It uses SDS bits up to 32mm diameter and can use a Core Bit up to 75mm.
(someone correct me if there is a larger size Core-Bit for these Drills).
I've used the same drill unit for years here and never had a problem with it.
Good old Hilti's eh?.

I have a 1/2" Milwaukee variable speed hammer drill. I would not attempt large bits with it but a couple of times, I have punched 15 or so 3/8" holes through a combo block/brick wall in a circle and hammered out the center to make a 6" passage. I was a little concerned about pushing the tool as hard as I did but it never complained and was a whole lot easier than trying to hold the Hilti 5' off the ground for that long.

We have Hilti, Milwaukee, and Bosch hammer drills... the Hilti seems to be the toughest for big holes, with the Bosch a close second. Some of our guys will refuse anything but a Hilti, so once in a while they end up with a hammer and a star drill