My drill isn't up to the job

[Daz2012]

Was trying to drill the walls at work today to put up a shelf with a Bosch hammer drill (corded)
Unfortunately it just wasn't up to the job,I don't know what the walls are made of but it's bloody tough !

I could do with you guys recommending me something with a bit more umph but bare in mind it'll only get used occasionally so don't want to spend too much
Cheers

 

[Mick - Ford Focus]

Cheap SDS Drill - See Screwfix And Sometime From Aldi & Lidl

 

[Daz2012]

something like this then ?
http://www.screwfix.com/p/direct-power-bs26s3-5kg-sds-plus-drill-230v/58494

looks to be the same one in Argos under a different name
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7114607.htm

 

[cumbriasteve]

£39 off ebay with a set of drills and a couple of chisels

Our house is made of a local hard brick that is well known for burning masonary drills out in seconds and a nightmare to drill, everyone complains about having to drill them but the sds flies through them.

Have chiselled cable routes out, broke concrete lintels up to take to the tip etc etc and it's still going strong.

 

[Mick - Ford Focus]

Daz2012

That Should Do It

Mick

 

[PTvor]

There are a couple of sorts or classes. 2 and 3Kg which look like a big ordinary hammer drill, but have a pneumatic action, and the 4Kg plus ones which you linked to.

If you want to do a lot of drilling, the 5Kg ones get to feel very heavy very quickly. One of the differences is the power of the hammer blow, which they usually quote somewhere.

I'd have thought that if you only want to drag it out once every few months to drill a few holes in concrete, which the Bosch hammer drill won't make an impression on, a £40-50 cheapie would be fine.

I think most of them these days have a safety clutch, so they don't break your wrist if they snag, but make sure.

They should also have three positions, drill, hammer-drill and hammer, so you can use them with a chisel.

They usually include a little tube of grease. You should put a dab of that on the end of the bit to stop the chuck from wearing out very fast or even the bit seizing in the chuck.

 

[Daz2012]

£39 off ebay with a set of drills and a couple of chisels

Our house is made of a local hard brick that is well known for burning masonary drills out in seconds and a nightmare to drill, everyone complains about having to drill them but the sds flies through them.

Have chiselled cable routes out, broke concrete lintels up to take to the tip etc etc and it's still going strong.

Is this the one ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200816864749?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

[mike os]

for general fixing a 2kg machine is more than enough

 

[cumbriasteve]

Is this the one ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200816864749?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

Yep thats it.. as mentioned mines had a hard life, looks battered to bits now and still working great

 

[Daz2012]

Isn't 5kg a bit heavy say for overhead working or on a ladder or do you find it ok ?

 

[cumbriasteve]

Isn't 5kg a bit heavy say for overhead working or on a ladder or do you find it ok ?

Never found it a problem for DIY use, been up to the guttering a couple of times with it.

I am no expert on SDS drills but think the weight is beneficial when the hammer action is working, the drill weight gets behind the action.

 

[PTvor]

Take a step back and consider what you are trying to do.

I thought you had a few holes to drill in stone or poured concrete and the Bosch hammer drill wasn't up to it. You were putting up some industrial shelving.You may have something similar to do in 6 months time.

A cheap SDS drill, ( any SDS drill ) will make 12mm x 10 cm holes in poured concrete or stone and take 30 seconds each. An ordinary hammer drill would have made a dimple in that time. It will put a 25mm hole through a limestone wall 80cm thick in two minutes. You just can't do that with a normal hammer drill. Most people don't want to do such things that very often, so a 5Kg cheapie SDS drill is better than hiring, or struggling with a hammer drill which isn't up to it. An expensive SDS drill will have a longer life and be nicer to use and have spares support.

Demolition is another story, and a 2Kg SDS is good for removing bathroom tiles and trimming off bits of concrete but it's not a demolition hammer, more of a super masonry drill.

There are a lot of 2Kg SDS drills for about £100. As with all power tools it's a question of how much you are going to use it against what you want to pay. A tool you are going to drag out every blue moon is a different proposition to one you are going to use every day.

A 5Kg drill gets very heavy very quickly. when it comes to drilling, I'm not sure they're better than 2Kg ones.

I thought working up ladders with drills was banned, or subject to regulations. H&S nonsense apart, it's a genuinely dicey thing to do with a powerful drill, as if it snagged you could be thrown off.

Another possibility is to hire an SDS drill. Hiring makes no sense for a thing you have any sort of regular need for, but for a one off it might make sense.

 

[PTvor]

I am no expert on SDS drills but think the weight is beneficial when the hammer action is working, the drill weight gets behind the action.

My understanding is that with SDS drills, the hammer action is provided by the drill mechanism, not the force you apply causing a ratchet disc to do the hammering, so you really only apply as much force as it takes to keep the bit in firm contact with the work and definitely don't lean on it.

 

[Daz2012]

Many years ago when I moved into my house I wanted to put a satellite dish up on an outside wall about half way up.
I stood on top of a step ladder and had to reach up to drill the holes but I couldn't get any weight behind my drill....the same one I have now actually......luckily a builder neighbour came over with his and did it for me in a few seconds.
I'm hoping one of the drills I've linked to above would be capable of doing that ?

As you say it's only going to be used occasionally so the cost does come into it

 

[PTvor]

Just get the £40 horror story off ebay, or wherever.

It may not be a delight to use, but it will belt a couple of dozen holes in concrete very easily and quickly.

Running life? Maybe a couple of hours, but at 30 seconds a hole that's a lot, especially if you think you are going to drag it out a couple of times a year.

One reason for buying these cheap tools is to find out what they're about and whether you have a serious use for them or not.

If you have a real need to climb ladders with it, think again.

 

[Daz2012]

Cheers for the advice folks.

 

[pedrobedro]

I have an old 2kg Bosch SDS+ and a friend of mine was using his ordinary hammer drill to put some 12mm bolts into stone when his drill started smoking on the second hole. He borrowed my drill to do the other 10 holes and as soon as he'd done the job went out and bought one from the local Screwfix shop. I wondered why he didn't get it before he did the job ?

 

[PTvor]

I wondered why he didn't get it before he did the job ?

I think most people see SDS drills as a gimmick or a curiosity, until they are forced to use one, then it becomes obvious what the advantages are.

TBH, if you want to make a neat hole right through ordinary brickwork, that is a hole without a big exit wound, you're probably better off with a decent hammer drill and a long bit.

 

[jordan1]

Is it the actual drill or the bit?.

 

[mike os]

the drill, there is a mechanical "hammer" in the works that hits the end of the drill bit,