Roto Hammer

[Craig D Peltier]

Anyone here recommend a good one. Need to drill into some concrete for a built in. Many holes.
Thanks

[Dan Lautner]

Get the 1" SDS Bosch Bulldog. This is one of the few no brain decisions in power tools.

Dan

[Peter Quinn]

I'm using a Hilti TE-70. This thing is mean. Real Mean. I can also highly recommend bosch SDS drills and most Milwaukee hammer drills.

Size depends on how many holes you are drilling and how big a bit. My 1/2" Milwaukee eats concrete for breakfast, my friends 1" bosch SDS is a very capable bone shaker I borrow now and then, and the hilti I'm using presently to demo some concrete just plain old hurts. Also some models work as either standard drills or precussion drills (hammer) and some work as either hammer drills or chisel points (mini jack hammer) so one might be more appropriate for your general needs than another depending on what else you will do with it.

If you are nailing blocking or nailers to concrete I use a powder actuated Remington. Not for the faint of heart but much stronger connection than any type of screw in fastener and quick/clean. Also quite permanent so place nails carefully.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Craig,

When I have to rent one for an installation...I go for Hilti if at all possible. My youngest son called last Friday. He's gutted the master bath in his home in Houston and wanted to know what I'd recommend to anchor the frame for the new bathtub. I told him to go rent a rotary hammer/hammer drill and use anchors. He called Sunday "Thanks Dad!" He's spent several hours drilling holes in the concrete to anchor the island in the kitchen. He drilled all the holes for the bath tub frame in less than 5 minutes with the hammerdrill.

[Louis Rucci]

I used my son's Ryobi hammer drill last year to drill some holes in the concrete pad for my garden shed. Went through it like butter.

[Harley Reasons]

I see alot of rotary drills come through on Craigs List. I monitor the Huntsville, AL and Nashville, TN list and there are lots of them on the Nashville list at a bargain basement price. Hilti, Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee and Ridgid are the top of the list.

[Matt Ocel]

Craig -

My vote is with Dan. Get the Bosch.

The key is use minimal down pressure. Let the drill do the work.
Its a great tool.

[matt dumney]

I have a 20 dollar tool shop hammer drill that drill concrete fairly well...at least it's not been stopped yet.

Unfortunately, when it's hammering away I always wonder why it hasn't exploded yet or when it will!

[Tim Lanier]

I can vouch for the Bosch. I'm finishing my basement and had to bust up a bunch of concrete to move drains. I bought a refurbed 1" Bulldog directly from Bosch for $170 here:

http://bosch.cpotools.com/hammers_an...255vsr-rt.html

It's been great. Lots of power and very well made. I drilled lots of holes, then put it in hammer mode and used it as a small jackhammer.

The only thing to note is that it only comes with an SDS chuck (and not a 3-jaw chuck). I've been very pleased with the SDS bits, but I was surprised when I got it that I couldn't use normal drill bits in it. They do sell an accessory 3-jaw chuck for it, though, if you need one.

[Mikail Khan]

Another vote for the Bosch Bulldog. Excellent tool. I have had mine for 5 years now. I still have the original Dewalt carbide tipped bits I bought with it in spite of drilling more than 300 holes with the 1/4" bit and 200 holes with the 3/8".

MK

[Jason Sutphin]

another vote for the Bosch from the link above. I have a factory repaired one, can't tell the difference.