Harbor Freight SDS Max hammer drill

[HowardH]

I will need to take down an adobe brick wall soon that's about 4' high. I was looking at the HF SDS Max hammer drill vs. a Milwaukee or Dewalt. The biggest difference will obviously be the cost. The HF version is about $150 and the name brand can be as much as $700. I really only will need it for this one job, even tho the wall is 40+ feet long. Should I follow my Festool rule, buy once and cry once or will the HF be adequate?

 

[jonnyrocket]

Have you looked into tool rental? If you will need this tool again down the road then maybe this isn’t the best path, but if only for this 1 job then I would go the rental route. you can get exactly what you need this way and feel as though you got your money’s worth.
With a HF investment, I don’t know that you will have the same sense of satisfaction.
Something to consider.

 

[HowardH]

I hadn't considered it as it will probably take me a number of weeks to do it and I could probably buy the tool cheaper than I could rent it for that period of time. If it was only for a few hours I would agree. It's a big wall tho...

 

[onocoffee]

Maybe the one to consider against the Milwaukee and DeWalt is less the $150 Bauer but rather the $449 Hercules?

I wish I had more experience and better correlation for you, but I've owned a Ridgid a 1/2" VSR Masonry Hammer Drill for a long time. About fifteen years ago, I needed to drill a hole through 12" of red brick to run 3/4" conduit from the inside panel to the outside garden. Bought the proper masonry bit, set up the Ridgid and went to town on that wall. For hours. In the blazing summer heat. It was utter misery and I was getting nowhere.

Finally, I called up one of my friends who has proper (better) tools and he brought out his Makita Monster Rotary Hammer. He plowed a hole with my bit in a couple of minutes - it was ridiculous. His Makita cost magnitudes more than my Ridgid - and in those few moments, it demonstrated why it was worth the money.

I surmise that, like the Ridgid, the Bauer will get the job done. But there will be a lot of time and pain involved. If you got the hardcore demolition hammers, it would probably make this job go faster and happier.

That said, HF Insider Track Clum members get $100 off the Hercules right now. The savings might be worth the $30 membership fee.

 

[HowardH]

That's what I was wondering about. Also found this on Amazon and it looks pretty interesting.

Amazon.com

Obviously another Chinese brand and it gets decent reviews... decisions... decisions.

 

[mwolczko]

I just picked up a refurbished Bosch hammer from Acme, which was a bargain IMO, to replace an inadequate unit from Horrible Fright. The Bosch looks identical to new and has a 1y warranty.

 

[waho6o9]

I'd use a Demolition Hammer as that's a lot of work for a hammer drill.
Rent it or farm out the work. Home Depot might have something for you.

https://www.homedepot.com/c/demolition_equipment_rental#breakers

Best of luck

 

[luvmytoolz]

@waho6o9 A demo hammer would pulverise it for sure, but that's pretty hard on the back using them horizontally as in this case.

A cheap but decent size pneumatic chisel would probably be the easiest to break it up. That or chain it to a tow bar and pull it over.

 

[Shavings]

I have had a Bosch !/2" hammer drill that I bought probably as long as 20 years ago. I don't use it very often (probably two times a year at most) but it has always been satisfactory for my home use to drill into concrete. I'm not sure how it would hold up for a 40' long wall. I got it after burning up a Dewalt hammer drill in short order chipping up concrete slab to make a 1 inch wide trench for about 15 feet long and 1.5 inch deep to run some 1/2" conduit for an outlet. The Bosch finished the concrete slab job and and as I mentioned comes in very handy for the occasional need around the house.