PDC Vs corded hammer opinions

[Bernmc]

I managed to kill my trusty old Black & Decker hammer drill yesterday. All the smoke came out while using a 6 inch hole saw. So time for a replacement.

I have a T18 which is more than enough for most of my drill/driving tasks. The B&D came out for drilling masonry, and for big jobs that needed the additional handle for extra support and stability - like those giant hole saws.

There's no real Festool corded hammer option, so it's either a 750 watt (about 7amp) Makita or similar, or possibly a PDC.

Uses: Mostly DIY masonry stuff - concrete and brick around the house, and bigger drilling jobs like hole saws into wood.

Any PDC owners with thoughts on this? Does it add much to the T18 I already own?

 

[grobkuschelig]

I would say BHC18, for anything ‘real’ into stone. (SDS)

Why the PDC?

I like both, but concrete etc. I do with the BHC. Goes in quicker and the vibration dampening makes working with it a treat.

 

[PeterJJames13]

Funny timing on this. I just picked up my PDC about six hours ago from Festoolproducts.com (I'm lucky enough to live ten minutes from them). While I can't give you real world usage, I can at least let you know how I justified my purchase.

My DeWalt just bit the dust, so I knew I wanted a new one. From what I've read, the PDC is a jack of all trades, master of none kinda drill. Nothing particular about it stands out. But, it's Festool, so I can interchange it with my other Festool 18 volt batteries (TSC, HKC, PSC, C18, etc) so that's a plus right there.

Also, since I already have a C18, if I have a friend over helping with some builds, we can swap out batteries, chucks, etc. Lastly, having used Festool drills for almost a decade now, familiarity plays a role. Familiar with the trigger, the ergos, features, etc.

I plan on drilling through the same materials as you - mostly soft masonry materials. Brick, block, etc doesn't take much impact energy to get through. For anything tougher, or for lots of holes, I would move it up to an SDS plus drill (the BHC). I also love the RPM/torque range of the drill. I don't necessarily know what I'd do in the 3,800 RPM range but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

For me, personally, it was all about staying within the same system, same systainers, same batteries, even same chucks. I can't really give a field report at this time, though I'm looking forward to it. Best of luck with your decision.

 

[bwehman]

I have both the PDC 18 and BHC 18 and man oh man, that BHC is impressive with a good SDS bit. Can't recommend that highly enough for making quick work of masonry.

 

[PeterK]

I have not used the big Festools for concrete.
Lately I have needed to drill many different sized holes in masonry. For block and brick the basic hammer drill with appropriate bit works decently but not quick. For poured concrete that is well cured an SDS drill works far far better. My hammer drill was terribly slow into concrete and required lots of pressure. My 36 volt Bosch SDS made holes into concrete almost like drilling into pine! Proper tool for the job. Last few days I have drilled about 200 holes 5/16” and 3” deep and still on the original SDS bit. Amazing tool. Go with what fits your need.

 

[Bernmc]

Thanks for the replies

To clarify: the drill needs to be able to multitask. I don't do enough masonry work to justify a separate SDS - I'd get one if that changes.

The BHC won't do 6 inch hole saws, so it doesn't fit the bill.

I realise it's a compromise - I know my choice won't be the best for either task, but I'd like something that does both 'pretty well'. So like [member=68391]PeterJJames13[/member] I either stick with the same battery & tool system with a PDC -if it adds enough to the T18 - or go for a corded non-SDS dual mode hammer that will make holes in walls when needed, and big holes in wood at other times

 

[escan]

In hammer mode, I use the pdc for kitchen/bath installs, so more tile than concrete. Used plenty of cordless hammer drills and none have matched the speed or power of small corded dedicated sds drills...I wish they did, but they usually burn up bits and and make a lot of noise doing it.

That said, the power and high rpm are fantastic on the pdc.

 

[Bernmc]

Is the SDS chuck interchangeable on the BHC? If it is, it would do what I need, but it’s not clear on festool’s Website - looks like it’s fixed.

 

[PeterJJames13]

The BHC is the only drill I don't own from Festool (Yet) but I believe it comes with a sds plus to fastfix adapter to use the other Festool chucks on them. You are sacrificing the clutch by going this route though (I don't know how important it is to you since you already have a T18 with a clutch) food for thought ....

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Bernmc]

Had a look at the Festool vids and found this . I think the SDS adaptor is an extra, but it’s not expensive (by festool standards).

Thanks for the advice - I’ll grab a cheap SDS drill in the meantime, get the SDS adaptor for my Festool chucks, and then get the BHC (Big Hairy Chested?) when my wallet recovers from the festivities.

Winning!

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

The PDC is a great drill. Unfortunately it’s not a good hammer drill.  The PDC gets really hot in precussion mode.  That heat cause issues with the drill and it will turn off.  The only time I have issues with the drill is when I drill into concrete or cement block.  I had to send it into to service the last time I drilled brick.  Overall it’s a nice drill, but I don’t use the hammer option anymore. 

 

[six-point socket II]

Hi!

A percussion drill like the PDC is not meant to drill into concrete, let alone reinforced concrete. It's for drilling masonry and most of the time, thanks to the CE-Stone drill bits and the 3800 rpm you won't even need to turn the percussion mode on. The percussion is great for hard but rather brittle materials to minimize damage - where a rotary hammer would simply be too powerful and cause a lot of "collateral damage".

Quite a couple of modern masonry/materials even must not be drilled by using any type of percussion/hammering mode because it would cause too much damage inside the bricks (with hollow chambers) i.e.

If it's concrete or reinforced concrete - use a rotary hammer. Don't torture a percussion drill through it, it will simply die at some point - nothing gained except a few holes - that would have been drilled better and faster with the right tool.

--

6" hole saw will kill the PDC. I've taken mine up to 2.5" (6X mm) in 0.7" thick, massive, oak hardwood flooring, that works if you "listen" to the drill and have a feel for what you are doing. I don't see myself using the PDC for larger hole saws - there are way more suited/ speciality drills for that.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[PeterK]

My Bosch SDS has 3 modes - chipping, rotary, rotary hammer - so it is quite usable on concrete as well as brick and block. Just be sure to purchase what meets your needs. I have been seriously thinning my herd of drilling tools as I find ones that are great multi function tools.

 

[mrboult]

Festool do have a corded hammer drill. The PD20. But perhaps it is not available where you are?

I've owned all the drills I'm about to talk about.

The PD20 and PDC are both great, powerful drills and have a strong hammer function. However they both make the most horrendous noise i ever heard from a drill when in hamner mode.

I ended up buying the BHC as i got feed up of using a hammer drill on jobs where an sds was more suited, also the noise of that PDC!. LOVE the bhc and despite the fact that 95% of what i used it for could be accomplished with a hammer drill, i will never let it go. It is my only masonry/concrete drill now and while a bit extravagant for my needs, my purchase satisfaction is re-confimed every time i use it.. Even on the small 5/6mm holes.

 

[rst]

A rotary hammer is definitely the way to go if you are drilling many holes in concrete.  I have a lot Milwaukee cordless in addition to my Festools, so I bought the Milwaukee M18 1 1/8" rotary.  Besides the great drilling it also is great at chipping, much lighter than my Hilti TE 72.  After using it one time I sold my Milwaukee hammer drills, although I kept my PDC because of it's other attributes.

 

[Bernmc]

Festool do have a corded hammer drill. The PD20. But perhaps it is not available where you are?

Only a DR20 here in the colonies, which looks like a straight, no-percussion drill

 

[Brice Burrell]

If you aren't wedded to the Festool brand you could probably get a fairly inexpensive corded rotary hammer, and a corded or cordless drill for the same price as the PDC.

 

[leakyroof]

It’s your 6”- 150mm hole saw usage that’s the tough task for any drill.  How thick of material do you regularly drill through with it?
Seems like a corded drill would be better suited if that’s a regular task for you

 

[Sanderxpander]

If you aren't wedded to the Festool brand you could probably get a fairly inexpensive corded rotary hammer, and a corded or cordless drill for the same price as the PDC.

This.

If you only need to occasionally drill into hard concrete just get a basic Bosch SDS, even a green one will do just fine. It's not even worth trying a real concrete wall with a regular hammer drill.

 

[Bernmc]

It’s your 6”- 150mm hole saw usage that’s the tough task for any drill.  How thick of material do you regularly drill through with it?
Seems like a corded drill would be better suited if that’s a regular task for you

12mm (half inch) ply mainly, but it's enough to destroy all I love at those diameters. I picked up a cheap corded Ozito SDS drill today, which has a strangely excellent reputation with the tradies here, so I'll see how it goes with the hole saw.

I did pop into my local dealer to hold a BHC and man it is a beautiful tool! Just a bit too much to spend for my limited use at the moment