Cheap SDS to cut cores or should i be spending more?

[mntmouse]

Hi,

I was going to hire a core drill from my local hire shop but when i looked into the cost of hire (£40+Vat) i realised that it would be only marginally more expensive to buy a no frills SDS drill from Screwfix and a core cutter from ebay. (i only have two cores to cut so i'm not worried if the core cutter only lasts for those two cores).

My question is; should i get the 1250 Watt £40 SDS drill from screwfix (it has a safety clutch) or would i be better getting a lower powered more expensive branded SDS drill which would last better in the long run but does not have as high a power or impact rating?. my primary concern is cutting the cores and having enough grunt to do that but after this I can see the use in having a machine that can remove tiles and help channel the walls for cabling.

The core i want to cut is 110mm dia. I read on one or two threads that an SDS drill is not suitable for this size but other threads don't seem to say this. I am only a keen DIYer not a pro doing it day in day out.

Thanks for any advise you might be able to offer.

 

[ChrisR]

Cheap sds's do work, especially in soft/ordinary brick. I use a 24v cordless sometimes.
If it jams a lot, drill a couple of say 10 - 15mm holes through at the circumference - somewhere for the dust to go.
Break out the "plug" as you go.
Your problem will be that it will keep "slipping", but you'll get there ok.

More expensive sds's aren't necessarily better for diamond cores.

 

[eggplant]

You didnt post a link to the drill in question, it will probably do fine, does it have hammer stop? if not it wont be much use for removing tiles or channeling! (apologies if I'm stating the obvious)
Power rating on cheaper tools is often the power consumption not power output, higher quality stuff usually lists both, cheaper ones just list the higher to make it sound more powerful.

 

[jono_h]

I bought a Performance Power rotary stop SDS drill from B&Q 5 years ago for £30 which has just given up the ghost (knackered switch). It's built one and a half extensions, and done countless other jobs.

Just been to B&Q and picked up a new one for £20! At that price you can't go wrong.

The only thing to watch out for is that it doesn't have a clutch - if you're core drilling with it, and it grabs, you could end up with sore wrists.

 

[2scoops0406]

THe "impact rating" doesn't matter, as you don't use hammer action when core cutting.

 

[joe-90]

You'll find all sorts of uses for a big SDS with grunt - like breaking up the concrete around old fence posts and stuff like that.

I'd spend a little bit more and get a half-decent one.

 

[oilman]

Get a core drill if you're going to drill cores. You'll get a bit fed up of being whacked about the person because the clutch didn't act quick enough otherwise.

 

[mntmouse]

There seems to be a big gap between the £20-£50 for a 6kg 1000ish watt unit and their £300 branded brothers of equivalent size. Can anyone make a suggestion for a unit that will do the coring for me but offer a bit more reliability/ life for around £100. Maybe 6kg is a bit big for the other jobs or it is a case of bigger is better when you are chiselling/ bashing/ making a big noise and mess? Having said that if the £30 unit only lasted 1/9th as long as a big name brand i would still be on a winner.

I am aware of the need for a clutch, I had purchased what appeared to be the right thing at Wickes (£40 was £60) over the weekend (three mode drill, a couple of (prob. crap but still a start) drill bits etc) but on closer inspection it does not seem to have a cluch listed anywhere on the box so it will be going back.

What are peoples thoughts on TCT core drills? I guess they don't last as well as diamond units but i am only cutting 2 no. 110mm holes in a single skin garage wall so it isn't going to be working its nuts off 24/7 for the next 3 years.

 

[2scoops0406]

Don't just go for a big heavy one, because believe you me they really take it out of you with prolonged use, also they're bulky, which is precisely what you don't want when core drilling, look at the core drills and you'll see they are all slim things. Shop around £40 hire sounds like HSS territory, my local hire shop does 'em for £27 a day.

 

[joe-90]

Can anyone make a suggestion for a unit that will do the coring for me but offer a bit more reliability/ life for around £100.

.


Screwfix do two (Erbauer) for £59 and £79. They come with a 2 year warranty so they must be pretty rugged. I've seen them in the shop and they look pretty good but I haven't used one.

 

[Deluks]

Screwfix do two (Erbauer) for £59 and £79. They come with a 2 year warranty so they must be pretty rugged.

Or they make 'em cheaply enough to replace when people bring 'em back

I must confess though, I have a powerbase SDS drill from Homebase which cost me a tenner (ex-display) No probs yet, although I've only had it about 6 months.

 

[Thermo]

wait till the drill bites and spins cos theres no clutch. Youll realise why there so cheap then. My non clutch one went in the bin after i got a very bad whack in the face and a black eye to go with it.

 

[confused 2]

There seems to be a big gap between the £20-£50 for a 6kg 1000ish watt unit and their £300 branded brothers of equivalent size. Can anyone make a suggestion for a unit that will do the coring for me but offer a bit more reliability/ life for around £100. Maybe 6kg is a bit big for the other jobs or it is a case of bigger is better when you are chiselling/ bashing/ making a big noise and mess? Having said that if the £30 unit only lasted 1/9th as long as a big name brand i would still be on a winner.

I am aware of the need for a clutch, I had purchased what appeared to be the right thing at Wickes (£40 was £60) over the weekend (three mode drill, a couple of (prob. rubbish but still a start) drill bits etc) but on closer inspection it does not seem to have a cluch listed anywhere on the box so it will be going back.

What are peoples thoughts on TCT core drills? I guess they don't last as well as diamond units but i am only cutting 2 no. 110mm holes in a single skin garage wall so it isn't going to be working its nuts off 24/7 for the next 3 years.

If it is only to cut 2 holes its a no brainer, buy a cheap one.

 

[mntmouse]

I agree that if it was just to cut two holes it would be better to either hire or buy a cheap drill. Now that i have looked into it though i can see a use in owning a reasonable unit to do the odd bit of channeling/ tile removal/ big(ish) hole drilling.

I think that seeing as the wall is only a single skin of standard house bricks and i only have two holes to cut i will purchase a cheap SDS that has a clutch and the standard three functions so that for the odd occasion in the future that i want to do a small amount of channelling/ chisseling i have the unit. If it turns out that i get more use out of it than i expected then i can purchase a more expensive one in the future and if it only lasts for the two holes and one other project I am not a penny down on the rental equivlent. In fact if it only lasted one hole i could take it back, get a replacement and drill the second hole. Assuming it takes less than one or two years to drill the first hole

 

[joe-90]

wait till the drill bites and spins cos theres no clutch. Youll realise why there so cheap then. My non clutch one went in the bin after i got a very bad whack in the face and a black eye to go with it.

All 6kg units are fitted with a clutch. They would be in breach of health and safety legislation if they didn't.