SDS plus chucks

[bludger]

Hi All,

I borrowed a friends mains SDS+ drill to a bit of chiselling recently. It did fine on that. However, when I slipped in a rotary drill bit, just to see, I found that the end of the bit wobbled around somewhat. In other words, it didn't look very accurate and I think would have drilled an oversize hole in walls, etc.

Are they all like this? Or was this particular drill a bit faulty?

 

[Scrit]

Did you tighten the drill bit in the chuck? Most of them require tha you seat the dril then turn the collar 1/4 turn or have a sprung pull-out collar. The drills don't wobbl around at all if properly fitted to the drill.

Scrit

 

[bludger]

hello Scrit,

Ah, I bet that was it. I hadn't used one before and didn't use the drill to actually drill holes so couldn't judge the perforimance. I asked this question because I'm thinking of buying an SDs+ and if it's possible to drill accurate holes I'll go ahead.

Thanks for your help.

 

[eggplant]

I bought a cheapo rotary sds hammer from netto for about £30 and it didnt wobble, friend of mine saw it in action (although its a cheapo, its still a rotary hammer and due to that nature outperformed a standard bosch hammer drill on a hard wall). Anyway the aforementioned friend went and got a b&q cheapo for £50 or so, and it WOBBLED like mad. The accuracy of my cheap one is ok, the problem is it is 2 speed and not variable so getting the hole started accurately is a mission. also its loud and you have to hold it pretty tight. I have since invested in a dewalt dw005 24v one, and though I havnt actually compared them side by side, I'd definately say the cordless 24v is much more powerful, and has variable speed so getting a hole started isnt a problem. Its quiet and much easier to hold, and has a safety clutch which the cheap one doesnt. OF course, like most things you get what you pay for, that said, the cheapo drill does do the job and does it pretty well.

 

[Scrit]

...although its a cheapo, its still a rotary hammer and due to that nature outperformed a standard bosch hammer drill on a hard wall.

Your Bosch wasn't a rotary hammer - surely it was a rotary impact drill with a key chuck and not an SDS - they are purely mechanical whreas rotary hammers are either pneumatic or hydraulic in action.

I'd say variable speed is a must on an SDS drill, otherwise you don't get the acccuracy when starting holes, but you can buy a Bosch industrial SDS for under a ton now, see here and scroll down to "Bosch Power Plus 2kg Hammer" providing you're willing to forego the reverse facility. The reverse puts an extra £20 on th price and is probably worth it as you can use the drill as a (very heavy) screwdriver or nut runner at a pinch. Don't know how good they are, but my "small" Bosch SDS (GBH2RLE) has just been PAT tested again - it's 20 years old and in almost daily light trade use.

DW005 - nice bit of kit but darned expensive! I really fancy the 36volt Bosch but I don't have the sort of work to justify it.

Scrit

 

[eggplant]

Your Bosch wasn't a rotary hammer - surely it was a rotary impact drill with a key chuck and not an SDS - they are purely mechanical whreas rotary hammers are either pneumatic or hydraulic in action.

no it wasnt, it was a standard hammer drill, and like most people who have never seen a rotary in action, my friend literally ran to the shop to get one!
I got the dewalt at a decent price (not knocked off!) I wouldnt have gone and bought one at the list price, that said, now I have it, I wouldnt be without it and has drilled everything I've needed to up to now.
I agree that variable speed is a must, and I'd also say that a reverse it, mine got stuck the other day and I dont know how I'd have got it out if it didnt have reverse.

 

[Scrit]

Eggplant, the point I was trying to make is that many people incorrectly refer to a mechanical impact drill as a hammer - which they're not. A hammer has either a pneumatic or hydraulic hammer action - an impact uses a mechanical cam arrangement to provide the percussive motion and isn't in the same league.

Scrit