A hammer drill is a necessary thing on the farm. Especially if the walls of the house are made of concrete or brick. Hole these materials with an ordinary drill, even equipped with a percussion mechanism, is not an easy task. And if necessary, to dismantle a piece of the wall without a punch at all will not work. But what kind of hammer drill to buy for the house - light or heavy, household or professional? The answer to this question is in our new material.
Characteristics sufficient for household type rotary hammers
Determine the class of device
To navigate the variety of these tools, we will deal with their classification. This will help you choose the right hammer drill.
However, there are few classes - only three:
- Lightweight rotary hammers weigh 4 kilograms or less. They are most often bought for domestic needs. And if a perforator for home is mentioned somewhere, then, as a rule, this is just a light tool. It is used mainly for punching holes.
- Middle-class rotary hammers will be more impressive. They can have a weight of 5 to 8 kilograms. Possessing a very good impact force (up to eight Joules), they are even capable of destroying a steel grid. Or to smooth out irregularities on the surface of concrete, with the ease of chipping everything unnecessary.
- Heavy-duty rotary hammers are tools for the pros. They weigh more than 8 kilograms, with excellent functionality. Such a powerful device can punch a hole in any, even the hardest, surface.
The power with which to strike
This characteristic, also called impact energy, is measured in Joules and is decisive for such devices. After all, it depends on how deep the drill is able to plunge into the material. For lightweight perforators of household type, this value does not exceed 1 - 2 Joules. Keep in mind that with low impact energy you cannot properly punch holes. After all, a punch will work like a hammer drill.
Drill mounting system
There are also three systems for connecting the drill to the device. They affect the behavior of the device during use, as well as its reliability.
The system - SDS plus - is used in small rotary hammers (up to four kilograms in weight). Such a device can make holes with a diameter of not more than three centimeters. It is convenient and compact, therefore it is used in everyday life most often it is equipped with household models.
Moreover, for this type of drill attachment, accessories can be purchased, as they say on each corner, unlike accessories for the rarer SDS max system, which you may not even find in some small stores.
About the power of the punch
This indicator is not fundamental. Even the best home punch has a lower power output than any drill. After all, energy when punching holes goes much less than when drilling them. The drill punch should not spin as fast as a drill in a drill. And to achieve a high rotation speed, you need a lot of energy. Lightweight rotary hammers, ranging in power from 400 to 800 watts, are well suited for home repairs. They can be called the most popular.
Choose the number of operating modes
The number of these modes is again three. There are perforators with one mode of operation, and with two or three modes.
- The puncher with one operating mode is similar in its functionality to a drill. He easily drills a wooden or metal surface.
- Hammers with two modes can do more types of work. They can not only drill, but also combine drilling with axial translational movements (impacts) of the working part.
- The puncher with three modes has all the features of previous types of devices. In addition, it can strike without spinning the rig. In this case, the third mode is activated - a clean hit.
When choosing a specific model, carefully study the instructions. It indicates how many modes a particular device has. After all, any model may have differences precisely in this parameter.
In my opinion, the presence of 3 operating modes is optimal.
Ergonomics
The punch can be either a straight shape or curved at right angles in the form of the Latin letter "L".
In corner models, the engine is vertically located, and its cooling due to the reduction in length occurs more intensively.
Due to these design features, the continuous operation time of this type of device is longer than that of straight-form models. And they are leaders in terms of resources. However, angular perforators are not without drawbacks, which are a solid weight and dimensions.
Therefore, it is often less convenient to use such a perforator than a straight-shaped device.
Optimum performance for a home punch
To easily cope with stubborn concrete, rapidly punching walls with a diameter of 1.6 to 2.0 cm, we need a device with the following parameters:
- Power - is between 500 and 800 watts.
- Impact force - lies between 1.2 and 2.2 J.
- Operating modes - three. This is a simple rotation, rotation accompanied by strokes, as well as strokes that are carried out without rotation.
- To change the engine speed, there must be a special regulator.
- The tool is equipped with a special protective sleeve, which prevents possible jamming of the drill in the surface for processing.
- It is very convenient when special keys are not needed to attach and remove the drill shank to the instrument holder. The SDS-Plus mounting system meets this requirement.
- It’s very good if the kit includes a cartridge for switching to ordinary drills, then the hammer can be used as a drill equipping it with various nozzles.
Choosing a brand
Even glancing briefly at the perforators in the store, you can often immediately see where the household tools are here and where the professional ones are. After all, they are conveniently painted by manufacturers in two different colors. When deciding which one is best to buy a punch for a home (that is, a household), look at the brands listed below. This is MAKITA, BOSCH, Hitachi, STERN. And now we’ll tell you more about each of the manufacturers.
Punchers MAKITA
Household punchers of the Japanese company Makita - lightweight, convenient and reliable devices. If you want to make small repairs in the office or at home, hang shelves, make recesses for wiring, then Makita will perfectly perform all the tasks. The operating mode switch (from conventional drilling to drilling in impact mode) for these devices is located at the rear. There is also a reverse handle.
The most popular models for use in everyday life: Makita HR2450 (it is in the photo), Makita HR2470 and Makita HR2470FT.
Main characteristics:
- Power - no more than 700 W;
- impact force - 3 J;
- engine speed in one minute - no more than 4500.
BOSCH rotary hammers
German Bosch rotary hammers made using the most modern technologies are distinguished by increased reliability and high quality. Their clearly triggered electronics, time-tested, practically does not fail. It provides the most accurate adjustment of the rotational speed of the drill. If you see a tool of this brand in blue in the store, then be aware that this hammer drill is designed for professional craftsmen.
Those who are looking for a device for use at home should pay attention to the models painted in green. Which I will not advise on specific models, there are a lot of them and the quality of them all is up to standard.
Hitachi rotary hammers
These rotary hammers come from Japan. If you just have to do the work of making holes for fasteners, then pay attention to the low-power lightweight model Hitachi DH22PG. It has two modes, light as a feather, and copes with the bulk of everyday tasks.In principle, some professional work can be done for this “kid”. After all, he develops a good torque, overcoming the hardest obstacles.
You won’t get tired with it - extremely comfortable handles and low weight will not allow this.
Here are his characteristics:
- Power - 620 W;
- impact force - 1.4 J;
- the number of revolutions in one minute - 1500;
- Weight - 1.9 kg.
STERN rotary hammers
This is an Austrian brand. Reliable and solid, but suitable only for those who are confident in their abilities. After all, she produces punchers very weighty. These are both professional and household models, the power of which varies from 620 to 1250 watts. Stern does not like excesses; its punchers are distinguished by rigor and minimalism. They have a button to turn on, drowning which, you can work for a long time, as well as a mode switch (there are three of them in this model) and that’s all. No more details are provided on the case.
However, sometimes there is also a frequency regulator on the case.
Video: Choosing the best home punch
