SDS drill for breaking concrete

[mgrays]

Had an early Titan drill/SDS about 4-5 years ago .. brushes overheated and burnt out the holder so broke second time I used it .. of course 18mth after the first time so a skip job! This time bought the breaker only one for about £100; it has done 40 sq m of 4" concrete and a 3m x 6"x12" reinforced lintel.. very heavy but they do last. I would get a Bosch SDS instead.. useful for other jobs and either use a chisel or long drill and do a bunch of holes, mine has taken some abuse and the old one is 25 years old and still going just about..

So £100 on this http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-2kg-sds-plus-drill...

[PoleDriver]

I bought a £35 SDS drill about 8 years ago just for one job. I had to drill a 25mm hole through a 1 metre thick composite granite wall (Old house in Cornwall) My bargain drill just whizzed through it! It's still going strong now despite much misuse as a hammer drill or chisel!

I think they score by being able to utilise a chunky, powerful motor whereas 'normal'drills are always trying to get smaller!

[sbirt]

As an alternative: this and some chain. I've used one of these to remove about 20 concreted 8" gateposts. Pulls them straight out of the ground, including the concrete plug in most cases. Takes a lot less time than trying to break the concrete.

[jon-]

sbirt said:

As an alternative: this and some chain. I've used one of these to remove about 20 concreted 8" gateposts. Pulls them straight out of the ground, including the concrete plug in most cases. Takes a lot less time than trying to break the concrete.

Genuine question, how does the chain grip a post when you're trying to pull it vertically?

[sbirt]

Just wrap the chain around the post a couple of turns. It'll self tighten as the jack lifts. I was amazed how well it works.

[eliot]

MattCharlton91 said:

I'm a full time fencer, 95% of the time digging down the edge of the concrete (just as wide as the width of your graft blade) and 3/4 good hard swipes of the graft down the side of the post into the concrete and it should break away into the void you've just created. Saves buying/hiring a breaker!

Watched a contractor do exactly this on at least 20 steel beams that had been used as fence posts in my garden - worked as described every time.

[jon-]

That's a good man-tip I'll remember, thanks