Any thoughts about the 18V Makita Rotary Hammer

[Peter_Puget]

Is this spill over from ST? A light weight drill motor would be nice. I just wonder about durability - how many times the battery can be recharged.

 

I hope your son develops a healthy distain for "tradition."

[RuMR]

Is this spill over from ST? A light weight drill motor would be nice. I just wonder about durability - how many times the battery can be recharged.

 

I hope your son develops a healthy distain for "tradition."

 

I wouldn't say "disdain" so much as he is more about realistic/practical...

 

He can run it out with the best of them, so "pansy bolting" won't ever be the concern...Half the time i spend nagging him to place more gear...

[Peter_Puget]

I wasn't referring to "run outs" or " pussy bolting".

 

I was thinking of the take into consideration the traditional use of an area comment related to placing bolts. Change is often good.

[genepires]

wasn't able to get the rotohammer today. WIll try next weekend. sorry.

 

[wetslide]

You guys think batteries are heavy try lugging a generator 300 feet up a snow ridden trail to bolt a mixed line still unrepeated in the Cascades.

[Pete_H]

You think that's hard, try reading your nauseating posts without wretching.

[RuMR]

You guys think batteries are heavy try lugging a generator 300 feet up a snow ridden trail to bolt a mixed line still unrepeated in the Cascades.

 

Exactly what does this have to do with the utility of an 18v drill? Nothing...get lost...

 

Plus, why the hell would you do that anyway????

[RuMR]

wasn't able to get the rotohammer today. WIll try next weekend. sorry.

 

No worries, Gene...i really do appreciate the effort.

[genepires]

dawned on me, I should borrow it after work. find some road cut or creek bed somewhere and drill away. sometimes I am not very smart.

[genepires]

finally got around to drilling some holes

rock was at a quarry near monroe. I think it was some kind of sandstone

3/8" drill to 5" depth

battery may not have been fully charged and the battery has had some work use since we got it 4 months ago. So the battery may not have as much charge as a brand new one would.

I got 13 holes into a boulder laying on the ground, standing right over it while drilling.

 

I will try later with a known fully charged battery in other types of rock.

[RuMR]

finally got around to drilling some holes

rock was at a quarry near monroe. I think it was some kind of sandstone

3/8" drill to 5" depth

battery may not have been fully charged and the battery has had some work use since we got it 4 months ago. So the battery may not have as much charge as a brand new one would.

I got 13 holes into a boulder laying on the ground, standing right over it while drilling.

 

I will try later with a known fully charged battery in other types of rock.

 

Thanks Gene! I'm pretty sure i'm going to get this...

 

[slaphappy]

Don't know about the Makita but have logged some time w/a Bosch 11536c. Weighs a bit over 6lbs, 36v and got mine for $399 w/2 batteries. (Throw it in your Amazon cart and check regularly, its currently at $499 but does fluctuate.) I get 12-15 3/8 holes in Levy "granite". It's so light you can actually drill a hole above your head not just chest high. They offer a 3ah battery for $200 but I haven't found the need for the extra juice, if there is any question, I just make my partner carry the 2nd battery.

 

I have used/owned many roto hammers and this is by far the lightest and best for the $.

 

You won't be disappointed.

[Alex]

thats alot of holes for a little drill, i wouldnt hesitate

[billcoe]

Don't know about the Makita but have logged some time w/a Bosch 11536c. Weighs a bit over 6lbs, 36v and got mine for $399 w/2 batteries.

I have been watching the thread to see what folks were saying. I was waiting for a side by side, but maybe it's time to pitch a few things out.

 

1st, lets use model numbers. I think that the Makita we are discussing is Model: BHR202 ? If that's correct, maybe it's not something you will want Rudy.

 

Ergonomically, the 2 things we as climbers need is compact design and light weight. Compact as I'm using the term being shorter: the distance between the drill bit and the trigger. Think of a hand drill you checked a 12" bit in, vs the same hand drill you chuck a 6" bit in. The 12" long bit will throw you off balance. Even rappel bolting with a power rotohammer this can be an issue if you don't situate your body right or slightly overshoot the mark. So for your boy Rudy, it will be something to consider.

 

So a measurement of the Makita from the trigger to the end sans bit would help this discourse. But here's the overall length to start with.

 

Makita: 14 1/8

Bosch: 11536C-1 or 2 = 12 1/4

 

Bosch for the win.

 

 

 

Next, as far as light weight goes. A bit surprising to me that the 18V bhr202 is going at 7.7lbs...they say. http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?ID=26664 Like Slabhappy, I own the Bosch 11536c (code named baby Dawg for Raindawg). It comes in at 6lbs partially via a smaller battery and clocks in at 6.25 lbs before I peel off the side handle. http://www.cpotools.com/bosch-11536c-2-36v-cordless-lithium-ion-compact-sds-plus-rotary-hammer/bshn11536c-2,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=bosch-cordless-rotary-and-demolition-hammers . I have 3 batteries total as I got 2 of the larger ones with the larger drill (Bosch #11536VSR which I've code named Lil Dawg after you know who shall not be named). I often take just the small battery with the small drill and find it works plenty fine. I've also pulled off the side handle to lighten it, finding that it never binds and there is no need for it. The larger Bosch I've kept it on, as it often is drilling deeper and bigger holes and want to avoid binding the bit.

 

Makita: 7.7 lbs

Bosch : 6.25 (with Litheon™ 36V SlimPack Batteries)

 

Bosch 11536C for the win again.

 

Like to see head to head drilling. However, what I have seen in others testing is that the Bosch products are faster than anyone elses stuff. Not just anyone's, but everyone's.

 

The sole exclusion is a single Supertopo thread where the guy was saying that the Makita was drilling into his local rock and the Bosch would not.

 

 

 

 

 

[billcoe]

This thread needs a gratuitous wonder dawg picture.

 

 

The specific ergonomic issue we as climbers see which a construction dude rarely cares about is the length as measured form the trigger to the business end of the drill. In this case I was drilling anchors from a comfortable ledge and did not care that I had a 10" bit as I was drilling a 7" hole.

 

From this view: that length matters:

 

 

(PS, the Baby Dawg is the small one, the pics are of the Lil Dawg - which isn't little, and is the larger of the 2 drills and weights just under 10 lbs.)

[RuMR]

lil' dawg! i like that...

 

I was thinking Dwanus for mine...

[genepires]

did another test today as I have to return the drill tomorrow. realized my holes were only 3" deep so the first test was not accurate. ANyway, we can find total length drilled for a battery and find how many 5" holes would equal.

 

fully charged battery

got 17 holes for 3" each in something that looked like skagit green schist. so that comes to 51" of rock removed or 10x5" holes.

The rock was harder to drill than my previous test. was under the i5 bridge in mt vernon/burlington. No one thought I was a terrorist.

was standing right over and drilling downwards which is obviously better for drilling holes than on the vertical so I would expect holes on rock climbs to be little bit less.

 

 

for billcoe's request

1 ft 2 inches tip of bit to trigger

1'5" tip of bit to handle end

exposed amount of drill bit = 5"

I am such a dumbass. I used a milwaukee drill

here is the info for this drill

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/cordless-tools/hammers/rotary-hammers/m18-cordless-lithium-ion-7-8-inch-sds-plus-rotary-hammer-kit/2605-22

Edited August 24, 2012 by genepires