Jason LaPort Posted October 7, 2013 Report Share Posted October 7, 2013 Through some great help from the members of this forum I was pushed into the right direction on getting a better drill for my needs. I talked to 2 representatives from Hilti and have it pretty well narrowed down to the TE50 and the TE60. The one question that kinda seemed to get brushed aside quick was when I asked what the difference was between a rotary hammer and a combi-hammer. To me it kinda sounded like a newer version of the same thing. Is there any real difference? What about the hitting power between the 2? I'll most likely be getting the TE50 for now and upgrading in the future when I have more money. Another main question I have is gonna be the best bits? I'm wondering if there's any better quality bits that will fit into the 50 then what Hilti is currently offering which actually seems really good to me but if I can find better then why not. I'm interested in any bits between 3/4" -1" diameter that will fit into the Hilti even if I need to buy an adapter. I'm kinda at a loss as to where to even start to look. Thank you to everyone for all the great help that you've already given me and have a great night. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR99 Posted October 7, 2013 Report Share Posted October 7, 2013 From what I have read I think it's a regional thing they are called rotary hammers in North America and Combi-Hammer over in Europe. The best bits value wise are probably Hilti or Bosch. There might be some really bad ass bits out there but they most likely limited in the places you can buy them. The best bet is to look at the amount of carbide at the end of the bit that's the consumable part of the drill bit the bigger it is the longer the life of the bit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason LaPort Posted October 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 I was looking at the hilti's carbide sds max bit in 1" diameter by 31" length and it was over $300 for 1 bit!?! I really need to find some good bits that are reasonable. I see a bunch of sds max bits on ebay and even some of the used ones are a little pricey. I think i'm in for a huge learning curve once I buy my first hilti. Only time will tell I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR99 Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 You can get Bosch bits from home depot for about 100 bucks the size and length your looking at. If you search SDS max they have a ton more diameters and lengths.http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-1-in-x-31-in-x-36-in-SDS-Max-Carbide-Rotary-Hammer-Drill-Bit-HC5053/203620533?N=9u#.UlNSBRDijgY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moze Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Not sure if they come in the size(s) you need, but the DeWalt Rock Carbide bits are excellent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conductor562 Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 If Wayne were still around he could tell us, but I'm pretty certain that "Combi Hammer" is just Euro slang for Rotary Hammer.You can't go wrong with a Hilti. The TE 50 is within the limits of your current generator as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason LaPort Posted October 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 $100 bucks still seems just a bit steep to me but I can imagine they are quite a sturdy bit and should last quite a while. I'm gonna wanna buy 3 of them and change the bits out after every hole to allow them to air cool and extend their life as much as possible. I was looking for info on the Dewalt Rock Carbides. Wondering if its just a name to show how tough they are or if they are actually made for rock. I couldnt find any info on that at all just a ton of sites that sells the bits. I just put up some crystals for sale tonight and hoping that I can get enough raised to buy the TE50 soon. I'm gonna need a good dependable drill real soon. I think your right about them being the same. The guy I talked to more or less just said that rotary hammers are an old technology and combi-hammers are a new technology but couldnt tell me the difference. I asked if one had more hitting power and he couldnt really answer my question. Tomorrow back to the mine to drain water and drill holes with a 30 year old drill. God I love my job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric - TIA Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 I think you guys are correct in terms of the verbiage and what country is referring to the tool. I could be wrong, but I think one time a rotary hammer was just for drilling and fastening. Then I think Hilti or another company came out with the rotary that also chipped and called it the combi. I am probably wrong, but I thought that was something someone told me a while back. In regards to bits, I have had the best luck with Hilti and Bosch, with Hilti being the top. When i was a labor, we destroyed so much concrete and it always seemed like the Hilti kept going and would outlast the Bosch. It didn't matter how many holes or what we chiseled, they just seemed to last. Not knocking Bosch, they make great bits and I use those also. Again that was back in the 90's, so things could have changed. We reviewed a cordless Combi a while back and had some Hilti bits. I gave one of the contractors some bits and I know he swears by the Hilti. Same thing for diamond blades. I really only like the Hilti blades. Not knocking the other brands for their diamond blades, but Hilti just seems like they have that one nailed down. I use to use the Hilti diamond cups all the time to cut concrete from over pour and they would rip through concrete like butter. Don't get me wrong, you won't be disappointed with the Bosch bits, I just prefer the Hilti. I have to say the Hilti TE 50 won't disappoint you as long as that is the size you need for your applications. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR99 Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Yea Eric, I was amazed at how hard it was to get a clear answer on what a combi-hammer was besides being a rotary hammer drill. The inclusion of a chipping function is the easiest explanation on the terminology between the 2 besides the terminology. It might have been before chipping was included on most rotary hammers. It sucks Hilti drill bits are so expensive, but Hilti really is set up for big commercial contractors with their pricing regarding consumables. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric - TIA Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Your right, they are not cheap. I would love to find a way to really test the different bits and see what is truly the longest lasting bit. We thought about getting some different bits and running them, but it would never be a fair fight that way. How do you really know when to stop and say a bit is dull? Same thing about applying pressure when drilling. I know the tool is suppose to do the work, but when you introduce a human doing the work, its hard to make it the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR99 Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 You would need to set up some kind of testing jig. I have seen them for testing sawzall blades all the time from the companies that make them. I don't have any idea how you could even start with rotary hammer bits. You would go through a ton of concrete just in testing. The best Idea i could think of is like a pulley system where the weight of the tool does the drilling. I guess you would so many holes and see how much carbide is left. I don't know if there is a standard for sharpness. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moze Posted October 9, 2013 Report Share Posted October 9, 2013 I think I posted this here before, but this is a video I did showing the ½" Rock Carbide bits and the Hilti bits. Wasn't really a bit comparison though because I don't know how much the Hilti bit had been used. The DeWalt bit was new. But for the ½" DeWalt bit being in a cordless drill....I think it did pretty well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUIz8oGsYDc I think the block broke through during the end comparison. You'll notice there's less dust accumulated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason LaPort Posted October 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2013 It shouldnt really matter how old the bit is as long as there's still some carbide left on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moze Posted October 9, 2013 Report Share Posted October 9, 2013 That's why I said "I don't know how much the Hitli bit had been used" rather than saying I didn't know how old it was. If it had been extensively used, then there's a higher chance it's worn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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