There are several reasons why this drill is better than other hammer drills I have (Craftsman and DeWalt). The way Bosch designed this drill let a lone the power it has, makes it stand alone. I'm not going to dwell on the power ( even though I was able to completely chip away a shower mortar bed in less than 10 minutes), what made the difference is the design. First let me say that quick change SDS chuck and bits make this worth while. If you have done a lot of drilling you know how frustrating it is when you have to continually stop and re-tighten bits that have come loose from binding in the concrete. SDS eliminates this, along with the ease of the quick bit change also prevents the need to keep looking for a chuck key. Not once did I have the bit loose up.
Bosch also made it easy with how they implemented the auxiliary handle and depth guide. Other manufactures make you completely remove parts in order to change the handle position or change the depth guide. Another excellent feature is the Vario-Lock which will allow you to change the orientation of the chipping bit without having to hold the drill or yourself in awkward situations that might even be dangerous.
The clutching mechanism actually works very well. The times when I did bind the bit (which was rare with the drill power) I had little torque transfer before the clutch caught. Which is comforting from a safety aspect.
For the power, the drill is comfortable with a decent length cord. I haven't been using this drill long, so I can't speak to the reliability. Regardless the design and power has me sold and I've been using DeWalt for years.
Also one thing that is a pet peeve of mine (although minor) is the way manufacturers position the outlet of the power cord. Most make the power cord come out directly behind it, making it difficult to put in the case and in some cases having to severely bend the cable which can cause damage over time - this Bosch drill doesn't have this problem.
Keep in mind this drill only works with SDS bits, although Bosch sells a separate chuck that will allow for normal bits. Bosch 11255VSR BULLDOG Xtreme 1-Inch SDS-plus D-Handle Rotary Hammer
I am in the construction business and i can tell anyone who is looking at this product that it is truly an indispensible tool. It drills through brick and concrete with ease. It is relatively light for its power and size and is very easy and comfortable to use. At this price point you cannot do any better. Highly recommended.
i am in the remodeling business an i do alot of baths an nine out of ten jobs i have to move the drain lines from one end of the room to the other, an before, i always had to cut a line with a masonary blade in my skill saw then go rent a jack hammer to finish the job, as most already know this is a very messy job, but since i bought this tool it's all i need. i just drill an outline with a 1/2 inch drill bit then switch to a chipping bit an in a few minutes the job is done with very little mess an no heavy jack hammer to lugg around.i very highly recomend this tool, infact the first chance i get i will buy another just for back-up in-case i need the same tool on two defferent jobs..
I bought the Bosch 11255VSR in order to demo 6" thick concrete on top of my chimney. I drilled about 50 holes all the way through with a 3/8 inch SDS bit in about 10 minutes. My small Makita hammer drill could barely dent this concrete. I have 3 of the SDS chisel bits for this drill and I used them in hammer mode to knock that concrete out completely. Not sure how I could accomplish this job otherwise. Anything bigger would not be safe up there and anything smaller couldn't make a dent. Defintiley a keeper. I notice that some people have commented on similar Bosch models that the depth gauge is plastic. This one comes with an aluminum depth gauge which seems plenty strong, although I don't need it for my current project.
I had to drill sixty 3/4" diameter 2" deep holes in my concrete pool deck for anchors for a pool cover. I used this drill and a bosch SDS masonry bit. It drilled each hole in about 15 seconds. I could not believe how fast it was able to do it. This is a great product. Worth every penny. I haven't used it for chipping yet, but I don't doubt it will work fine for that, too.
the Bosch is the best I've used of this type of tool. As far as the review concerning Bosch's describing this as "1 inch". It means that this will drill up to a 1 inch diameter hole in concrete ( and the model down from this will drill a 7/8" dia.). Bosch includes this information in their specifications.
The Bosch 11255VSR is an excellent rotary hammer drill. It has a switch that allows it to operate in rotary only, rotary & hammer or hammer only modes. Some models and smaller versions only offer rotary hammer only. This dial makes this hammer drill valuable in household projects because you can easily drill into concrete or masonry but also use in hammer mode only with a chisel to tear out tile, chisel concrete or in hard rocky soil areas help dig a hole to plant a tree.
I needed to get a new hammer drill/ rotary hammer because I was i the middle of a fireplace re-facing project and my hammer drill that I had received years ago literally burned up. Before I had this I would be able to drill about 5-6 holes in hard red brick before having to change bits. After getting this tool moving I was able to do as many as I needed, nearly one handed. This thing is really a monster and I suspect I will have this for a good long while. I am a pretty serious do it yourselfer and hate spending money on cheap tools that don't last. This came with a nice case which has a nice listing of different bits and accessories for this drill. A word of caution, this tool uses the newer style SDS plus bits only out of the box, if you have a need for a standard chuck, it is available as an option but you will need to purchase it separately (http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-1618571014-SDS-plus-Shank-Integral/dp/B0009H5RFM/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1292208288&sr=8-10). If you have a need for a quality rotary hammer for a reasonable price, look no further. - Sds - Corded - Rotary Hammer - Bosch'
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