How to choose a puncher: professional recommendations

Recommendation points

• Makita HR2410
• BOSCH GBH 2-24 DSR
• BOSCH PBH 2000 RE

Last time we talked about the pros and cons of cordless screwdrivers. This article is a continuation of the cycle, now all our attention is to punchers, good and not so. During repair and construction, you can not do without a hammer drill. This is the tool that makes life easier for us the most, it is on it that the greatest loads fall. All companies that produce tools also make rotary hammers – the offer is off the charts. It is very easy to make a mistake with choosing a reliable device suitable for specific conditions, and such a miracle of technology is not cheap.

His anchor burned out safely under the mixer. They say it is wound with aluminum, I can’t confirm it – I didn’t make it out. The impressions were mixed. A horizontally located engine is already something, there are clearly more conveniences than with a vertical. There is already a smooth start and protection against jamming, chiseling, impact drilling and hammerless drilling. The gearbox has an aluminum casing, the housing itself is durable, made of rather elastic plastic. I do not know what is the reason, but even using the puncher for its intended purpose, quite often I had to change the brushes. Cord insulation is brittle, weak plug. The ergonomics of the product is quite tolerable, one might say traditional. The button and switches have worked smoothly for their entire service life. Feels like the frequency and impact force (2.5 J) does not correspond to the declared ones, the tool drills slowly and heats up quickly. Apparently, the developers did not manage to realize the impressive engine power (920 W) in the performance characteristics. 3.2 kg of weight also does its dirty work, hands get pretty tired by the end of the day.

Note that in addition to the three-mode apparatus, there is a good suitcase, complete with decent drills, an additional handle, a lance and a chisel.

We can say that the model could successfully cope with its tasks, being in the arsenal of a home master. But at the moment this puncher will not compete even with household samples of European brands, neither in quality, nor in real tactical and technical indicators. Its price has grown significantly lately and is approaching the $ 90 mark.

Makita HR2410

Next was the Makita HR2410 – a classic, if not legendary, representative of light rock drills. You can really enjoy working with such a thing. Not only does the device weigh only 2.3 kg (compare with 3.2 kg from Einhell), it is also perfectly balanced, has a neat “licked” body.

Makita HR2410

The handle is comfortable both with a “pistol” grip and with a stop along the drilling axis, which has a positive effect when working overhead. The mode switch is located in an unusual way – from the bottom (the sides are smooth – one more hook is less).

The simply huge electronic switch deserves special attention, its key has a long stroke, which makes it possible to very smoothly change the speed. The significance of this feature can be felt when drilling for metal or when the drill comes out of the workpiece. The model is rightfully considered professional, there is a safety clutch, electronic speed control, reverse. I personally lack the chiseling mode, it is very convenient to clean the masonry with a perforation, to knock down small flows of concrete in the corners. Sometimes I use this option when I need to dismantle a profile, for example, an erroneously mounted one (I push the dowel through the metal with a drill, and the UD or HC is released). Impact forces (2 J) and engine power (680 W) are enough for the basic needs of the finisher.

Many of my colleagues will not fail to point out that this model is the last century. This is so, but the old man HR2410 has been working properly for ten years, and it cost, it seems, a little more than $ 200. Lovers of statistics say that at one time it was the best-selling rotary hammer in the world – it seems not by chance. I’m probably old-fashioned, but if this Makita were in production now, I would honestly recommend it to all my friends. Of the new, relatively inexpensive models, I would choose between the HR2610 and HR2470. I could not ignore the compact, ultralight HR1830, but this, of course, is not for everybody..

BOSCH GBH 2-24 DSR

Everyone knows the saying: “You can’t break a wall with your finger – you need a Bosch perforator.” I have. Three! BOSCH GBH 2-24 DSR has become our main striking force. It has been working reliably for many years, sometimes just not turning off.

BOSCH GBH 2-24 DSR

There was no need to repair, for the entire time (probably more than ten years), the brushes and one worn out dust cover were changed once. The machine is quite compact, weighs only 2.4 kg, but produces as much as 2.4 J of impact energy. The engine is not very powerful – 680 W, but this is enough to drill holes in concrete with a diameter of up to 24 mm, as, in fact, is indicated in the passport. My most popular 6×160 augers enter the wall effortlessly. The model has the necessary set of options typical of a professional rotary hammer. Among them are electronic speed control, a safety clutch, which really works when the drill is jammed. I am glad that there are three modes, which is a little lacking in the Makita HR2410. Their switch is large, but clear and informative – you need to try to put it in an intermediate position and not notice the absence of a characteristic click. It has its own button that protects against accidental translation.

The flat chisel can be locked at almost any angle (36 positions). The reverse and the smooth sensitive button allows, if necessary, to use it as a heavy-duty screwdriver for long self-tapping screws or serious drilling. It is only necessary to fit the adapter chuck. A button that fixes the “start” key in the pressed state helps to relieve the hand during intensive work. It also makes it possible, if you are drilling in an uncomfortable position, to remove your fingers from the handle and slightly press on the tool along the axis of drilling, this, by the way, is facilitated by a pronounced “peak” on the body. Another feature of the GBH 2-24 DSR is a really long power cord that usually reaches any outlet in the room..

Standing on the scaffold, you can not be afraid to step on the electric carrier block or open the connection at the most inopportune moment – it rests somewhere on the floor. For those who like to work with two hands, the manufacturer has equipped the perforator with a handle that can be rearranged in a circle, but it bothers me more. The set comes with a comfortable spacious case made of high-quality plastic.

A real workhorse, I have never failed over many years of merciless exploitation. Great car for professional use. GBH 2-24 DSR is really worth the money, and its price was about $ 250. BOSCH is constantly improving its line of light rock drills, and this model has already been discontinued. So, we will soon be looking for new heroes, there is plenty to choose from. I held in my hands a lot of more or less fresh boshes, I really liked GBH 2-20 D and GBH 2-24 DF.

BOSCH PBH 2000 RE

After good impressions from the household screwdriver, I decided to try the hammer drill of the same BOSCH PBH 2000 RE series. I will say right away that the result exceeded all expectations.

BOSCH PBH 2000 RE

I took it purely for quick assembly 6×40, 6×60. But with a maximum energy of a single blow of 1.5 J, the “baby” copes without problems with larger holes, up to the declared 20 mm. Almost as simple as the lightweight professional brothers in blue housings. Could this be? In general, the ratio of motor power to impact force 550 W / 1.5-1.7 J in professional circles is considered ideal in terms of tool durability, many manufacturers adhere to this ratio for ultra-light models. Its engine is only 550 watts of power, so some difficulties, of course, arise on viscous substrates (for example, not completely dry concrete), but this is rather a rare exception to the rule. It feels very fast, looked into the passport – indeed, the impact frequency is 5800 bpm, and the nominal shaft rotation speed is 2300 rpm.

For comparison, these figures for GBH 2-24 DSR are 4850 bpm. and 870 rpm. respectively. It is now clear that the developers have relied on speed. In addition, the Germans proposed an interesting design of the percussion mechanism: they did not use a gearbox, but transferred the rotation of the engine directly to the pneumatic drive spindle, the firing pin was launched along a unique trajectory, and the barrel was securely fixed with a 50 mm spindle neck. Such technological innovations and the use of very high-quality parts made it possible to make the PBH 2000 RE a three-mode with a pure chiseling function (plus you can fix a certain position of a flat bit), which competitors did not dare to do. There is a lock for the included button, it is recessed into the plastic of the handle and does not work from accidental touch. Manufacturers do not talk about protection against seizure, but there is a sensation of operation of a sensitive overrunning clutch – perhaps this is secret information about another know-how. We have a reverse and a very sensitive button that provides electronic speed control, smooth acceleration from 0 to maximum. Therefore, we put the adapter chuck, and work further like a screwdriver. The hammer drill is the lightest and most compact of all that I have ever held in my hands. Its weight is only 2.2 kg including three meters of cord, length – 32 cm.

The plastic from which the body is made is pleasant to the touch, clearly shockproof – checked. The recognizable triangular body design makes it even more robust and stable. And also BOSCH PBH 2000 RE is incredibly beautiful.

This is a great rock drill, even for the construction site. Positioning it as a tool for home use is rather arbitrary. The conclusion suggests itself that BOSCH is one of the few that made a budget line of tools “for a home workshop” and was forced to “strangle” the characteristics of the professional series for the assortment. But something special came out, for which many thanks to the developers. For three years we have been using this baby on objects, and no problems, even the brushes have not changed. I think it can easily outlast several Chinese copies of similar prices. The retail price of PBH 2000 RE is only $ 110-120.

The reason for the longevity of my hammer drills, in many respects, I consider a careful attitude towards them and strict adherence to the manufacturer’s recommendations. I also defined some general rules for myself:

1. Use only quality branded accessories (grease, adapter chuck, drills).
2. Clean and maintain regularly.
3. Don’t forget to lubricate the SDS-tool shank.
4. Don’t overload the hammer, let’s cool down.
5. Long hole drilled in several passes (pulling out the drill removes waste).
6. Do not press on the perforator – the armature may overheat, wear of the impact mechanism.
7. Do not work too long in chiseling mode – spin the machine in a clean rotation for a couple of minutes (this simple operation provides both cooling and forced lubrication of parts).
8. Do not bend the working tool around the hole axis – the chuck breaks.
9. Monitor the condition of the dust cover and brushes.
10. At the slightest malfunction, take it to the service, do not allow costly breakdowns.
11. Do not take Chinese, better support a responsible German manufacturer (yes, I know, I know that everything is now being assembled in China).