What To Look For In A Rotary Hammer - Pest Control Technology

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As every pest control professional knows, when you have to drill through 2 feet of concrete and rock, more than 100 times a day, nothing does the job faster than a rotary hammer.

However, using the wrong rotary hammer or bits can cost you time and money. So the question we hope to answer here is: "What do I look for in a rotary hammer - and its drill bits - to make me, the pest control professional, as productive as possible?"

ROTARY HAMMERS. Rotary hammers have been around since the mid-’s , and manufacturers now make rotary hammers for a variety of uses. Black & Decker, for example, offers eight different spline drive and SDS-drive rotary hammers, a cordless SDS-drive rotary hammer, demolition hammers and hammerdrills. Each one is designed for a specific drilling application - everything from hanging bridges to hanging ceilings.

With this in mind, we’ve drawn up some rules to remember when deciding on which rotary hammer to buy and which drill bits to use. Our first rule is:

Use the right size rotary hammer for the right job. Many pest control professionals use he same hammer for every hole they drill. On small jobs, this may be okay, but if you have to drill hundreds of holes, using the right style hammer can save wear and tear on you and your hammer.

For example, when you have to drill deep holes, usually outdoors, you need larger spline drive rotary hammer because the deeper you drill, the more friction is created, so more torque is required. And only the spline drive rotary hammers have the power and torque to do the job quickly.

If your rotary hammer isn’t powerful enough for the deep drilling you require, you will burn out the motor, or with today’s clutch-protected motors, wear out the clutch prematurely. This translates into downtime for the tool and the worker, as well as lost revenue for you.

Black & Decker is one of the few manufacturers to design a spline drive rotary hammer specifically for the deep drilling requirements of pest control operators. Called the MACHO PCO Rotary Hammer, model 044-09, this tool has the power of similar heavy duty hammers, but has been designed to drill at a higher speed (575 RPMs vs 300 RPM) to meet pest control requirements for drilling deep small-diameter holes as quickly as possible.

Its clutch also has been tightened to 28 ft. lbs. of torque - up from the normal 17 - because, as we said, the deeper you have to drill the more torque you create and you don’t want your clutch to start slipping when you still have a foot of concrete to drill through.

Where you don’t have to drill as deep, or where you have to crawl around in a basement, you can probably switch to one of the lighter, more maneuverable SDS drive rotary hammers. An advantage of using an SDS hammer is less worker fatigue. A spline drive rotary hammer weighs about 13 pounds, whereas the SDS drive weighs about 6 pounds.

Or, if you are constantly switching back and forth between drilling in brick or concrete and wood or metal, you may want to consider using a hammerdrill. Although slower than as SDS hammer when drilling in concrete, you don’t have the time consuming procedure of dealing with chuck adapters when you want to drill in wood or metal. Our second rule is related to the first:

For continuous duty drilling, use a rotary hammer rated for its optimum capacity, not its maximum capacity. All rotary hammers are (or should be) rated by their manufacturer for their hole diameter drilling capacity in concrete. This should be shown as maximum capacity and an optimum range. For example, although the manufacturer lists a certain rotary hammer as capable of drilling up to 1-1/2 inch holes in concrete, if you check manufacturer’s specifications, its optimum range is between 5/8- and 1-inch in diameter.

In this case, if you have to drill thousands of 1-/4 inch holes, you should buy yourself a rotary hammer with a larger optimum range - or plan on having the hammer you are using serviced a lot sooner than normal.

And this leads us to rule number three:

Buy a rotary hammer that can be serviced easily. You can lose valuable time by owning a rotary hammer that can’t be serviced locally. So check around before you buy and make sure either your dealer or someone nearby will service your power tools. And don’t be afraid to ask other pest control professionals what they think. If they’ve had trouble with a tool or service, they’ll let you know.

Many power tool manufacturers have company-owned or company-certified service centers that can fix a tool in a day or less - an important consideration when you figure out how much you would pay someone to fix it while you sit around and wait.

Rule four is something many hammer users don’t think about:

When choosing a hammer, consider the ergonomics and engineering of the tool. Believe it or not, today’s successful power tool manufacturers spend large amounts of time and money to design their power tools to reduce user fatigue. In a rotary hammer, key fatigue factors are balance and vibration.

So, before you by a hammer, test it out, make sure it feels comfortable in your hands and doesn’t run rough. An out-of-balance or rough-running hammer will increase user fatigue.

Concerning engineering, make sure you buy a hammer with all ball bearing construction, externally serviceable brushes and grease, not oil, lubrication.

Ball bearings will last longer and take more abuse than sleeve bearings. Brushes wear out and when externally serviceable can be replaced right on the job if necessary. If you use an oil lubricated hammer, the constant nose down drilling of most pest control operations will mean less lubrication in the rear end of the tool.

CORDLESS HAMMERS. For those situations where operating a corded hammer just isn’t safe or there is no easy access to a power source, a cordless rotary hammer or hammerdrill can be the answer for the PCO.

At this point, many of you are undoubtedly thinking that cordless power tools just don’t pack enough power or run time to make them worth he extra cost. And, until recently, that might have been the case. However, in the last couple of years the advances in cordless tool technology have been significant.

Manufacturers have been able to design heavy duty cordless SDS rotary hammers and hammerdrills that pack almost as much punch as corded models. Now, professional cordless power tools also come with detachable energy packs. Therefore, with two energy packs, you can keep one working while recharging and most can be fully recharged in an hour.

Bosch, Hilti and Black & Decker, for example, make cordless SDS rotary hammers that pack a lot of power. Bosch has a 24-volt nickel cadmium-powered SDS Rotary Hammer, Hilti has a 36-volt model and Black & Decker’s new ThunderBolt 24-volt Cordless Tool System includes a lightweight SDS Rotary Hammer that runs off a 24-volt lead acid battery pack that is worn on the hip.

Many manufactures offer cordless hammerdrills. Most are 12-volt hammerdrills, but Black & Decker also makes 13.2-volt Kodiak Cordless Hammerdrill and a Thunderolt 24-volt Cordless Hammerdrill.

ROTARY HAMMERBITS. We have just a few easy rules to remember when choosing rotary hammer bits. Rule number one:

Use one-piece or solid-piece spline drive bits, not bits and spline drive adapters. Pest control operators have two choices when using drill bits for a rotary hammer. They can use solid-piece bits that cost a little more, or they can buy spline drive adapters and taper bits.

Initially, every rotary hammer manufacture had a different bit design. Now, a common design has been accepted and most rotary hammer manufacturers use spline drive bits for their bigger hammers and SDS bits for their smaller ones.

Most spline drive rotary hammer operators have switched to solid-piece bits, and we recommend that you do too.

First of all, when using an adapter and bit you are losing energy where the bit meets the adapter and, therefore, you lose drilling speed. In fact, Black & Decker engineers have measured the difference in speed between the two and found that the solid-piece spline drive bit increased drilling speed by at least 15 percent over the bit-and-adapter system. Thus, using the solid-piece bit can save time and money.

Also, although solid-piece bits are initially more expensive than using the bit-and-adapter system, today’s spline drive rotary hammers are too powerful for the bit-and-adapter system. Field tests have clearly demonstrated that whenever the hammer gets hung up or is not drilling perfectly straight, adapters all to often split prematurely, thus costing the operator as much or more money than using solid-piece bits.

And, if you buy off-brand bits, you can run into further problems with adapters. We’ve found that the tapered portion isn’t machined correctly and doesn’t fit into the adapter properly, which splits the adapter or allows the bit to fall out of the adapter.

Rule number two:

Use rotary hammer bits offered by the hammer manufacturer. To be sure that your hammer performs to its specifications, you should use the bits offered by the hammer manufacturer.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of hammer supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Hammer bits have four basic components, and each one needs to be of the highest quality to ensure that the hammer performs properly. The components are:

1. The carbide tip. This must be of the highest quality to withstand the impact and abrasion of drilling.
2. The brazing of the carbide tip to the core of the bit. This is a critical process that must be done correctly to withstand the friction and heat generated during drilling.
3. The fluting angle of the bit. For slow turning hammers you want an undercut flute with an angle of 25 degrees. This acts like a shelf to lift dust out of the hole and keep the bit from overheating.
4. The steel core of the bit, which must be hardened to exact tolerances so that it is neither too hard nor too soft when deep drilling.

Rotary hammer manufacturers only offer bits of design and manufacturing tolerances that they are sure will be able to handle the intended job of the hammer. And they can handle even the hardest aggregates.

Different parts of the country add different types of rock or aggregate to their cement to make concrete. The different aggregates have different degrees of hardness. For example, Florida uses a soft shale type of rock, which means drill bits will go through concrete in Florida easier than in Alabama, where the rock they use is the hardest aggregate in the country.

Not surprisingly, you can buy off-brand bits on the market that will do a fine job in Florida, but can’t cut it in Alabama. Thus manufacturers have to offer hammer bits that can be sold anywhere in the country - another good reason to by your hammer bits from the manufacturer.

CONCLUSION. The tools you use can affect the amount of time it takes to complete a job. If there is a quicker way to do the job or a way that won’t tire out the worker as quickly, it’s in your best interest to change the way you are doing the job.

When you use the right hammer - and bit - for the job, you save not only time but money.

John Schiech is group product manager, rotary hammers, Black & Decker U.S. Power Tools Group. Joe Newland is sales and marketing manger, Black & Decker U.S. Power Tools Group Accessory Business.

What’s the Best Hammer for You?

A hammer is so much more than just a handle and a hammer head. There’s more to the humble hammer than the typical layperson might think. To learn more about the hammer, which models and which features work best for everyone from a seasoned pro to a newbie DIYer, we reached out to Charlie Vaughan, a fifth-generation hammer maker. In addition to Vaughan, we reached out to a product service manager at Stiletto and had a few conversations with people in the trades about which hammers they use and why.

Ultimately, choosing the right hammer comes down to how it feels in your hand as well as how you plan to use it. If you’re looking for a hammer, here’s everything you need to know along with some of our favorite product recommendations.

Steel Handled Hammers

Steel handles are the strongest of the bunch. It’s tough to beat a solid or welded piece of steel when it comes to overall strength. But steel is also the heaviest option, and that extra weight doesn’t necessarily mean that steel-handled hammers pack more punch. A lot of the hammer’s weight is down away from the strike point, so it doesn’t actually affect the striking power. Steel hammers are the worst offenders for causing vibrations that impact the user. Heavy vibrations can lead to repetitive strain injuries and other ailments. Because of their strength, steel-handled hammers are a favorite among masons and demo crews.

We recommend this 16-ounce curved claw model from Estwing.

What the Pros Had To Say:

“With all the nailing guns out there, most people these days use their hammer for ‘destruction’ rather than ‘construction,'” says Charlie Vaughn, president of Vaughn Manufacturing. “So the kind of hammer you want really depends on what you’re going to do with the hammer. For demolition, steel would be the best choice.”

Hammers With Wood Handles

Wood handles transmit less vibration than fiberglass and much less vibration than metal handles. Wood is also the lightest handle material, which means most of the weight is up in the head (where it counts). Wood handles can be replaced if they are damaged and can even be customized for those uber-particular hammer connoisseurs out there. Wood handles are strong, but not as strong as steel, so not the best option for demo work.

If a hammer is going to hang from your pouch all day long, you probably don’t want it to be super heavy. And if you pound on a whole bunch of nails, a low vibrating wood handle is just the ticket. So, naturally, wood handles are typically preferred by framers, trim carpenters, and siding installers.

We recommend this 16-ounce rip hammer from Vaughan & Bushnell.

What the Pros Had To Say:

“When it comes to fewer vibrations, wood handles are by far the best,” says Vaugh. “And when it comes to the best type of wood, hickory is the only way to go.”

Length and Contour of Hammer Handles

Most hammer handles are 14 to 18 inches long and are available in either a straight, curved or hatchet style. Hatchet-style hammer handles are a bit narrower than straight handles.

Some remodelers like 16-in. handles because they can use them as a quick guide to locating (not layout) a stud behind drywall or sheathing if they know the location of an adjacent stud. There are also siding installers who spend a good portion of the day on ladders and don’t like long hatchet-style handles or curved handles, because they tend to protrude forward just far enough to catch on the rungs when climbing down a ladder.

Many plumbers, electricians and mechanical workers often find themselves crawling around in tight spaces and therefore prefer short hammers, because they’re less likely to get hung up.

How Heavy Should a Hammer Head Be?

Most hammer heads weigh anywhere between 16 and 22 ounces. But that can be a little misleading because there’s no industry standard on how to weigh a hammer head. Weighing a hammer head with wooden and fiberglass handles is straightforward: just take the head off the handle and weigh it. But there is more of a gray area when it comes to hammers that are made with integrated steel handles and strike guards.

There are several things to consider when it comes to the weight of a hammer:

How you use it: If you do a lot of hammering above your head or even straight on, then lighter is better. If you are always swinging down low, like a mason building forms, then heavy is okay.

How often you use it: If it’s necessary that a hammer hangs from your pouch all day, but you use it infrequently, buy a lighter hammer. There’s no point in carrying around a massive weight on your side if you barely ever use it.

Your strength: Remember high school physics? Here’s a quick refresher: Force = Mass x Acceleration. This means a heavier hammer packs a larger wallop. BUT that’s only if you can swing the beast. There’s a point where a hammer becomes too heavy to swing fast, and a greater force would be achieved by swinging a lighter hammer, faster. What that point is will depend on the strength of the swinger.

Balance: Some folks love to swing a hammer with a super heavy head and a feather-light handle. Some prefer a hammer with a lower center of gravity like steel handled hammers have. Whenever possible, swing a hammer before buying one. Ask your friends, neighbors or the folks around you on a jobsite to try out their hammer before buying yours.

What the Pros Had To Say:

“The idea of balance means that weight is evenly distributed between top and bottom AND forward and backward,” says Vaughn. “A well-balanced hammer will HELP swing itself.  If you have an unbalanced hammer you might have less work hitting the nail but MORE work bringing it back up…unbalanced hammers cause muscles to ache after use!”

Milled Faced vs. Smooth Hammer Heads

This is an easy decision. A milled-faced hammer (sometimes called waffle-head) has a little traction, if you will, and is designed to drive in a nail without bending it over. But that final blow is going to leave a waffle shaped mark on the surface. That’s okay for rough framing, but if you work with any material like interior trim, where a waffle-shaped mark would be undesirable, then get yourself a hammer with a smooth-faced head.

What the Pros Had To Say:

“I use three different DeWalt hammers. The 22oz framing hammer, the 14oz finish hammer, and the 22oz demo hammer,” says general contractor Stu Cushman. “I swear by all of them for the comfort of handles, longer necks, and oversized faces. I can swing them all day and not get fatigued, the balance is awesome. I’ve been a carpenter/general carpenter for over 25 years and use a hammer for almost everything I do. I have found that the DeWalt line works best for me.”

Are Titanium Hammer Heads Worth the Money?

Hammers with a titanium head typically cost between $75 and $200, but they can reach the $300 neighborhood. So what do you get for all that money? More bang where you want it. When a steel head strikes a nail, about 30% of the energy from the blow recoils back up the hammer. When a titanium hammer head strikes a nail, only 3% of the energy bounces back. This means a titanium hammer will get the same results as a much-heavier steel hammer.

Also, this recoiled energy from a steel hammer head doesn’t just vanish into the ether; some of it will find its way back into the joints of the person swinging the hammer in the form of vibrations. If you pound in a bunch of nails every day and would enjoy properly functioning wrists, elbows, and shoulders 10 years from now, then invest in a titanium head hammer.

We recommend this model from Stiletto.

“All day, every day I swing a 14-oz. Stiletto with an 18-in. wooden handle,” says framing carpenter Jonah Jardine. “It doesn’t weigh hardly anything, but it swings like a 24-oz. monster.”

Titanium hammers are genuinely amazing, but be advised: You may want to keep a steel hammer on hand for your demo work because steel is actually harder than titanium.  Or you could buy a hammer with a steel head (or head face) and a titanium handle, combining the best of both worlds.

What the Pros Had To Say:

“We do not recommend excessively beating on hardened steel objects such as steel nail pullers, pry & crow bars, concrete stakes, foundation bolts, scaffolding pins & cup-locks, etc., as these objects will cause the milling on the solid Stiletto titanium hammer face to wear down faster, just as they would on a steel milled face,” says Joel Allen, manager of sales & service for Stiletto Tools. “The wear is typically just faster when used [titanium] in these applications, but usually no chipping or spalling (mushrooming) occurs.”

Which Hammer Head is Best?

Really, to each his own. There are dozens of specialty hammer heads to choose from, and it really just matters how you use your hammer and how good it feels in your hand. The hammer shown above is a Japanese hammer with a uniquely shaped head.What the pros had to say:

What the Pros Had To Say:

“Once you’ve found a favorite hammer, nothing else compares,” says Brad Holden, woodworker and Family Handyman editor. “About 20 years ago, I took a chance on this odd-looking hammer. I was relieved to find the balance and feel exactly to my liking. Besides the perfect feel, there are some nice extras. The steep claw angle gives ample leverage for pulling nails. Also, the claw’s tips are pointed to aid in digging out nails that are sunk below the surface. A milled face on the side of the head allows “sideways” hammering in tight quarters. I don’t use it often, but it has saved me more than once.”

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