The more you take care of your SDS hammer drill, the longer it will last. And one way to take care of it is to grease it after every few uses. When you grease it, the drill and the holder will continue to run smoothly. You’ll be able to remove and replace the drill bit more easily, and the bit will never get stuck inside the chuck.
What is SDS in Hammer Drill?
SDS stands for Slotted Drive Shaft or Slotted Drive System. SDS bits are installed on rotary hammer drills for drilling and chiseling. There are three major types of SDS drills right now – Regular SDS drill, Max SDS drill, and shank drill. However, the most popular SDS drills are Max SDS drills and Regular SDS drills.
So, what is the difference between both of them? A max SDS drill is bigger than a regular SDS drill, and as such, it can drill bigger holes, it can chisel tiles, and it can break concrete faster.
What is an SDS Drill Used For?
The tool is used for drilling holes into masonry, breaking concrete, and chiseling tiles. That’s why it often comes with three modes – Hammer drill, hammer, and drill modes. When you select the hammer drill mode, the drill bit spins and also hammers the surface at the same time. That’s why it is able to drill holes faster.
When you select the drill mode, it spins only. The hammer mode is meant for breaking concrete only. It is used to break concrete during demolition. You need the right drill bit for different tasks. The SDS hammer drill is specifically created for hard tasks.
How Do You Grease an SDS Hammer Drill? 4 Steps
All SDS hammer drills are well-greased before sending them out of the factory. So, it could take you up to 6 months before you need to grease your SDS hammer drill again. Follow the steps below to grease your drill. Also, there are different ways to grease different SDS hammer drills.
And greasing instructions are often given by manufacturers. So, you should check your SDS hammer drill for its greasing instructions.
Step 1 :
Apply some grease to the base of a drill bit before you insert the bit into the hammer drill.
Step 2 :
Apply some grease around the chuck too.
Step 3 :
Dismantle the hammer drill and grease all the internal parts where two or more metals are rubbing against each other.
Step 4 :
Couple it together.
How often you use your SDS hammer drill will determine how often you grease it.
What is the Difference Between an SDS Drill and a Hammer Drill?
First, you need to keep in mind that an SDS drill is a type of hammer drill, and that’s why both tools are used interchangeably. However, SDS drills are bigger and tougher than hammer drills. SDS drills are designed for hard tasks like breaking concrete, chiseling tiles, and drilling into concrete.
As you would expect, SDS drills are more expensive than Hammer drills because they handle tougher tasks.
Can You Convert a Normal Drill to SDS?
It depends on the brand. For some brands, you can easily convert a regular hammer drill to an SDS hammer drill by replacing the regular chuck with the SDS chuck. At the same time, it is not possible with some other brands. It is either a hammer drill or an SDS hammer drill.
How Do You Break Concrete with an SDS Drill?
Although breaking concrete is a tough task, it can be very easy when done with an SDS drill. Here are the steps involved.
Step 1 :
Choose the appropriate chisel bit.
Step 2 :
Insert the chisel bit into the drill.
Step 3 :
Mark the parts of the concrete that you want to break.
Step 4 :
Plug the SDS hammer drill into an outlet and select the hammer mode.
Step 5 :
Place the tip of the bit on the spot where you want to begin breaking, then trigger the drill.
Step 6 :
Continue to break the concrete moving from one area to the other until you finish breaking all the concrete.
Make sure you’re locked away from your children and pets. This will prevent them from running into you while using your SDS hammer drill. In addition, you need to remove and wipe the bit when you’re through with the task.
How to Choose an SDS drill?
Your workshop isn’t complete without an SDS drill because of the usefulness of the tool. And you should not just choose any SDS drill at random. It is better to follow the tips below.
Select a popular brand – Popular brands are tested and trusted. So, when you purchase any of them, you’ll be sure that you’re paying for quality. Some popular drill brands are DeWalt, Bosch, Makita, and Milwaukee.
Purchase it from Amazon – There are numerous online stores where you can purchase an SDS drill, but it might be a good idea to consider Amazon first. There are many sellers of the same products, so there’s a lot of competition. That’s why the platform offers highly competitive prices.
In addition, you’ll have access to a lot of reviews that can guide you. The third reason to purchase your SDS drill from Amazon is its 30-day return window. Within this window, you can return the product and get a full refund.
Read reviews – Take the time to read several reviews of your preferred SDS drill before you buy it. You may be able to avoid common mistakes. And you may also come across workarounds for certain challenges.
Try it within 30 days – Even if there’s no project in hand, you need to find a way to test your drill within 30 days of purchase, so you can return it if there’s any problem with it. You don’t want to get stuck with a tool you can’t use.
Final Words
Once again, don’t forget to grease your SDS drill regularly to make it run smoothly all the time. Check the user manual for greasing instructions and follow them strictly. And if there are no greasing instructions, follow the ones listed above. Greasing will definitely extend the lifespan of your SDS hammer drill, and it will give optimum performance all the time.
