Even many highly skilled do-it-yourselfers have learned the hard way that drilling into poured concrete with a 3/8″ or ½” drill – even with the best drill bits available – is an unrewarding adventure. 
This method is exhausting, burns through costly drill bits quickly and most often leaves a ragged, improperly sized hole. The trick to fast and easy concrete drilling is the tool: a rotary hammer. A rotary hammer (such as the 1″ D-Handle Rotary Hammer by Makita [model # HR2475] shown below) adds hammer blows to the drill bit during its revolutions. This makes quick work of concrete drilling projects – and the holes are precisely sized. Using a rotary hammer and a 3/8″ concrete drilling bit, it takes only about 8-seconds to drill every inch of depth in poured concrete. It will drill through mortar and cinder blocks like wood, and bricks are drilled twice as fast as poured concrete. Don’t forget to blow the dust out of the holes you drill before installing hardware. Be sure to wear goggles and a mask when using a rotary hammer – concrete dust is caustic! If you only need a rotary hammer for one job, rent one from Steadman’s by the hour, day or week.
Miles City, Montana
