Hammer Drill & Mud Mixer


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Old 01-07-18, 04:01 PM
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Hammer Drill & Mud Mixer

Sorry for the long post.

My regular corded hammer drill, a Makita HP1501K which I owned for over two decades, is failing. The chuck is no longer protruding and retracting as I tighten and loosen, and has gotten worse over the last two months. During hurricane Irma a few months ago I was drilling a lot of concrete blocks (had to attach about 40 sheets of 4X8 plywood with 10-12 Tapcon screws per sheet) in the rain and I think some water and concrete dust got into it, and recently I was drilling upward with a paddle bit into cement based plaster on the ceiling, and a lot of the debris fell into it. Anyways I got 20 years out of it so I am looking for a new hammer drill.

Now, I do have a Ridgid brand 18V cordless hammer drill as part of a Ridgid combo kit I bought last year. A Gen5 BRUSHED hammer drill and compact driver combo. Tried to use the hammer drill - and I don't really use a hammer drill for anything else besides drilling holes for Tapcon 80% of the time, and the other 20% is using it for hole saws, whether it's wood holes for plumbing electrical through wood studs, or carbide/diamond hole saws on tiles. I have tried the Ridgid cordless hammer drill, and it just doesn't perform as fast as the corded Makita. So I use the cordless only when an extension cord is really inconvenient. Was kind of disappointed the cordless hammer drill couldn't retire my corded one.

I also have a Bosch SDS rotary hammer for heavy duty drilling and chipping. It's too heavy to use for lighter duty tasks.

So it looks like I need to get a new hammer drill.

At the same time, I have a few cement/plaster projects coming up. I will need to mix some stucco for windows, some veneer plaster for ceilings, some concrete mix for paver edges and fence posts. So I could use a mud mixer because I know a traditional drill can't handle mixing mud in a 5 gallon bucket.

So what I want to know is, is there a new corded hammer drill out there, that is capable of doing both hammer drilling AND mud mixing? Or do I need to buy TWO tools?

Alternatively, could I use my SDS rotary hammer to mix mud and not buy a dedicated mud mixer?

Finally, is my disappointment in the cordless hammer drill a result of the brand & model I selected - Ridgid? Are there other brands out there whose hammer drill can come close to the performance of a corded one?

Apologize for the convoluted and messy post.
 
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Old 01-07-18, 04:14 PM
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Guys generally use spade handle drills for mixing mud and mortar. The drills have around 9 amps and the handle is a must to hold onto when mixing heavy material. They are also lower rpm, variable speed. At first you might just have to bump the switch... on... on... on... until it gets to mixing. Drywallers have a dedicated drill like this just for mixing.

I have a rotary hammer and I'm not sure I'd want to mix anything with it. It's far too expensive to be mixing cement with. But they do make sds mixer bits and if you have one with a handle I'm sure it would work for that. Mine is 7.5 amps... I would hate to burn it up mixing mud.

I use my rotary hammer to drill the 3/16" holes for all tapcons (I only use the 1/4" tapcons... never 3/16) and it makes quick work of the holes. No way I am messing around with a little 1/2" hammer drill when drilling into concrete. Ain't got the time or patience, corded or not.

Most cordless hammer drill are just light duty. It's the force behind the hammer and the number of bpm (beats/minute) that decide how much power it will have. They may have a lot of bpm, but if they don't pack a punch you are wasting your time. Rotary hammer all the way.


 
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Old 01-07-18, 04:25 PM
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I'm with X, I would buy a spade mixing drill. I don't even own a hammer drill, I do have a Makita rotary hammer/chipping hammer.
 

Last edited by Handyone; 01-07-18 at 05:46 PM.
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Old 01-07-18, 06:12 PM
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I guess I am the opposite. I try to use the hammer drill where I can when I can, and only break out the rotary hammer when I have to go through block walls or slabs for pipes or whatever. For drilling Tapcon screws I prefer the smaller hammer drill especially on an 8' ladder holding up plywood. No way I could use the rotary hammer while balanced on a ladder and try to hold a piece of whatever in place.

The hammer drill gets a lot of use. To drill holes for Tapcons, and to use hole saws, paddle bits through wood using the non hammer model. My regular drill gets put aside without being used for the last 5 years. I use a cordless impact driver to drive screws. I had hope the cordless hammer drill could retire my corded one, but the cordless one sits in a box now, probably forever.

I really would like to reduce the number of tools I use to a minimum, but if I have to buy a dedicated mud mixer I will.
 
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Old 01-07-18, 07:11 PM
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IF you don't use it every day this might be a good option for mud mixing: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...ill-63112.html

For hammer drills a SDS hammer drill can't be beat.
 
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Old 01-08-18, 03:18 AM
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I have the HF drill that TI provided a link to. I bought it 7-8 yrs ago and use it several times a year to mix mud or roof paint. It's preformed fine, no regrets.
 
 

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