BOSCH 11255VSR Bulldog Xtreme 8 Amp 1 Inch Corded Variable Speed SDS-Plus Concrete/Masonry Rotary Hammer

(Review for "Bosch 11255VSR BULLDOG Xtreme 1-Inch SDS-plus D-Handle Rotary Hammer", Purchased on Amazon June 2013.) 2-1/2 years later this tool has held up to the test of time, durability, and performance (and abuse!). It has so far easily chiseled through 600sqft of floor tile and thinset laid over concrete slab, broken apart portions of 4" concrete slab (after drilling holes into it first), and drilled many dozens of vertical holes into existing reinforced concrete foundation wall, ranging from 5/8" to 3/4" diameter holes down to 8" to 12" deep. As expected it has no problem with all of the various SDS-Plus bits and attachments, of which I have 6 different SDS-Plus concrete drilling bits, each 18" long, and 3 different chisel bits. The tool often gets covered in concrete dust after drilling yet does not impact performance and quick blast from an air compressors will easily clear the dust. I am impressed with its longterm durability, especially after weeks or sometimes months of no use while sitting in my toolboxes - it's been stored in my S.Texas garage or truck toolbox, exposed to S.Texas summer heat and humidity (but I've never allowed it to be directly exposed to wind-driven dirt, or to rain/water). I rarely use the case. [The case it ships with is terrific for storing the tool with its D-Handle and almost a dozen SDS-Plus bits (depending on length and tip), but it occupies too much space for my needs, and so it is stored in a mobile toolbox along with other power tools. The case is sturdy, of durable plastic, with good locking latches - I believe the case over time will not crack or become brittle as the plastic material appears to be the same as for other cases from Bosch, Dewalt, etc.] The metal bracket on the handle comes in extremely handy - pull the metal bracket out and the tool can be easily hung on any horizontal pipe, scaffold member, etc. - just like the Bosch Nail Guns. The tool's settings for forward-reverse (a slide switch) and for drill-combo-hammer (a dial) stays in place, and after more than a 100+ hours of (intermittent) use over 2-1/2 years, the dial and slide switch settings have never vibrated out of setting, unlike some other lesser (non-SDS) rotary hammers I've had. I have found that the reverse setting (counterclockwise rotation) is just as powerful as the forward (clockwise) rotation both in terms of speed and torque - an 18" long 3/4" diameter SDS-Plus drill bit will often get stuck on it's way to 8" to 12" deep, especially when it encounters rebar or some really hard stone aggregate...and as the tool description says, it disengages the torque when it detects the bit is stuck. Getting unstuck is as easy as throwing the hammer/drill into reverse. It almost instantly gets unstuck, ready to go at it again. The large red trigger (on/off) button on the handle has so far been great - I can fit 1-2 fingers to hold it down for those long drills into concrete (I have not complaints on the trigger-pull as I do on one of my handguns :)). The best part is that this trigger appears to accurately and proportionately control the variable speed rotation of the drill (in either forward or reverse) - you can go from zero to full speed rotation fast or control the drill/hammer speed as precisely as needed, which is fantastic when first starting off a drill bit. In my opinion, this SDS-Plus hammer-drill is powerful - with the right SDS-Plus concrete drill bit, most of the 8" to 12" deep holes in concrete take only several minutes. (IF you need a more powerful hammer-drill for concrete and hard stone, well...get the bigger cousin.) Bit changing is fantastic with the SDS-Plus format and the tool's quick-change chuck - the chuck is a solid design. Once the SDS-Plus bit is locked in, it doesn't come off or come loose, and the only times that it does is because the bit wasn't properly/fully inserted. The D-Handle is in my opinion adequately designed and does the job well - I've never removed it, always using the D-Handle on every use without a problem whatsoever. The only issue I have had is the depth gauge, but nothing worth dinging any stars from the core tool itself...whatever metal it's made of (aluminum?) is flimsy and it bends way too easily. Sure I can unbend it but it's a bother trying to really straighten it out. It is also short for my needs, although I think most users will be happy with it. [FYI - 18" long SDS-Plus drill bits have 4-6" of empty shank and the depth gauge is barely long enough when drilling down to only 6"-8". I have no comparisons to other hammer-drills of the SDS-Plus class so I do not have adequate perspective to share. I bought the tool based on the reviews on Amazon and research of SDS, SDS-Plus, and SDS-Max hammer drills. Even with my own [limited] abuse, I think this is one of the best quality, most powerful and most durable power tools I will ever own. In a few weeks, I'll be using this tool to pound 5/8" and 3/4" by 8 foot long ground rods into rocky soil...I have no hesitation that it'll do a great job fast.

Absolute Beast, Great Value!!!

This hammer drill has come in very useful for me when working with concrete, rock, brick, tile, etc. It has modes for drilling, hammering, and combination drilling and hammering. While I typically use the hammer drill mode for drilling holes into concrete and other hard surfaces, the hammer mode has also come in very useful for applications such as peeling up tile with a chisel attachment, breaking apart rock while digging underground, breaking apart a concrete block, etc. I find almost everything I have from Bosch is of good quality, and this is no exception. I have used it for hours on end and while the tool may get a little hot, it keeps on going. Price is also very reasonable. Highly recommended.

This Bosch Drill is just the ticket. I'm a retired home owner, so I might drill two holes this month and 200 next. So far I punched about 50 holes in 8", 3000 psi concrete and it has performed flawlessly. The last one I had ( some jap brand) lasted 3 holes and burned up. When I was working we had the same drill and probably used it for a couple of years without any problems. For the value, excellent, great quality. easy to use. Not super lightweight, but for a hammer drill, you dot want that.

This is a work horse. I am using it to build out my basement. It pushes the bits through like butter. My only problem was that the depth guide moved with the vibration but it doesn’t affect my review. I like it a lot. The vibration was not bad either. My hands experienced no issues. It is a great tool, seems heavy duty, and was a good value for the money. Perfect!

I bought this drill two weeks ago, so I cannot speak about the durability of it. It does seem very sturdily built. I have also not used it for concrete yet, so I don't know how it will function. But, I have been using it for regular drilling and sinking screws, and it will drill and sink pretty much anything with ease. There are two reasons I am giving this 4 instead of 5 stars, but I would give it 4.5 if I could. Reason 1 - It does have variable speed, meaning the harder you press the trigger, the faster it goes. This is great, but it is a hair trigger. You have to press very very lightly to get a low speed and it ramps up to full speed rather quickly. This can be a problem for people who tend to clench all their fingers when stabilizing the drill. I have the hang of it because I had a similar drill before, but a friend of mine who is helping me on the project can't seem to get it. Reason 2 - I wasn't familiar with what SDS Plus meant until I got the drill and instruction booklet. (Chalk this up to DIY experience versus someone who is a pro.) For those who don't know what SDS Plus is, it is a type of drill bit that you use when hammer drilling concrete. It allows the drill itself to bang up and down without the drill bit moving up and down (similar to how a nail stays in place when you bang it with a hammer) due to a channel system cut in the side of the drill bit. The problem is that the only SDS Plus bits readily available at most hardware stores are for concrete. The reason I bought this hammer drill, though, was because it had the option of being used only as a drill (as well as only as a hammer and both at the same time) so that I could use it around the house as well. This means you need an adapter to accept regular drill bits. I bought an adapter [...] and the drill has been great on everything I use it for. I know some people will chalk this last reason up to user error, but I am willing to bet there are a lot of DIY people out there who do not know what SDS Plus means. To me, it sounded just like part of the drill's name in the Amazon title. Long story short, I can say that for the two-weeks I have had it, this hammer drill is great as a drill so long as you have the adapter and so long as you can manage the hair trigger. I will update further when I have had it longer and used the hammer and hammer-drill functions.

If you need to drill concrete this is the impact drill you need.

I'm very happy with this tool. I purchased it to replace my corded hammer drill that's equipped with a regular Jacob's chuck. The Bosch rotary hammer drill is very easy to use. It is also much less tiring to use than my older corded hammer drill. It produces less vibrations and much less noise when drilling through concrete. Over the last few months, I have drilled hundreds of holes with this new tool and I have nothing bad to say about it. The carrying case is simple and well build (it's far from a pelican case, but it does the job). So far, the biggest holes I've drilled in concrete with this tool were 1/2"x8" for mechanical anchors. It felt like I was drilling through butter! I have also tried the hammer function to chip concrete around pipes going through floors. Again, this tool worked really well for that too. The trigger is sensitive enough to accurately control the chipping action blow by blow to not damage the pipes close to the chisel's tip.

Lo he utilizado durante tre meses para perforación sobre mampostería y una que otra ocasión en concreto, hasta el momento no se ha dañado (usándolo adecuadamente y aceitando las brocas), no se calienta y el impacto con el que perfora es bueno y rápido, no es pesado y tiene buen agarre.

I just broke up ten feet of concrete using this and a sledgehammer. I bought this and the Bosch SDS masonry drill bit set, drilled five holes every ten inches and hit the weak points I made, with the hammer. The concrete broke the perfect rectangles that I could easily pick up and move. The drill went through the concrete like butter. I was almost having fun drilling the holes because it was so easy. This thing is a beast. Highly recommend.

Producto necesario en tu kit de herramientas; Solo considerar que se calienta un poco cuando el uso es constante, pero aún así cumple con creces su función. Dado que se trata de un Bulldog SDS Plus, sugiero adquirir también “la grasa de la marca” y un kit de brocas SDS PLUS de la marca y/o bien adquirir un adaptador de la marca para poder usar brocas convencionales; Ambas cosas no son costosas

Comme toujours Bosch excellent produit et très puissant pour les gros projets