Hilti

[J C Builders]

Who uses Hilti tools? Are they worth the extra cost?
Just killed my Makita SDS plus and a Bosch SDS Max on the same day last week

 

[Quattromike]

Don't think there is anything out there that beats the Hilti sds drills. A league of their own. Pricey right enough but I feel they are worth it.
We used to use Hilti battery tools also but they have gone out of favour with us, if you buy a couple of drills or drivers a year every time the battery has changed and is not compatible with the previous tool and you end up with tools with no batteries and you can't get or batteries with missing tools. And if you buy a new tool it'll be a different battery again . This is my 2p worth

 

[Brendan]

DeWalt kit 18v is decent and reasonable for price.
The 54v stuff is excellent

 

[J C Builders]

I don’t mind paying the money if it’s decent stuff, they do take a hammering.

Regarding battery tools all mine are makita and have no problems with them, always use cabled tools for prolonged / heavy work.

 

[Mintsauce]

Just got a dewalt 110v sds max as it was a much better price than the other quality brands. Works fine so far and bought to replace an old kango 950 which i had for years. The hire firms favour hilti I think so there's probably a reason for it.

Hitachi 18v kit seems ok. I think it doesn't have the same quality feel to hand that my previous makitas had. Unfortunately a faulty battery charger had wrecked many of my Makita batteries before I managed to realise the problem, most of my Makita kit became u/s in a short period so won't be going back there.

I favour 110v tools over cordless now.

 

[V8Druid]

used to really rate Hilti .... their quality is great, but after an irate conversation with their rep., many years ago, about their lack of support for their older gear, that was the end of my love affair with them.
They build their tools to last ..... and they do .... I have a lovely TE17 sat, for the want of new brushes (best drill they ever made IMHDO) ... post 10 years and Hilti do not support it ... the drill will last a life time ... just don't want any spares

Spit Paslode are also in the same league .... quality and price-wise

..... bear in mind i am talking corded gear .... battery stuff never used to cut it for me ... our use was always heavy and needed a tool to work 100% every time you picked it up
... I do have a couple of Makita battery drills, which have been very good for my own personal use, but wouldn't have lasted long on my 'shop floor'
Recently bought an Erbauer off Screwfix, on one of their 'deal days' and must say I am impressed, for such a small package, it's bloody good

 

[doobin]

I can buy ten Screwfix cheapy 'Titan' SDS drills for the price of one Hilti. Love my two Titan breakers, but if you're snobby about that sort of thing you coudl also get three Makita or Dewalt breakers. f**k that. In the same 'league' as Snap On IMHO. Good but well overpriced.

Druid, if your Makita stuff wouldn't have lasted long on your shop floor, you must have the DIY stuff from Homebase. My op bought some the other day- it's nice, but not a patch on the pro gear. I have top the top model of nearly every LXT range and the only thing I've had failures with are the impact wrenches.They turned a warranty repair around overnight- very impressed. I have a ten year old imapct driver that's been run over twice. Back in spring I dropped it from the apex of a barn we were re-cladding- I had a good five seconds to think 'well that's buggered it' as it made it's way straight down to concrete. Battery s**t it's guts everywhere but the tool is still going strong! And I glued the battery case back together with Stixall

 

[mart1602]

+1 for the titan doobin very powerfull and cheap and if i remember right 3 yr warranty which screwfix will exchange for new no questions asked ,stay away from bosch the biggest load of s**t going

 

[V8Druid]

+1 for the titan doobin very powerfull and cheap and if i remember right 3 yr warranty which screwfix will exchange for new no questions asked ,stay away from bosch the biggest load of s**t going

used a Titan breaker last year ..... very impressed by its capabilities ... the smell coming from it said it weren't going to last though .... but hey ..... take it back and have a new one on their 3 yr warranty .. fautless ..... Dan Slim Weston's a huge fan of them.....and their no quibble replacements

as said ... this lil' Erbauer drill is bloody impressive .... don't 'arf get hot though

Again, as you said, Bosch is total crap ..... never, ever had a tool Bosch made, last very long ...... complete waste of funds

I can buy ten Screwfix cheapy 'Titan' SDS drills for the price of one Hilti. Love my two Titan breakers, but if you're snobby about that sort of thing you coudl also get three Makita or Dewalt breakers. f**k that. In the same 'league' as Snap On IMHO. Good but well overpriced.

Druid, if your Makita stuff wouldn't have lasted long on your shop floor, you must have the DIY stuff from Homebase. My op bought some the other day- it's nice, but not a patch on the pro gear. I have top the top model of nearly every LXT range and the only thing I've had failures with are the impact wrenches.They turned a warranty repair around overnight- very impressed. I have a ten year old imapct driver that's been run over twice. Back in spring I dropped it from the apex of a barn we were re-cladding- I had a good five seconds to think 'well that's buggered it' as it made it's way straight down to concrete. Battery s**t it's guts everywhere but the tool is still going strong! And I glued the battery case back together with Stixall

Totally agree Ruben ..... totally OTT on their prices .... but it does last .. and last ...... etc., but when it outlasts their support, it's a right pisser

The Makitas are probably 15+ years old Boyo .... no idea what they are .... bought when Maklita was Makita - simples ... no multiple ranges of quality
got loads of corded Makita tools and all top notch ... worth every penny they cost ... and a few Dewalt tools, before they went all Chinese, or where ever the **** they're made now .... when they were real gear ...... and all going strong

You'm prob.s too young to remember Wolf power tools ..... great .... for 6 months or so, then downhill ... fast

the point I was making about the shop floor tools was more about corded over battery ..... a corded tool gives 100% every time ... and don't have to worry about whether it's charged, or WTF the charger is, or whether you've another battery that is charged, or be held up 'cos the damned thing's gone flat.
Middle of nowhere, or remote from power sources, they're great .... with sockets at every 10 ft or less, around a 9000 sq ft workshop building .... corded every time

 

[Antony Holmes]

i was out with a Hilti rep a few years back and he told me the 2 main reason,s the hire company's used them one was you got them on the tick and the warranty was very good and would change a piece of plant that was not working with very few questions. i am not shore if it is the same now or if you are an end user

 

[Furniss]

I have 18V Makita stuff which has been o.k for but gears have gone in the drill now and it only works in low - also have a set of 36V Dewalt stuff - actual dewalt 36V tool seems very good and strong but batteries dodgy and expensive to replace, i think Dewalt 36v range has been dropped now.

Got a vid from my mate other day of both his Makita drills sat smoking after spitting their dummies out.

 

[doobin]

used a Titan breaker last year ..... very impressed by its capabilities ... the smell coming from it said it weren't going to last though .... but hey ..... take it back and have a new one on their 3 yr warranty .. fautless ..... Dan Slim Weston's a huge fan of them.....and their no quibble replacements

as said ... this lil' Erbauer drill is bloody impressive .... don't 'arf get hot though

Again, as you said, Bosch is total crap ..... never, ever had a tool Bosch made, last very long ...... complete waste of funds



Totally agree Ruben ..... totally OTT on their prices .... but it does last .. and last ...... etc., but when it outlasts their support, it's a right pisser

The Makitas are probably 15+ years old Boyo .... no idea what they are .... bought when Maklita was Makita - simples ... no multiple ranges of quality
got loads of corded Makita tools and all top notch ... worth every penny they cost ... and a few Dewalt tools, before they went all Chinese, or where ever the **** they're made now .... when they were real gear ...... and all going strong

You'm prob.s too young to remember Wolf power tools ..... great .... for 6 months or so, then downhill ... fast

the point I was making about the shop floor tools was more about corded over battery ..... a corded tool gives 100% every time ... and don't have to worry about whether it's charged, or WTF the charger is, or whether you've another battery that is charged, or be held up 'cos the damned thing's gone flat.
Middle of nowhere, or remote from power sources, they're great .... with sockets at every 10 ft or less, around a 9000 sq ft workshop building .... corded every time

My Titan breakers are 8 and 3 years old, and I can't fault them.

Agree re workshop use- have all my corded grinders out today!

 

[Brendan]

The titan stuff is utter crap fair enough the breakers work but quality wise they are very poor.
Had a titan hammer drill and returned that as tiny pieces of the bushes were spitting out of the side of it you would literally be covered in tiny red cuts.
Had 3 titan breakers one last 20mins another 2 months and the last around 6 months.
To be fair the breakers do work but like all the titan stuff they are not for trade.
Going off the HSE hav rules the breaker has 6 mins per 24 hours before it's reaches the 2.5m/s2 take action level and a total of 24mins before it's reaches the 5m/s2 level that should be exceeded (less than 20mins if using the main and screw handle together)
With vwf claims being in the thousands doesn't look such a bargain.
Unfortunately there is a reason why the decent stuff is expensive keeping with 110v dewalts top 110v breaker (d25902) it's 4 times more expensive than the titan but it's 53mins before 2.5m/s2 level and 3hrs 33mins before the 5m/s2 limit so nearly 10 times more safe usage and the same again for the 5m/s2 max. It's the same with hammer drills the decent low vibe stuff does make a difference.
Outside of 110v the JCB low vibe hydraulic hammers can be used safely for 8+ hours along with the superior breaking

 

[Brendan]

For cordless the DeWalt 54v range offers true corded power but cordless although it costs a fortune but does what it says. Their big cordless mitre saw can run with either two 54v batteries or 110v if adaptor is used

 

[fred]

for breakers we allways try and use a machine with pecker even if its more hassle, the health and safety side of it can bankrupt you if they make a claim for wobbly finger or whatever. We hire in the little 1 tonners for taking up floors inside. for the odd 5 minute job we use a hilti breaker.

 

[Volbar1]

I'm a fan of Hilti drills, my lads kick the s**t out of them on a daily basis and they hold together. The customer service has also been top notch.
Purchased a second hand Hilti of ebay from a plant hire firm (as you do when bored on a wet Sunday afternoon) it broke after a couple of months, phoned Hilti, they sent a courier same day collection, next day informed me that it was going to cost £280 to repair, was told not worth it as drill was an old model but for the same price would send me a new updated version
Also use 3/4 Makita impact drivers, they look like they've been kicked down the road for ten miles but after 2 years no problem whatsoever

 

[doobin]

Also use 3/4 Makita impact drivers, they look like they've been kicked down the road for ten miles but after 2 years no problem whatsoever

I'm a big Makita fan, but the 3/4 wrench lasted less than a year of not particularly heavy use before the motor shat itself. Credit to Makita, they turned it round overnight, but it still doesn't seem right and occasionally smells 'electrical'.

 

[Quattromike]

I’m thinking on treating myself to a new battery impact gun, this thread cam up in the search. It looks as if the Milwaukee 1/2” M18 fuel is tops with all the top ten comparisons sites, or ingersol rand make an appearance to. Anyone have any good experience with either?
We use metabo at work and seem good and lasting.

 

[Regy53]

Milwaukee I have a load of there gear in the workshop and it’s sublime

 

[Quattromike]

I’m thinking they also do other tools that would use the same batteries ie drill, drivers, grinder that I may be tempted with in da future. Whereas the ingersol rand I don’t think has this option but the likes of makita might but never really heard of anyone using them in anger.