Bosch 11236VS 1-1/8-Inch SDS Rotary Hammer

I have been in the trades for over 20 years and never felt that i needed a "REAL" Hammer drill, somehow got by with a Cordless Dewalt Hammer but struggled thinking thats the nature of the beast? Well i have to say this would be one tool that i couldn't do without!! I mostly use it for 1/4" tapcons in Foundations and its a Breeze.The tool is just the perfect weight/Size any heavier would be to much for a Tapcon drill,if your doing mostly 3/16-1/2" holes and occasionally larger coring then i would have no reservations for suggesting this Rotary Hammer. Its absolutely great!And for Under $200 its tough to beat.

I give this drill 4 stars because I have only had it for a couple of weeks. Currently using it on a job, drilling and chipping through 6 inches of concrete, and it is doing great. Next year I would give it 5 stars if it was still performing as it is now. This is a great drill if you need to do some light chipping as well as drilling. Certainly the price is excellent compared to the competition. Interesting to research SDS bit systems and see that Bosch was the originator of these standards. I am fully expecting this drill to meet expectations.

I haven't actually used my new drill yet but if it preforms like ones I have borrowed I will be thrilled....

I've been in construction for over twenty years, a previous employer had one of these rotary hammers and we used it often for chasing bx and electrical boxes into brick, concrete, structo-lite or block and never had a problem. We also used it to drill into the older concrete buildings that seemed to be too hard for an ordinary hammer drill. I've always wanted to get one of these for myself and currently where I am I only have an 18vLiOn hammer drill. This Bosch would be a far better choice than a corded hammer drill because it is similar in weight but can do a lot more tasks and just plain better at drilling.

I read a lot of posts here about folks complaining about the loose chuck, the bit can wobble in the chuck but that is the nature of sds rotary hammers and it hasn't had any detrimental effects on drilling holes for anchors or tapcons.

After using my neighbors 11255VSR Bulldog Extreme (recently listed at $179 on Amazon)- I realized what I was missing out on. I did some research and decided on the heavier 11236VS. It is a great tool for the homeowner/DIY handyman. Currently Amazon has the best price I could find, the local big box harware store is selling it at a ridiculous $317.00.

This tool is great but it does have what I consider one major flaw! It does not have a reverse. Are You kidding ME! - What was Bosch thinking! Even the next lower model has reverse!! Granted you only really need it if you bind up a bit. When using this tool always have a good pair of vise grips handy.

Also the unit is somewhat sloppy (lateral motion at the end of the bit) even when brand new. I don't think it's a big problem if your primarily drilling. But if your primary use is chipping, and you need accuracy (so as to not disturb surrounding area), you might want to try another tool.

Overall a great tool for the handyman, and a great price at Amazon!