hi, depending on what type of planter you have? i just picked up a small but thick 18" high 15" round exposed aggregate planter with no drainage holes. i only had my 18v cordless drill onhand and a 1/2" mas. bit. wasn't easy! 1" bits are available but you'll have to use better drill than what i used. i have a 1/2" drill that would of made the job easier. hammer drill would of been better yet. all of the big box hardware stores would have a bit. i'm not sure if there are any splitting/cracking threats, my pot didn't cost me anything so i wasn't concerned with what i did.

Yes 1" masonry bits are available from Home Depot as a rental for a few bucks or about $ 12 bucks us currency to purchase . However a hammer drill would be preferred if cement is more than a few inches thick !

This is the type of planter I need to drill. The base is about 1.5 inches thick solid concrete. The planter weighs over 150 pounds.

This discussion is already very useful. It's immediately clear to me I need a hammer drill.

I wanted to find a portable unit that uses my Dewalt 18V batteries, but that search made it clear that most of Dewalt's hammer drills are 20V and the one unit I found that was 18V looked like it only takes small bits.

I found this video on Youtube, and this side by side comparison makes me believe that a corded extremely heavy-duty hammer drill is the way to go. I would only use this about three or four times a year, but when I need it that drill would save me an hour of drilling each time.

Can someone recommend some corded heavy-duty hammer drills that take larger bits? It does not have to be a one inch bit. If someone made 3/4 of an inch or 7/8 inch bits I would get by on that. A model that might be found cheaper on the used market would be quite welcome.

As previously advised Home Depot would be the easiest source for your needs , They carry all the Commercial grade drills and bits for this application Dewalt if Battery design is paramount has the strongest hammer drill design currently . Otherwise any corded unit will suffice within your needs ..

that drill (hilti) in that video is around 400.00. like sse mentioned, check HD, lowes for what your doing harbor freight has inexpensive drills and bits. i would definitely go corded. i just watched that video, it's not a hilti but top quality.

The Makita Rotary Hammer Drills seem like the most cost-effective solution. They all have very high user ratings and there are good choices under $200.

westes, that looks like a good choice. should make quick work of those holes the plant needs. have fun!

@ssewalk1, as I said, I agree that corded is the right way to go. You get a substantial amount of power - which this application needs - without paying as much as similar battery-powered units cost. Given my low usage, it really makes no sense to require portability and double my cost.

How would you compare the Makita, Dewalt, and Milwaukee corded units?

Milwaukee hands down on the corded units , , I currently have Milwaukee Circular saw and Drill from the 60,s that I still use in the shop lol. In summary Milwaukee , Dewalt , Mikita for the dollar long term in that order of features !

@ssewalk1 here are two Milwaukee corded drills under $250. Do you favor either of them and why?

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-5262-21-8-inch-Rotary-Hammer/dp/B0058KIEQ4

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Corded-Rotary-Hammer-5268-21/dp/B00NP2NHT6

westes, both well capable for what you mentioned, the second one is a bit over kill IMO. both have the features you/I'd want. these won't accept regular drill bits w/o a adapter.

For your need the 1 st unit is all you require and excepts up to 7/8 " shank bits which is more than u need for a 1 " by 1/2 " sds shanked masonry bit Bud !

I mail ordered the Milwaukee 5262-21 rotary hammer. It was used so I will cross my fingers that it works well. What would be the recommended 3/4-inch and 1-inch drill bits for drilling through not more than two inches of concrete with this drill?

hi, good luck on your purchase. you'll need "SDS bits", and if you have other bits, one's with round shanks and would like to use them in that drill, you'll need a adapter probably available where to get your masonary bit. bits are available at all hardware stores, not hard to find. have fun.

Weste , 3/4 " actually should be more than adequate for the drainage you require . Just ensure u purchase a 3/4" sds ( slotted drive system ) bit .

I guess any vendor's 3/4 inch drill bit will work, as long as it is specified as "SDS" and for masonry?

Here are some cheap ones I found.

Bosch
Irwin
Dewalt

Given that I will drill maybe 20 holes a year, it does not seem to make sense to invest in a higher end bit? Or will spending another $10 greatly increase efficiency of the drill?

Is the carbide tip worth having?

Carbide is the only way to go ! You can go with less in drill metal composition but don,t fudge on carbide tip coating or insert . Buy the cheapest since you not cutting 100 holes a yr Bud !

I ended up buying the Red Head SDS carbide drill bit. It was cheap. It has positive reviews. And I really like the Red Head brand for anchor bolts. So I can easily believe that Red Head would invest in quality concrete drill bits because no one is going to use their anchor bolts if they cannot drill a hole to pound them into!

Excellent choice ! let us know how you make out Bud !

To each his own...I was in a similar situation where I needed to drill holes in concrete. ..something I rarely if ever do. I viewed this as a one time deal and considered renting the drill. I ended up buying a $70 sds Harbor Freight hammer drill and a $17 sds bit. It worked perfectly fine for the 38 3/4"" holes I drilled for my pool cover. Since then my brother-in-law has used it to drill at least a dozen 1" holes through a nominal 3" slab with no problems. The drill still works fine. BTW, I didn't have to pay $70 because I has the 20% off coupon.

Is anyone here familiar with the Milwaukee 5262-21 drill? I need to know if the quick release mechanism on this drill only slides down after a drill bit is inserted. Or is it supposed to slide down even without the bit? On some drills, you have to slide that down as you insert the bit, in order to allow the bit to settle to a place where it can be locked in place after you release the quick release.

On my drill, I cannot slide the quick release collar down. In any position, it appears to be locked in place. I try to put the SDS bit into the drill and it slides down, but it never locks.

hi, it didn't come with a manual? i'm not familiar with the drill. i copied this part of the manual.

Only use accessories with SDS or SDS Plus shanks.
Be sure that the shank of the bit is clean. Dirt particles
may cause the bit to line up improperly. Do not use
bits larger than the maximum recommended capacity
of the drill because gear damage or motor overload- ing may result. For best performance, be sure that
the bit is properly sharpened and the shank is lightly
greased before use.
1. Insert the bit or chisel into the nose of the tool.
2. Rotate bit slowly until it aligns with the locking
mechanism.
3. Push bit into tool until it locks.
4. Check that the bit is locked
properly; it should be pos- sible to pull the bit back and
forth slightly (about 1/4").
5. To remove bits and chisels,
pull bit holder release collar
toward the rear of tool and
remove bit.
NOTE: Use caution when
handling hot bits and chisels

@300ft_anin Ironically, the manual is vague on this point. The manual talks about inserting the bit without any explicit instructions about what to do with the quick release collar. The manual only talks about the quick release in relation to removing the bit after it is locked in place.

Intuition tells me the quick release should be working for both insertion and removal.

I insert the bit and rotate until it aligns with the internal grooves. The bit then sinks into the drill head. No matter how hard I push that bit, it never locks into place. The quick release collar never slides down, no matter whether there is a bit inserted or not.

Weste , the info provided by 300' is what is involved in inserting and locking your bit correctly . You previously mention you purchased your drill used . It could have damage or frozen detent balls within the collar . Check that they depress completely . They may be seized or damaged , if dirt previously got into the chuck and was not cleaned this can happen . Inspect , clean and lubricate and try again .

hi west, i finally found a video of somebody loading a bit into a milwaukee drill. not sure if it's going to help? different model. you can skip to 1:40, hope that helps.

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbC1qxMz_xs

As I previously advised the dollar should depress and then return out Weste , otherwise it is defective .

Thanks guys mine is clearly defective. The motor housing is kept in place by four screws. Do I dare take off that motor housing to try to investigate the bit lock and release? Once I take that off, I might not ever get it back on again.

who'd you buy it from? this might help?

/www.toolstop.co.uk/how-to-replace-an-sds-chuck-mechanism-a1322

@300ft_anin I bought it from a third party seller on Amazon. It was advertised as used very good condition. It looks visually like it might have been used for a single job and returned (probably because of the issue I encountered). Rather than go through a return process and reorder a new unit, I want to maximize my chances of getting this unit to work. I need it for a project on Tuesday.

did you pull up a diagram? you mention bit lock? did that last web page help any?

www.ereplacementparts.com/milwaukee-526221-g43b-sds-dhandle-hammer-parts-c-131_5123_508430.html

The collar that slides down and up is what I am calling the bit lock. It is a mechanism whose purpose is to lock the bit in place.

That schematic is scary to me. I shouldn't open this up.

lol. don't be scared! look at the bottom of the erplace page and there's a question that sounds familiar. in that page i sent a couple back. i didn't look threw it carefully. i thought they said something about the ball doing some kind of locking? again i don't have 1 of these so we're both learning something

i was thinking, those drills are used for holes overhead, there would be lots of debris dropping on the drill. if the turd didn't maintain, it could be just mucked up?

sorry walk, i didn't read the comment you left this morning. a guy in a article i found mentioned that little ball also.

Unfortunate Waste , with this type of drill proper mtce and bits is important . Previous owner likely damaged it .

I strongly suspect that this would be easy to fix for a person who was knowledgeable about the mechanism that is stuck. I am just not that person. And I don't want to mess up the return of the item by taking it apart and really rendering it useless.

check your area for tool repair shops, there's a milwaukee service place in the bay area not sure how close it is. give them a call they'll be able to advise you. looking at the diagram, the c clips are your biggest obstacle, before digital cameras we had to take note of how things where coming apart and hope you remembered when it came time to put it back together. now you can take photo's.

You must decide upon the cost of outsourcing repairs or returning unit . If you take unit apart and fail you could void your warrantee as you have indicated . The detent ball could be damaged and may need replacement and your dead in the water . I would return unit and rent a unit for Tuesday Bud !