BOSCH 11255VSR Bulldog Xtreme SDS-Plus 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.

I bought this mainly for setting anchors into concrete, and so far I’ve been really happy with it. It has plenty of power without being so heavy that it becomes annoying to use, especially when you’re drilling multiple holes. It goes through concrete miles better than a normal hammer drill, which is exactly what I needed it for. It feels solid, well made, and like a proper tool rather than something that’s going to struggle after a few jobs. The SDS bit changes are quick and easy, and the different modes are useful if you need them, although for me it’s mostly been used for drilling anchor holes. It feels controlled when you’re using it, powerful enough to get the job done properly, but not like it’s trying to fight you the whole time. It’s not meant to be a big demolition hammer, and I wouldn’t buy it for that, but for setting anchors, drilling into concrete, and general site or shop use, it’s been a cracking little tool. Very happy with it and it was cheaper here than at the big stores.

My husband recommended that we buy a rotary hammer tool to remove very thick tile and linoleum in an old house we were remodeling. We are DIYers, not in the trade, but I have been DIYing for a couple of decades now and comfortable with power tools. We saw one of the workers in the house use this tool one day, so we decided to buy the same one. (We had tried a sledgehammer initially, but the tile and thinset layer was so thick, and we had about 300 square feet to do.) Both my husband and I used it separately, and I will tell you the pros and cons from both of our perspectives. Pros: It does the job quickly. We bought a larger chisel attachment, and we started, using the Hammer function on the tool, where we had last sledgehammered out part of a tile. Holding the tool at about a 30 degree angle, we could easily get under the layer of tile we were removing and pull it up very powerfully and fast. It felt much safer than our initial sledgehammer approach - far less debris flying up. My husband felt that it was easy enough to hold because of the two handles. It was intuitive to use, and most importantly, it was fast. I don't know how we would have finished that job without this tool. Cons: If the rotary hammer was pointed too far downwards, it could burrow into the wood. We had to be very careful about the angle we held it at to make sure it was positioned horizontally enough to both get under the tile and not go too deep. I felt like it was heavy after using it for a couple of hours (though my husband did not.) Also, the entire process is loud - the tool itself is loud, and the chipping away of heavy tile is loud, so wear earplugs (as well as globes and eye protection!) We will use this tool again for our next remodel. The storage case is compact and stacks side by side next to the rest of our hand tools. I feel like Bosch delivers high quality tools that are also DIY friendly, so hoping we have this for years to come.

I'm very impressed with this tool. I was able to quickly drill an 1 inch hole through my 8 inch 60 year old poured foundation wall with it. Its a thing of beauty. Came with a nice case. very convenient and ergonomic controls. Everything as the feel of quality and durability. It also arrived on time ... the day after I ordered it.

This is a great drill for drilling into cement. It works well. Easy to change drillbits. Everything about it it’s good. I would recommend this item.

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.

Good quality

This item is the beast. It does what it should do. I am glad I've bought this drill. It go through concrete like buter.

Excelente.

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.

Great tool, great value, works great, no issues. Took down two chimney's, a very large fireplace and tile from two floors. Would recommend.

A mi trabajo, me funciona perfectamente, es muy buena marca y tiene la potencia que necesito, lo encontré a muy buen precio. $3,200 aprox. Está excelente

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.