What drill do you all use for dirt holes?

[trappincoyotes39]

I am thinking about a new hammer drill I have a hitachi 18 volt that works well but would like to keep,that for more house hold projects wanting a hammer drill now as one wise man told me I would .

I am slow to change my old habits for sure but the benefits where easy to see using a bit and drill,for dirt holes.

been looking at some and reviews seems the dewalt is not as high ranking as some others? I like the lifetime guarantee of hitachi and the drill I have has served me really well,but heard they are coming out with a new hammer drill versus their older one? I heard good things of the Milwaukee line thinking of getting one of those the higher end model or waiting for what the new hitachi might be like? problem is no release date as of yet.

Since switching over to using a heavy bit and my drill life has been easier in farm country, tried it out west one would need a corded heavy duty model to get into a lot of that ground so used more flat sets and other types unless digging was easier,

I want one that can take abuse my hitachi is a few years old and has really held up well.

So what brand and model are you using?

The values of the bit are advantageous for sure over hand digging and depth one can again in short order.

[ColdSteel]

I got a refurbished milwalkee m 28 think I paid 129 bucks for it.I been using it hard for around 3 months no issues at all very strong as a matter of fact in red clay you better hold onto it as it will ball you up in a knot.I have yet to use it in frozen ground willlet You know how it works.I have been considering buyinbg the the bt45 gas auger but havent coughed up the money yet although I would use that more than any power tool in my shop

[braveheart]

I got a Homelite gas auger works good but bulky.It will pound in a hole any place I want.If bounced around a lot it starts kind of hard in the real cold weather.

[trappnman]

Been using a Rockwell hammer drill for past 4 years with no problems. I have a couple of augers, and found that for us in our soil, a single bladed auger works better than the spiral type- the one we use now is a (I think)a coon cuffs auger that I cut down- lots of clay here, and the single bladed seems to cut through better.

[trappincoyotes39]

Mine is a freedom brand and works very well, heavy duty and I can file a nice sharp edge on it in no time. looked at Rockwell looking for 18 volt min, li ion batteries and extended amp hr batteries. And high torque min 600 in lbs.

[trappnman]

my Rockwell is 18 volts.

can put in 12-13 holes before switching batteries- spent $75 for a auto charger, and it works out well with 2 batteries- 1 in, one charging


can also charge my E cigs going on 15 months tobacco free

[TRay]

I've got a 36 volt dewalt, great drill but terrible batteries. Can't get the batteries to last more than 6 months and dewalt won't cover them when they go bad.

[trappincoyotes39]

Tray bet they are not cheap batterie either? Nice thing with what I am looking at batteries come with at least 3 year warranty.

[trappincoyotes39]

We'll looks like I just got a great deal on this one seems to have some of the highest ratings of any 18v hammer drill and comes with the extended 4 amp hr batteries which are supposed to last a long time. We shall see how well it works but by many reviews seems to be a real power horse and I got it brand new at a great price.
Hoping this is as good as people and popular mechanics have been talking it up for the past few years. The new XC batteries are supposed to be great! I like the fact on board knowledge so you know what you have left in the battery. Some professional plumbers and electricians have written some great things about this hammer drill.

[trappincoyotes39]

Holy smokes tray 150.00 + for a battery that doesn't last? I looked up your rig and the drill seems to get good reviews but the battery's are very poorly rated, I would think at that battery cost dewalt would treat a guy better? Sorry to here of your troubles. I looked on ebay I can by the drill for the price of one battery? ouch.

[foxman]

Dewalt 20volt lithium ion hammer drill.. 329 dollar drill that my wonderful woman won at the kids school raffle and gifted to me. Been great so far.

[trappincoyotes39]

Well got my new hammer drill set seems to have nice weight to it and like the batteries it came with extended life, supposed to be great batteries and seems to have great power , I will be trying it in the next few days see how well it works. Got this set with 2 large capacity batteries and charger for under 200 NIB great deal comapred to other prices I have seen.

[trappincoyotes39]

Was looking at the m28 cold steel as well but it seems for now the main issue with the higher voltage units by many makers is the batteries just not lasting very long at all. The drill all get great reviews the batteries though are somewhat iffy. I will use the 18 v for some years see how the higher volt units progress in technology on batteries,

[trappnman]

I bought a 400 watt inverter, that plugs into my dash- always have a fresh battery. About $75 from NAPA

[trappincoyotes39]

Tman not long as per charge but long as life span. The ones I have are 3 year warranty and from what I I read good long term life even after heavy usage. if this gives me 4-5 good years of service I will keep my eye out on the Milwaukee 28 v as batteries get better, I think they did change from the old v28 to a newer style like my 18 volt but unwilling yet to go to the higher voltage systems at those battery prices, it seems Milwaukee and Hitachi have the 18 v thing mastered as far as batteries go, I am sure in time the 28's will be just as good until then I will be happy with what I I have early on seems like a tough well made hammer drill.

[trappincoyotes39]

Update on the new Milwaukee hammer drill. WOW! this thing has major torque more so than any other 18 v cordless I have ever used , beats out the 20 V dewalt no problem. I was in heavy wet clay and was making 12-14 " deep holes in under 10 seconds clean and deep.

if this one has lasting power I know what my brand choice will be. haven't used much of Milwaukee in years but this thing has plenty of power for dirt trapping.

The more I use this the more I relies No need for anything more powerful this thing has gobs of power to spare. If this has longevity I am done looking at drills this thing flat out knocks holes in the ground in no time flat!