Customer Reviews

Bosch 11236VS 7.5 Amp 1-1/8-Inch SDS Rotary Hammer

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a contractor who uses a rotary hammer a few hours per week. I bought the Bosch 1 1/8 inch sdsplus rotohammer about 3 weeks ago, after a reconditioned and used milwaukee unit stopped hammering (after about three weeks). I was pretty happy, at first.
A few days ago, I checked out some of the reviews on here, and grew concerned about the chuck loosening up. Sure enough, when I checked it out, it moved about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch with a 12 inch bit. I took it back.
B.T.W., I contacted Bosch, and they basically said that SDS-Plus hammers aren't designed for much chipping. I do chip alot, so I am probably going to take thier suggestion and get an SDS-Max hammer. I may still get a Bosch.
If you are planning on buying this hammer for drilling, it is probably a great tool (and the case is very well organized). If you plan on doing any chipping besides some very light chipping, I suggest getting an SDS-Max or spline drive. You may be disappointed in any SDS-Plus hammer.

If you are done drilling 3/8" tapcons and need to drill a real hole in concrete you have to put the cordless down. I did a lot of checking before I bought a hammer drill because I wasnt experienced with these drills. I expanded my work to include exterior foundation work. You need a quality hammer drill to do the job right. This Bosch SDS rotary is perfect for drilling those 1" holes in concrete or brick,or chiseling out brick. If you are not going to be drilling 2" holes through your foundation,you dont need any more drill than this.Anything smaller than this is a waste. This Bosch is a work horse and is still easy on the hands.

I borrowed this tool to dril 12 holes in concrete for anchoring. 6-inch deep and 3/4-inch in diameter. I finished the job in less then 20 minutes. Acctually drilling time was only about 10 minutes. So smooth and easy to use.

I bought the Bosch 11236VS Rotary Hammer after I had almost knocked my self out using my Makita rotary hammer to drill 3/4 inch holes in a wall made of pavers. The Bosch, in comparison, is increadibly smooth, fast, and easy to use. It drills through concrete, pavers, and ceramics much faster and with a lot less wear tear on the operator. If you are likely to need a lot of 1/4 inch to 1-1/8 inch diameters holes in concrete this is the best tool I've found for the job.

I used this drill the other day to drill some 5/8-inch holes in hard concrete. It worked fast and very smooth. Then it hit something, probably a re-bar, the drill stopped turning even before I knew it. I wish all power tools have a safety clutch like this.

The variable speed control is the best I have ever used. You can actually start the drill from 0, 1, 2, 3...RPMs.

I shopped around for a long time to find the right Roto-hammer for my residential construction business, and I must say, "This is a GREAT TOOL." It is perfect if you are mainly drilling holes that are anywhere from 3/8"-3/4", and let me tell you...it does it with ease! The manual does say to let it "break-in" a little before it gains maximum power, and I did find this to be true. In the end it can drill holes in concrete in no time at all, and thanks to the SDS, with VERY little vibration. A good choice for anyone that wants quality and a good price.

I just completed stripping approximately 5,000 brick off my house (we're rebricking). I looked into renting a tool for this job and I realized I could justify the purchase of my own tool for the amount of work I needed to do. As I wanted a tool that could be used for more than chipping/stripping brick, I began to lean toward the "combination" rotary hammers. I had a tough time finding any reference to their use for stripping brick. After much research, I settled on the Bosch 112326VS mainly because the SDS+ tools are in the middle of the size range (SDS MAX are larger) plus the price was acceptable. I chose the 11236VS over the 11224VSR (7/8" SDS+) simply because I hoped that the slightly bigger tool would be a benefit in chipping. So I'm here to state that I had very good success with the Bosch 11236VS for this purpose. Incidently, I used the 1-1/2" chisel (also by Bosch) which still has plenty of life left.

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!

Poor quality again, January 25, 2004
Reviewer: Handyman, Jack of All Trades from Hendersonville, NC US
This model of the Bosch line of rotary hammers is a failure. Less than a days work and the chuck is so sloppy as to make the tool impractical to use. I am returning it to my home improvement center. It has nice features but just is not durable in chipping mode. The tool was used to chip out 9 cinder block house vents. After the fourth vent the chuck became extremely sloppy. I hope Bosch can fix this problem.

My predominant use of this rotary hammer is for splitting granite boulders on our property. This requires drilling a series of 3/4" x 4" deep holes in the granite at approx. 4" o/c along the intended split line, followed by the use of steel feathers and wedges. Granite is much harder than concrete, and I find that this tool does a very good job, requiring about 3 minutes drilling time per hole. When drilling granite, finding the right pressure to apply to the tool is critical, unlike in concrete where only light pressure is required, also important is keeping the bit centred in the hole. I have probably drilled a couple of hundred holes, and the 11236VS continues to perform smoothly and flawlessly. I keep a portable fan blowing across the hole to direct dust away from the hole and away from me, and it helps to cool the bit and tool as well.