Customer Reviews

Bosch 11253VSR BULLDOG Xtreme 1-Inch SDS-plus Pistol-Grip Rotary Hammer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This thing is great! It does exactly what I wanted it to do. It digs through concrete like it was peanut brittle. Sometimes, when I'm drilling, and the bit jams, the automatic clutch disengages, and this bothers me; but that's better than burning out the motor. So far, I've been able to reverse the bit back out every time. The depth guage seems like an afterthought. It blocks the ability of the aux handle to rotate a full 360. I do like the vario-lock feature. I do wish I could find something to seriously criticize, but I can't. It's just perfect. I love it.

I have been using this now for a couple months doing some renovating in the house. I purchased it refurbished and am glad I did. It came looking nearly brand new. The box is a bit spartan, but it does what it is supposed to. There is a little room in there for my chisels and additional chuck. There is no spot to keep instructions, so I'm going to put it in the file cabinet. You will need an extension cord for most projects.

I purchased the Bosch 1/4 inch chuck sperately, a necessity. You need a specific SDS-plus chuck and it goes into the locking mechanism very easily. You have to buy chisels with the SDS-plus locking mechanism and they are relatively inexpensive usually under $20. You cannot just use your regular bits with this tool, hence the need for the additional chuck or chucks if you want 1/4 and 1/2 inch sizes. With the additional chuck this is a very heavy tool to use with just one hand (unless you are very big and very strong). I wanted to use the Bulldog to do every bit of drilling and screwing, but for many things, the drill and chuck combo was just too big, especially when navigating places like 16 on center studs. This tool gets very long with the additional chuck and the bits and bit holders. It gets so long they should think about installing a sight on top the Bulldog as it gets very hard to get the bits in the screw heads. You really need a bit with an screw holder and someone to stand in front of you and load it like a cannon. You can use your cell phone to tell that person when you are ready for a new screw; that's how long this gets.

This drill was so fun to use and it would put 3 inch screws into wood without a thought. You had to be careful not to put the screw right through the board you are driving it into. The torque was amazing and I could drill at very low speeds and it just kept turning. When you feel real manly you can just squeeze the trigger and this Bulldog will squeal and make the screw disappear like it was never there. It was great putting screws into Dur-rock cement board. Using this you will wonder what all the fuss is about. I must admit that I fatigued from using this and went back to using a smaller portable electric towards the ends of days, and to get into smaller places. The fun wears off when your wrist gives up the fight of keeping this drill horizontal.

There is a switch on the body of the drill just above the trigger to set reverse and forward. You have to stop and use two hands to do this. You have one hand to hold the drill and the other to flip the switch.

I purchased three chisels, a pencil point, a tile and a demolition. The demolition chisel is what I preferred. I took down a mudded shower stall with this. The job was very hard work, but having this hammer drill made things go much easier. It is no big Hilti, but it is rugged for the small jobs. It just kept going and going and although it would get hot, it never overheated. You can really abuse this drill and it seems not to mind. Also you can change the position of the chisel as on a clock face by switching to "drill" from "hammer" until the chisel is in the right position.

I also did some drilling of holes with this, but not into cement. When it bogged or was having trouble with deep cuts or a knot, I just dialed into the hammer drill combo setting and, it finished like going through butter.

I loved that this was not a portable electric and appreciated the dependability of the electric plug. I loved the power. The torque was on par with my Powerstroke 6L Diesel. This thing is a versatile heavyweight, but it's weight and size make it hard to use in small places and for long periods of time. For a DIYer, the appearance of the drill and the name give you bragging rights. They should have called it the Bosch Beast.

I give it five stars for what it is. It does alot of things. If you want different, like shorter or lighter etc. You have have to go buy separate individual other drills. If I never use it again, I'm glad I have it, and like a trophy head, I will hang this above my tool box in the garage for all to admire.

Hey it works well, did the job I needed, and is way sturdier and better quality than the cheap ones you can get. Splitting rocks is hard, but this thing will make the job a bit easier.