Drill or concrete breaker circa £200, advice needed.

[mart]

I would even go so far as to say he should skip the 9inch and go straight for something like the evolution electric concrete saw. That will eat that job in no time and leave a nice straight cut. I have one and I rate it

I have a 9 " Makita with a diamond blade. You should have seen the dust cloud when I was cutting pieces of stone and a couple of concrete blocks-the same sized ones a breeze block.I ended up using the 4 1/2" Bosch as there was a lot less dust with that.

 

[Onoff]

The Scheppach, 1600W:

https://www.aldi.co.uk/scheppach-jack-hammer/p/811152590094700

The Ferrex 1900W one:

https://www.aldi.co.uk/ferrex-jackhammer/p/807722561228902

I don't think either has a rotary function?

 

[Onoff]

I have a 9 " Makita with a diamond blade. You should have seen the dust cloud when I was cutting pieces of stone and a couple of concrete blocks-the same sized ones a breeze block.I ended up using the 4 1/2" Bosch as there was a lot less dust with that.

Getting an assistant to spray water on the cut from a pump up, back pack type plant sprayer helps.

 

[Farside]

I did feel a bit unsure about the non-replacable carbon brushes?? What is the fix when they ware down?

Screwfix's own pics show a brush access plate.

 

[gaz1]

Thanks for that tip.
One job is trimming off some over-hanging concrete of up to maybe 4 or 5 " thick, maybe 3 meters long. Preferably in a roughly 'straightish' line is ideal. Does not have to be perfect, just tidier than the current jagged edge. I did try to drill a line of holes prior to the sledge hammer. I burnt the armature & field on my Makita hammer drill, lesson learnt.

Another job is to break up a small path area that floods when it rains heavy, from my back door to the grassed back garden. There exists above ground a 3" dia plastic pipe which is supposed to take the water to the front to soak away on soil. It has never worked, and I want to make some sort of soakaway where the rain falls/runs to. This is maybe 3 or 4" deep concrete, maybe just a few sq feet in area. It is worth me putting the time in, and the only cost the breaker. I will save up for the electric

this job was for the same reference due to flooding and the concrete cracking the worst at this point

a macalister concrete breaker was used older type



however i was anjnoyed with the owner as they then asked for a toilet to be fitted soon after it would have been better to fit one in before we concreted as we could get to that drain and pipe in a new pipe and drainage system at same time

it wasnt worth doing after that

 

[CornishPete]

The bit turning must be on the smaller drill type breakers as the larger ones are all a hex fitting and locked in one position only. The scheppach/McAllister/ferrex ones are all clones of each other just with different badges so the ones from Aldi are definitely best value there. The erbauer is definitely more than 15kg, not 46 though! Maybe 25-30 but that might be what makes it so good!? The best thing about the Erbauer is it has a switch rather than a trigger. The trigger was quite heavy on the McAllister. Ok if you're doing a short stint or putting down a lot but for continual use I prefer to switch it on and hang on. The anti vibe on the erbauer was much better to I'll add.
Scoring a line with even a 4 1/2 grinder will get you a straight edge on concrete, a 9"one would be better but the evolution 230mm disc cutter is the best value for money in my opinion. I'm on my second one now after a few years of intensive use on a building site by shall we say less than mechanically minded individuals! It cuts deeper than a 9"angle grinder, about 90mm, and has a frame so it's more comfortable to use, it won't cut as tight up against a wall as a grinder and is a bit more awkward cutting horizontally but it's rare I do these things and have the grinder too. Since getting one it's virtually replaced the Stihl saw!

 

[CornishPete]

Evolution 230mm Electric Disc Cutter Inc Blade

Order from ITS.co.uk. The Evolution 230mm Electric Disc Cutter Inc Blade Is available with next day delivery. The Evolution R230DCT 9" Electric Disc Cutter is the perfect tool for cutting masonry and

its.co.uk

Comes with a blade too which not all grinders do!

 

[not done it yet]

Drill or concrete breaker?

Just a drill, by the sounds of it, would likely be perfectly adequate if doing these small jobs at a very leisurely pace!

Check out a few videos of folks breaking large stones/rocks etc.

Here is an example:

 

[Agroshield]

If I am to buy anything, I think I need to ignore the reviews on Screwfix.

Maybe take them with a grain of salt and use your judgement. The one which you showed complaining about a keyless chuck reads like it is for a different product. I have seen that a few times on SF - somehow reviews get mis-filed.

I believe all the breakers in this weight class are a close copy of the original Kango machine. It has been mentioned here before but Solent Tools are a good source of spares for the cheap/DIY/store brand stuff.

If you buy one, check the brushes occasionally. It is the vibration as much as anything else that wears them out quickly. It is better to replace brushes often than wait until the spring rubs on the commutator and destroys the segments rendering the tool unusable.

 

[not done it yet]

I believe all the breakers in this weight class are a close copy of the original Kango machine. It has been mentioned here before but Solent Tools are a good source of spares for the cheap/DIY/store brand stuff.

They were good. Even though they could not supply a direct replacement trigger switch for a particular titan drill/breaker, I had for repair, they supplied a part that was able to be modified to fit. Much appreciated.

 

[angellonewolf]

ive got one of these had it for 7 years aprox its done some work meny fence post removed and a few pathes i thought i would have killed it by now but it keeps going if there 1 local toyou on facebook or ebay there a good buy

 

[qwakers]

Same. Bought one of those many years ago and it just wont die.

Taken up many a floor.

 

[mart]

Just a drill, by the sounds of it, would likely be perfectly adequate if doing these small jobs at a very leisurely pace!

Check out a few videos of folks breaking large stones/rocks etc.

Here is an example:

I got this set this week.
I need to ask for advice/guidence on a couple of aspects on this method.

If the rock/stone to be split is 30cm/12 " deep for example, how deep does the hole need to be drilled? In the vid clip, I think the guy drills a hole to the depth of the 'feathers' only (as far as we know) so let's say 100mm. In my example that leaves 200mm of the rock not drilled. Am I right to suggest that it is best to drill the full depth of the rock, the shoulder of the feathers will prevent them from falling down the hole.

I would also assume it may be more appropriate to drill all the way through with say a 6mm or 8mm dia drill, then drill down the top (100mm) bit with a 10mm drill just to accommodate the feathers. That is how I imagine it should be done.

 

[Agroshield]

I got this set this week.

Measure the diameter of the item with the wedge fully retracted. That is the hole size you need. 10mm seems too small. Most sets I see for sale describe themselves as 9/16" (14mm).

Measure the diameter with the wedge flush with the bottom as in your picture. What is the difference between the two measurements? Do you consider that by the time that difference has occurred the rock will still be intact? If so, you need to drill deeper than that to allow for more expansion. If you think the rock will have split long before then, drill a little deeper than the feather so there is no dust or debris touching the bottom of the feather.

Remember in the old days, the holes would have been drilled with the equivalent of a rawl drill (hit with a hammer, rotate a bit, repeat) so no-one is going to drill deeper than they need.

Have a look at the still/opening shot from the video here and judge hole proportions for yourself:

A Detailed Guide to Using Feathers and Wedges

Brian Post shows how to use feathers and wedges (aka wedges and shims) to split stone. This detailed video will take you through setup, what sizes to use, spacing and layout, drilling, history and…

thestonetrust.org

 

[mart]

I had a play with the wedges last week on trimming some old over-hanging concrete and they work very well. No dust like a cutting disc/wheel.

Also bought the Titan drill. I like it better than my Makita.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Agreed, especially for the first task where you want a reasonably straight edge. A breaker will just destroy everything and leave you with little lumps . You don't need to cut all the way through with the grinder, a couple of inches would do it and then use the breaker to split it along the cut

Never felt the need.

Just use the breaker to form the crack. Several spots and then hit and end deep and off it comes.

Giving the slab some stick with a big sledge hammer helps too.



My Hilton te705 gives sterling service. Cost me £170 ex hire.

If I had a lot to do I'd hire a beaver breaker for the day though.

 

[Agroshield]

I had a play with the wedges last week on trimming some old over-hanging concrete...

Is the photo a posed one or of the actual work? I think you will have more success with them if you turn them 90 degrees so the pressure is perpendicular to the proposed crack line.

 

[mart]

Actual work.

 

[123hotchef]

I ammjust looking at getting one of these now.
narrosed down to these two unless any one wants to chip in with a better suggestion.
I only do the the odd job now and again that requires the use of one, the last time I hired a Milwakee one

Titan TTB811DRH 16.4kg Hex Shank Electric Breaker 230V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Adjustable auxiliary handle for increased comfort and enhanced control. Supplied with a pointed chisel, flat chisel and a carry case. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Erbauer EBR1750 15kg Hex Shank Electric Breaker 220-240V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Versatile tool with anti-vibration technology, an electric brake and adjustable speed settings for maximum control. Chisel function: choose between pointed or flat chisels to suit the job at hand. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

 

[dieselsamurai]

I ammjust looking at getting one of these now.
narrosed down to these two unless any one wants to chip in with a better suggestion.
I only do the the odd job now and again that requires the use of one, the last time I hired a Milwakee one

Titan TTB811DRH 16.4kg Hex Shank Electric Breaker 230V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Adjustable auxiliary handle for increased comfort and enhanced control. Supplied with a pointed chisel, flat chisel and a carry case. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Erbauer EBR1750 15kg Hex Shank Electric Breaker 220-240V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Versatile tool with anti-vibration technology, an electric brake and adjustable speed settings for maximum control. Chisel function: choose between pointed or flat chisels to suit the job at hand. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

My Brother in law has the Titan one and I borrowed it when my Kango needed repairing and I was well impressed , hes never had any issues with it