Hammer drills are one of the efficient tools for construction work. It always comes in handy while making small holes into walls, masonry, even in the stones. How about concrete? Can you use a hammer drill to mix concrete?
The answer is yes. In order to do that, you need to use the rotary hammer mode. Then set a particular torque and apply it to the right spot. Sounds complicated, right?
Don’t fret. Here, we’ll walk you through the steps on using a hammer drill to mix concrete, the attachment you need, and what are the factors you should consider before you start your project. Without wasting any time, let’s get into it.
Specification of a Hammer Drill For Mixing Concrete
While selecting a suitable hammer drill for mixing the concrete, you need to keep in mind certain specifications. For instance,
- Changeable speed controlling system
- Low RPM (Revolution Per Minute) rate
- The capacity of high torque
First of all, you need to ensure safe use of your hammer drill. In that case, a low RPM rate is necessary. Because a high RPM-rated drill may end up burning while it mixes the concrete additionally, your drill should have a variable speed controlling system because you might make the workplace messy because of the high rotation rate of the drill. Moreover, it is a bit tough to maintain a high rotating rated drill. You need to force with the drill for mixing concrete. In this case, a drill with high torque capacity becomes suitable to get the job done.
Attachments of Hammer Drill
Your hammer drill should have additional attachments to do the task more efficiently. For instance, you can use an SDS Rotary Hammer drill for this. The hammer with a 0.5 inch(1.28 cm) chuck is suitable for holding a paddle mixer. Moreover, it fits well for heavy-duty tasks.
Moreover, you can use a 1.92 cm size drill for a more effective outcome. You can use mixers like spiral mixers, paddle mixers, and ball mixers. All of them are versatile and effective in mixing concrete, mortar, etc.
The Factors You Should Consider
There are some factors to consider before you start mixing concrete using the drill.
The capacity to mix
The first thing to look for is the capacity of the mixture. Make sure the number of kilos of concrete goes in the mixture. It should not be too thick or light. Many products come with the labeling of guidelines to make it easy for you. Don’t use the cheaper ones, because with the time frame you’ll find cracks and overheat. This may cause danger for the motor.
Spindles
The mixer should contain at least one or two spindles. Usually, spindle attachments make the process smooth. If it is a two-spindle, it’ll do the task much faster than the one. So make sure you confirm this factor as well.
Blades and Paddles
In order to make the mixer perfectly proportionate, it needs to deal with thick concrete. That’s why blades and paddles ensure all the particles are small and mixed properly.
What you need to do is buy this attachment, and you determine the mixer style. Make sure you don’t buy the ones that don’t match your drill’s diameter. Otherwise, the only thing you feel is frustration.
The best paddle mixer for concrete you can use is Edward Tools Paddle Mixer 27” for 3/8” power drill. This can be used as an alternative to drilling. It’ll give you the flexibility to mix thick concrete, liquids. Moreover, you can mix drywall mud, thin-set, and mortar as well.
Speed of rotation
All the factors we talked about this one is the main. In order to make sure the concrete mixer drill is rotating perfectly, first, you need to ensure a high-speed concrete mixer drill.
The calculation will be on rotation per minute. A high spec motor can operate over 700 rpm. However, 500 rpm will do the task. Which motor to buy depends on the mixing. Suppose you are using thick masonry materials; a slow-speed motor will work. In contrast, fast speed goes for lightweight concrete.
Well, if you consider all the options above the next question comes is can a hammer drill be used as a regular drill. Yes, you can use it if you turn off the hammer mode.
Steps To Mix Concrete With Hammer Drill
In order to Mix Concrete With Hammer Drill, you need to consider some specifications:
Speed control mechanism: This option is crucial because you might create a big mess. When you don’t have any speed control option, you’ll apply more concrete with the drill and end up ruin the wall. That’s why a variable speed controller is a must option for everyone.
Low RPM: Why do you need low rpm? because when you use high rpm, there is a risk of overheating and burning up the drill while mixes.
Hight amount of torque: Lastly, when you are mixing concrete with the hammer drill, the amount of torque you are applying matters the most. To get a furnished result, you don’t need to apply extensive BPM instead of the high torque or force you should look for.
Now let’s see how to use a hammer drill on concrete down below.
Step 1: Firstly, take a properly working drill. Make sure you set the drill bit perfectly.
Step 2: Put it into the forward gear and set your seep and torque according to your need.
Step 3: Then, get it into the position where you want to drill. You can see there’s a little gap where the drill can move up and down, the way a hammer function works.
Step 4: After that, place your other hand right behind the drill to get some support.
Step 5: Make sure you don’t put too much pressure because it might end up ruin the drill bit.
Which Hammer Drill To Buy
You can avail various types of hammer drills from numerous companies. However, you should follow the branded companies in order to buy a long-lasting quality hammer drill. For instance, DeWalt, Bosch, Makita are some of the well-known names for quality products.
Additionally, you should look for certain features like functionality, variable speed, grip system, depth function, power control, etc. Moreover, look for some additional attachments that you can install later as well. Check out the warranty facilities and customer service system as well. After buying one, go through the manual thoroughly to get to know about the product.
Suggested Products
Now let’s look at some of the products you may like to use.
- DeWalt DCD996B 20V MAX XR Hammer Drill (Brushless)
This hammer is one of the best quality products when it comes to cordless hammer drills. The drill is around 8.4 inches long. You can get 820 units watts from its brushless motor.
The drill is relatively lightweight. It weighs approximately 4.7 pounds. Moreover, you can avail 2.8 times speedy work rate than others. Additionally, you can receive a 2240 RPM and 38,350 BPM work rate from this drill.
- Makita XPH07Z 18V Hammer Drill (Brushless Driver-drill)
This hammer drill is one of the most convenient products. It is suitable with a 0.5 inches brushless driver drill. You can avail of around 2000 RPM and 31,600 BPM work rate from the drill. It is a bit heavier than usual drills with 5.9lbs in weight.
Additionally, you can receive a torque capacity of 1080 pounds with two-speed transmission capability. Nevertheless, the battery performance is quite impressive, with an 18V LXT Lithium-ion battery in it. Consumers praise the drill responding capacity to trigger pressure. So, it can be a good fit based on your preference.
Final Words
Hope we made it clear that you can use a hammer drill to mix concrete. However, there are some factors you must follow. Use a normal drill with a paddle attachment and a low rpm drill with a significant level of torque. That’s all you need.
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