Last Updated on June 2, 2023 by Tyra Miller
There are a lot of different models and brands of hammer drills in the market today, so which is the best? You may have looked at Amazon for deals already but you might be wondering with all the choices, how do you buy the best hammer drill! Don’t worry, in this article we will discuss just that.
We found that the best hammer drill is the DeWALT DCD996B and we will tell you why below. First let’s compare all of the other options, so you can pick the right hammer drill for you.
Below you’ll find a list of the best hammer drills, so you can make the right choice.
Table of Contents
Best Hammer Drill
1. DeWALT DCD996B 20V MAX Cordless Brushless XR 3-Speed Hammer Drill/Driver
Overview:
- High-performance transmission
- High-efficiency brushless motor
- Up to 38,250 BPM
- 3-Mode LED Light
- Great for masonry, steel, brick, concrete, and other hard materials
We found this cordless model to be even better than some of the corded models! It’s a great choice if you’re upgrading from corded to cordless. It rips through concrete and stucco like its nothing. LED light is great and has 3 levels of brightness. Lots of torque and the chuck is strong. This thing truly is a beast, it’ll rip through your concrete, and stucco like it’s nothing. We went through 2″ of concrete with hardly any effort.
This thing is no joke, it packs a lot of power, and drilling through steel, brick or concrete is a piece of cake.
Despite the incredible power, it still manages also to have great battery life. Charging time is about 30 minutes to full battery. The 2-amp battery is fine, but I’d recommend you get a 4-amp battery as it lasts longer. In comparison to other models we reviewed, it uses a nice, high-quality metal chuck that stayed tight while working. The three adjustable motor speeds come in handy when you need to switch gears.
The hammer drill function works really well. Like most hammer drills, this thing is LOUD, like seriously loud. Given that, it’ll go through your brick and concrete with no problems, this thing is a beast in terms of power and is worth every dollar. Just have to make sure the wives are okay with you making all that noise.
The adjustable torque settings allow you to adjust power as needed, so it’ll go through your concrete and brick with no issues. Excellent torque and feels solid in your hand.
It’s also much lighter than previous versions of DeWALT hammer drills, but they haven’t sacrificed any features, power, or battery life! It has a good weight-to-power ratio, and we recommend this drill. The LED light is powerful and bright. It works really well and uses a brushless motor for longer drill life and efficiency. can’t complain about this solid product from DeWalt. Furthermore, it just feels good in your hands with its rubber grip, which is good quality and it has a nice ergonomic design. The chuckles system is awesome for easy and fast bit changes. It’s a quality hammer drill at a reasonable price.
Another useful feature is this adjustable work light on this drill, not needed for everyone, but definitely nice to have. I don’t think you can go wrong with this hammer drill from DeWALT. The LED light is really outstanding, with its auto-on-off and 20-minute timer feature, in addition to the three levels of brightness. The LED lights are a really nice addition to us. It’s almost too powerful, you need to use the second handle when using it or it’s going to fly out of your hands. And do your ears a favor, and invest in some good earplugs.
2. Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2″ Hammer Drill
Overview:
- Brushless Motor
- 1200 in-lbs of peak torque
- 2000 RPM
- Battery Charges Quickly
- Good Battery Life
This brushless hammer drill is currently the fastest version from Milwaukee. It delivers 2000 RPM, and 3200BPM and in terms of torque, it delivers 1200 in-lbs.
We found this drill easy to work with due to its lightweight and compact design.
In terms of battery life, it took about 1 hour to charge the battery fully and lasted a full workday of 8 hours.
This cordless hammer drill has two versions. The first version includes the ONE-KEY technology. The second version is the non-ONE-KEY version, which is slightly cheaper.
ONE-KEY makes it possible to connect your drill to your smartphone to customize, manage, and track the hammer drill’s performance and location. If you have tools that “go missing” then you’ll like this feature. Hold your employees accountable for their tools and stop taking a loss.
It comes with a 5-year warranty, has an excellent lightweight design, good battery life, and good torque. All in all, it’s a really great tool.
You can read our full review of this hammer drill here
3. Bosch GBH2-28L SDS Hammer Drill
Overview:
- 8.5 AMP Motor
- 2.4 ft-lbs Impact Energy
- Up To 5100 BPM
- D Handle for Easy Control
- Vibration Control
The Bosch GBH2-28L 1-1/8 In. SDS-plus Bulldog Xtreme Max Rotary Hammer uses a 8.5 Amp motor. It gives 2.4 ft-lbs of impact energy and up to 5100 BPM. The integrated sensor stops tool rotation during bit bind-up situations. The ergonomic D handle makes it easy to control. Also has a reverse trigger for accurate bit starting. Combines ergonomic design with a powerful hammer function. The hammer drill provides comfortable handling using its counter-balanced Vibration Control. In terms of weight, it’s similar to other hammer drills at 6.9lbs. This versatile drill gives three options: drilling only, hammer drilling, and chiseling.
It’s the perfect choice for basement refinishing. Also works well on old tiles and concrete. This rotary hammer drill from Bosch makes drilling into concrete simple. The hammer/hammer-drill mode can break down and drill into concrete with no effort. We also used it to remove a few old tile floors, and it did so with no issues.
Overall, it’s a good hammer drill for the money. The only thing is that you need SDS drill bits or you need an adapter if you’re going to use regular drill bits. So beware of that before purchasing.
4. BLACK+DECKER (BEHD201) Hammer Drill, 6.5-Amp, 1/2-Inch
Overview
- 6.5 Amp Motor
- Adjustable RPM Speed
- Up to 2800 RPM
- Dual Mode Selector: Switch from regular drill to hammer drill
- Detachable and Adjustable Side Handle
- Speed Lock
This is a 6.5 Amp hammer drill. Adjustable Speed for comfortable and easy operation. No-load speed of 2800 rpm. It can switch between regular drilling and impact hammer drilling using the dual-mode selector. Has an adjustable and detachable side handle and a lock button that locks in the speed without having a steady grip on the trigger. Works great for drilling into brick, cement, and concrete.
It has a nice metal chuck and a good handle design. Very durable. Note, that this one isn’t cordless. It has a cord, so you’re going to be confined to whatever space you have around you. In terms of ergonomics, the 360-degree adjustable side handle allows for better control of the tool.
It has an adjustable speed setting which lets you set the RPM between 0 and 3000, depending on what you need to do. This impact uses a forward/reverse switch with a spindle lock for safe usage. The dual-mode selector allows easy conversion between electric and impact drilling.
It isn’t the best compared to the hammer drills we reviewed above, but really you can’t beat the price/performance ratio of this drill. This is our choice for the best budget hammer drill.
5. DeWALT DCD796D2 Brushless Compact Hammer Drill
Another great high-quality brushless hammer drill from DeWALT. This DeWALT DCD796D2 20V MAX XR Hammer drill is lightweight and compact, which makes it a good choice for drilling in hard-to-reach areas. It’s a durable tool and weighs only 3.6 lbs. It uses a 20V Lithium-Ion battery and has a chuck size of 1/2 inch.
It can switch between two modes: drill only mode, and hammer mode. It’s a good versatile drill where you can adjust the amount of torque applied.
In other words, this drill can be used for both softer kinds of wood and the hammer mode is good for drilling into concrete and drilling into brick. The ergonomic design of this drill is fantastic, plus it’s light and easy to use. Overall, it’s an excellent drill due to its versatility, power, light compact design as well as it’s long battery life.
6. Makita HR2641X1 D-Handle SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer Drill
Overview:
- 3 Mode Operation: Rotation, Hammer Rotation, Hammer Only
- Torque Limiter
- Multi-angle bit positions
- Great for concrete, rocks, granite, and more
Features a one-touch sliding chuck for quick bit changes. Has a rubberized soft grip for increased comfort. Delivers 2 ft-lbs of impact energy. Similar to the Bosch GBH2, this one gives three modes of operation: Rotation Only, Hammer with Rotation, or Hammer Only. Bit binding gear damage is prevented using a torque limiting clutch. The bit can be set at 40 different bit angle positions.
This thing does a fantastic job with both concrete and rocks. It worked great to break up some concrete for a job we had to level out some floors in the basement. Also worked really well for making holes in concrete, there is nothing like SDS for drilling. To drill a couple of inches into concrete, only took a few seconds with this thing. It is also perfect for breaking up granite. All in all, it’s a pretty great tool to have. It is comparable to the Bosch hammer drill we reviewed above.
The only issue was the amount of heat this unit produced. It gets hot after a bit of use, so be careful of this. Overall, this drill is light, has a lot of power, and the D-Handle grip makes it easy to control.
7. Makita HR2475 D-Handle SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer Drill
Overview:
- 3 Mode Operation: Rotation, Hammer Rotation, Hammer Only
- Torque Limiter
- Multi-angle bit positions
- Great for concrete, rocks, granite, and more
Features a one-touch sliding chuck for quick bit changes. Has a rubberized soft grip for increased comfort. Delivers 2 ft-lbs of impact energy. Similar to the Bosch GBH2, this one gives three modes of operation: Rotation Only, Hammer with Rotation, or Hammer Only. Bit-binding gear damage is prevented using a torque-limiting clutch. The bit can be set at 40 different bit angle positions.
This thing does a fantastic job with both concrete and rocks. It worked great to break up some concrete for a job we had to level out some floors in the basement. Also worked really well for making holes in concrete, there is nothing like SDS for drilling. To drill a couple of inches into concrete, it only took a few seconds with this thing. It is also perfect for breaking up granite. All in all, it’s a pretty great tool to have. It is comparable to the Bosch hammer drill we reviewed above.
The only issue was the amount of heat this unit produced. It gets hot after a bit of use, so be careful of this. Overall, this drill is light, has a lot of power, and the D-Handle grip makes it easy to control.
How to Choose a Hammer Drill
To choose a good hammer drill, consider the following:
Corded or Cordless?
Consider whether you’ll need to be drilling in a place where an outlet is available. If not, then you’ll need a cordless hammer drill. Otherwise, a corded hammer drill will suit you just fine. Corded options have the benefit of not having to worry about charging batteries, they also (most times) offer better performance per dollar.
Reliable brand
There are many brands of hammer drills. But which is the best? The best brand of hammer drill is DeWALT. DeWALT is currently dominating the marketplace for hammer drills, and the reason is simple, they are offering exceptional performance for a great price. Other good brands include Milwaukee, Makita, and Bosch. All of these companies offer good support, performance, value, and warranties. Going with an “off” brand may be cheaper but consider your needs in terms of warranty and support too.
Brushed vs Brushless
When choosing a hammer drill, you can choose between two motor types: brushed and brushless. We recommend brushless as they last the longest and in the long run, you will not have to buy another hammer drill. Now brushless drills have the disadvantage of being more expensive, but they also last longer and use less battery. Want to know more? See our article on brushed vs. brushless drills.
Good Battery Life
Hammer drills require a lot of power, and thus a good battery. As you may know, there is nothing worse than having your battery run out while you’re working. If you choose to go cordless, remember to choose a drill that gives you enough time to work for however long you need it to. Lithium-ion batteries are preferred over Ni-Cd as they last longer, require less maintenance, and hold their charge for a longer time when compared to their Ni-Cd counterparts. If you use your hammer drill infrequently then, Lithium-Ion would be an ideal choice as they retain their charge for longer.
Power
Consider what you’ll need to drill through. Hammer drills are best used for drilling into stone, concrete, masonry, brick, and other hard-to-drill-through materials. If you drilling through softwood then a hammer drill will be too powerful for your needs and you should opt for a standard cordless drill instead. Some hammer drills, however, have a feature that can turn off the hammering force which allows the drill to act as a regular standard cordless drill.
Conclusion
Hammer drills are best suited for materials such as concrete, brick, stone, granite, and other hard materials. If you attempt to use a regular cordless drill, you may damage the motor. Instead of breaking your normal cordless drill, read our reviews on the top-rated hammer drills and brands. Use this information to find the best hammer drill. Thanks for reading, and please share this article if you found it useful.
