Al Erskine

Thanks all, I hadn’t thought of the hiring option. That’s a good idea and then I can buy the lighter SDS Plus. cheers, Al

Hello to all, Al here, new member based in Saintfield, N.Ireland. We bought a 200 year old single storey cottage a year ago and are gradually sorting it out. It’s in reasonable condition, although with 3 foot stone walls and the wrong internal and external plaster, we have damp issues here and there. I was looking for recommendations on an SDS drill that could cover the following jobs: 1. Drill through 3 foot external walls 2. Remove external plaster to expose original stone 3. Dig out old fireplace, creating opening for wood burner I guess the criteria for decision are: 1. Power/capability 2. Weight 3. Price I don’t have a bag of money so can’t really afford to go for the big brands that cost many hundreds. I also don’t think I need wireless. So I was looking at this one: https://amzn.eu/d/frt4otf If the link doesn’t work, it’s an Einhell SDS Max, just over 1000w and 10 joule impact force. Amazon slightly cheaper than Screwfix at £171. I am thinking SDS Max because it will need to push a 3 foot drill through our thick walls. But I am concerned that it will be a heavy beast, (7.45kg) and will be a pain for plaster removal. I sit at a desk for the day job and already have tennis elbow on my left arm (boohoo). I guess the other alternative is to get someone else to drill the wall hole and buy something a bit lighter for plaster removal. I’ve dug out a test section of the outer plaster with a standard hammer drill and it’s pretty sandy so hopefully will come off easily enough. I have opted for DeWalt cordless for five other tools and have three batteries, although I suspect using cordless for external plaster removal will go through batteries too quickly. So, that’s my first question of many to come. Hope it’s in the right place. cheers, Al