I have gotten rid of the ni-mh cordless drills and replaced them with a 18v Lithium ion battery powered hammer drill that can spin a 20mm bit.
It can bore / hammer about 40 holes about 150mm deep in hard clay or road gravel on a charge and take about 20 minutes to recharge.
The battery and charger cost the same price as the drill, but the best thing about the lithium ion battery is that it keep it's charge for months ( Loses something like 10% per month), so at least when you need it after a few weeks, and you are in the middle of nowhere it is charged and ready to run, unlike the ni-mh which ran flat after a week or two
Lee
I have the same setup and totally agree with you!
P.S. Your avatar makes me CRINGE!!!
18v is good, but 36v is better. I'm quite happy with my Bosch 11536VSR.
I have to agree with Jim, but they all beat the old "star drill".
I used to have a Pionjar. Gave it to my Marine Corps son when I could no longer pick the thing up. He picked it up, case and all and walked away smiling ...
that is one bad maba jamba
Make sure you get "SDS" stlye drill. The bit will not slip/twist when drilling holes.
After installing well over 300 GNSS Reference Stations over these past years,
I picked this tid-bid from Michigan Mike, my trusted Ref Station install partner.
The SDS drill bits are a little more pricey$, but they last forever.
Go SDS, or Go Home !
I also purchased an Electric Bosch Hammer Drill for driving Lighning Rods and Rebars.
A 14lb sledge hammer gets real old, real quick. This Bosch will drive an 8ft lightning rod in about a minute. Eats rebar for breakfast.
-BbB
I have one of these. Dug up 4 RR spikes 0.8' down in asphalt pavement in 15-20 minutes; used up 1 battery & just a bit of the second. Beats the tar (so to speak) out of a hammer & chisel. My arthritic old hands actually still functioned when I was done.
Also drills nice 11/16 holes in limestone or shale bedrock for #5 rebars. Don't know about granite or schits or such, as there's none of them around here....
SS