Digging in hard soil, pavement, etc,

http://www.homedepot.com/p/ROCKFORGE-60-in-Pinch-Point-Digging-Bar-GXB-490/202520458

This digging bar is low tech, cheap, readily available, and very effective for chipping out pavement and v. hard soil.

Milwaukee makes a 18 volt sds plus and sds max hammer drills

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Something like this. (WOW, she's a tough woman!)

But, Hey, this looks good too.
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I could use it, with a few bits...

Mark Mayer, post: 403397, member: 424 wrote: http://www.homedepot.com/p/ROCKFORGE-60-in-Pinch-Point-Digging-Bar-GXB-490/202520458

I have one of those... It seems that there is a better mousetrap here somewhere.

N

mvanhank222, post: 403398, member: 8673 wrote: Milwaukee makes a 18 volt sds plus and sds max hammer drills

I all I can find are the ROTARY kind. I don't need rotation. HAMMER ONLY.
These are the kind of bits I want to run:
https://www.amazon.com/Demolition-Hammer-Spade-Shovel-Spline/dp/B007MQY3YE

We have a high voltage rated ryobi with hammer, drill and hammer drill settings. Chews up asphalt like no tomorrow. I'll get the specs Monday. Of course I have to include the disclaimer about Monday being a long ways off...

We bought a 36 volt Makita demo hammer that we like. It is still a battery operated tool. So sometimes it goes dead before we would like. For setting pipe it's really nice to be able to drill a hole halfway and drive it the rest of the way in rocky soils.

For the tool bits that you showed. You really have to get either a gas powered version or a generator and a corded upright. But they are heavy. We built a lift crane for the back of the truck I'll upload a photo if I can find one.

I understand the problem with the generator I think it's a common problem among a lot of surveyors. With more and more monuments and monument wells being paved over it's getting a little ridiculous.

Good luck.

All the Milwaukee over 5/8" have an option (dial on the side) to select hammer only/rotary hammer/rotary only. We use the 5/8" one for drilling in spikes, hubs, and lathe into recycled asphalt millings and frozen ground. It's taken some abuse and still works well. Go with the bigger batteries though 5 amp hour or better yet the new 9 amp hour.

Each of our trucks carries one of those Slammer tools.

Our guys really rate them highly - great for making a hole vertical and in the right place before setting marks.

While we do have the spade bit we don't use them that much for digging.

SDS Dewalt 20v has been great for diggin in and out of the road and it will go thru concrete and rock fast.

Adding an adapter to a regular drill chuck to use a 1 1/2in or 3in auger is faster than using a shovel.

:manhole:

I've not found cordless tools very useful in digging in hard ground or pavement. I tried with my Bosch 36v rotohammer, but went through both batteries getting through a few inches of AC using a drill bit. The tool lacks the mass to make effective use of a chisel bit.

As much as I hate hauling a generator around, there's nothing like a 30-lb. demolition hammer for making quick work of digging through pavement. (A full-size jackhammer will work too, of course, but I've never found that necessary.)

I'm thinking of an oversize alternator, and an inverter on the truck.
This would solve many issues at once, plus it'd give me 110v on the truck.

In the early 80s, I bought a stonemason's breaker bar at old hardware store in Rogers AR. It was locally made. 6'L
1 -1/2" dia. Steel. Sharp point on one end. The other end was flattened into a wedge or slightly shoehorn shape.
Stone construction is very widespread in the area from simple to expensive homes and buildings.
Also patios, retaining walls, fireplaces are constructed of native stone.
The point is used to shape or break up a stone and the wedge to move material with ease using it to flip or roll.
I built a patio and retaining wall with it. Collected
Stones for home projects. Demolished old concrete steps, old sidewalks too. Built a BBQ pit. Great tool

I used it to break up asphalt, concrete etc. while surveying. Stored easily in
truck bed.

After many years,
the only problem developed was growing legs and walking away somewhere.

Bought a Bosch 36v bulldog hammer drill to replace it.
Not as much fun or satisfaction.

Nate The Surveyor, post: 403428, member: 291 wrote: I'm thinking of an oversize alternator, and an inverter on the truck.
This would solve many issues at once, plus it'd give me 110v on the truck.

Nate,

If you wanted to go that route, I would go with a small 900 watt generator from Harbor freight, if you needed the occasional 110 to run a power tool. They are not much bigger than a large lunch cooler, and are not much louder than a weedeater. I have one that I bought to power Christmas lights on a float when my daughter was in high school. I have since used it for several different surveying projects, as well as some work around my Dad's farm.

If you sign up for their emails, you can almost always find them on sale for around $100.

JC

It looks like 15 amps, needs 1800 watt generator.
I'm thinking 2000 watt generator, or 2000 watt inverter.
Essentially, a generator, is a gas motor, with an alternator, and an inverter.
So... Let me check using truck alternator, and 2k inverter...

Thank you everyone for suggestions, and ideas. Right now, the "slammer tool" looks like a good answer. I dont want to carry a generator. Big alternators are bound to that truck. And, being that the slammer can serve other purposes, (it seems to be much better steel than the log splitter, I posted above).
I don't know this... But when you buy, you are basing your decisions, on some assumptions. Right now, I'm leaning that way.
It seems also to me, that IF I were doing holes, once a week, or more, the generator, and pwr tools would be the way to go. It seems also, that the ole slammer, will work good for holes in hard pan, hard gravel roads, and in places where you can't get a good swing, with a pickaxe, or matock.
Whatever I get, I'll get you all a report back.
Nate

As a former concrete foreman my day to day chipping/rotary electric hammers were Hilti. More power with less effort. My air hammers were atlas copco. Now, I have a gas 2-cycle 60lb atlas copco hammer for frozen rock roads, and use it occasionally in August when it's hard packed and dry. I even have a clay spade bit and ground rod driving bit.

Most guys around here have Honda generators powering something like the bosch you have a link for.

I have struggled to run my smallish hammer drill with my 2000W inverter on my truck. By the numbers it should work, but it does not.

Steve

Chrisnik use to have the Thunderbolt
http://www.stakemill.com/thunderbolt-power-bar-c-117_325/

A company I worked for had one and it was great. For some reason Chrisnik discontinued the item. Bummer

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It had different heads on it. Chisel head, small shovel head, pointed head, rebar driver, etc.

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