What drill?

Really, unless you just want a new toy, since you indicated that you're not going to use it much, I'd go with the star drill. It never runs out of juice (unless you run out) and is pretty quick considering.

I've used them in the past to drill down 6" in about 5 minutes to set brass tablets for monuments before. I still have one running around.

OTOH, I would think that an 18 volt would do the trick since concrete isn't rock.

That will work well unless you are doing too many at once, requiring extra batteries or recharging. A simple star drill works pretty well and is far cheaper if you are only going to do this a handful of times per year.

If you get a drill, I would recommend a hammer drill. There are several battery powered hammer drills available.

Google "craftsman c3 11580"
I don't have one of these but I have several of the other C3 tools including the 10" chain saw. This is on my list.

James

> It will only get used a couple of times a year for this type thing. Looking at sinking a 1/4" holes a couple of tenths deep into poured concrete.

For this kind of use, dollar for dollar, all you need is an old fashioned star drill and hammer. The batteries on those things never go dead.

If you really just want power I recommend a hammer drill. The penetrating ability in concrete of a hammer drill is many times that of an ordinary twist-only drill - thus you use less battery. An 18v hammer drill should be plenty for a few 1/4" holes.

I have several cordless drills, one is a 18v Durofix RD1828(made in China) that I got at Costco for $30 a couple years ago. I can do several 2" holes with a standard 1/4" masonry bit before I have to switch to the spare (included) battery. I do few 1/2" holes but I would expect they would be no challenge with a pilot hole.

I HATE cheap tools, but my workers are tough on them so I tried this one. I was surprised at the durability, but it weighs a ton.

For sure get a hammer drill. A standard will not do the job if the concrete is well settled.

But it's not so much the drill as it is in getting good bits. Pricy but well worth it when drilling into concrete. Get the best and you will be happy with the results.

I like the Bernsten bits.

Use this all the time and it works great.
Since your not a contractor needing to use it every day, I'd look to find a used one on ebay or amazon.
It's expensive new; but this one was about 1/3 price and I've seen them at 1/10th of a new one.
It's a HILTI TE6-A.
The portability and speed is worth a lot.

I like the 2-piece rock drill from LoInk -- just a minor upgrade from a star drill, easier on your hands, maybe somewhat more aggressive, not pricey. I've had one for 5 years and it still works well, no maintenance to speak of and I've yet to replace the bit. Check it out:

rock drill

I need one about as often as your do. I have an 18V Milwaukee 1/2" hammer drill that works fine. I didn't buy it for surveying but as soon as I used it for surveying, it became a very legitimate expense for tax purposes.

I have a Porter Cable 18v cordless hammer drill that works very well. It was about half the price of the Bosch one at Lowe's.

For the small holes you are needing drilled, I think a cordless hammer drill would work fine...

I have a DeWalt hammer drill with the SDS chuck and bits. It is 18V and I use 1/4", 1/2", 5/8", and 3/4" bits regularly. The batteries last quite a while and recharge quickly in the vehicle charger. I'm going to eventually break down and buy one of those countersink bits from Berntsen for my CD-2 aluminum monuments. They're expensive, but work has been really picking up the last few months and the bit would make a better looking job.

The other advantage to having the 18V Dewalt batteries, I have a recip. saw, grinder, impact wrench, & drill in the truck and ready to go. Makes life easier when you good tools.

If it was me I would use a glass cutting drill bit. especially if you are only drilling 1/4" holes. Those things will go through concrete or limestone like butter. The down side is they are expensive ($10 - $15 each). The up side is you don't need a high dollar hammer drill.

Kyle Smith

I have a 9.6v DeWalt Drill that's about 15 years old that I use for this. I've had to replace the batteries a few times over the years, and I bought a cig. lighter car charger for the batteries. But it works fine with a 1/4 mas. bit. You'll get plenty of use out of one charge.

Yes, you definitely need a hammer drill to make holes in concrete. I've tried a masonry bit on my 18volt DeWalt drill driver and it doesn't work reliably and often burns up the bit.

I needed to make a bunch of 1" holes in A.C. (to accept a 5/8" rebar and cap) so I went over to U.S. Rentals and rented a big hammer drill and generator. That was worth every cent of the rental bill because that thing made 1" holes in a hurry; way better than making them by hand with a bull pointed chisel.

> I need a drill to set some drill holes for property corners. It will only get used a couple of times a year for this type thing. Looking at sinking a 1/4" holes a couple of tenths deep into poured concrete slab or curb & gutter.

>I am thinking a 18 volt cordless with a masonry bit would work for this type thing.

that should work fine

> I needed to make a bunch of 1" holes in A.C. (to accept a 5/8" rebar and cap) so I went over to U.S. Rentals and rented a big hammer drill and generator.

I second the use of a rotohammer and generator if you're drilling large holes in quantity, as long as you can get within extension-cord distance with the truck. The work goes way faster than with the battery-powered drills. I have a Bosch 11240 rotohammer that I use with a Honda EG2500X generator in those situations.

I also have a Bosch 11536VSR 36v rotohammer that I use for smaller holes or when getting close with the truck isn't practical. It takes about twice as long to drill a 3/4" hole with the battery-powered unit than with the generator-powered one, but it gets the job done and is very convenient in urban situations.

I would get a hammer drill too, in fact I've been looking for one recently, not only for corner marking but for breaking up compacted gravel driveways and alleys. I'm getting tired of spending all day chipping out compacted rock with a sharpshooter. A drill with a long bit would loosen things up real quickly.

For good corners however I still like my Dremel with a large cutoff wheel. It will run off a truck 12v Inverter (low amperage pull on it) and cuts nice deep beautiful crosses that last.

I've had real good luck using liquid nails for marking offset marks. A little dab on a brass tag does the trick.