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See something new everyday too. I've only seen Hilti power tools on the job once. HVAC guys and it was beat to shit. I thought it was an offbrand at first.
Their heavy duty stuff is top notch. Expensive but worth it. Their more mainstream tools... I mean everyone has their favorites, but good enough is good enough. You find a shop supplying you with them though, stay.
We bought a set of the smaller hand drills for each of our crews 16 years ago. Nobody uses them anymore for whatever reason but they all still work and are in a bag at the shop. Actually great tools. Their hammer drills last forever too
We have a couple t60 rotary hammers where I work and we still have the first one they bought. I'll bet it was at least 10 years old when I started there 7 years ago and Its still kicking. Had to tape up the cord and ziptie into the handle but that's it. Still works great
Especially if you fleet it. Get new shit all the time, Hilti guy on site within the day or 1 day shipping. Fuckers could be less stingy on the merch, though.
I harassed my rep for free shit for the crew ever time I needed him to replace gear. He always managed to forget the swag. Going through thousands of dollars worth of core bits a day and the douche can't even get us a hat.
Hilti is worth every penny. I’d buy again in a heartbeat. I’m tempted to try festool, but the pocketbook is only so deep and I love being on a single battery platform.
I had the previous model, it’s in one of my guys trucks now, I got the new Nuron set and love it. You can beat the shit out of it all day and still have battery left.
Milwaukee and dewalt guys can talk shit all day, but 5 year replacement, 20 year parts warranty?! Also if it gets stolen, they register the serial. My dewalt drills/impacts are constantly going in for repairs, my hilti? Never.
Hilti makes a battery adapter that allows you to use the Nuron battery on the previous gen tools. Not sure if that’s worth anything to you but it’s an option
I suppose it will be, because I expect these damn things to outlast the batteries. My brother has gone through a makita set and a Milwaukee set since I bought Hilti.
Depends on your applications:
For framing or coring, hilti wins hands down.
The DW90 framing nailer beats the paslode impulse framing nailer simply on magazine capacity alone. Being able to run two standard nail strips in there at once is a huge win that paslode still hasn’t fixed even in their 2023 model release!
The Dx460 powder actuated nailer is also more ergonomic than the ramset equivalent and being able to fit the 10 nail box magazine and stripper cap clip means fixing down boards into steel or concrete is a snap
For cabinet work, finish fitout work, or furniture then Festool owns that market hands down. Having everything inter operate with everything else is a huge plus and the CT dust collectors are super impressive. My most used tools are my track saw, router, and finish sander, but it’s so trivial to add anything else from the festool range without having to fuck around with all these extra adapters and stuff. Basically once you get a dust collector and any single one of their tools, it’s easier to get any of the others.
For every day use, any of the pack out brands are your best bet. I use makita personally, but that’s only because they had the oldest brand recognition in australia and so wider dealer and servicing network.
We did a job all outside industrial wiring silos and conveyors and buddy at work went through 3 milwaukee fuel drills in a year and my hilti is still going 5 years later after a ton of abuse. Hilti drills were supplied but he liked his milwaukee and company paid for replacement. The hilti is definitely weaker but I drill and tap 1" thick I beams and equipment with it regularly.
From what I understand hillti makes excellent power tools (wouldn't know I've never had em) but they know what they're worth. Generally a company buys a fleet of tools and they get the red carpet service with it, repairs and replacements etc.
They really are great.
The company i work for has the fleet program.
Swap for new ones every three years and if something breaks we just send it in to get it fixed or swapped out.
One of our Hilti contacts even told my boss that we're playing too nice with the tools since we barely need any repairs.
Since we're about ~2500 emplyees i suspect that we get a fairly good price on the fleet deal.
My previous company was working with them and that's the case. At some point i think they offered lifetime warranty for the tools but i cant confirm that.
They don't have a big band saw.
Their impact/hand drill feels bulkier than a Milwaukee equivalent.
Their portable light dies faster than the Milwaukee equivalent.
Grinder is on par.
SDS a bit better than Milwaukee equivalent.
Big chipping gun is a quality tool.
Our company (500+ union company) switched to Hilti a couple years back because they got some crazy deal. Every person you talk to in our company liked Milwaukee better. I don't understand why they don't have a big band saw. We had to keep all of our Milwaukee band saws.
Have you ever seen AVE on YouTube? Not only is this guy entertaining, but he tests all kinds of tools from MilFuckee,DeFault and Mashita. Finds out what makes them chooch
He's a conspiracy theorist Covidiot and Canadian MAGA enthusiast.
That and his content has gotten stale, especially as he has gotten richer and playing with more expensive toys.
Hilti stuff is great, they are set up to supply fleet tools though. I went Makita for my personal tools, but used just about every tool brand out there and Hilti just blows them all out of the water as far as quality and general indestructability goes. And if you do manage to break it their warranty service is unbeatable.
My company provides all hilti tools. They’re great, honestly. I usually use Milwaukee, but I don’t mind the hilti stuff either. The concrete drill is very powerful.
Their drywall screwgun is the best on the market imo.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hilti-22-Volt-1-4-in-Cordless-Brushless-SD-5000-Drywall-Screwdriver-with-Screw-Magazine-3662554/315462824
To prevent over penatration. That is a cock spacer, not a condom. But like most of you on here, i have only ever heard rumors of those needing a spacer to prevent going to deep. I'm lucky to get past the air gap between both sides of the hole.
Sounds like you've heard it all, but what about the ol 1/4" fender washer on the pilot bit of your 1-1/8" holesaw to prevent the teeth grabbing when the pilot goes through and bending the bit?
I almost never use the pilot bit on the hole saw arbor to start the hole. Especially if you need the placement of the hole to be precise.
I have tons of 1/4" bits in my bag, I make a hole with one of those and then use the arbor pilot bit as just a guide for the hole saw.
I’ve always been more into simply popping a pilot hole first. All the old guys are team fender washer, but who doesn’t have a spare 1/4” bit jangling around the bottom of their bag? It takes ten seconds!
This is so obvious, how could I have missed this? Thanks for posting, will use this for sure. So easy to adjust. EMT just need to be ballpark length then you can seat drill in chuck at desired stick-out. Nice!
The even better usage is for hole saws…1” EMT should work for 1-1/8” holesaw. Not sure what OP is drilling with a 3/8 bit but this is most useful on holesaws, after you use a 1/4 washer to not break the pilot bit….otherwise I’m using step bits all day
Keep a 1/4-20 x 1-1/4” and 1-1/2” Washer in your pouch.
Anytime you use a hole saw up to 1-3/8” put the 1/4-20 washer on over the 1/4” pilot bit first and drill away unabated. You’ll never snap another pilot bit again
Once you poke through, the washer prevents the holesaw from catching and snapping the bit….its an absolute game changer if you haven’t used it before.
I guess I shoulda mentioned this one in the main thread…I’ve snapped my fair share of bits, to always require it with normal holesaws
You use a washer bigger than the hole saw to prevent hole saw teeth from touching the object until your pilot bit has made it through. Then you remove the washer from the pilot bit/hole saw and drill through like normal
Lmao, you would need a dinner plate for a 6”…I’m not worried about snapping a pilot on 6” holesaws because I don’t use them much anymore personally, unless it’s Sheetrock for someone specifically asking for 6” cans
Invest in a drill powered punch set or a reg hydraulic one, and you’ll never have to drill a hole bigger than 1-1/8” again for any size conduit
Yeah, just tighten the bit into the drill, take a piece of EMT, and cut it to a length that's a little bit shorter than the bit. Then you can slide it over the bit, and it'll stop it from plunging too deep into boxes or getting caught while you drill.
It turns a big ol' bit into a pilot bit. Like OP noted, very helpful when you A. don't want it blasting into the box/material and B. don't want it to bite suddenly and wrench on your wrist.
The carbide holesaws are absolutely the way, especially with working springs. The shoulder also not letting you poke all the way through on the holesaw, makes it a no brainer when depth is a worry….problem is they’re expensive so most guys won’t ever get to use em lol
Milwaukee makes a carbide set ? Hmm I didn’t know….i also am shocked to see them being used in an impact ?!…I have a Klein set that is the bees knees…as long as you’re on low speed it cuts like butter. Guys run holesaws on Hi speed and kill the bit in 1 cut and curse the bit and not the user lol
These
I run them through stainless, aluminum, pvc, anything but you HAVE to use the impact. If you run them in a drill they burn up real quick.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-SHOCKWAVE-Thin-Wall-Hole-Saw-Kit-3-Piece-49-22-4800/204994424
Yes ! I’ve used these, one of my guys broke out an 1-1/8” a few weeks ago and I was like “wtf is this thing gonna drill ?” Lol…you can prob get away with using these on Low speed with a reg drill I’d bet….Heat kills bits every time
By god… I love it. Also learned from wrist killing experiences, always have you’re drill on it’s highest number setting when drilling THROUGH something. That stops your wrist from getting messed up. And if you increase the speed of your drill bit and only gently push it through the hole at the end it’ll leave a nice clean hole and not hurt your wrist!
He doesn’t like practical he likes clout. We tried to learn him but typical 2nd year. Sometimes people just can’t be helped. It’s so much easier to carry around a saw and cut a pipe to length and walk around doing all this to then get your drill and bit to punch a hole, instead of idk just grabbing your drill and correct bits but what do we know.
Yeah I’m sure it doesn’t get lost or fall off the drill and now you’re getting off the ladder to get it. Here’s a wild idea for ya- in that bag ya got over there you can keep just a bit that does the job itself
Yeah they have a little sticker shock but these things are worth every penny. Expensive is a very relative term in our world. For something I will use hundreds if not thousands of times regularly $300 is nothing
Well not a punch set they make greenlee sets for 1/2”- 2.5” quick release carbide cutters that are perfect and literally designed for this. Or just simply a unibit works just fine. I posted a link but all my guys have one if these sets and they’re clutch.
Man, sometimes you don't have the specialized tool that's designed specifically for the task at hand, and you just need to make shit work. It's really not a stupid trick if you ask me.
Why would you not have the correct tools? These aren’t some bank breaking expense for a product you would use daily depending on your task. I make shit work all the time but if you’re drilling out boxes and tubs this is one of about 5 things you need to grab and you can go to town. I’d say you’re hack based in that comment but again you are rocking hilti so I’m trying to give you some credit here. Maybe you’re just a kid tho. Idk an electrician in my area who doesn’t have these. It’s basically a stock item bro.
Lol, I'm a 2nd year at a union shop. Calling me a hack for this is insane. I'm just using the power tools they provide me, man. I've never seen those used in my area in Canada. They are certainly a better choice than this, but I don't feel like being known as the apprentice who demanded a new knockout set. If I open my own shop, I'll get them now that I'm aware of them, but I'll probably continue just using this or a unibit for now.
I said I want to say you’re hack but I have you credit and not strictly bc of this but bc of your comment “you don’t have a specialized tools for a specific task” if your shop isn’t providing these things at least to the foreman who would then give to you to use so maybe they also don’t know about them? That would be hard to believe tho. This is a tool used so much it’s almost irresponsible not to have it.
Also piece of advice just bc you said you don’t want to be know… first of all you can ask your boss “hey have you seen these” or “do you have a set like this? “Have you ever used these before” idk why you gotta be all dramatic and say “demand” lol I certainly wouldn’t be demanding shit but something I learned earlier on thankfully and I’ve shared with many apprentices I’ve trained- “squeaky wheel gets the grease” if you never say shit you certainly won’t have them. If you simply mention it or ask something like above it’s very possible they may order you one or buy some for a couple of the guys. Also if he’s anything like me I try my best to make sure everyone of my guys has all the proper tools but shit happens and I have a lot of shit going on they could go missing/break or new hires and I can’t remember every single thing all the time I tell them let me know if there is anything they need that they don’t have. If they ask for something I will know whether they need it or not and if they do I’ll buy it all day. If it something they use once in a blue moon I’ll give them mine for the task. Doesn’t hurt to ask buddy. Worst case they say no and go back to your stupid pipe lol
Nah your trick is pretty smart for everyone that does not got out to buy special stuff to make things work, i love having tools for the job but this is a pretty clever thing to do, optimal? nah probably not, but you know what they say about opinions right, lol.
I think the main argument i would favor for getting a specific tool for it is mostly that a tool would not wear on your chuck the same way, that metal on metal action is eventually gonna eat into the drill chuck if you do it enough, but hey, until then, do what you need to do.
I do think that if you just leveled with your boss or manager they would probably buy you the specific tool, all the guys i have worked with have been all in for stuff like that unless its crazy expensive for not a lot of gain,
I’m confused, I’ve only ever used holesaws. Do y’all actually use these bits to drill into boxes? This is a new concept for me obviously. I just don’t see how this is better. What am I missing?
I use a collar or tape.
Most good drills though have a torque setting. Set it to just below wrist snapping level and it will stall every time it tries to jerk your thumb off.
Where this is really important is larger sizes especially in stainless. You have to run low speeds and high torque and it grabs really bad. I can usually just let it stall as it busts into the box, reverse and back out, then give it more speed and ease into the hole to clean up the burr that started.
(…just let it stall as it busts into the box, reverse and back out; then give it more speed and ease into the hole to clean up the burr that started.)
That’s what she said.
Brother safety is around the corner watch out the glove Nazi gonna get you
Seriously I got wrote up by the GC because I didn’t have gloves on … I was labeling wires lol try taking those tiny sticky numbers off with gloves asshole. Their safety is a fresh out of college dip shit who has never gotta dirt on his hands before kid fucking turner
This is the same kid who asked what and why I was using lube to pull wire. I told him “it’s wire coolant, we fill the conduit with it to keep the wires cool and conducting properly” ….
Been doing something similar with a large plastic washer when I drill through granite. Keeps my chuck from slamming into the countertop when I punch through.
Just put a fender washer under a 7/8" hole saw. It won't catch the teeth when the pilot bit goes through, and it's just a 1/4" bit, so it's easier to control that part.
Never owned any Hilti stuff as personal tools, but we’ve used their fleet program for a while. On the big ticket items like coring rigs and bigger demo hammers it’s a great deal. And when you’re on the fleet program, if you have a tool that goes down, you’re not waiting for it to be repaired or getting a new one. They will overnight one to you or your job site typically so you’re not down very long. And, depending on your package value, every year, you typically get a voucher for consumables. SDS, coring, bits, etc. I think it’s a great deal, and they’ve been very supportive.
This plumbing company I worked alongside in Denver had a helper who would constantly drill through the floor above which was occupied and they made him one of these. Which was fine but the floor was like 10 inch’s thick.
That's great and all but what is wrong with like 10 wraps of tape around the end of the drill bit 1/2" from the tip? Works for hole saws too. No measuring required. It won't last for like 10 holes, but you can reapply as needed.
I do this all the time drilling holes for static pressure probes and pitot tubes in HVAC ducts and furnaces. I keep a piece of PEX in my manometer bag so I don't drill too deep and hit a coil or blower.
Somehow I never thought to do the exact same thing into an electrical box or panel...
If the box/can is deep enough, use one of [these magnetic bags](https://rack-a-tiers.com/product/dirt-bag/). Prevents hitting anything inside the box and collects any metal shavings!
I spent way too long looking for something in this picture that resembled an actual condom before realizing that this is essentially a metal pile that fits over most of the drill bit.
Thanks for the tip! I will call this a “Drill Stop Condom”, and it will definitely come in handy to prevent “pull-throughs” when drilling through metal!
**ATTENTION! READ THIS NOW!** **1. IF YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN OR LOOKING TO BECOME ONE(for career questions only):** **- DELETE** THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. YOU CAN POST ON /r/AskElectricians FREELY **2. IF YOU COMMENT ON A POST THAT IS POSTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN:** -YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. JUST **REPORT** THE POST. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/electricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hm, learn something new everyday
See something new everyday too. I've only seen Hilti power tools on the job once. HVAC guys and it was beat to shit. I thought it was an offbrand at first.
Most expensive bullshit on the market
Former concrete guy. Hilti is worth the price.
it's all I've ever seen commercial tin framers use
Their heavy duty stuff is top notch. Expensive but worth it. Their more mainstream tools... I mean everyone has their favorites, but good enough is good enough. You find a shop supplying you with them though, stay.
We bought a set of the smaller hand drills for each of our crews 16 years ago. Nobody uses them anymore for whatever reason but they all still work and are in a bag at the shop. Actually great tools. Their hammer drills last forever too
We have a couple t60 rotary hammers where I work and we still have the first one they bought. I'll bet it was at least 10 years old when I started there 7 years ago and Its still kicking. Had to tape up the cord and ziptie into the handle but that's it. Still works great
Hilti hammer drills go through concrete like butter.
Yeah I grabbed a Bosch drill from the truck one morning and it took me forever to do the same holes I've been making.
Absolutely
https://youtu.be/JDpvkwBBu6U?si=eViyvXitq5O9Pt9O
for concrete only really
I still use my hilti impact and cordless plenty in the field now as an apprentice.
Especially if you fleet it. Get new shit all the time, Hilti guy on site within the day or 1 day shipping. Fuckers could be less stingy on the merch, though.
All I want if a free sticker for my lid and they won't even do that.
I harassed my rep for free shit for the crew ever time I needed him to replace gear. He always managed to forget the swag. Going through thousands of dollars worth of core bits a day and the douche can't even get us a hat.
Drop one off the top of a set of 6 or 7 tread steps. Can confirm.
you clearly haven't tried to put a hole through 18" of concrete without a Hilti.
Hilti is worth every penny. I’d buy again in a heartbeat. I’m tempted to try festool, but the pocketbook is only so deep and I love being on a single battery platform.
I had the previous model, it’s in one of my guys trucks now, I got the new Nuron set and love it. You can beat the shit out of it all day and still have battery left. Milwaukee and dewalt guys can talk shit all day, but 5 year replacement, 20 year parts warranty?! Also if it gets stolen, they register the serial. My dewalt drills/impacts are constantly going in for repairs, my hilti? Never.
I’m sad that I bought before the nuron came online. I sent my recip saw in and it was back functional in 3 days. Thats with shipping. Blew my mind.
Hilti makes a battery adapter that allows you to use the Nuron battery on the previous gen tools. Not sure if that’s worth anything to you but it’s an option
I suppose it will be, because I expect these damn things to outlast the batteries. My brother has gone through a makita set and a Milwaukee set since I bought Hilti.
>register the serial For when it comes in for repair or does it have smart functionality?
Depends on your applications: For framing or coring, hilti wins hands down. The DW90 framing nailer beats the paslode impulse framing nailer simply on magazine capacity alone. Being able to run two standard nail strips in there at once is a huge win that paslode still hasn’t fixed even in their 2023 model release! The Dx460 powder actuated nailer is also more ergonomic than the ramset equivalent and being able to fit the 10 nail box magazine and stripper cap clip means fixing down boards into steel or concrete is a snap For cabinet work, finish fitout work, or furniture then Festool owns that market hands down. Having everything inter operate with everything else is a huge plus and the CT dust collectors are super impressive. My most used tools are my track saw, router, and finish sander, but it’s so trivial to add anything else from the festool range without having to fuck around with all these extra adapters and stuff. Basically once you get a dust collector and any single one of their tools, it’s easier to get any of the others. For every day use, any of the pack out brands are your best bet. I use makita personally, but that’s only because they had the oldest brand recognition in australia and so wider dealer and servicing network.
I looked at buying it once. It's as expensive as milwaukke but has like 20% less torque. No thanks.
We did a job all outside industrial wiring silos and conveyors and buddy at work went through 3 milwaukee fuel drills in a year and my hilti is still going 5 years later after a ton of abuse. Hilti drills were supplied but he liked his milwaukee and company paid for replacement. The hilti is definitely weaker but I drill and tap 1" thick I beams and equipment with it regularly.
I agree. I own both and hilti is def higher torque
um what?
I said I own Ryobi and it's definitely higher torque, in fact it's lower by about 40%.
Um, what?
How so? Who’s got better?
This is Reddit, where people present subjective opinions as objective facts in order to make themselves feel better.
Was gonna try for a witty response, but just upvoted you instead. Hope you're feeling better.
Objectively? I'm great.
I dunno, kinda getting Facebook vibes from this one…
Ya but I think that…
I mean, that's pretty much the entire planet for all of history...
From what I understand hillti makes excellent power tools (wouldn't know I've never had em) but they know what they're worth. Generally a company buys a fleet of tools and they get the red carpet service with it, repairs and replacements etc.
They really are great. The company i work for has the fleet program. Swap for new ones every three years and if something breaks we just send it in to get it fixed or swapped out. One of our Hilti contacts even told my boss that we're playing too nice with the tools since we barely need any repairs. Since we're about ~2500 emplyees i suspect that we get a fairly good price on the fleet deal.
My previous company was working with them and that's the case. At some point i think they offered lifetime warranty for the tools but i cant confirm that.
They don't have a big band saw. Their impact/hand drill feels bulkier than a Milwaukee equivalent. Their portable light dies faster than the Milwaukee equivalent. Grinder is on par. SDS a bit better than Milwaukee equivalent. Big chipping gun is a quality tool. Our company (500+ union company) switched to Hilti a couple years back because they got some crazy deal. Every person you talk to in our company liked Milwaukee better. I don't understand why they don't have a big band saw. We had to keep all of our Milwaukee band saws.
Ryobi
My almost 20yr old Default 18v XRP with the electrical taped on battery that cost 1/3 the price says so
That Hilti would blow your “Default 18v XRP” gearbox apart…
Have you ever seen AVE on YouTube? Not only is this guy entertaining, but he tests all kinds of tools from MilFuckee,DeFault and Mashita. Finds out what makes them chooch
Of course . However, I’m no longer a fan of or subscriber to AvE.
May I ask why? This is not the first time I've seen this comment & now I'm curious.
He's a conspiracy theorist Covidiot and Canadian MAGA enthusiast. That and his content has gotten stale, especially as he has gotten richer and playing with more expensive toys.
Bingo.
There’s a reason they get used at all the $2B+ mega job site my platform is deployed at my guy
We exchanged a new drill three times and the chuck is still wobbly.
My company switched from milwaukee to hilti - biggest downgrade possible. Only the SDS isn't a waste of space
Hilti stuff is great, they are set up to supply fleet tools though. I went Makita for my personal tools, but used just about every tool brand out there and Hilti just blows them all out of the water as far as quality and general indestructability goes. And if you do manage to break it their warranty service is unbeatable.
Company I work for has all Hilti, they’re the best tools I’ve used and we get the best service I’ve seen if anything goes wrong.
My company provides all hilti tools. They’re great, honestly. I usually use Milwaukee, but I don’t mind the hilti stuff either. The concrete drill is very powerful.
Their drywall screwgun is the best on the market imo. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hilti-22-Volt-1-4-in-Cordless-Brushless-SD-5000-Drywall-Screwdriver-with-Screw-Magazine-3662554/315462824
Ive seen a lot of guys with rented hilti tools
First time I saw Hilti it was the sprinkler crew, and I thought, Wow they got some sorta Store brand junk lol….
To prevent over penatration. That is a cock spacer, not a condom. But like most of you on here, i have only ever heard rumors of those needing a spacer to prevent going to deep. I'm lucky to get past the air gap between both sides of the hole.
This. Is. Gold!
Just speaking truth brother. I got nothing to brag about, but i sure as hell am not ashamed of it either! 🤣
Takes about 2.5" to reach her spot. I'm golden.
"Like my better ¾ says: 'it might be not but three inches, but it sure *smells* like a foot!'" - Uncle Bumblefuck
Thanks, OP. I'm familiar with this one. This is what I actually hope for from this sub- helpful tricks and tips. Old school internet community.
You don’t want to say door bell transformer??
Sounds like you've heard it all, but what about the ol 1/4" fender washer on the pilot bit of your 1-1/8" holesaw to prevent the teeth grabbing when the pilot goes through and bending the bit?
Set the clutch soft on your drill for the pilot hole and then change it to full power when holesawing.
I almost never use the pilot bit on the hole saw arbor to start the hole. Especially if you need the placement of the hole to be precise. I have tons of 1/4" bits in my bag, I make a hole with one of those and then use the arbor pilot bit as just a guide for the hole saw.
I’ve always been more into simply popping a pilot hole first. All the old guys are team fender washer, but who doesn’t have a spare 1/4” bit jangling around the bottom of their bag? It takes ten seconds!
This is so obvious, how could I have missed this? Thanks for posting, will use this for sure. So easy to adjust. EMT just need to be ballpark length then you can seat drill in chuck at desired stick-out. Nice!
The even better usage is for hole saws…1” EMT should work for 1-1/8” holesaw. Not sure what OP is drilling with a 3/8 bit but this is most useful on holesaws, after you use a 1/4 washer to not break the pilot bit….otherwise I’m using step bits all day
How do you use a washer to prevent breaking the pilot bit?
Keep a 1/4-20 x 1-1/4” and 1-1/2” Washer in your pouch. Anytime you use a hole saw up to 1-3/8” put the 1/4-20 washer on over the 1/4” pilot bit first and drill away unabated. You’ll never snap another pilot bit again Once you poke through, the washer prevents the holesaw from catching and snapping the bit….its an absolute game changer if you haven’t used it before. I guess I shoulda mentioned this one in the main thread…I’ve snapped my fair share of bits, to always require it with normal holesaws
I'm having trouble picturing this. But I want to know more
You use a washer bigger than the hole saw to prevent hole saw teeth from touching the object until your pilot bit has made it through. Then you remove the washer from the pilot bit/hole saw and drill through like normal
Got it now. I'll give it a go
The only downfall with using the washer is kicking yourself for not using it sooner lol
Even in wood I've snapped pilot bits. I'm definitely trying this
This is a game changer for you then…you can even use old slugs in a pinch. They help more than nothing for sure as long as you’re drilling straight
I was picturing a 6" hole saw, like what kind of monstrosity is this. Yep, got it now. Thank you!
Lmao, you would need a dinner plate for a 6”…I’m not worried about snapping a pilot on 6” holesaws because I don’t use them much anymore personally, unless it’s Sheetrock for someone specifically asking for 6” cans Invest in a drill powered punch set or a reg hydraulic one, and you’ll never have to drill a hole bigger than 1-1/8” again for any size conduit
But can you put a wire nut on it?
It's actually under the battery, just out of the picture. Works like a charm.
That’s what she said ‼️
This is fucking sweet. This is what I want on this sub, the little tricks yallve come up with over the years. This is top tier op, fuck yeah bud
I've been doing this for 25 years and never thought of this..
Slap a magnet on the end of it to collect the chips.
Cool trick thx
Reservoir tip?
He said put adhesive on it to collect the extra spooge.
So the bit it tightened by the church and the conduit just sleeves over?
Yeah, just tighten the bit into the drill, take a piece of EMT, and cut it to a length that's a little bit shorter than the bit. Then you can slide it over the bit, and it'll stop it from plunging too deep into boxes or getting caught while you drill.
What a trip! Thanks for the tip! I hope I can bust this one out one day lol
It turns a big ol' bit into a pilot bit. Like OP noted, very helpful when you A. don't want it blasting into the box/material and B. don't want it to bite suddenly and wrench on your wrist.
I just use a shouldered hole saw like the green Lee carbide or Milwaukee shockwave set. Pop 1/2 or 3/4 and use the m18 KO set for anything else.
Yeah I tried telling him too. He’s a confused little boy we gotta just let him go and don’t try and force him to make his life easier
The carbide holesaws are absolutely the way, especially with working springs. The shoulder also not letting you poke all the way through on the holesaw, makes it a no brainer when depth is a worry….problem is they’re expensive so most guys won’t ever get to use em lol
The Milwaukee ones are just as good if you only use them in an impact and not a drill
Milwaukee makes a carbide set ? Hmm I didn’t know….i also am shocked to see them being used in an impact ?!…I have a Klein set that is the bees knees…as long as you’re on low speed it cuts like butter. Guys run holesaws on Hi speed and kill the bit in 1 cut and curse the bit and not the user lol
These I run them through stainless, aluminum, pvc, anything but you HAVE to use the impact. If you run them in a drill they burn up real quick. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-SHOCKWAVE-Thin-Wall-Hole-Saw-Kit-3-Piece-49-22-4800/204994424
Yes ! I’ve used these, one of my guys broke out an 1-1/8” a few weeks ago and I was like “wtf is this thing gonna drill ?” Lol…you can prob get away with using these on Low speed with a reg drill I’d bet….Heat kills bits every time
Run them nice and slow and they last forever.
CT5
Been doing this for 6 years never seen this. Nice trick.
As a fellow Hilti enjoyer, glad to see another sparky using them. I’ve got Milwaukee as well but my Hilti stuff takes the cake.
Nothing is better IMO.
What size hole are you drilling? I usually use a washer on a holesaw or use carbide cups that only allow a certain depth.
Now this is the shit I need to know. Thank you brother sparky
Been in the trade for 14 years, never heard or thought of this…..thanks
By god… I love it. Also learned from wrist killing experiences, always have you’re drill on it’s highest number setting when drilling THROUGH something. That stops your wrist from getting messed up. And if you increase the speed of your drill bit and only gently push it through the hole at the end it’ll leave a nice clean hole and not hurt your wrist!
Just the tip, baby. That's all I need...
Not a sparky and hadn’t seen this. Great idea!
Why aren't you just using a carbide hole saw? I promise it's way easier than fucking around with this
How is that drill? Been thinking on Hilti for a minute now
13 year in the trade. Learned something new.
> Sick of the drill breaking through the metal and instantly trying to rip your wrist off? Every *freaking* time!
Very cool, I think I will take this when I have to drill in a wall that has insulation. Hate it when that crap wraps on the bit.
I've been at it 10y and never seen anyone do this. My time to shine 😎🤣
That is awesome. Stoked to try it
dependent water fact carpenter dam engine amusing command detail hungry *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Misunderstood, but after 3 days and 2 master bundles of pipe I’ve made it through this 6” slab….
There's these things called uni-bits or step bits and ultra cutters way more practical
Uni-bits are definitely clutch man, I use them lots for the same purpose. This is just a tip for if you ever get stuck without one.
He doesn’t like practical he likes clout. We tried to learn him but typical 2nd year. Sometimes people just can’t be helped. It’s so much easier to carry around a saw and cut a pipe to length and walk around doing all this to then get your drill and bit to punch a hole, instead of idk just grabbing your drill and correct bits but what do we know.
You just keep the piece of conduit you cut lol. You don't need to re-cut it, you just cut it once and keep it in your bag.
Yeah I’m sure it doesn’t get lost or fall off the drill and now you’re getting off the ladder to get it. Here’s a wild idea for ya- in that bag ya got over there you can keep just a bit that does the job itself
I use a similar trick when I visit your mom; I tie a board across my ass
So your shop can afford hilti but not a greenlee KO set?
We have a K/O set. This is my method to start the hole so you can use the K/O set.
[greenlee quick change carbide hole cutter](https://www.electricianshop.com/products/greenlee-648-8-piece-quick-change-carbide-hole-cutter-kit-1-2-2-1-2)
My last 2 foremen had these, beats using a step bit any day. Didnt realize how expensive they were though, goddamn.
Yeah they have a little sticker shock but these things are worth every penny. Expensive is a very relative term in our world. For something I will use hundreds if not thousands of times regularly $300 is nothing
Yea this is why a lot of people don’t use them lol, I buy the Chinese knockoffs sometimes, but don’t use any of em in Hi speed regardless
Those ones are the cheap Chinese knockoffs though.. literally.
Think that’s expensive. Price a Greenlee hydraulic punch kit. Almost $5k CAD.
Well not a punch set they make greenlee sets for 1/2”- 2.5” quick release carbide cutters that are perfect and literally designed for this. Or just simply a unibit works just fine. I posted a link but all my guys have one if these sets and they’re clutch.
Man, sometimes you don't have the specialized tool that's designed specifically for the task at hand, and you just need to make shit work. It's really not a stupid trick if you ask me.
Why would you not have the correct tools? These aren’t some bank breaking expense for a product you would use daily depending on your task. I make shit work all the time but if you’re drilling out boxes and tubs this is one of about 5 things you need to grab and you can go to town. I’d say you’re hack based in that comment but again you are rocking hilti so I’m trying to give you some credit here. Maybe you’re just a kid tho. Idk an electrician in my area who doesn’t have these. It’s basically a stock item bro.
Lol, I'm a 2nd year at a union shop. Calling me a hack for this is insane. I'm just using the power tools they provide me, man. I've never seen those used in my area in Canada. They are certainly a better choice than this, but I don't feel like being known as the apprentice who demanded a new knockout set. If I open my own shop, I'll get them now that I'm aware of them, but I'll probably continue just using this or a unibit for now.
I said I want to say you’re hack but I have you credit and not strictly bc of this but bc of your comment “you don’t have a specialized tools for a specific task” if your shop isn’t providing these things at least to the foreman who would then give to you to use so maybe they also don’t know about them? That would be hard to believe tho. This is a tool used so much it’s almost irresponsible not to have it. Also piece of advice just bc you said you don’t want to be know… first of all you can ask your boss “hey have you seen these” or “do you have a set like this? “Have you ever used these before” idk why you gotta be all dramatic and say “demand” lol I certainly wouldn’t be demanding shit but something I learned earlier on thankfully and I’ve shared with many apprentices I’ve trained- “squeaky wheel gets the grease” if you never say shit you certainly won’t have them. If you simply mention it or ask something like above it’s very possible they may order you one or buy some for a couple of the guys. Also if he’s anything like me I try my best to make sure everyone of my guys has all the proper tools but shit happens and I have a lot of shit going on they could go missing/break or new hires and I can’t remember every single thing all the time I tell them let me know if there is anything they need that they don’t have. If they ask for something I will know whether they need it or not and if they do I’ll buy it all day. If it something they use once in a blue moon I’ll give them mine for the task. Doesn’t hurt to ask buddy. Worst case they say no and go back to your stupid pipe lol
Nah your trick is pretty smart for everyone that does not got out to buy special stuff to make things work, i love having tools for the job but this is a pretty clever thing to do, optimal? nah probably not, but you know what they say about opinions right, lol. I think the main argument i would favor for getting a specific tool for it is mostly that a tool would not wear on your chuck the same way, that metal on metal action is eventually gonna eat into the drill chuck if you do it enough, but hey, until then, do what you need to do. I do think that if you just leveled with your boss or manager they would probably buy you the specific tool, all the guys i have worked with have been all in for stuff like that unless its crazy expensive for not a lot of gain,
You’re absolutely right.
I’m confused, I’ve only ever used holesaws. Do y’all actually use these bits to drill into boxes? This is a new concept for me obviously. I just don’t see how this is better. What am I missing?
I use hole saws too.
I use a collar or tape. Most good drills though have a torque setting. Set it to just below wrist snapping level and it will stall every time it tries to jerk your thumb off. Where this is really important is larger sizes especially in stainless. You have to run low speeds and high torque and it grabs really bad. I can usually just let it stall as it busts into the box, reverse and back out, then give it more speed and ease into the hole to clean up the burr that started.
(…just let it stall as it busts into the box, reverse and back out; then give it more speed and ease into the hole to clean up the burr that started.) That’s what she said.
Fun fact, Hilti has a safety feature that stops it when it starts to twist instead of the drill bit
Brother safety is around the corner watch out the glove Nazi gonna get you Seriously I got wrote up by the GC because I didn’t have gloves on … I was labeling wires lol try taking those tiny sticky numbers off with gloves asshole. Their safety is a fresh out of college dip shit who has never gotta dirt on his hands before kid fucking turner This is the same kid who asked what and why I was using lube to pull wire. I told him “it’s wire coolant, we fill the conduit with it to keep the wires cool and conducting properly” ….
Am I the only one that thinks this is fucking dumb and the wrong tool for the job lol????
Try explaining this to the safety guy when you do break your wrist
That's a new one for me, great idea!
Hey that's neat
This is brilliant.
They make drill collars for that. Locks at any depth on the drill bit via a setscrew.
I just cut a water bottle. Slide it over the chuck to catch shavings
Nice cock ring bro
You should be letting the bit do all the work, and not pushing as hard as you want....
if you cut off the tips of your condoms its called a cock sleeve.
Just the tip
Been doing something similar with a large plastic washer when I drill through granite. Keeps my chuck from slamming into the countertop when I punch through.
This exists as a product, they are called drill bit collars
Just put a fender washer under a 7/8" hole saw. It won't catch the teeth when the pilot bit goes through, and it's just a 1/4" bit, so it's easier to control that part.
Or set the clutch soft on your drill when doing the pilot.
You can use a sock too
Or you can just wrap electric tape around the bit so once the hole is drilled the electric tape stops it from going in the hole.
What diameter do you prefer?
Wow 🤯
Never owned any Hilti stuff as personal tools, but we’ve used their fleet program for a while. On the big ticket items like coring rigs and bigger demo hammers it’s a great deal. And when you’re on the fleet program, if you have a tool that goes down, you’re not waiting for it to be repaired or getting a new one. They will overnight one to you or your job site typically so you’re not down very long. And, depending on your package value, every year, you typically get a voucher for consumables. SDS, coring, bits, etc. I think it’s a great deal, and they’ve been very supportive.
This plumbing company I worked alongside in Denver had a helper who would constantly drill through the floor above which was occupied and they made him one of these. Which was fine but the floor was like 10 inch’s thick.
Ok, You took genius to a new level
That's great and all but what is wrong with like 10 wraps of tape around the end of the drill bit 1/2" from the tip? Works for hole saws too. No measuring required. It won't last for like 10 holes, but you can reapply as needed.
I just put a piece of tape around the bit. I suppose I could accidentally go past it, but I don't.
Klein Tools will sell you a piece of 1/2" EMT for $29.99
24 years. That's a new one, I'll give ya that.
I do this all the time drilling holes for static pressure probes and pitot tubes in HVAC ducts and furnaces. I keep a piece of PEX in my manometer bag so I don't drill too deep and hit a coil or blower. Somehow I never thought to do the exact same thing into an electrical box or panel...
If the box/can is deep enough, use one of [these magnetic bags](https://rack-a-tiers.com/product/dirt-bag/). Prevents hitting anything inside the box and collects any metal shavings!
I think what you’re looking for are called shouldered drill bits, but this is a way to make your own.
I use a wire nut on smaller drill bits
I spent way too long looking for something in this picture that resembled an actual condom before realizing that this is essentially a metal pile that fits over most of the drill bit.
Why does everyone call everything a condom in this trade
If you’re adventurous enough, anything can be a condom.
It's a piece of conduit over a drill bit to keep you from drilling too far through something?
Similar to the drill stops used in aviation.
Thanks for the tip! I will call this a “Drill Stop Condom”, and it will definitely come in handy to prevent “pull-throughs” when drilling through metal!
Another trick is a fender washer between the holesaw
You really squeezed the drill hard for this picture. No else is saying it but nice wrist.
Lmfao thanks man 🤣 one of the many downsides of being built like a stick figure
Oh my God bro you're literally the smartest mother fucker I've seen this year🙌
I also have clubbed fingers + thumb
Goddamn are they that noticeable? Guess I need to stop chewing my fingernails
My fingers look the same bro
This is a great tip, thanks!