ONE+ HP 18V Brushless Cordless 1 in. SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer Drill (Tool Only)

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Bought a month ago finally put it through its paces and drilled a bunch of holes using the HP 4ah batteries worth every penny.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I build alot of commercial storm sewer structures and use regularly . It has help up very well with tough conditions. I drill alot of dowell pins and 8d nails.i would definitely buy again price and quality are amazing!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought this rotary hammer drill yesterday.. I was amazed how strong it was! You cannot beat its price for such a high quality product.. I went through most high end cordless tools especially Milwaukee but I have to switch to Ryobi nowadays… I’ve have a gas blower too.. it didn’t give me any maintenance issues as long as you follow the instructions particularly in starting procedures… had it for 5 years plus now… just one pull and it very eager to do its job…

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I used for this job. The last weeks I used the hammer feature more than 5 times . Works great.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have had this hammer drill a few months and really like it. As I get older I am looking for lighter weight tools and this one fits the bill. It works well in the hammer drilling mode and makes holes at a reasonable rate. I haven’t used the chipping mode yet but it is nice having that option. Love how it uses the same battery as most of my other tools.

The P223 Rotary Hammer earns a place in my tractor toolbox because I don't have to haul out, and put away, hundreds of feet of extension cords when I need to work out past the old corn patch. The Ryobi One+ SDS Plus Brushless HP Rotary Hammer is rated for one inch bits and 2.1 joules or just over 1.5 ft lb impact energy. It is a big step up from the P222 brush model that was rated for 1/2 inch bits. The hammer includes a vibration reducer, adjustable depth rod and support handle, variable speed, work light, forward/lock/reverse, and modes for hammer, chisel adjust, hammer drill, and drill only. You will need to buy an SDS Plus adapter chuck to use regular drills in drill only mode. I drilled 12 inches in limestone on a single 3Ah battery.

This Hammer Drill uses SDS Plus bits. It will not accept the bigger SDS Max bits. There are aftermarket Drill Adapters that allow you to use normal drill bits. However, this drill is a lot larger than your typical drill/driver and a bit heavier, too. I would recommend using a regular drill for smaller holes and reserving this one for large holes and SDS Max bits. A couple years ago, I rented a Hammer Drill for holes needed to bolt my new mailbox to the sidewalk. I had tried using the hammer rill setting on my wireless drill/driver, but after about a half hour of work, I had one worn out bit and a ⅜” deep hole. Then I rented a hammer drill that used an SDS plus bit and completed all 4 5” deep holes in about 2 minutes. [I still had to pay for the minimum 4 hours rental, though.] I plan to use this new Hammer Drill to turn a 19-inch, granite boulder I dug up in my backyard into a water fountain. However, I need to purchase a larger, longer drill bit for that. Before spending the money to order the new bit, I used my old, 6”x ¼” bit to test this hammer drill on scrap chunks of concrete, paver and granite. It drilled through all the scraps very easily in less than 10 seconds each. The concrete was my first test, and it broke into pieces because it was not supported well. I was more careful when positioning the paver and the chunk of granite stone. Drilling any of these materials with this hammer drill is amazingly easy (see photos). I was happy to see that this drill incorporates a handle design to reduce vibration. However, it has been over a year since I used that rented hammer drill so I cannot make a direct comparison. I can say that for ¼” diameter holes so far so vibration is not a problem. With a small spade bit, in the hammer mode, this tool should also make planting shrubs a lot easier. I live in North San Diego County where the soil is mostly decomposing granite with some clay patches. It is difficult to dig a hole more than 2 or 3 inches deep, but even a demolition hammer will vibrate the granite enough to turn it into small granules like very, very coarse sand. It drains fast, but as long as you choose appropriate plant species, they will thrive. I planted over 100 trees and shrubs from #5 & #15 pots using a corded Demolition Hammer with a generator or a very long, heavy gauge extension cord. I am hoping to use this cordless solution as I add smaller flowers and shrubs from 1- & 2- gallon pots. The controls on this Hammer Drill are very simple: |Turn the auxiliary handle counterclockwise to loosen it so you can rotate it up until it is perpendicular to the main handle. Then turn it clockwise to snug it in place. This handle also holds the depth gauge. |The depth gauge is easy to adjust by pressing the lever on the clamp. The serrated edges that help keep it locked in place make it jerk a bit as it slides through, though. |Use the large dial to select drill, hammer drill, or hammer only. |The instructions suggest that you remove the battery before inserting or removing your SDS Plus bit. |Pull down on the chuck to insert the bit. After rubbing a little grease on the end, of course. |The lever above the handle has 3 positions: clockwise, lock and counterclockwise (see photos). The instructions recommend placing it in the LOCK position before snapping in a battery pack. |The trigger controls the drilling speed |The LED light comes on when you press on the trigger. After you release the trigger it will slowly fade and go out. |You shouldn’t need to lean heavily on this tool. Its hammer action helps the drill drive the bit through masonry. The instructions mention that putting too much pressure on the drill will place an unnecessary load on the motor. The LED will flash 6 times if you are using excessive force. |The LED will flash 9 times if the drill gets too hot. |The LED will flash 3 times if the battery is low. I ordered this Hammer Drill as “Tool Only” because I already have a couple ONE+ chargers and several batteries. Ryobi makes compatible, lightweight, compact ONE+ batteries in 1.5Ah, 2Ah or 4Ah sizes and high power ONE+ HP batteries in 2Ah, 3Ah, 4Ah, 6Ah or 9Ah sizes. I also have a Ryobi ONE+ HP drill/driver that came as part of a kit including a storage bag. I was considering purchasing the same bag for the hammer drill, but it needs something larger. Even with the battery removed, it is 4” x 12” x 8.5”. With a small 1.5Ah battery, this hammer drill weighs 6 pound 12 ounces. On the back of the handle, way down near the battery, there is a place to fasten a strap or lanyard. This might be useful if you want to lock up a shared Hammer Drill. Ryobi also sells a thick, strong lanyard/wrist strap that can be used to hang the driver or even heavier One+ tools from a hook on the wall. It is a plastic assembly that clamps on like a very thin battery and has a flat lanyard or wrist strap with a snap lead rope clip at the end (like on a large dog’s leash).

The Ryobi 18 volt brushless hammer drill will satisfy your needs for any project, It is very powerful and you can select whether you want to drill, hammer or combined hammer drill. The new SDS chucks give you extra strength for the hammer operation and the squeeze and release chucks let you take out a hot drill bit without getting burned. The drill motor is very light and compact for the power it can put out so this is the one to go to far any size job. The depth stop rod is standard with this drill so I can preset the depth I want to drill to and not worry about breaking through any project I am working on and the drill comes with an auxiliary handle also comes with it and it can be adjusted to any position you need to keep control of the drill motor.

If you think rotary hammer drills are just more expensive regular hammer drills you are very mistaken and will never go back after having one. Think of them not as hammer drills but as handheld jackhammers than also drill. They pack a power and utility that a standard hammer drill will never have. I have used things such as a Bosch bulldog sds rotary hammer before for demo work removing tile with a scaling bit. It made the process so much easier than doing so by hand. In getting this puppy the first thing is that it is way smaller than old school SDS drills and pretty ergonomic. The anti-vibe handle actually makes a difference unlike on the Ryobi reciprocating saw. Another point of notice is the power. It sinks 3/16 seven inch long masonry bits in seconds. My standard drill takes so much longer. When testing out the hammer mode, my tile and scaling bit was able to cut bricks in half quickly and comfortably. I haven't gotten a chance to remove thin-set yet but I have no doubt it would work great. The only things that stand out as small issues is it's crazy battery consumption which is obvious given it's power. The other is the lack of a pointer or easily visible indicator on the mode select. Putting a spade or scaling bit in and activating the trigger only to find you are actually in drill mode is annoying. All in all these are super handy to have if you can afford them and pack a power your regular cordless drill will never have.

The Ryobi 1” SDS hammer drill is so much better than my older hammer drill. I am impressed with how well it works. It seems to hit harder and faster. The hammering action sinks a drill bit in with ease. This drill has 3 modes including, drill, hammer drill and chipping. Included is a handle and a depth gage stop. Both are easy to adjust and use. I like the new brushless HP line. They run stronger and longer.