Irwin released a new SpeedHammer SDS-plus masonry bit line today aimed specifically at avoiding bit breakage due to rebar. Just like remodelers who tear into studs hoping not to snap a recip blade on a nail, folks drilling into masonry fear rebar — the steel reinforcement added to concrete projects. It’s damn tough to know exactly where they lie, and they’re hell on bits.
Irwin claims the new bit is “optimized for cutting through rebar at high speed” and offers “twice the life of traditional masonry bits.” The press release is a little light on technical details, but we’ll definitely follow up with some questions. In the meantime, you might want to give ’em a look.
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5 Responses to Preview: Irwin SpeedHammer Masonry Bits
Leave a Reply to Brau Cancel reply
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We’ve been trying the Bosch rebar cutting bits – the verdict isn’t in yet.
I know how to drill through rebar fast … with a sharp speed bit.
I also know what any mason bit will *not* be after boring through a few inches of aggregate filled concrete before hitting rebar … sharp.
I’m sure any claims made are so marginal, as to shed doubt on their viability, like using the vague term “concrete”. It’s easy to pad a claim by using concrete with small or soft aggregate. Most often it’s drilling through the aggregate that really slows you down, not the concrete itself.
Has Irwin made ANYTHING that’s any good in the last few years?
JT
These bit are made in Denmark by Joran and used to be quit popular here in europe.
Hilti and Spit quad-core drill are the only long-term working solution for rebar drilling
@Brau (and others):
If you were going to put together a test that’d really beat the living crap out of one of these bits, what would you do? (In detail, please! I’m not asking rhetorically. 🙂 )