Helifix carries a range of quality power tools suitable for the correct installation of its masonry repair and new build products. Included among the range are rotary hammer and percussion drills selected from the Bosch professional series.

Drill Types

Rotary hammer drills, otherwise known as SDS drills, are designed to hold SDS drill bits and use a weight to create the impact force on the bits when drilling. The design enables efficient drilling into masonry. However, the direct hammer action also means that rotary hammer drills with SDS bits can contribute to excessive spalling when drilling into soft or delicate materials. To limit spalling, it is advisable in these situations to use a rotary percussion drill. (See below.)

The installation of StarTies, RetroTies, PatchPins and DryFix ties will generally always require the use of a Helifix support tool fitted to a quality, rotary hammer drill.

Rotary impact (percussion) drills use a 3-jaw rotating chuck to clamp and rotate standard, straight-shanked drill bits. The hammer action of rotary percussion drills is provided by the rapid pulsing, backwards and forwards, of the chuck. The design does not provide the same efficient transfer of energy to the hammer action to that provided by the SDS. Accordingly, rotary percussion drills are not suited to the use of very large diameter drill bits. However, the gentler hammer action means that rotary percussion drills are well suited to drilling small diameter holes into and through soft masonry and concrete blockwork.