What makes holes in concrete like a hot knife in butter? A rotary hammer does. If you have a big masonry job to do, lay down that hammer drill for later. Pick up one of these two rotary hammers from DeWalt to make your job a lot easier. Let’s look at both models to see which one is the best for you.
DEWALT D25213K 1-Inch D-Handle Three Mode SDS Hammer
The DeWalt D25213K rotary hammer is rated in foot-pounds of power, not little-bitty inch-pounds like a drill. The exact figure is 2.5 foot-pounds, or 2.8 joules. The power comes from the 8Amp motor.
The motor is controlled by the two-finger, variable-speed trigger. You can start it slow, then run it up to 1150rpm and 4300bpm without a load. If the bit should jam, the clutch stops the motor before the tool jerks out of your hands. (It’s still a good idea to use the auxiliary handle for a two-handed grip.) The motor also has a reverse setting so you can use the hammer to remove fasteners.
If you want to use the D25213K to drill wood or steel, you can, if you use an adapter (sold separately). It’s really made for drilling and chipping concrete, brick, and stone. The bits you use need to have SDS+ shanks, but that makes it easy to swap them. You don’t have to fuss with the chuck. Just insert the bit, and push and rotate it until it locks in place. To remove a bit, pull the sleeve back and pull the bit out of the chuck.
The mode selector gives you control over how you use the D25213K. Turn the dial to drill-only (rotary) mode, and with the adapter, you can put holes in wood, metal, and plastic. Hammer-drill mode is for masonry. There is also a hammer-only mode, and an option for rotating and using a chisel bit.
The only downside to the D25213K is that it lacks vibration dampening. If you’re doing a lot of hammer-drilling, the vibration gets tiring after a while. If you would like a rotary hammer with less vibration, check out the D25223K below.
More features of the DeWalt D25213K SDS hammer
- Weighs 6.1 pounds, measures 16.6-inches long
- Comes with detachable 360-degree side handle
- Optimum range in concrete is 5/32” to 5/8”
- Vibration measurement is 21 m/s2
- DeWalt offers a 90-day money-back guarantee, a 1-year free service contract, and a 3-year limited warranty
DEWALT D25223K 1-Inch D-Handle SDS Rotary Hammer Kit
The DeWalt D25223K has the Active Vibration Control feature that the D25213K lacks. As a result of the shock absorbers in the handle, this rotary hammer vibrates less than half of what the other model does.This is an important safety feature for professionals who use this tool on a regular basis.
If you’re a pro, you can skip the lecture here about how vibration can cause permanent damage to your hands and arms. You probably already know about that. For the rest of us, here’s a quick summary.
Regular use of vibrating tools like rotary hammers can lead to numbness and tingling in your hands. You can lose your sense of touch, and your hands can become weak. You may notice that your fingertips start turning white while you’re working, then turning red and painful after you’ve stopped. Over the course of months, or years, you could end up with permanent nerve damage. This is why less vibration is a very good thing. Less vibration is less risk for people who use power tools for their everyday job.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled review. The DeWalt D25223K, besides the addition of shock absorbers in the handle, is almost the same as the D25213K. It uses SDS+ bits. It weighs a little more and is an inch longer.
But the motor is just as powerful for drilling or chipping. You have just as many modes to use. Switch from rotary only to hammer only, to rotary hammer, or chiseling modes by turning the dial. Rotate the side handle around to the perfect position for a firm grip. Check out the review above to see more detail on all the functions that these rotary hammers have in common.
More features of the DeWalt D25223K SDS rotary hammer kit
- Weighs 7 pounds, measures 17.7-inches long
- Comes with detachable 360-degree side handle
- Compatible with dust collection system, sold separately
- Optimum range in concrete is 5/32” to 5/8”
- Vibration measurement is just 10 m/s2
- DeWalt offers a 90-day money-back guarantee, a 1-year free service contract, and a 3-year limited warranty
Recommendation
Since these two rotary hammers have the same power and capacity, the choice comes down to weight and vibration.
The D25213K weighs a few ounces less, but it has the higher amount of vibration. If you plan to use it only for occasional jobs, that might be just fine for you.
The D23223K weighs a few ounces more, but it has less than half the vibration of the other rotary hammer. If you’re planning to use this tool regularly, this one is the better choice to keep you healthy.
Click here to purchase DEWALT D25213K on Amazon!
Click here to purchase DEWALT D25223K on Amazon!