Hi everyone! I recently picked up a DCH273 hammer drill and I'm using it with 5ah batteries. However, I'm feeling pretty let down by its performance. I also own a DCD796 and a corded Bosch hammer drill. Despite the DCH273 having a rating of 2.3J and my Bosch at 3.2J, it takes quite a while to drill through just a few centimeters of concrete. My Bosch does that in 2-3 seconds! I'm not sure if the joule rating is only relevant to the chisel function, but the performance of the DCH273 seems more on par with the DCD796. While the chisel function is decent, I'm uncertain if it was worth the price. Is there something wrong with my DCH273? Do I need to upgrade my battery, or was I expecting too much in terms of power compared to my DCD796? Most of my work involves drilling concrete, so any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
2 Answers
You might want to consider returning your DCH273. The DCD796 struggles with concrete drilling when it comes to anything bigger than 12mm. A properly functioning DCH273 should be able to drill a 20mm hole 300mm deep in C25 concrete without much hassle. If yours isn’t making it through concrete quickly, it probably isn’t working as it should.
Check out some repair videos online; it seems a lot of people have had durability issues with the DCH273. You’re not alone in feeling regret about choosing this model—it can be pretty hit or miss. Just keep in mind that these performance issues could be common for this drill.
Thanks for the heads up! I hadn’t looked into repair videos, but now I’m a bit concerned. I definitely was hopping on the DeWalt train for quality.
Yeah, it sounds like something’s up with your drill. If it’s struggling with an 8mm hole in cinderblock, that’s not normal. It shouldn’t take that long, especially with hammer-drill mode. Think you might just have a lemon.