It’s got to be a difficult deal when sitting down to do the year’s rollout plan on some of these tools like the rotary hammer. Milwaukee and other toolmakers are constantly trying to keep customers who want more choices and their preference of simple production runs, even when fewer SKUs might be better for a balanced budget. Either way, customers still need to drill big-ass holes in tough materials.
The newest 5/8″ SDS Rotary hammer is 10.9″ long and 4.6 lbs. heavy — smaller and lighter than it’s ever been. It packs 1.5 ft-lbs. of impact energy, turns at 0-3,700 RPM, and features the latest in anti-vibration tech. All this power on hand, and the first question out of everyone’s mouth is always “When are you going to do a cordless version with the same power?” If they do produce a cordless version of some tools, will there still be wailing and gnashing of teeth when the corded version is shelved for a while or not upgraded as often?
In short, we want everything and want to give up nothing — then demand they keep building products that lose money for them because we still find a use for it. I feel for the product planners; they lose no matter what they do. Thankfully the corded rotary hammer is going to be around awhile, mostly because big ugly holes in concrete are what they are: difficult to drill at the best of times, and a pain in the rear to handle without the right tools.
The newest rotary hammer will be available in July. Look for the pricing to be in line with the current offering.
5/8″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Kit 5263-21 [Milwaukee]