Thread: HILTI - What's the big deal?

Looking at those pics Im reminded of the day I decided to pull apart the wringer on my Mums washing machine. The thing never did run quite the same after Dad somehow managed to put it all back together.

I have a Hilti dry-wall screwdriver, Damien, and you're right when you say that they have a lot of power for weight. The only trouble with them is that they are sold a bit like Snap-On, where you have to buy them directly from a few specialist outlets. And you can't compare prices because the prices aren't reasily available.

I like to do some research before I buy tools and this process makes research harder.

I also think that they're overpriced.

Good job there mate, I wouldnt dear to take one of those apart
On the subject of Hilti...I was in a secondhand shop yesterday, and saw a hilti sf 100-a (9.6v) sitting on the shelf for $50. The battery was flat so I couldnt give it a whizz...Hilti batteries any good? anyone used a sf 100-a?
I was worried the drill might be half dead, so I put it back on the shelf
cheers!

Damien have to agree with you, Hilti tools are built to last and do any job real easy.

They are only sold a specialised outlets because the people who sell them know what they are capable of and are generally a tool salesperson.

Here in Aus if you have a hilti tool and it need servicing you send it back to hilti and it comes back almost a new tool as they have all the parts on hand and do a really good job, they dont take of the bumps and scratches the owners has put on the tool.

Not overpriced when compared to similar tools just overengineered and built to last.

Be aware that there are fake HILTI drills going around - even a GMC or Ozito drill will outlast them.

A plumber that had a unit next to my mate was sold 2 of them & when he took them to HILTI for service they told him they were fakes. From the outside you would never know, box, accessories, documentation look good but it seems the serials don't match.

Originally Posted by underused

Good job there mate, I wouldnt dear to take one of those apart
On the subject of Hilti...I was in a secondhand shop yesterday, and saw a hilti sf 100-a (9.6v) sitting on the shelf for $50. The battery was flat so I couldnt give it a whizz...Hilti batteries any good? anyone used a sf 100-a?
I was worried the drill might be half dead, so I put it back on the shelf
cheers!

Don't know mate. I did have a Hilti glue gun that was the bee's knees but some rotten bugger stole it. I'm only mentioning it because it's an example of a good tool outside their core-competence which is rotary hammers. I'd expect their battery drills to be pretty good...

Originally Posted by bsrlee

Be aware that there are fake HILTI drills going around - even a GMC or Ozito drill will outlast them.

A plumber that had a unit next to my mate was sold 2 of them & when he took them to HILTI for service they told him they were fakes. From the outside you would never know, box, accessories, documentation look good but it seems the serials don't match.

I hope he didn't pay too much for 'em...

Hi Damien, this is a magnificent contribution! I know how much time it takes to arrange components like that to get a decent picture of them. The story is also enlightning and useful, three cheers for members who invest such effort! You're absolutely right, the Hilti brothers from Schaan started in the fifties with quality that was hard to match, but those days are over. When you saw a TE17, you saw the original on which Hitachi modeled its DH25V and Makita its HR2510. The TE22 and TE72 were very good jobs as well, but after that the frugal toy engineers came in, shifted their emphasis to design smugness (to disguise minimal use of expensive materials) and a tightly reigned sole distributor's network. And now they mainly float on the brand name and reputation of yesteryear. Hilti became popular in Holland because our state telephony company PTT issued every engineer's van with tools including a TE72, for drilling foundation holes for cable entries into office buildings. That's over now, contractors may as well buy Bosch or Hitachi or Makita or Kress or B&D/DeWalt now, the difference is not all that great (the same as with family cars really; the production techniques and metallurgy and function lists are virtually the same throughout brands and countries).

Best regards, Gerhard Schreurs, Netherlands

Nice post and WIP, Damien. Somewhat daunting for most I would imagine, but you obviously know what you're doing.

First service in 8 years probably summarises Hilti quality - top stuff. Unfortunately the few pieces of Hilti gear I owned were "acquired" by others a few years back by breaking into the tool boxes on my ute. I ended up replacing 2 of the drills with Ramset models which seem to be of similar reliability.

I'd hate to think what your re-build would cost from an authorised service agent. Just the parts would probably be more than some cheap model drills.

Wayne