Comparison Crown CT18116 BMC vs Crown CT18108 BMC

The power given out by the perforator directly to the drill or other working equipment. This figure is inevitably lower than the power consumption (see below) due to energy losses in the tool mechanisms.

In general, higher net power means more efficiency and productivity; the reverse side of these advantages is an increase in price, energy consumption, dimensions and weight (however, the latter is not always a drawback for rotary hammers). In addition, note that tools with similar useful power values may differ in the ratio of chiseling speed and impact power: remember, a higher frequency means less energy for each individual impact, and vice versa. So the big numbers in this paragraph can mean both high efficiency when working with hard, stubborn materials, and good performance on relatively simple tasks; these features need to be specified separately.

Also, by the ratio of useful and consumed power, one can evaluate the efficiency of the tool in terms of energy consumption: the lower the power consumption (with the same useful power), the more efficient this model is. The downside of energy efficiency is often increased cost, but it can be recouped fairly quickly in energy savings, especially if you work long hours and often.

Rated power consumed by the rotary hammer during operation. Usually, the maximum power consumption in normal operation is taken as the nominal power.

In general, the higher this indicator, the heavier and more performant the rotary hammer is, the more advanced its performance usually turns out to be. On the other hand, the electricity consumption of such tools is high. In addition, note that with the same power consumption, the actual set of individual characteristics for different tools may be different. For example, frequency and impact energy are inversely related, and for the same power input, higher frequency usually means less individual impact energy. So, according to this parameter, it is worth evaluating only the overall level of the instrument; for accurate selection for specific tasks, you need to pay attention to more specific characteristics.

Also note that power consumption data can be useful for some tasks related to catering — for example, if a construction site is powered by an autonomous generator and you need to estimate the load on this energy source.

The energy transmitted by the perforator to the material being processed upon impact; the higher this indicator, the stronger and more powerful each individual blow.

First of all, we recall that the energy of impacts is directly related to their frequency: an increase in frequency leads to a decrease in energy. Therefore, for models where the number of strokes can be adjusted, this paragraph usually gives the maximum energy achieved at the minimum speed of operation.

In general, higher impact energy improves efficiency when working with hard, stubborn materials, but requires more motor power (especially if it has to be combined with a high frequency). Therefore, it is worth choosing according to this parameter, taking into account specific tasks. So, for occasional use in everyday life, an energy of 2 J or less is enough, for home repair work of medium intensity, at least 3 J is desirable; a power of 4 J or more is already considered high; and in some industrial-grade perforators, this figure can reach 30 J.

The number of beats per minute provided by the punch. For models in which the beat frequency can be adjusted, this item indicates the entire adjustment range, for example "1600 — 3000".

High impact frequency, on the one hand, increases the productivity of the tool and can significantly reduce the time required for work. On the other hand, with the same engine power, an increase in the number of strokes per minute leads to a decrease in the energy of each stroke. Therefore, among heavy performant devices, a low frequency is often found — up to 2500 beats / min and even lower. And the ability to adjust the frequency of impacts allows you to adjust the hammer to the specific situation, depending on what is more important — productivity or the ability to cope with hard, stubborn material. For example, for old crumbling brickwork, you can set the speed higher, and for working with stone or dense concrete, it is better to reduce the frequency of impacts by directing engine power to increase the energy of each impact.

Summing up, we can say this: when choosing a perforator, you should focus on both the number of strokes and the impact energy. Detailed recommendations on this subject for specific situations can be found in special sources.

The speed of rotation of the working equipment provided by the rotary hammer. Usually, this indicates the speed at idle, without load; rated load speeds can be further specified in the characteristics (see below), but this is rare, and this parameter is still considered the main characteristic. It is also worth mentioning that in the presence of a speed controller (see "Functions"), the maximum speed value is given here.

When working in the main mode — drilling with impact — the rotation of the equipment is used mainly to remove waste from the hole, and the revolutions here are of no fundamental importance (they can be very low). Therefore, it is worth paying attention to this indicator mainly in cases where the rotary hammer is planned to be often used for conventional drilling, without impact. And here it is worth proceeding from the fact that high speeds increase productivity and contribute to accuracy when working with some materials, but reduce torque (compared to tools with the same engine power). So for heavy work with hard, stubborn materials, relatively "slow" tools are usually better suited.

Note also that drilling is not the main task of rotary hammers; therefore, their rotation speeds are noticeably lower than those of the same drills. On the other hand, in this case, low speeds are often compensated by powerful engines and high torque, which makes it possible to effectively drill holes...of a fairly large diameter, including using crowns.

The reverse allows you to switch the direction of rotation of the nozzle. It also indicates the type of switch responsible for the reverse. The options might be:

— Crawler. A switch in the form of a slider with two working positions (plus a neutral one between them, at which the tool does not turn on at all). Usually, it is able to move in the direction "back and forth" — this option is considered the most practical. The sliders are quite simple and at the same time convenient and visual.

— Flag. A switch in the form of a flag, usually installed above the start button and thrown to the right and left. One of the advantages of the checkbox is that it is right at your fingertips and can be switched almost “without unnecessary movements” (which is not always available for the slider).

— Brush (on the engine). The brush reverse differs from the two options described above not so much in the design of the switch as in the principle of operation: it changes the direction of rotation not by controlling the current on the motor windings, but by a special movable brush holder for this motor. This allows you to develop maximum power in any direction of rotation (which is not always available with electronic adjustment), and also reduces wear on individual engine components. The disadvantages of this option are complexity an...d high cost.

— Gearbox. A rather specific option: switching the direction due to the settings of the gearbox (the mechanism that transmits rotation from the engine to the cartridge). Here you can draw an analogy with turning on the reverse gear in a car: turning on the reverse affects only the cartridge with the tooling, the tool motor continues to rotate in the same direction. This allows you to use the full power of the motor in any direction of rotation; and the absence of unnecessary switches has a positive effect on the reliability of the electrical components of the tool. On the other hand, gears with a reverse function are quite complex and expensive, and therefore they are rarely found in individual professional-grade rotary hammers.

The location of the hammer motor is indicated relative to its standard operating position — when the drill is directed horizontally.

— Horizontal. Also, this arrangement can be called longitudinal, because. the engine is placed along the body of the perforator. Due to this, such a tool is more compact than vertical motor devices. On the other hand, horizontal motors are subjected to more severe loads, which makes it difficult to use this arrangement in high power rock drills. As a result, tools of this type have relatively low power and productivity, most of them are designed for relatively simple work.

— Vertical. The vertical arrangement assumes placement of the engine perpendicular to a working nozzle. This significantly affects the dimensions of the unit. On the other hand, vertical rock drills use gearboxes that reduce the load on the engine, which makes it possible to create powerful performant tools. Therefore, most professional-level models designed for intensive use in difficult conditions use a vertical engine layout. But also the predominant part of them without reverse.

The maximum tool diameter that can be used with a rotary hammer when drilling in concrete. See "Maximum drilling diameter in wood" for details.

— Soft start. A function that provides a smooth spin-up of the tool motor, with relatively little acceleration. This is achieved by limiting the starting current. Without such a limit, the current drawn by the motor at the time of starting can be quite high, causing the motor to start very abruptly, which increases the risk of letting go of the tool. In addition, current surges can lead to overloads in the network used for power. Soft start allows you to eliminate these phenomena to some extent. Note that it only applies to mains powered models.

— Speed controller. Electronic limiter for the maximum speed of the tool attachment. This is implemented using a rotary switch on the tool body, turning it clockwise increases the maximum allowable speed, against — reduces it, which allows you to take into account the characteristics of the materials that need to be drilled or gouged.

— Maintain momentum. The presence of an electronic adjustment system that automatically adjusts the rotation speed depending on the diameter of the working tool and the type of material. At the same time, the regulator maintains a constant speed regardless of the load — by changing the power supplied to the tool. Automatic adjustment increases the quality of processing and productivity, and also increases the life of both the working tool and the hammer itself, ensuring optimal operati...on.

— Soft blow(economy mode). A special mode of operation in which the impact energy and rotational speed provided by the rotary hammer are reduced. This affects two things: firstly, the tool acts less intensively on the material being processed, and secondly, wear and energy consumption are reduced. The first feature will be relevant when processing fragile materials that can be damaged by too powerful chiselling; the second — when working with soft materials, which lend themselves well to even not very strong impact.

— Anti-vibration system. The system for suppressing vibrations transmitted from the operating unit to the operator. Strong vibrations impair the accuracy of work, and also lead to rapid fatigue; vibration protection reduces these effects. It is used mainly in expensive professional models designed for long-term operation.

— Safety clutch. Mechanical safety system that protects the hammer from breakage, and the operator from injury in case of jamming of the working tool in the material. When this happens in the drilling mode, the engine experiences critical loads that can very quickly disable it, and when chiseling, the hammer itself also starts to move, transmitting vibration to the operator’s hands. The safety clutch is set to a certain load level; when it is exceeded, it is destroyed, breaking the connection between the working tool and the perforator mechanisms.

— Power button lock. The ability to block the power button in the off and/or on state. In the first case, the lock provides protection against accidental pressing, and can also play the role of child protection — the lock button is usually quite tight, and a curious little child will not be able to press it. The second option is useful if you need to work for a long time without a break, and it is inconvenient to keep the power button pressed all the time.

— Brushless motor. The presence of a brushless (brushless) motor in an electric tool. Such motors are noticeably superior to traditional collector motors in terms of efficiency, which can significantly reduce energy consumption without sacrificing power; this is especially important for cordless tools (see "Power Source"), where this feature is predominantly found. In addition, brushless motors are quieter and produce virtually no sparks during operation, making them perfect for working in high fire hazard environments. Their main disadvantages are traditional — the complexity of the design and high price.

— Backlight. The perforator has its own lamp that illuminates the work area. This feature is useful if there is little natural light, and there is no way to install artificial light — for example, when working in cramped conditions.

— Reverse. The reverse function allows you to rotate the working tool of the rotary hammer in the opposite direction. This can be useful, for example, to release a drill stuck in the material.

— Synchronization with a smartphone. The ability to connect the instrument to a smartphone or other gadget (such as a tablet) via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Such a connection is usually used to adjust operating parameters such as speed or torque; doing this through a mobile application is often more convenient than through the controls on the instrument itself. And some models with this function also allow you to set password access: the tool simply will not respond to the start button until the correct password is entered on the control gadget.

— Built-in spirit level. Built-in device to control the angle at which the tool is located to the horizon. As in ordinary levels, the role of the scale in such devices is played by a sealed flask with marks applied to it, containing a brightly coloured liquid and an air spirit. By the position of this spirit relative to the marks, the position of the entire tool is determined — namely, its correspondence to the vertical, horizontal, or pre-set tilt angle (the latter option, however, is almost never found in the built-in levels). At the same time, purely hand tools usually provide a single-axis level that reacts only to deviation from the horizontal forward or backward, and models with the ability to mount on a rack (see below) can also have a circular level that controls compliance with the vertical and determines deviations from it in any direction.

— Carbon brush replacement indicator. The presence of a special indicator in the design of the perforator, signaling the need to replace the carbon brushes. Carbon brushes are located in the electric motor and are the most worn part of it, because. subject to constant friction during operation. When the brushes are worn beyond a critical level, the engine power drops, it starts to work intermittently, which can lead to unpleasant consequences up to tool breakage or even injury. And replacing the worn brushes themselves is much cheaper than changing the entire electric motor or even the entire tool.