Reverse
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:
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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.
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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).
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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. Chuck type
The type of cartridge used in a rotary hammer to hold a working tool.
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SD+. Abbreviation for it. "Steck-Dreh-Sitzt" — "insert-turn-fixed." Today's most common rotary hammer chuck, used in low and medium power models. It has a 10mm diameter shank with 4 slots and accepts tools from 4 to 26mm in diameter and 110mm to 1000mm in length. The advantages of SDS + are the reliability of fastening and convenience when changing tools — it does not require additional devices such as keys. The main drawback is the significant beating of the tool during rotation, due to which such a cartridge is very poorly suitable for drilling.
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SDS Max. Modification of the SDS + cartridge (see above), intended for use in powerful professional models. It has a shank diameter of 18 mm and allows the use of tools with a diameter of up to 55 mm; otherwise similar to SDS+.
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SDS-Quick. A variation of the SDS cartridge (see above), in the shank under which protrusions are used instead of grooves. It is also possible to install tools with 1/4" hex shanks in such a chuck. The most common tool diameter for SDS-Quick is 4-10 mm. This chuck is used relatively rarely.
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Quick release. Chuck for holding drills and other tools used in drilling holes. The design is similar to those used in electric drills — it has 3 cams, it is designed for a too
...l with a cylindrical shank without grooves, and hand force is enough to install / remove the tool. Such a cartridge is devoid of the main drawback of SDS — beats during rotation; this allows you to use the rotary hammer for drilling with good quality. On the other hand, it is much worse for chiselling than SDS. Therefore, keyless chucks are usually supplied as an accessory and are installed instead of the standard SDS chuck.
— Key. The presence of a special key cartridge in the delivery set of the rotary hammer, usually in addition to the standard SDS (see above). In terms of mounting design, this chuck is similar to the keyless chuck (see above) and is also designed for use in drilling. Its main difference lies in the method of installing / removing the tool: you can’t do this with your bare hands, you must use a special key to compress / unclench the cams. Such a system is somewhat more reliable than a quick-clamping system, but much less convenient: changing a tool takes a lot of time, and the key can be lost.Quick chuck change
Possibility of
quick replacement of the perforator chuck — usually from a regular SDS to a quick-clamping one (for more details, see "Chuck type"). Such replacement is carried out in a few seconds and does not require additional tools.
Weight
The weight of a fully assembled rotary hammer (in the case of battery power, with a standard battery installed). Unlike many other types of equipment, in the case of rotary hammers, light weight is far from always an advantage. So, heavy models are better suited for professional use — they are less prone to vibrations and, usually, are stronger, which is important when working with difficult-to-cut materials for a long time. But for small, simple works of short duration, a lot of weight is not required, and in this case,
light models are useful, which do not require significant effort to hold on weight.
