The Hilti Nuron SBT 6-22 Takes Drilling Accuracy To A Whole New Level
For decades, Hilti has held a prestigious spot in the world of industrial construction and maintenance. With the addition of their Nuron battery platform, we’re seeing a big expansion in newer and better tools that make life a little easier on the jobsite. One such tool is the Hilti Nuron SBT 6-22 Drill Driver that offers confident drilling power and has a pretty slick trick up its sleeve.
Pros
- Confident drilling power
- Specialized torque settings
- Comfortable ergonomics
- Brushless motor
- Anti-kickback protection
Cons
- No significant drawbacks
Editors Note: To see our top picks from head-to-head testing, check out our best cordless drills article.
Hilti Nuron SBT 6-22 Drill Driver Performance
- No-Load Speed: 0-490, 2000 RPM
- Max Torque: 752.3 in-lbs
- Motor Type: Brushless
Drilling Power
Hilti utilizes a brushless motor that produces up to 490 RPMs on low and 2,000 RPMs in high gear. In terms of power, you can expect 575 in-lbs of soft torque and a maximum working torque of 752.3 in-lbs. Additionally, this drill has 15 clutch settings, so I can dial in the torque setting when working with smaller fasteners or delicate materials.
Drilling Capacity
- Keyless Chuck: 13 mm (1/2-inch)
- Hardwoods: 20 mm (3/4-inch)
- Softwoods: 32 mm (1 1/4-inch)
- Metal: 13 mm (1/2-inch)
Automatic Torque Control
Hilti equipped this drill with their Active Torque Control (ATC) technology. This prevents the tool body from uncontrolled spinning if the drill bit binds up. The drill will automatically shut off if it senses a bind-up.
Using BT Mode
Up until now, the SBT 6-22 seems like a fairly ordinary drill, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Along with the clutch settings and drilling mode, this drill has a BT “drilling assist” mode for use with Hilti’s TS-BT drill bits and installing S-BT threaded studs.
To get started, set the drill to high gear to pre-drill the hole. The speed will automatically reduce when the hole is drilled to the correct depth. Next, set the drill to low gear and use Hilti’s stud holder bit to screw in the S-BT threaded studs into the pre-drilled hole. The torque limiter activates when the stud reaches the correct depth.
To ensure the stud is at the proper depth, Hilti includes their S-IC BT depth gauge. This lets you quickly double-check your work on the fly.
Hilti Nuron SBT 6-22 Drill Driver Design Notes
- Model: Hilti SBT 6-22
- Power Source: Hilti Nuron Battery
- Weight: 3.6 lbs (bare), 5.3 lbs (with B 22-85 battery)
- Head Length: 7.9 in
Size and Weight
The Hilti SBT 6-22 drill has a fairly robust profile. With a B 22-85 battery, it stands just over 10 inches tall and measure 7.9 inches long. As a bare tool, it weighs 3.6 pounds. That number jumps to 5.3 pounds with the recommended 4.0Ah battery.
Ergonomics
As you’d expect, this drill features a textured rubber overmold grip that contours nicely and feels good in your hand. Plus, the addition of larger rubber grooves helps channel away sweat.
Profile wise, it’s nearly identical to the Hilti SF 6-22 hammer drill. There are some slight differences is size and weight, but the majority of differences are internal.
Additional Features
- LED work light
- All metal chuck
The Benefits of Nuron Technology
Let’s take a closer look at Nuron’s specific benefits. With the updated battery design, we expect longer runtime, especially when you need to keep the drill under a heavier load for longer periods of time. Part of it is the 21700 cell selection, part of it is the cooling technology inside, and part is the resistance reduction of the electrical connections. All of that works together to power the drill more efficiently than before.
For those of you managing an entire tool crib, the batteries’ ability to automatically store and transmit data about the tool and battery is a huge help to making your management duties more efficient. Even if You’re using multiple tools with one battery, it stores the data and transmits it via the charger when you put it on.
There’s a lot more to the Nuron story, so check out our deeper dive here.
Hilti Nuron SBT 6-22 Drill Driver Price
The Hilti SBT 6-22 retails as a bare tool for $460.72. If you’re on Hilti’s Fleet Management service, the tool is $13.33 per month.
The tool carries a 20-year warranty and a 2-year free service agreement. While this drill is compatible with all Nuron batteries, some options are better than others.
Compatible Batteries
- 2.5Ah (B 22-55): $105 each (best for the lightest weight)
- 4.0 Ah (B 22-85): $143 each (best for balancing size and weight with performance and runtime)
- 8.0 Ah (B 22-170): $217 each (compatible but not recommended due to size and weight)
- 12.0 Ah (B 22-255): $255 each (compatible but not recommended due to size and weight)
The Bottom Line
After getting some hands-on time with the Hilti SBT 6-22 drill driver, it’s clear that there’s more than meets the eye. At its core, this is a very capable drill driver that will handle the majority of your drilling and driving needs on the jobsite, but it’s the precision torque limiter that really sets it apart. This drilling assist mode is a huge time saver for busy Pros by allowing you to do more work with one tool. While the bare tool price is a little steep, I think in terms of overall value, and the Hilti SBT 6-22 has that in spades.
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