We were fortunate enough to be able to take the brand new Bosch DH1020VC SDS-max Demolition Hammer out for a spin before it even hit the retail market. How do you test a new tool like this? Grab a respected concrete pro, and put it in his hands. Enter Octaveo “Tata” Aceves, who works as a labor foreman for Tiger Concrete and Screed (TCS).
TCS is a concrete contracting company operated by Tata’s father and his seven brothers. It’s also a sister company to Marcobay Construction, which handles millions of dollars in commercial construction accounts all over the southeastern United States and has pioneered using drone technology on the jobsite. Tata has been doing concrete work for about a decade. He lives and breathes concrete (OK, not really – that would be dangerous!) In any case, we were excited to get his take on the new Bosch DH1020VC demo hammer—particularly since his brother was slated to review the Hitachi H41MB demo hammer, a somewhat smaller SDS-Max model.
When we got to the job site, Tata’s team was pouring the tie beam into some block walls, but he was able to wrap that up and take some time to talk with us about the tool. By this time, he had been using the Bosch DH1020VC for a little over two weeks, so we were excited to hear about what he had been able to do with it.
Pro Tool Reviews: So what kind of project are you working on?
Octaveo “Tata” Aceves: We’re building the Bernie Little Distributors, Inc expansion for the local Budweiser distribution center. We’re responsible for the floor, foundation, concrete block side walls, beams, and concrete paving for the lots. It’s a pretty big project, and there are a lot of opportunities for demo work.
PTR: What was your first impression of the Bosch Demo Hammer?
Tata: It’s like a 40 pound hammer that weighs a lot less. It’s really, really light compared to the hammers I typically use.
PTR: Which are?
Tata: An older Kango 900 and a Hitachi.
PTR: What else can you tell me about it?
Tata: The handle was farther away than I’m used to. But it was nice and long for doing floor demo. With my hand that far from my body, even though the tool was lighter, it didn’t give me the leverage I like for chipping into walls. It would be good if the handle was closer in, though I think we could loosen it up enough to slide it in further than it was designed… not sure I’m supposed to say that, though!
PTR: It’s OK, we won’t tell anybody (wink, wink). How did you use the Bosch on this particular job?
Tata: We loaded a Bosch hammer steel chisel bit and did a few things with it, like chipping out a section of flooring so that the electrician could remove and relocate some electrical lines. That’s pretty much a common occurrence for doing an expansion on commercial projects like this. We also punched some holes in concrete walls to run pipe from one area to another.
PTR: How else would you like to use the Bosch Demo Hammer? Any other applications?
Tata: It would be perfect for using with a concrete saw when moving registers or other smaller sections of concrete where the pieces to be removed are too large to want to chip out, and not large enough, or accessible enough, to bring in the heavy equipment.
PTR: That makes sense. What are some other tools you use fairly regularly in your business?
Tata: We use a Skil HD5687 circular saw for cutting wood for forms, Bosch cordless drills, Stihl concrete saws, and for bigger jobs we pull out the Target (Husqvarna) walk-behind Concrete Saw.
PTR: Let’s go back to the tool. How does the Bosch DH1020VC hold up to the other demo hammers you’ve used?
Tata: As I said, it really is lighter. There wasn’t as much vibration, so it was easier to use. It didn’t feel like it was trying to shake my arms off like the older HItachi. It also seemed to break the concrete faster. It’s like it would touch the ground, the tip would sink in immediately, and it was going to work. It didn’t have a huge ramp-up time to get going. So I guess it’s also faster, and I got the job done in less time than it normally takes. It has a speed control, but after we set it at max we didn’t use it all that much.
PTR: Anything else you can tell us about it?
Tata: The 12′ cord is nice and long. It’s also really thick so you don’t have to worry if you drive a truck over it or if it gets covered in debris.
PTR: So would you recommend this tool to other concrete guys?
Tata: Oh yeah. I would certainly recommend it.
Our thanks to Octaveo “Tata” Aceves for making time for us and demoing the new Bosch DH1020VC. It’s not always easy to interrupt your normal workflow to try out a new tool, so we really appreciate it when we find tradesmen willing to flex a new tool around the job site. We’re already concocting ideas for some new tools for Tata to try out in the coming weeks!
