While power tools are usually meant for building things up, there are some out there that are meant for tearing things down. A prime example of this is the appropriately named demolition hammer (often called jackhammers).
These are the tools that you want for tearing down anything, whether it be a kitchen floor or an entire house, they are the best options for you.
We get that demolition hammers aren’t exactly what anyone out there would call “common tools,” since they are typically bought for extremely specific situations and not just kept laying around.
So, we figured that some of you handymen might need help picking out a good demo hammer for your next project. Don’t fret, because we have you covered.
In this article, we will be reviewing a wide variety of the best demolition hammers that we could find. If you want to buy something right this second, do yourself a favor and get the DEWALT SDS Max Demolition Hammer.
Top 5 Review On Some of The Best Demolition Hammers 2021:
DEWALT SDS Max Demolition Hammer
We are big believers in starting with the best, so we figured that the first review that we would do on this list would be of the DEWALT SDS Max Demolition Hammer.
DEWALT as a brand doesn’t need any introductions, they are so reliable and so good at what they do that basically everyone has owned or used one of their tools before. In this review, we will be looking at one of their highest end tools, which happens to be a demolition hammer.
As you might expect if you are at all familiar with the usual quality of DEWALT tools, then you know that this is an extremely well-made demolition hammer. With a 14 amp motor, the SDS Max is capable of achieving a fairly high IPM rate, which is the key to an effective demolition hammer.
However, pure power output isn’t the only reason to consider this tool. It actually has a pretty wide variety of different features that just make it an absolute joy to use. For example, a big problem with these sorts of tools is that they make it very easy for dust to enter the unit.
Well, thankfully, the DEWALT is built in such a way that dust is prevented from entering the tool, which improves both the tool performance and its overall lifespan. What’s more, the tool is designed to make it as quick and easy as possible to quickly swap out a chisel.
The biggest weakness with the DEWALT demolition hammer has absolutely nothing to do with the actual performance of the tool itself, which is fantastic. Instead, it more has to do with the price of the demolition hammer.
With a price tag that begins approaching $700, this is obviously very expensive. In fact, we would go so far as to say that this is actually one of the priciest demolition hammers that you are going to find short of actual professional models that are used in high-end construction. If you aren’t sure if you need this tool or if you just don’t want to spend a ton of money, then this isn’t the option for you.
Pros
- Quick chisel changing mechanism.
- Dust proof tool that lasts longer.
- Powerful 14 amp motor.
- Easy and comfortable to use.
Cons
- Easily one of the priciest demolition hammers that you will find.
Bosch 11321EVS Demolition Hammer
A good brand that is able to compete with DEWALT when it comes to power tools is Bosch. While they aren’t quite as prolific, in terms of both brand recognition and tool quality, they are able to give others a run for their money.
So, it probably isn’t a surprise to any veteran handymen out there that Bosch has also made a high-quality Demolition Hammer. The Bosch 11321EVS is definitely a tool that any handyman interested in getting one of these tools should definitely check it out because it is just an exceptionally well-made tool.
In terms of power, the Bosch is easily one of the best demolition hammers that you are going to get. With its 13 amp motor it may not rate as the most powerful demolition hammer on this list, but it is still more than enough power for most jobs out there.
What is more impressive, however, is the tool’s weight. Typically, when you are dealing with a powerhouse demolition hammer like this, you expect it to weigh quite a bit. But that doesn’t actually end up being the case here. In fact, this is actually an extremely light and controllable tool. So, while it can’t match the DEWALT in pure power, it definitely matches it in handling.
We do have a minor issue with the Bosch demo hammer, which has to do with the placement of its handle. It may sound like it isn’t really a big deal, and for many of you it will be, but trust us when we say that this can definitely end up being a surprisingly annoying issue. It isn’t enough to detract from the overall quality of the power tool, but it does merit a mention.
Pros
- A fairly powerful demolition hammer.
- Impressive 13 amps of power.
- Pretty lightweight and easy to control.
- Great handling for a powerful tool.
Cons
- The placement of the handle could be a lot better.
Makita HM0870C Demolition Hammer SDS-Max
Continuing on with our trend of reviewing demolition hammers from companies that we think you will recognize right away, we want to take a look at a tool from Makita. The Makita HM0870C Demolition Hammer SDS-Max brings the sort of quality to the table that anyone familiar with this company is going to expect from their tools. It is fairly powerful, a joy to use, and above all else, it is built to last through years of heavy use.
We will say that despite all of the good things that we have said about Makita (and it is a pretty solidly designed tool), it does have some flaws, the most egregious of which is its price. We do think that the price of the Makita is a bit too high when you consider the quality of the tool.
Given it only has a 10 amp motor, the fact that it is comparable in terms of price with both the DEWALT and the Bosch that we reviewed earlier is a bit disappointing. We would have preferred if it was a bit cheaper to compensate, but that is ultimately going to come down to personal preference. If you like the features on this tool and don’t mind the price, then give it a shot.
Pros
- Decent power output.
- Nice and simple to use.
- Built to last.
Cons
- Probably a bit too expensive, given the overall tool quality.
Best Demolition Hammer For Tile Removal: DCRMMRT Demolition Hammer
Next up we want to review the demolition hammer that is, in our view, the best option for tile removal. Given how common of a job tile removal is for this tool, we figured that it was a good idea to do a specific review for the hammer that we think is best suited for the job.
As for why the DCRMMRT is best suited for the job, there are two reasons. First off, the tool is very small and fits very nicely in your hand. Perfect for working in a cramped kitchen or bathroom. Secondly, it comes with a bunch of chisels, including a flat chisel, which is the ideal option for tile removal.
Pros
- Comes with lots of different chisels.
- Great for tile removal.
- Affordable.
Cons
- A bit undersized.
XtremepowerUS Demolition Hammer
For this final review on our list looking at the best demolition hammers, we wanted to do a review of a relatively inexpensive demolition hammer.
Why? Well, we figured that while our current selection of hammers contained a lot of very high-quality options, but none that are particularly budget friendly. Some have been cheaper than others, but we wanted to include one that was very cheap and good for those who are new to using these tools. The best option that we ended up finding was from a pretty unknown brand, the XtremepowerUS Demolition Hammer.
As you can probably guess just based on what we have said so far, one of the biggest attractions of this particular demolition hammer is just how affordable it is. Costing only around $80, it isn’t an overstatement to say that this is easily one of the cheapest tools of this type that you are going to find right now. If your goal is to save money, look no further. At the same time, this tool does offer relatively decent performance, despite being on the cheaper side.
While the XtremepowerUS is a very affordable and decently made hammer overall, we do have some complaints about it. For starters, there is the fact that this tool is from a relatively no-name brand.
We understand that this may sound like a strange complaint, but there are real downsides to going with a tool from a no-name brand. It makes it harder for you to find support if you have an issue with the tool, both in the real world and online; it also makes it harder to find replacement parts if such a thing exists.
The second issue is the fact that while the lower price is definitely nice, it is also hard to deny that cheaper tools aren’t generally as durable. This is especially true with tools like demo hammers, which are meant for really heavy-duty construction work.
Pros
- Cheap price makes it good for beginners.
- One of the most affordable demo hammers around.
- Nice balance between affordability. and overall quality.
- Comes with a carrying case.
Cons
- From an essentially no-name brand.
- Cheap price means that you can’t expect too much in the way of durability.
Buying A Good Demolition Hammer
We figured that given how relatively uncommon these tools are, especially when compared to far more common items that are usually found in tool sheds (drills, saws, etc.) that it would be very helpful if we followed up our review list with a buying guide.
This buying guide isn’t going to be too revolutionary or anything like that, we are simply going to be explaining some things that we think are very important when it comes to buying a good demolition hammer.
A Note On Terminology
The first thing that we wanted to explain in this buying guide is some important things that we feel you need to know about demolition hammer terminology. We feel like this is important because these aren’t tool with consistent names.
If you go on Amazon or Google and search demolition hammers, you will get a pretty wide array of results, a lot of which isn’t going to be suited to what you are looking for. So, we wanted to clear that up for you.
See, demolition hammers can refer to one of two different types of tools. You either get a smaller, handheld tool or a much larger tool that resembles a classic jack hammer (like the type you see used at construction sites).
The reason for this is that demolition hammers are often called jack hammers in North America (the opposite is true in Europe). Our review list catered primarily towards those smaller, handheld tools since the larger jack hammers are more meant for professional construction sites.
Knowing How Powerful Your Tool Is
Given that the purpose of demolition hammers is to break apart thick, heavy material like tile, concrete, and other similar materials, it probably goes without saying that you want these tools to have a lot of power behind them. An under powered demolition hammer just isn’t going to be particularly useful, at least not for the majority of jobs that one would typically use one of these hammers for.
With that in mind, we figured that it would be a good idea to explain how you can go about determining a demolition hammer’s power output just from looking at its specs. This will save you from accidentally in a demo hammer that just can’t do what you need it to.
The first thing to consider is the amps and the wattage of the tool (depending on what type of tool you are using, it might be one or the other, or both). Amps will generally measure the power of the motor on the tool while the wattage will refer to the overall power of the tool. It isn’t really rocket science when it comes to these metrics, the higher the wattage and the amps, the more powerful that the tool will be.
The other number that you will want to look for is the impact rate per minute of the tool. If you have ever used a tool like a saw before, then you know that one of the things that you want to look for is a high RPM rate.
Well, the same applies to demolition drills. You want one that has a relatively high IPM (impact per minute). The higher the IPM of a tool, the quicker it will be able to break up material and just do different jobs in general. So, while IPM isn’t as important as say amps or watts, it is still a number that you should keep an eye on.
Knowing Which Chisel Is Right For You
There are certain power tools out there that act as a sort of base and you can pick what the tool does by changing the bit at the front of the tool.
A good example of what we are talking about are angle grinders, which can essentially become different tools depending on what attachments you use. The same can be said of these demolition hammers. As we explained a few times on our best demolition hammers review article, different chisels make the tool do different things.
For example, chisel points are good for breaking up material, spades are good for working on edges, and flex type chisels are best for removing tiles. We could keep going on but there are dozens of different types of chisels and we just wanted to briefly explain this to anyone who is new to these tools.
The Importance Of Dust Protection
All power tools are vulnerable to dust, debris, and other things that are created when the power tool is used. However, because demo hammers are designed to essentially destroy large amounts of material in a short amount of time, they tend to produce a lot more material that a lot of other power tools.
Because of this, having adequate dust protection is more crucial than ever. We know that with a lot of power tools, seeing that they have built-in dust protection is just sort of a nice extra, but with demolition hammers you definitely want to ensure that you have adequate dust protection on the tool or you are going to be buying a replacement tool much sooner than you think.
Conclusion
If you want to leave a comment regarding anything that you read on our best demolition hammers article, go ahead and post your comment down below.