Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - SDS drills

I'm having a heck of a time drilling 3/4" holes in a concrete pad with a pretty strong hammer drill. I've told that an SDS drill is much faster. On the other hand someone else told me the only difference is that SDS bits don't slip in the chuck. Is there something fundamentally different or not in the way they drill holes?

SDS actually refers to the type/style of bit, and yes, they don't slip.

You are probably using a "little" 1/2" hammer drill. They don't have much of a blow and instead rely on more BPM (beats per minute) to get the job done. When drilling large holes they just don't have enough umph to get the job done, and they'll wear you out trying.

What you want is a rotary hammer, and all of the ones I know of are SDS. They typically have less BPM than smaller hammer drills but they pack more of a punch. I've got a 1 1/8" rotary hammer and it's great for drilling holes like that. A 1 1/2" rotary hammer would have even more power. They also make a 7/8" rotary hammer but it might be a little on the small side, but would be better than using a 1/2" hammer drill.

Hope this helps. Having the right tool really saves on your arms and back. I used to hate drilling holes in cement, but once I used a rotary hammer I had to have one. ;)

assuming you can't get or rent a larger rotary hammer, you can drill smaller holes first as pilots and then move up in size to make drilling easier. but xsleeper is right, bigger is better in this case.

how come common sense isn't common?