I'm putting up a chain link fence and I have a walkway around my house.

I want to bring this right up to the back wall of my house but I have a concrete walk way I have to drill through.

The posts are around 4" wide

What kind of drill do I need for this?

Thanks




Just to see how much it would cost to have a professional company install the fence.

He measured out 168 feet

Price was $3831.00  installed

one with a 4'' bit?

Hammer drill

Your best chose would be a concrete drill but you could get away with any powerful 120 v. drill if you have a sharp bit and keep it cool.

Yes and a big fucking hammer drill at that.  Check tool rental places they should be able to fix you up.



 

We use a machine, we call it a coring drill. It uses a hollow diamond tipped bit, you run water through the inside while cutting. Looks like a huge drill press. We also use a small one, waterless that fits a hammer drill, same hollow design but very dusty. Not sure on the exact names. Probably do a google search to buy one.

Cut a larger hole with a saw, then patch when you backfill the posts.

I should add I have to go down through 6 "

A jackhammer drill.  It spins as it strikes.  My dad used a ~1" bit for that and it worked great.  I'm sure they make 'em in 4", though I doubt you'd be able to get such a big one that runs on electricity like the one my dad used did.  I suppose you could a 1" bit and just make several holes and chisel out the rest.

A hammer drill will work, a core bore will be the fastest but may be expensive to rent.

core drill

Seriously how deep are you going to set the posts?

Wish I  was , I'm on the other side of the country.




What is a  Milwaukee Thunderbolt  ?   some thing I can rent?

To Hell with standing there with a Hammer Drill for that amount of time.

30"


That's how deep I was told they have to go .

Someone else told me 36" is best.

OK.





Get a concrete blade for a circ saw. (or rent a water cooled saw)





Cut a 12" (approx) square with it.




Dig hole for posts.





set posts, fill up hole with concrete leveling out with the level of the existing walkway.





much less of a pain in the ass than trying to set a post 30" deep through a tiny ass hole.
 

Maybe that might be an easier way to go .

thanks

Are you using a power auger to dig the post holes or a manual post hole digger?

Sounds like too much work.  Hire it done and go shooting!



Before you dig, call the power and water companies.  Cable and telephone as well.  You are responsible for damage you do if you do not call.

Or... a hammer drill with a chisel on the end of it. I've used this combo very successfully when I had to break up a large block of concrete that had held a fence post. Basically you've made the drill into a small jackhammer.

Hammer drills are 'WAY cool!  You put the tip of the drill onto the part you want drilled/busted up, push the trigger, and let the weight of the drill do the work!

You can probably rent one at a handyman store.




Plus, if you use a diamond core drilling bit, it MUST be water cooled; if you miss cooling it for 10 seconds, you ruin the bit and are out many bux.

I'm going to rent a power one.

ONLY way to fly! I helped a neighbor put a carport in; digging 4 of the 6 holes wasn't too bad, but when we got to the part of the driveway that was always in the sunlight, the 'sandy soil' was like rock! She was WAY glad to rent the posthole digger!

Just make sure you have the holes located right; don't measure for them after you've rented the tool, ours cost $90 for a half a day.

Yep

I'll make sure . It's not a lot  of fence I'm putting up   but to hire someone is just to much to spend.

it's 160 feet I'm putting up and it seems fairly easy to put up.

Thats false at least for me, ive drilled alot of holes, up to 4 inches wide and I hardly use water, in the past we would flood the hole and break the diamonds off. I now keep it like thick mud, I use a garden sprayer connected to the drill and just pump the handle every minute or so, cuts alot faster, hardly any water mess or water usage. But I usually drill less then 8 inch thick concrete. The stories I have drilling in an open store, 2nd story and the core falling through the ceiling tiles below.

Don't forget the gas company if you have gas in the area.  Always a good idea to get locates and usually a free service.

Nothing like that where I'm at .

No underground utilities or water pipes .

I have well water.

Try and rent a ROTARY HAMMER ( not a hammer drill like everyone is saying, it's called a rotary hammer. A hammer drill is a different tool for light drilling with small bits, not core bits ) with a core bit larger than you need, If you do a 4" hole, you're going to have a hell of a time digging the hole for the post through a 4" hole in concrete. You're going to have to back fill the hole and patch the concrete after the post is in there too. You will not be able to back fill the hole if the hole in the concrete is the same size as the post. The larger hole is good too because you can concrete the post in by filling the hole around the post with concrete.

If you have a Home Depot near you with a rental center, or another local rental place, you can usually rent the rotary hammer for about $50-$60 for a half day and about $20 or under for the use of the bit. You can also ask them for chisels for the same tool that will allow you to widen the hole if you want it larger after you core. The chisels are also needed if the concrete is deeper than the depth of the core bit. You may have to chip the plug left by the bit out and drill again to get full depth.

To save a lot of the money involved in all of the drilling bullshit..........

you can buy an inexpensive diamond blade for your 7-1/4" circ saw.............cut an outline of a square large enough to get a post hole digger through...........and use a small drilling hammer with a cold chisel and bust the concrete out of the outline. The saw should cut about 2.5" deep and your slab is likely 3-4" thick. It's a bit of work but a lot cheaper than the core bit method. With tax and crap you're looking at spending close to $100 for a freakin hole in concrete for a post.

If it's reinforced concrete you will be better of renting a small jackhammer to break up the concrete as opposed to a core drill or saw, unless you know where the rebar is.

You guys are slipping:


There is no problem in the world that can't be solved by the proper usage of high explosives.

You're the 2nd person that said that. ....... Silence: said the same thing.
 

I'm thinking now that might be the easier way to go when putting in the posts.

No rebar in it.


What scares me about using a jack hammer is this is right up against my foundation.

I want to be careful doing this.

You should be GTG on the saw blade idea then.

As the guy who'd be selling you the hardware to do this if you were around here, I agree with the suggestion to use the circular saw or gas powered version. Don't try to cut a 4" hole in the concrete with a drill, you're just gonna drive yourself nuts and not get a good post set anyway.

As mentioned, the tool for drilling in serious concrete is a rotary hammer, not a hammer drill. The difference is that a rotary hammer is a hammer first, and turns as a secondary function. Hammer drills are drills with a tapping action for putting holes in brick and cinderblock. You can put small diameter holes in poured concrete, even with lots of aggregate (gravel) but it's not the best way. If you would rather use a rotary hammer there are ones you can BUY for under $200 that will do the job. You can either drill several holes and break it loose or get the chisel tips and cut out an area that way. Which is easier depends on the concrete, tool, and what's underneath. Do NOT try for one big hole unless you get one of the big units. If it doesn't look like an honest to god jackhammer or drill press it's not meant to drill 4" or bigger holes. Don't overwork the tool, you'll just damage it, waste time and money, and get annoyed. I highly suggest bosch for rotary hammers, with Hilti being a close second and anyone else being a full step below. If they try to rent you a DeWalt rated for 1", get a 3/4" bit... Nothing against the dewalts and other brands, I own a dewalt rotary hammer myself, but bosch is the king and hilti is the captain of the guard, everyone else is just a footman. The key is that while bigger bits FIT, the drill is most efficient with the size it's rated for, or smaller. A 1 1/8" model can drill 2" holes, but it can probably drill a 1" hole three times in the amount of time it'd take to do one 2" hole, and with less overheating risk and chance of damaging the bearings and chuck.

Assuming it's poured concrete, you want a relatively thin segmented rim diamond blade for the circ saw. Not the masonary blade they might try selling you if they aren't really up on the tools. The masonary blade is for cinder blocks and brick, not poured concrete or real stone. If you don't have a good circular saw, or happen to like angle grinders better for whatever reason, you can also get the same kind of blade for most sizes of grinder and do the same job. If anything this is better, since the grinder will have more effective torque and not make you baby the tool during the cuts. Just make sure you don't overheat things. Water, patience and maybe a second tool and blade to trade off are all good things for making this go smoothly.

Hammer Drill with Core drill bit. We do it all the time. Around here you can rent one for about $70 a day.