This post will hopefully help you decide  if a core drilling machine is a tool that you should add to your arsenal.  There are a few different types and sizes of core drilling machines.  We are going to take a look at hand held units but the principles will apply to any size core drilling machine you may be considering.  When you need to diamond core a hole in masonry material, you have a a couple of choices.  You core it yourself or you hire it out.  While there are some benefits to hiring it out, you may find in your case, that you may come out ahead, way ahead by owning even a very basic hand held core drilling machine.  Let’s take a look at a very affordable unit from Blue Rock Tools as an example.

The Blue Rock Tool hand held core drill machine, model number 4Z-1, is a great example of a low cost unit.  As with most hand held units it is meant to hand diamond cores up to 4″.  If you need bigger holes, you really need to look at a drill rig that either bolts to the concrete with anchors or uses a suction device.  The 4Z-1 uses industry standard 1-1/4″ thread diamond core bits and has a water attachment.  It has two speeds, 2100 RPM and 950 RPM.  A built in safety clutch protects you and the machine if you bind up the core.  A couple of little things I thought were cool were the removable shoulder stock and the bubble level on the side of the unit to keep you hole level.  Reviews really are pretty good for the tool.  Most agree it’s well worth the price. But the real point of featuring this core drill machine is to show drilling your own core holes can really save you money in a couple of ways.

So can you save money coring your own holes?  Yes!  Considering having a couple of core holes drilled would likely cost you a couple hundred bucks or more.  If you can drill 5 or 6 hole in a month or two, the unit is paid for.  If you need a bunch of holes cored, you will likely be able to get a better price per hole, however, often times, you only need 2 or 3 holes.  The second thing to keep in mind is if you are coring your own holes, you can do it now rather than setting up with another contractor and working with their schedule.  I think this actually gets to be one of the biggest plusses of having your own core drilling machine.  Now I am sure that if you are a core hole drilling contractor you can make some great arguments as to why you should hire them out instead of doing it yourself.  As matter of fact if you are a diamond coring contractor, you may be steaming right now.  In fairness, let’s take a look at a few reasons you may hire a professional at  times.

One  instance where you would really benefit from a pro is drilling in post tension concrete.  Post tension concrete has cables embedded in the concrete under tension and if you hit one, you have big problems.  A pro can X-ray the slab to find the cables and drill safely.  Another advantage is if the diamond core bit gets damaged for any reason, it’s their bit not yours!   Good quality diamond bits are spendy.  A pro also has the ability to core some pretty big holes with their drill coring machines.  I have seen some huge bits on the job!  A coring contractor will also have more than one unit so if they have an equipment issue, they know how to keep the job moving.  And I don’t care how smart you are, a pro will know more about diamond coring.  You just can’t beat experience.

So there are a few things for you to think about if you are looking at a core drilling machine.  Consider how often you could use it and if you can pay it off on a couple of jobs it may be worth it.  Consider the hole sizes you drill, how many you drill on a job and what type of application you have.  Don’t hesitate to use a pro.  They know what they are doing and it may be a better fit for you.  Or, get a core drill machine for smaller easy jobs and set up with a reliable pro and you will have all your bases covered.