Sell Drills & Demolition Tools for Cash in Boston, MA

A drill is run through every position on its mode selector before any number is discussed: rotation only, hammer drill, and chisel-only where the body has it.

• Chuck and collet - a keyless 1/2 inch chuck is closed on a thin bit to see if the jaws center it; on SDS-Plus and SDS-Max bodies the bit is locked in, pulled and twisted by hand.
• Impact under load - the bit is pressed into a block so the piston can be felt striking, not just the motor spinning.
• Battery packs - each one goes on a charger and the fuel gauge is read; capacity and platform both count, from 20V MAX and M18 to LXT and Nuron.
• Housing - gearcase looked over for cracks, the SDS nose for weeping grease, the plate for a legible model and serial.

Impact drivers get a separate pass: the 1/4 inch hex collet has to grab and release a bit cleanly.

Most of the value lost on a hammer drill or demolition hammer comes from a short list of faults, all of them visible in the first minute.

• Tired packs - a battery showing one bar after a full charge, or a swollen case with corroded terminals, is priced apart from the tool it came with.
• Split dust boot - the rubber collar behind an SDS chuck keeps masonry dust out of the hammer mechanism; once it tears, grit is already inside.
• Chuck runout - jaws that will not hold a 1/8 inch bit straight, or let it creep under load.
• Rotation without impact - the spindle turns but nothing strikes, a piston and seal job rather than a clean-up.
• Mismatched kit - mixed brands in one case, no side handle or depth rod, an aftermarket pack instead of the OEM one.

On corded rotary hammers the cord counts too: taped splices, a pulled strain relief or missing brush caps.