Marcrist ddm2 | Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board | Page 3 | Plumbers Forums

Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws

  • Thread starter nellyc79
  • Start date
  • Replies 98
  • Views 35K

Discuss Marcrist ddm2 in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at Plumbers Forums

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sorry I didn't know it had no hammer or any thing we use a makita which has other functions on it so its core only
 
Right i'll do a wee review on these machines just to straighten things out.

First of all this is a dedicated diamond drilling machine. It has absolutely no use for anything else. If you want a drill that will do most things just buy an sds.
If you are serious about what vyou do you will have at least half as dozen drilling machines, each with a dedicated use.

As most of you know i've been doing this nonsense for a long time and my time is not only money but i would rather get the job done and back to my own time asap.

Ever since flues became round and i more or less hung up my 4lb mash hammer i searched for a decent diamond drilling machine at a reasonable cost.
I've bought a couple of Makitas, a dewalt, an industrial ryobi and another one i can't remember which make, all costing in the 2 -3 hundred price range and also many times used my standard sds gun for cores.
They would all do the job reasonably well, some better than others but all took their time.
The guy who lives next door to my dad has a diamond drilling company and they will drill holes up to 4ft dia and more
I was standing having a chat to him one weekend and he said to me why don't you try a marcrist. They are doing a machine which is near enough the same quality of hand held as we use so i looked it up and bought a DDM2.

Your first impression will be this is one heavy beast of a machine (it is an all metal construction) and it is. It is a solid built machine.
It comes with 4 spanners that fit all the sizes of cores, extension bars and the adaptor and a wet drilling attachment which most won't use but if you ever do you will find it speeds things up even more.
Plug it in and turn it on and you will feel the back kick as it starts. Its a powerful machine but don't be scared of the weight or power. It is easily handled due to the hydraulic clutch.

Personally i don't use a pilot hole. I have used these things enough to be able to start the hole with the core bit straight onto the wall to be accurate to within a mill or 2. (dig in at an angle)
That is an experience thing but if you feel the need to drill a pilot/guide hole then use your sds to drill a 10mm hole. Stick the K taper guide rod in the end of your diamond core bit and away you go.

The DDM 2 has 2 speeds and the DDM 3 has 3 speeds and they recommend different speeds for different sized cores. So you get your 117 mm core on and it tells you to use speed 1 with that sizw core.
I did that for a while and it did the job better than any drill i had used previously then one day when drilling a particularly deep hole i thought fk it i'll try speed 2. Big difference and much quicker howwever you can't push the machine so hard. So me being me i've left it on speed 2 ever since (and speed 3 on the DDM3). Just don't push it so hard
It is not only the machine that makes the difference. Good core bits are a must.
The marcrist 850 cores are definitely top of the range stuff. They will cost you around a ton for a 117mm but they are worth the money. PTS do a similar core bit to the marcrist 750's A decebt bit and if you talk the talk you will get them for under 30 quid. I've bought the cheap sets from merchants and Aldi etc thinking fior £30 /100 quid a set it will do a turn. They won't, They are junk. Save your money for something better.
Knock off hilti cores from ebay are just as good (make sure the are not the quick fit only ones)
Talking of Hilti. Their core guns are very good but you will be paying £800 plus for a machine that does the same as a marcrist.
Best advice: never skimp on tools. they save you time and money.

So a summary of a marchrist core gun.

It certainly does what it says on the tin better than most.
You won't get a better gun unless yo0u spend 5-6 hundred more
It is heavy but once it bites the weight is irrelevant.

As said above somewhere; it is the best money you will spend if you do cores.

Btw some facing brick or engineering brick are just so hard no diamond drill will be quick on them. After drilling 2mm in 2 minutes just lay it down, drill a 7mm pilot then get the old 4lb hammer out. 4 or 5 hits and its sorted.

Another btw for the brave.
Try a core bit on your 9" grinder (you will need to buy an adaptor). No clutch and speeds of up to 7000rpm. Live life on the edge :lol:
 
image.jpg
ha ha ha
 
Just been looking at these on the web you can get dm2. And the better core bits together I've noticed two kinds of the same core bits different boxes most with the ally box and some with a plastic box I can see in the plastic box it has a extension bar but carnt see one in the ally box one does any one know if there is a differance thanks
 
Just been looking at these on the web you can get dm2. And the better core bits together I've noticed two kinds of the same core bits different boxes most with the ally box and some with a plastic box I can see in the plastic box it has a extension bar but carnt see one in the ally box one does any one know if there is a differance thanks

I've got the ally box and It came with 200mm extension bar!!
 
Bumping this old thread. Anyone know where I can get one for about £250? The DDM2 seems to have gone up a bit!!
 
Ddm2's gone. I ordered one from ffx a few months ago and they got back to me a week later and said they were unable to get them in anymore. Looked at pro tiler tools the other night and they don't list them either. Ill just get the Milwaukee at some point now. I don't like using my sds for cores.
 
I believe the ddm3 is still available, same drill with a 3 speed 'box I'll probably get one these if my 2 ever packs up.
 
I think £500 is a bit too much. Even if the tax man will have it. I'm not putting boilers in every day so I can't justify the dosh at them moment. Maybe when I get everything done for Xmas as I should have a few more quid spare by then.
 
I heard the Milwaukee has a 'soft hammer' function. Years and years ago I was chatting to a plumber in a merchants and he had just bought a Milwaukee core drill and it was playing up. This was before they were as popular as they are today. I will happily lend it to you when I get it mate. That is if I don't by a cheap Dewalt or similar instead!
 
it goes lovely, stops without a bad jerk due to the electronic clutch. the soft hammer makes a lot of difference in time.
I'm fitting a boiler Tuesday and I'm employing Thomas (the one with the Milwaukee) and I will see what it's like with my new marcrist cores. (yay, no more crappy Ryobi cores)

i'm interested to see which is the better beast between the ddm3 and milwaukee.

I have vowed not to get a cheap core drill after having a sparky drill get stuck on and pull me off a ladder, luckily it was a bungalow.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar plumbing topics

Have you got a photo of the sink at the...
Replies
2
Views
634
Wow! Thanks for sharing. (although it doesn't...
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Question
If rainwater pipe discharges to a combined...
Replies
2
Views
887
  • Question
Seems you got good advice. You could certainly...
Replies
24
Views
2K
  • Question
Morning gents and gals, I have a Milano Tower...
Replies
0
Views
855
Back
Top