As you know I am a huge Hilti fan and when it comes to concrete, they are one of the top companies in the marketplace.  Now you may be looking at the Hilti TE 3-C and wondering what the heck is going on?  Why is there a cord attached to this tool?  When Hilti has so many options for a cordless tool, why would they have a cord?  Well, there is a very good reason and I will get into that in a second.

This is one of the most comfortable rotary hammers I have used in a long time.  I love how you can lock the switch on, place your hand on the back of the tool and go to work, very nice design.  This really reminds me of a screw gun set up.

The rotary hammer has a no-load speed of 1,300 rpm with a whopping 5,160 impacts per minute and an impact energy of 1.8 ft-lbs.  Not bad for a small rotary hammer.  The hammer can be used in one of three different modes.  There is hammer drilling, rotary only drilling, and chiseling. There is a forward and reverse switch located on top of the tool which is great in case you get a bit stuck.

So why did Hilti attach a cord?  Let’s face it, cordless tools rock, but they are not for all applications and not for everyone, especially the guy who has a ton of workers on his job and is having to deal with cost.  These are less expensive than some of the bigger cordless hammers, so if you have to get a bunch of these, it’s a better deal than having to deal with all the batteries, etc.  Second, let’s face it, Hilti rocks, but it’s not for everyone.  If someone wants a rotary hammer but doesn’t need it every day, why would they invest in a cordless tool only to find out when they need it, the batteries are dead.  This is a great product for people who want to own Hilti for concrete work, but can’t justify a cordless tool with how much work they do.

I am not sure what it is about this tool.  Not sure if it’s the power, the feel or what, but I love this hammer.  The only thing I wish they would change on this tool is the cord.  How many times have you ruined a power cord?  It seems to happen a lot.  It would be nice if they had a quick connect power cord.  Other than that, this is a great rotary hammer.