Dewalt has come out with a new 20V Max brushless rotary hammer, DCH133. It delivers 2.6 joules of impact energy and has a 1″ drilling capacity. Its optimal drilling range is 3/16″ to 5/8″.
From the product photos, it has a rotary mode and a hammer + drill mode. Since it offers chisel rotation, I’m presuming it has a chisel-only mode as well.
The new Dewalt DCH133 rotary hammer is also said to be “dust collection ready.”
Neil wrote in, asking about the new rotary hammer:
I was curious why there has not been a tool review (that I’m aware of) of DEWALT DCH133B, the price seems to be pretty good, compared to DEWALT DCH273B. But just curious if the performance is comparable? Is this a lower quality?
I am leaning towards 273B, but second question about this drill: why does it not appear to have the same removable chuck as DCH274. I’m aware that DCH274 is for the UK but disregarding the 120V & 240V differences in power supply, why does it have the removable chuck and the North American one doesn’t?
The DCH133B just came out, and I’m not sure it was officially announced yet; I can’t find a press release in my inbox.
I did find a World of Concrete 2017 press release that talks a little about the new 60V Max FlexVolt rotary hammer – which comes bundled with a 9.0Ah battery pack – as well as a bunch of other soon-to-launch rotary hammers and demo hammers.
Anyways, the DCH133 is new, that’s all. Why isn’t it on this list? I don’t know.
Compared to the brushless DCH273 – the one that’s previously released and not the one that’s coming out with onboard dust extraction – the DCH133 is faster and more powerful. So, at least on paper, the DCH133 should be a higher performing tool.
I honestly don’t know why the DCH274, similar to the DCH273 but with a removable chuck, isn’t available here. If I asked Dewalt, they would likely give me the cookie cutter answer that a lot of brands give when asked similar questions, that they’re catering towards regional tool preferences and user demands.
The thinking could be that the removable chuck is a feature that most US-based users would not want to pay more for.
Back to DCH133 vs. DCH273. The DCH133 should perform better, based on its on-paper specs, but it’s also a longer tool, not “L-shaped” as the DCH273.
Can anyone remark about their experiences with longer rotary hammers vs. compact rotary hammers of similar power?
This is any area I’m not too familiar with. I’ve experienced very low vibrations with compact rotary hammers, and haven’t used enough D-handle rotary hammers for comparison purposes. I think that the D-handle geometry might be better for certain applications, as it places the handle and auxiliary handle positions further apart.
Dewalt’s product description say nothing about the DCH133’s vibrational dampening, and it’s kitted with 4.0Ah battery packs (DCH133M2) rather than the newer 5.0Ah that the DCH273P2 comes with.
I wouldn’t consider the DCH133 to be a lower quality model, but it does look to be a less premium model. The DCH273B is priced at $285 for just the bare tool, compared to $151 to $190 for the DCH133.
My hands-off guess is that the DCH133 is meant to be a capable rotary hammer for those who need power and runtime, and for users who won’t be drilling holes or chiseling masonry materials for long periods of time. (But would one need brushless for that?)
The DCH273 looks to be the more premium design with a compact geometry and active vibration control. It’s not going to perform as quickly as the DCH133, but it’s a great tool.
I used the DCH213 a bit, with very good experiences. After that, the DCH253 came out, and it seems that the DCH273 is far more available.
You also have another big boy coming out, the DCH293R2 6.0Ah kit, priced at $599 for the 2-battery kit. It has a 1-1/8″ capacity and compact design, plus an electronic clutch and active vibration control.
Back to the DCH133, here are the specs:
- SDS-Plus chuck
- Adjustable side handle with depth stop rod
- Rotary + impact, rotary-only, impact-only modes (I’m 99% sure about that last one)
- Chisel rotation
- Dust extractor ready (requires D25301D attachment and a vacuum or dust extractor)
- 0-1,500 RPM (no-load), 0-5,500 bpm
- Optimal drilling range: 3/16″ to 5/8″
- 2.6 joules impact energy
- 15.26″ long
- Weighs 5 lbs (with battery??)
Bare Tool: DCH133B
Kit: DCH133M2 (2x 4.0Ah batteries, charger, tool, carrying bag)
Price: ~$151-$190 for the bare tool, $299 for the kit
Buy Now(Bare Tool via Amazon)
Buy Now(Kit via Amazon)
First Thoughts
I’ve used my share of hammer drills and rotary hammers, but it’s not the kind of tool I use frequently.
I don’t think I have any corded or cordless test samples around here – everything these past few years have featured compact geometries. Have I ever used a corded rotary hammer? I don’t think so. I own a nice Bosch corded hammer drill, but apples vs. walnuts.
Dewalt is coming out with lots of new rotary hammers, including a version of the DCH273 that comes with a dust collector ($629 via Amazon). Don’t worry – it looks like you can buy the D25303DH dust extractor separately, to fit to existing DCH273 rotary hammers. It’s $143 via Amazon.
I think I’m more confused about the DCH133 than when I started writing up this preview post. It doesn’t look to be a “lower quality” model, otherwise it probably wouldn’t have been engineered with a brushless motor, but it also looks to be a less premium option than the DCH273. It does have higher specs and a lower price point.
If money isn’t an issue, I’d go for the DCH273. Based on the marketing info, I’d conclude that the DCH273 offers superior vibration control, plus there’s the new on-board dust extractor you can use it with. The DCH133 can work with the D25301D, which requires a dust vac.