Using a keyed chuck with hammer drill mode

As above suspect the OP has this drill?

If so not surprised its making a mess of the wall with the adapter and a masonry bit - too much wobble and most of the SDS effect is lost.

Just get a 7mm SDS bit.

An SDS bit will power through concrete. Its not the total power its the way the power is applied to the SDS bit. The SDS function of the drill above is rated at 1.2 joules which is more than enough for DIY SDS drilling in concrete.

With the adaptor you negate the full SDS chucking system effect and add a bit a wobble which never adds to accuracy.

So you went out and got an SDS bit?

Chances are you have hit a steel lintel?

200% YES but bare is mind you may have hit something other than concrete.

So your still not using an actual SDS drill with SDS bits? I drove myself demented trying to put up curtains with a standard mains hammer drill, destroying multiple masonary bits in the process. SDS goes into concrete in seconds by comparison.

As I understand it, concrete continues to cure more or less forever, so it just keeps getting harder and harder. Concrete lintels are harder than concrete blocks to start with as well.

buy an sds bit of the correct size and try that. For the sake of 7 or 8 euro it makes sense.

I just based the price on Woodies. Crazy that they didn't just buy one after the advice they were given and decided to try a different drill.

Any of them, really. Was that one not working with actual SDS bits or were you continuing with the just the chuck adapter?

The power going in to the wall with a 500w chuck drill versus a 1550w SDS is like comparing a bicycle to a car in terms of power tbh.

Ha, a bad workman...

No idea why you didn't heed all the advice above, but if it is a poured wall I'd put the shelves up elsewhere.

Those drills have a specific hammer only, chiseling mode that disables rotation. Is there any chance at all that that mode was engaged?

I used it with the chisel bits it comes with to demolish the supports for an old oil tank, it is really useful - but only for that specific use!

If its poured concrete you are going to be driven demented trying to get a number of holes in specific locations, you might get lucky and get 1 or two but never them all as you will just hit impenetrable aggregate. (And worst case would be you blow out a large stone and a chunk of your wall comes down)

Time to move onto free standing shelves (Ikea Billy Bookcase anyone?) Or move the shelves to a different wall.

I don't think they ever got a SDS bit, probably just burned out the bushes on the original drill.

That's true, though i've never used the adapter, just SDS bits directly. As Continental says above i doubt using the chuck is half as effective.

Anyway it's gone back to the shop now, OP no longer has an SDS drill so we'll never know.

Ah ok sorry didn't realise you'd got one, you didn't mention it just that the drill wasn't working.

Rather conveniently where I'm currently working has examples of both old blockwork and poured concrete.

The aggregate used in the blocks is far bigger than modern blocks so if you hit one of the stones with a hammer drill you'll be there a while. The SDS bit went in no problem though.

The poured wall on the other hand has even bigger stones, that's a piece of 3x2 timber for reference, and you can end up weakening the structure trying to fix into it, as you can see from the myriad of holes from previous attempts.

It's in pretty poor shape now as a result, I left the batten in place for fear of causing more removing it.

No, but i imagine that's where a lot of them came from back in the day, a lot easier than digging them out of the ground.