Hydraulic Core Drills
Core drills bore clean, round holes through concrete, masonry, and asphalt where a breaker would wreck everything around the opening — penetrations for drainage, sewer and water pipe, cable and ventilation duct, plus core samples pulled out of asphalt road work. The Atlas Copco LCD 1500 and LCD 500 and the compact APT MHC5, which takes holes up to 8 in. freehand, all give very low kickback if the bit jams and run spark-free, and each fits a standard drill stand as readily as it works by hand off a hydraulic power pack. Shop the line by maker at Atlas Copco or APT, or move sideways to hydraulic cut-off saws and post hole augers in the same core drills, augers & saws group. Free UPS Ground shipping on every core drill.
Showing all 3 resultsSorted by popularity
Showing all 3 resultsSorted by popularity
Handheld or Stand-Mounted
Hydraulics put a lot of torque in a small body, and a closed circuit lets the drill absorb the reaction rather than hand it to the operator. Every machine on this page is rated both ways: set it in a standard drill stand for deep, plumb, large-diameter work, or run it freehand for scattered penetrations, overhead holes, and jobs where anchoring a rig costs more time than the hole is worth. The APT MHC5 ships in a steel case for transport and storage.
Low Kickback and Spark-Free Cutting
Two things separate these from a corded core drill. Torque is controlled hydraulically, so a bit that grabs on rebar bleeds off pressure instead of spinning the machine out of your hands. And there is no electrical arc at the tool, which matters in a live plant, a tunnel heading, or anywhere an ignition source is not allowed. Both makers build the drills to drop straight into standard drill stands.
What Feeds the Drill
Nothing here plugs into a wall. Each drill draws oil from a portable power pack unit matched to its flow and pressure demand, and that same pack will run a hydraulic paving breaker, a pick hammer, or a concrete and rock splitter on the same job. Check the drill’s rated flow against the pack before pairing them, and keep spare hose, oil and lube on the truck.
Core It, Split It, or Break It
Core when you need a sized hole and an intact slab around it. Split when a mass of concrete or rock has to come apart quietly, with no percussion — that is rock drilling and splitting work. Break when the material is scrap anyway and speed beats finish, which is what a demolition and digging tool is for. Coring is the slowest of the three and the only one that leaves the structure alone.
Common Questions
What is a core drilling machine? A rotary machine that spins a hollow diamond-tipped barrel to cut a cylindrical plug out of concrete, masonry, or asphalt rather than shattering it. The plug — the core — comes out whole and leaves a clean, sized hole for pipe, conduit, or an anchor.
Can you use a core drill handheld? Yes. All three are built for freehand use as well as stand mounting, and the MHC5 is rated for holes up to 8 in. that way. Large diameters and deep, plumb holes still go faster and straighter in a stand.
Is there a diesel or electric core drill? The drill itself is hydraulic — the fuel question belongs to the unit behind it. The same drill runs off an engine-driven or an electric-driven power pack, so the drive is a pack decision, not a drill decision.
Where do core bits and spare parts come from? This page lists the drills. For wear parts, seals, and rebuild kits, send your model and serial through Parts Direct or call the number at the top of the page.