Hilti has launched the DD 110-U-22, a cordless core drill designed to address common pain points that professionals face when working with concrete and masonry. The tool combines intelligent automation, precision safety features, and practical convenience upgrades that signal a shift in how contractors approach one of the trades’ most demanding tasks.

What Makes This Drill Stand Out

Core drilling through reinforced concrete demands three things simultaneously: speed, control, and worker safety. The DD 110-U-22 tackles these requirements through several integrated technologies. An Intelligent Coring Guide actively monitors drilling progress and pressure applied to the core barrel, automatically adjusting speed to prevent bit damage and maintain efficiency. This means you spend less time troubleshooting and more time completing holes.

The drill also features an Electronic Starting Aid that begins operation at just 10% power and gradually accelerates to full capacity. This soft-start approach gives operators significantly better control during the critical initial phase of boring into concrete. Once you’ve established your core, you can switch this mode off and return to full power for faster drilling.

When your bit encounters steel reinforcement inside concrete, the tool’s Rebar Boost mode automatically provides extra torque to cut through the obstacle more efficiently. The drill accepts core bits ranging from 5/16 to 5 1/4 inches, making it flexible enough for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. As one expert noted, mid-range drill options often surprise professionals with their performance, though specialized tools like this one address very specific job requirements.

Convenience Features That Save Time

cordless drill bit changing
Photo by Matt Artz

A tool-free collet system eliminates the frustration of swapping core barrels. Traditional drills require wrenches or special tools to change bits, especially when connections tighten after extended use. With the DD 110-U-22, you simply insert a barrel and twist the collet left to lock it down. Setup becomes quicker, and you carry fewer tools to the job site.

The Assisted Core Extraction feature uses controlled oscillation to shake loose stuck concrete cores after drilling, reducing the manual force needed to remove a core. This addresses one of core drilling’s most time-consuming frustrations: fighting with material that refuses to break free from the barrel.

Safety Technology Built In

worker safety concrete site
Photo by d c

Active Torque Control (ATC) represents the drill’s most critical safety innovation. The system automatically stops the core barrel from rotating if it detects a bind-up or stall. Sudden barrel rotation in core drilling causes numerous hand and wrist injuries in the trades each year. By electronically halting rotation when obstacles are encountered, this feature meaningfully reduces injury risk during routine operation.

For wet applications, a side grip includes a quick-connect water inlet that allows you to feed water directly into the core barrel. A small viewing window lets you confirm water is flowing properly. For dry work, you can connect a dust extractor to the same handle to manage concrete dust at the source, improving both safety and site cleanliness.

Practical Considerations for Contractors

The tool comes with a Hilti Nuron B-22 battery system. Hilti recommends pairing the drill with their SPX-A Speed core bits, which are optimized for both concrete and brick applications and designed to work efficiently with the drill’s battery-powered operation.

Pricing runs $2,349 for the bare tool, or $71.50 monthly through Hilti’s Fleet Pricing program for contractors managing multiple tools. This puts the investment in perspective: for contractors who regularly drill concrete and masonry, the specialized features justify the cost. However, if you only occasionally need core drilling capability, a more general-purpose cordless drill may serve your needs adequately.

Professional tool selection increasingly depends on your specific workflow. As the market for specialized cordless tools expands, contractors have more options to match tool complexity with actual job frequency. The DD 110-U-22 makes sense for crews that spend significant time in concrete and masonry rather than those treating core drilling as an occasional requirement.

For contractors regularly handling commercial properties, building surveys, and structural modifications involving concrete, this drill’s combination of automated assistance, convenience features, and active safety systems addresses legitimate pain points in the work. The Intelligent Coring Guide and Active Torque Control alone represent meaningful upgrades over traditional corded or manual-only approaches to the same task.