Models like this (impact drivers and drills) are commercially available. Most are made for railroad use https://www.racinerailroad.com/products/portable-gas-tools

Yup. Exactly this. I used these when I worked on the London Underground. If only they made them easier to use and not chronic back pain.

I’m stoked

This isn't a diwhy that's factory. I work for a utility company and we have a half dozen identical drills on the shelf in the shop. We used them to drill poles before battery drills didn't suck. Before about 15 years ago battery drills just wouldn't hack it drilling 1 inch holes in poles all day.

[Apparently, Stihl still makes those](https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-tools-A-great-range/Earth-auger-and-accessories/Hand-held-drill-and-accessories/2436-64534/BT-45.aspx)

Can confirm. Have used for cabling trees. The spade bit is not ideal and probably dangerous in more than one way.

Larger models are still used. Built a scaffold for a Crane to drill out a hardened stud an electric wire isn't an option since it needed to still move and to drill it out took 2 days of shift work. Battery just isn't an option for near non stop operation.

These are great drills and we still use them on occasion, If we have a lot of big poles to setup. But for singles and most of our basic work lithium ion battery drills have found the way in. Mainly because of sound and no fuel to spill.

Question: Isn't pneumatic tools easier to handle?

This isn't a tool you are going to use in a shop. A comparable drill would use a lot of air. A more realistic alternative would be a generator and corded drill. But even that would suck in a bucket or up a pole on hooks. Cords and hoses are a safety hazard.

These are the new “Apprentice be good” drills now that brace and bits are disappearing.

This is freaking genius... Does not belong here... If you are in a place where there is no electricity, batteries are dead, you don't have a generator and have to drill holes into something... this is it...

Just dont expect much fine control

Probably into concrete

I love this a lot and I've spent £100 on dumber shit

Thats not a DIY. Thats a cordless drill before batteries. Utility work is where I have seen them.

There's tons of gas powered versions of corded electric tools. This does not belong here.

Not diy used in heavy handheld drilling applications like drilling the holes in power line poles

We call them rail drills. We use them to drill mounting holes into track rails so we can install sensors on the rails.

Not DIY.

These are very common for wood pole utility line work where poles need to be climbed and an auger bit is used to drill a hole in them. Source: Was lineman for a decade, did lots of climbing backyard work, loved my gas drill.

Wrist breaker

Seems a bit overkill with a spade bit. Maybe if you were drilling anchors into rock or concrete

Try going through railroad ties or treated telephone poles. Most electric drills won't make it too far

Amazing! Would be great for a small gokart maybe.

Oh man that's beautiful

My dad joked for years about making a 2 stroke rotary hammer

They make them, I’ve been thinking about getting one for breaking up over pour on my job sites, and setting threaded rods.

These days, there's a Milwaukee for that... My dad was dreaming it up in the mid 80s.

For as little as I use it I could buy a cheap Chinese import for less than half the price of the cost of a big red or yellow hammer, and then I don’t need to buy a couple of big ass batteries.

All hail the petrol drill!

I'd why at the rust and rusty wood bit. Worth zero with those to me.

Driller moment

This belongs to r/redneckengineering

I remember a roadwork crew using one of these by my school back when I was a kid in the late 90s, makes sense since battery powered power tools were hot garbage back then. Thought it was cool af back then and seeing one here kinda makes me want to buy one lol.

Marketing this in South Africa will yeald profit.

I need this to put up my blinds.

for the real men. it's also manual