Bosch Bulldog Floor Scraper

What it is and how I used it

I put the Bulldog scraper to work on two very different floor-prep jobs: knocking down thinset after a tile demo, and scraping up stubborn vinyl adhesive in a laundry room. It’s an SDS‑plus chisel attachment with a 5-inch cutting edge and an 11-inch overall length, designed for use in a rotary hammer set to hammer-only. If you already own an SDS‑plus hammer, the appeal is obvious—you get motorized scraping without investing in a dedicated floor machine.

I ran it primarily on a mid-size SDS‑plus rotary hammer in hammer-only mode at a low to mid impact setting. The 5-inch blade spreads force across a generous width, which makes quick work of softer adhesives and lets you feather high spots on thinset without digging craters into the slab. On both concrete and OSB subfloors, the tool’s geometry let me work at a shallow attack angle, keeping the edge gliding rather than gouging.

Setup and compatibility

The SDS‑plus shank locked into each of my hammers securely with no play. If you’re used to swapping between pointed chisels and wide scaling chisels, this feels familiar—click in, set to hammer-only, and you’re off. The 11-inch length proved to be a sensible compromise: long enough to give your off-hand somewhere to stabilize, short enough to let you keep the tool face close to the floor for control. You’ll still be kneeling for most of the work; this isn’t a stand-up scraper. A good set of kneepads and a foam pad go a long way.

I appreciated that a replacement kit is available. Scrapers live hard lives, and having a source for fresh edges is important. Plan on replacing the wear components if you do a lot of tile demo and subfloor prep.

Performance on common materials

• Thinset/mortar ridges on concrete: This is where the Bulldog scraper earns its keep. With the hammer set to a lower impact energy and the blade at a shallow angle (about 20–30 degrees), I could skim the surface, shaving off trowel lines and high spots without scarring the slab. It left a profile that needed only a quick pass with a rubbing stone in a few areas. For big open rooms, the 5-inch width helps you cover ground quickly.

• Vinyl and carpet adhesive: The tool does well on old yellowed cutback and water-based mastic, particularly if you score or warm the surface first. The broad edge under vibration “lifts” the adhesive in strips. On plywood/OSB, keep your angle shallow and pressure light—let the hammer do the work to avoid digging into the top veneer.

• Tile mortar on plywood: It’s effective, but you need restraint. The impact action will happily eat into softwood sheathing if you get steep with the blade. I found short, overlapping passes at a shallow angle worked best, with a vacuum close by to keep the line of sight clean.

Where it struggled was when the edge met hidden fasteners. Even a brief kiss with a drywall screw or a nail head will nick the blade. That’s unsurprising for wide scraper edges, but it’s something to plan for: I started by sweeping with a magnet and running a scraper to expose and pull fasteners before bringing in the hammer.

Design notes: edge, hardware, and vibration

The blade is a flat, replaceable edge bolted to the body. That lets you refresh the cutting surface instead of tossing the whole chisel. However, the hardware is doing a lot of work. Vibration and impact cycles will loosen bolts over time if you don’t stay ahead of them. After my first hour on thinset, I stopped to check the fasteners and found them a bit loose. A drop of medium-strength thread locker and proper torque addressed it, but this is not a “set and forget” accessory—periodic checks are part of the routine.

Balance is good for an 11-inch chisel. The mass of the body helps damp chatter, and paired with a decent rotary hammer, the vibration is manageable. You still feel it through your wrists after a couple of hours; anti-vibration gloves help. Dust generation is considerable with thinset, so a HEPA vac and respirator are smart additions.

Control and technique

A few tips that improved my results and protected the edge:

• Use low to medium impact energy. High power tends to chatter and dig; lower power keeps the blade skimming.
• Maintain a shallow angle. Keep the back of the blade almost kissing the floor; lift only enough to keep progress steady.
• Work in lanes. Overlap passes by half the blade width to avoid ridges.
• Pre-clear fasteners. A magnet sweep and a quick scrape to expose screws is faster than replacing or filing a nicked edge.
• Take hardware breaks. Every 30–45 minutes, check the blade bolts for tightness.

On concrete, I sometimes misted the surface lightly to keep dust down without turning mud. Avoid wetting water-soluble adhesives until you’ve tested—they can turn gummy and harder to scrape.

Durability and maintenance

Edge life depends entirely on what you hit. On clean concrete and adhesives, wear was gradual and predictable. I was able to dress small burrs with a fine file to keep the edge straight between jobs. After hitting two concealed screws, I had noticeable nicks that transferred faint chatter lines to the work. At that point, swapping to a fresh edge made more sense than fighting it.

The bolt-and-nut hardware is a serviceable design and makes the replacement kit practical. That said, the bolts are a maintenance item. If you plan to use the scraper heavily, I recommend:

• Applying medium thread locker during assembly.
• Keeping a spare hardware set on hand (bolts, lock nuts, and washers).
• Using a torque wrench the first time to learn what “tight enough” feels like.

None of this is difficult, but it’s worth knowing before you’re mid-demo and a fastener backs out.

Value and who it’s for

If you already own an SDS‑plus hammer and do periodic floor prep—bathroom remodels, laundry rooms, small kitchens—the Bulldog scraper is an efficient, compact solution. It won’t replace a stand-up floor machine for large commercial spaces, but it’s faster and less fatiguing than hand scraping and more controlled than a pointed chisel. The 5-inch width is a sweet spot for residential spaces: wide enough to be productive, not so wide that it stalls on high spots.

If your work often encounters embedded fasteners or you’re scraping over rough, unpredictable substrates, factor in the cost and time of replacement edges and hardware checks. For clean concrete or adhesive removal on wood, the productivity gain is noticeable.

Pros

• Snug SDS‑plus fit and solid balance on mid-size hammers
• 5-inch edge removes thinset ridges and adhesive efficiently
• Shallow-attack geometry helps avoid gouging slabs
• Replaceable blade with an available kit extends tool life
• Compact 11-inch length offers good control in tight rooms

Cons

• Blade is vulnerable to nicks from screws and nails
• Bolts can loosen under vibration without thread locker
• Requires periodic hardware checks and occasional edge dressing
• Kneeling posture for extended periods; not a stand-up solution

Safety and dust control

As with any impact scraping, protect yourself. I ran a HEPA dust extractor with a floor nozzle, wore eye and hearing protection, and used a P100 respirator, especially when working old cutback adhesive or cementitious materials. Keep bystanders out of the debris path; the wide blade can flick chips sideways.

Recommendation

I recommend the Bulldog scraper for remodelers and serious DIYers who already own an SDS‑plus rotary hammer and need a dependable, wide-edge solution for thinset knockdown and adhesive removal in small to mid-size spaces. It’s productive, controllable, and serviceable thanks to its replaceable edge. Just go in with eyes open: check and secure the blade hardware regularly, use thread locker, and scout for hidden fasteners before you start. If your jobsites are clean and your technique is disciplined, this scraper will speed up floor prep substantially. If you routinely plow through screw-studded subfloors or want a no-maintenance, stand-up machine experience, look elsewhere.