Firecore SDS Plus Ground Rod Driver for 5/8 Inch & 3/4 Inch Ground Rods, Firecore One-Piece T Post Driver Adapter Bits, Fits Bosch Dewalt Milwaukee Hilti and Other SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer Drill Tools

Getting a ground rod into anything but loose loam can be a miserable chore. I’ve spent too many afternoons swinging a sledge, mushrooming copper-clad rod ends, and sweating through shirts. After a few jobs with the Firecore SDS-Plus ground rod driver in my kit, that routine changed. It’s a simple, one-piece cup driver that fits any SDS-Plus rotary hammer, and it turns a labor task into a controlled, repeatable operation.

Setup and compatibility

This is an SDS-Plus accessory with a standard 10 mm shank, so it drops into most 7/8- to 1-inch rotary hammers. It’s designed strictly for hammer-only mode. If your tool has a rotary-hammer mode engaged, you’ll spin the rod and make a mess of things. The driver is 6-11/16 inches long with a 13/16-inch socket opening and about 3 inches of depth. In practice, that means it comfortably captures 5/8-inch ground rods and still has enough clearance to accept 3/4-inch rods without binding.

I ran it on a mid-size SDS-Plus hammer rated around 2.5 to 3.0 joules per blow. That’s a sweet spot for residential and light commercial grounding. Larger hammers are faster, of course, but not necessary unless you’re driving dozens of rods a day or dealing with unforgiving terrain.

Firecore ships the driver in a clear plastic tube. It’s basic, but it keeps grit off the shank and makes it easy to toss in a gang box without losing it.

Driving performance in real soil

I tested the driver on a mix of conditions: damp loam, dry clay, and the rocky, compacted fill that makes your shoulder ache just thinking about it. All rods were copper-clad steel, 5/8-inch diameter, either 8 or 10 feet.

• Damp loam: The rod practically disappeared. From the first tap to flush seating, it took roughly 90 seconds. The cup contained the rod head well, and the driver didn’t chatter or slip.
• Dry clay: This demanded more patience. The driver still kept the rod tracking straight, and I was at full depth in about 3 minutes.
• Rocky fill: This is where technique matters. I grind a light bevel on the rod tip before starting, then commit once the rod is moving. If you pause in fractured rock, the rod often springs back slightly and binds. With steady pressure, I could work through, occasionally backing off to reposition a few inches away if I met an immovable stone. The driver never complained; the limiting factor was soil, not the tool.

The cup design is key. A sledge will mushroom a rod in short order, and even open-end drivers can chew the top. This cup distributes impact nicely, reduces deformation, and minimizes the chance of the driver slipping off the rod and scarring the copper.

Noise and vibration are what you’d expect from a rotary hammer doing its job. The driver itself doesn’t add buzz or ringing. If anything, it dampens impact slightly compared to a steel-on-steel open punch.

Build quality and durability

Firecore uses forged, heat-treated steel here, and it’s a one-piece body—no welds or collars to fail. After a handful of rods across mixed ground, the inside of the cup showed light polishing, but no chips or peening. The outer rim stayed crisp and round, which matters when you’re trying to keep the driver centered as you start a rod.

The shank fit every SDS-Plus chuck I tried without slop, and release balls clicked in confidently. Heat buildup was modest; the driver gets hot in extended use, but not to the point of blueing or scaling. Let it cool between long drives and avoid dunking it in water, which can shock the steel.

As for longevity, it’s the kind of accessory that will outlast a few sets of bits if you treat it reasonably—no prying or sideways leverage. I’d put it in the “buy once, throw in the kit” category for most electricians and installers.

Usability details

A few small touches make the difference between “works” and “works well.”

• Cup depth: At roughly 3 inches, there’s enough engagement to keep the driver planted on the rod, even if you’re slightly off axis at the start. It’s also shallow enough that you can pull off easily to check progress.
• Alignment: Starting a ground rod cleanly is half the battle. I place a short piece of 1-inch PVC over the rod as a guide. It gives a visual line and keeps the rod from whipping if it snags a root. The Firecore driver stays indexed on the top of the rod without walking.
• Finish: The steel is smooth and doesn’t gall the rod surface. You’ll still see some scuffing on the copperclad, which is inevitable, but the contact area is controlled and minimal.

Limitations and edge cases

No accessory is magic. A few constraints to keep in mind:

• SDS-Plus only: If you’re outfitting a heavy crew or routinely driving in cobble or hardpan, an SDS-Max driver with a higher-energy hammer will be faster and less fatiguing. This Firecore is firmly in the SDS-Plus tier.
• Size ceiling: It accepts up to 3/4-inch rods. If you’re driving larger posts, T-posts, or specialty pins, you’ll want a different cup or an adapter built for those profiles.
• Coatings and mushrooms: If you somehow mushroom the rod head before seating it (usually from using the wrong mode or a glancing blow), the copper can flare and bind in the cup. Dress the head with a file or grinder and try again. Starting with a slight bevel on the rod tip also reduces mushrooming by helping the rod track around obstructions.
• Rocky ground reality: In truly gnarly gravel or fractured ledge, no driver will turn the job into butter. Expect to reposition, pre-wet the hole in clay, or in the worst case, couple a second rod to get the required depth at a slight offset.

Value and alternatives

There are pricier SDS-Plus ground rod drivers on the market, and I’ve used several of them. The Firecore does the same job—drives 5/8- and 3/4-inch rods cleanly—without any fuss, and it costs less. The steel, fit, and finish are all up to snuff. Unless you need the brute force of an SDS-Max setup, I don’t see a reason to spend more for this task.

If you already own a solid SDS-Plus rotary hammer, this driver is a no-brainer upgrade from a manual sledge. If you do not, factor the hammer into your budget; the driver is only as effective as the tool powering it.

Tips for best results

• Use hammer-only mode. Tape over the selector if you’re likely to bump it.
• Bevel the rod tip lightly with a grinder to help it deflect around rocks rather than butt into them.
• Keep steady pressure once the rod is moving; stopping mid-drive in rocky ground can encourage binding.
• Use a short length of PVC as a guide to keep the rod straight and protect hands.
• In dry clay, pre-wet the area to reduce friction and dust.
• If you hit refusal, pull back a few inches, rotate the rod a quarter turn, and try again. Reposition if needed.

The bottom line

The Firecore SDS-Plus ground rod driver takes a tedious, error-prone job and makes it quick, predictable, and cleaner. It’s well made, easy to use, and compatible with the SDS-Plus hammers many of us already carry. It won’t turn boulders into sand, and it’s not a replacement for SDS-Max solutions on extreme sites, but for residential and light commercial grounding—5/8- and 3/4-inch rods in typical soils—it’s exactly the right tool.

Recommendation: I recommend the Firecore driver. It’s durable, priced right, and it meaningfully reduces time and effort on a common task without demanding new batteries or a bigger hammer. If you’re an electrician, installer, or a DIYer facing a ground rod or two, this accessory pays for itself the first day you use it.