24V SDS Drills – choosing the best drill for your money

In the market for a 24V SDS drill? You’re clearly serious about your power tools. Second only to the 36V Cordless SDS drill, the 24V models are amongst the most powerful on the market, designed for serious trade and industry use.

A 24V SDS hammer drill will give you some serious drilling power and decent chiselling (for those models with a roto-stop function). The 24V drills don’t currently have the latest generation of Lithium-Ion batteries but certainly pack quite a punch – and don’t have the Li-ion price tag.

When choosing a 24 Volt SDS hammer drill we think it’s worth sticking to quality brands, so we’ve reviewed the best 24V drills from the leading names.

Makita

Let’s start with Makita – an innovator in SDS technology. The Makita 24V Rotary Hammer SDS drill looks and feels very solid. Weighing in at 3.8 kg it’s not exactly lightweight but packs a hefty 2.1 joules of impact energy. It’s performance is pretty impressive too: Max drilling diameter in steel: 13mm, wood 27mm, masonry 20mm. Like most leading 24V SDS drills, the battery is a Ni-MH with a recharging time of 1 hour (if you’re looking a lithium ion cordless SDS drill you may need to opt for an 18V or 36V model.) Overall, this is a robust 24 Volt SDS drill at a decent price.

Bosch

There are currently four Bosch 24V SDS drill models on the market (all Bosch Blue, the professional brand). This gives you a choice of the 2 newer NiHM battery models – GBH 24V and the GBH 24 VF – and 2 older NiCad battery models – GBH 24 VRE and GBH 24 VFR. The NiHM models recharge in 30 mins, NiCad 38 mins. All deliver the same drilling performance 1.3 joules impact force, max drilling diameter concrete 20mm, wood 20mm, steel 13mm. The difference between the GBH 24V & GBH VF is that the VF comes with a quick change chuck. Whilst this drill has marginally less drilling power than the Makita and DeWalt it’s less pricey and, of course, if you’re a fan, it has the Bosch name on it.

DeWalt

DeWalt’s current 24V cordless SDS drill range includes the DeWalt DC222KA (2 mode), DeWalt DC223KA (3 mode with rotation stop for chiseling) and DeWalt DC224KA (with Quick Release SDS Toolholder and 3 Jaw Chuck). Power delivery is via air-cooled NiCad batteries and is comparable to the Makita 24V SDS drill: Impact Energy 2.1 J, Max into metal wood 30mm, metal 13mm and concrete 22mm. It also benefits from DeWalt’s commitment to reducing vibration with an internal mechanism connected to external housings via spring dampeners. This can make a big difference if you’re using such a powerful drill for sustained periods. A high quality tool, but at a price.

Hitachi

You shouldn’t dismiss the Hitachi 24V SDS drill simply because it doesn’t come with the same heritage as the Bosch, DeWalt or Makita SDS drills. Hitachi’s market presence is growing and their 24 Volt cordless SDS drill has impressive credentials – starting with a 24mm drilling capacity in concrete and a mighty 2.8 joules impact energy. Another big plus is that it’s a 3 mode drill which includes roto-stop for light chiseling. There’s a choice of 2 battery types: the NiCad DH24DVA/NICD 24V SDS-Plus Hammer Drill (charge time 75 mins) and the Nickel Metal Hydride DH24DVA/SUPER 24V SDS-Plus Hammer Drill (charge time 50 mins). Our verdict? A great value drill that’s definitely worth considering.

The 24V Erbauer (the Screwfix-owned brand) also runs off the heavier NiCad batteries. Its a 3 mode SDS drill (rotary hammer, hammer drilling, roto stop for chiselling) and less powerful than most of the above 24 volt SDS drills at 1.7 Joules of impact energy. On the plus side it offers replaceable carbon brushes, 1 hour charger and 2×2.0Ah batteries. Read more about the Erbauer 24V SDS drill.

Like to know more about cordless SDS drills generally?  See our Cordless SDS drill guide