Buyer’s guide

This our guide to finding the best SDS drill. It’s designed to help you narrow your choice so you can find the right drill for you.

Buying an SDS drill online makes perfect sense. It saves you time – avoiding a trip to the local merchant or DIY shed – and it also saves you money, as online retailers generally offer the best SDS drills cheaper than their offline competitors. Reputable online power tool dealers usually offer greater choice too and have no hassle returns policies if you need to exchange a drill you’re not happy with.

So when you’re looking for the best SDS drill, what factors should you consider?

Which brand?

In the UK SDS drill market the biggest players are Bosch (the inventor of the SDS system), DeWalt, Makita, Metabo, Hilti and Hitachi. As well as other smaller brands such as Draper, Ryobi and Erbauer, you’ll also find own-brands from retailers such as Wickes and Homebase.

At SDS Drill Expert we generally feature proven SDS drills as we find that most of our visitors are looking for something that delivers a consistent performance and gives a good return for the initial investment. (If you’ve ever drilled holes in a serious concrete floor you’ll know what we’re talking about.)

Corded or cordless?

So what’s the best option for you? In most cases this will be determined by your needs. For site joiners or builders, a quality cordless SDS hammer drill with at least one spare battery is a must. A premium brand cordless drill will be expensive – £250-£500+ – but it’s a necessary investment.

For electricians or plumbers in tight spaces a cheaper cordless may suffice (however if you intend to chase out sockets, for example, a drill with a chisel option is essential). Many tradesman who use their SDS drill occasionally choose corded. For DIY use, a cheaper cordless model may be a nice-to-have but if your budget is £100-150 it’s better to opt for a top brand corded model. Like to know more? See our dedicated cordless SDS drill buyer’s guide

Drilling capacity/power

A clear practical indication of the drilling capacity of  SDS drill is usually shown by it’s max. drilling capacity in common building materials – meaning the maximum diameter of holes it can drill in various materials. This will be shown in the following terms: masonry XXmm, wood XXmm, steel XXmm.

Equally important is the maximum impact energy will be shown in Joules (J) as this shows the hammering force of the drill. Supporting this is the rotation speed (with and without load) and blows per minute.

A drill’s power is measured by Volts for cordless drills and Volts and Watts for corded. Essentially the greater the voltage/wattage supplied to the motor the  faster the motor can operate.

You’ll notice that retailers sell 110V and 240/230V models of the corded SDS drills. The 110V drills are designed for the trade, specifically building sites and require an adaptor to work in mains (see note below). 240V drills can be used with the UK mains, so are ok for DIY and tradesmen working in domestic settings.

• IMPORTANT: if you work in the trade in the UK and plan to work on building sites, you may only be permitted to operate a 110 Volt SDS drill – as site managers can be reluctant to provide a power source for the 230/240 Volt models (sorry if we’re teaching you to suck eggs but it’s a question we get asked often).

• Corded the power output of SDS drills can be shown as Volts or Watts. A lower wattage drill will be forced to work closer to its maximum power level, pushing its components harder and reducing their lifespan. By contrast a higher Wattage SDS drill will manage the tasks without the same impact on its bearings and clutch

• Cordless drills are rated by Voltage in the UK. The higher the figure, the more powerful. Most DIY models have battery pack from 9.6 to 16 Volts, while some with up to 32 volts are aimed at the professional user. It is a distinct advantage to have at least one replaceable battery pack.

Safety clutch

A safety clutch is an important feature on an SDS hammer drill – even more so with medium or heavyweight drills and especially if you plan to drill big holes in masonry or concrete. Why? Because if the drill bit jams and you don’t release the drill in time, the whole drill will spin, potentially wrenching your hand, wrist and forearm.  A safety clutch will ensure that the chuck will slip if the torque increases to a specified level, stopping the drill itself from rotating.

Size and weight

There are 3 main sizes of SDS drill:

• The lightweight L shape models around 2kg
• Mediumweight drills for regular trade or heavy DIY use, typically 4kg
• Heavyweight SDS max demolition drills, 7kg and above – for heavy site work.

For all but the lightest SDS drills, it’s important to choose a model that has a safety clutch (see above). If you plan to use your drill for DIY or occasional trade work a lightweight drill may be sufficient (especially a leading brand drill). For building work or joinery a mediumweight drill can give you the reliability and power you need.

The length of your drill may be an important factor too – if you’re working under floorboards or in cupboards a more compact drill will be a smart choice i.e. 310mm or less in length.

Capacity

It’s worth thinking about the capacity of your SDS drill i.e. the maximum diameter and depth of the holes you’ll be drilling, which are shown in millimetres. Most good lightweight SDS/SDS Plus drills will handle 20mm diameter holes with ease in masonry and smaller sized holes in even tougher substances such as steel. A mediumweight SDS Plus drill will tackle holes of 30mm and SDS-Max up to 50mm (see below). The depth of holes each drill is capable of drilling will vary. SDS/SDS Plus drill generally drills to a depth of 400mm and SDS MAX can support specialist drill bits of up to 1000mm (used for installing wiring and plumbing in brick and stone walls).

SDS, SDS-Plus or SDS-Max?

SDS and SDS plus or ‘SDS+’ are essentially the same system. The main difference to note is that the same drill bits will work for SDS and SDS Plus drills but NOT forSDS-Max. The SDS-Max uses drill bits with an additional slot and their extra size and power allows you to drill holes of up to 50mm with the capacity also for heavy demolition work.

Chiselling

If you plan to use your SDS hammer drill for chiselling, look for a Rotation stop feature which will lock the bit, allowing controlled chiseling. This is usually found or mid-range models and above. Remember you’ll also have to invest in some SDS chisel bits to perform this task.

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