The 18V battery powers a brushed motor that puts out up to 1,300 rpm, and a not-too-shabby up to 5,000 bpm in hammer mode. It’s a bit underpowered at just 1.3 Joules per impact strike, but it’s not supposed to be a heavy-duty hammer. You can drill up to 16 mm in concrete, 16 mm in wood and 16 mm in metal. US tool heavyweights DeWalt have made some of my favourite bits of kit over the years. The DCH273N must be up there with the best. If you’re looking for one of the best cordless SDS drills for professional use, this is probably it. If you want to get a solid-built and reliable SDS drill from one of the most respected names in the game, the Bosch PBH 2100 RE is a handy tool to own. Making up part of Bosch’s “green” line of DIY-level tools, the specs won’t beat the formidable Bosch hammer GBH 2-26, but it’s also a lot less expensive. The best place to start is with quality drill bits. They can make all the difference when it comes to drilling accurately and with the least effort. Investing in quality bits might cost you a bit more money, but as they say – “if you buy cheap, you buy twice”.

The power of an SDS drill is arguably its most important feature. This is translated into impact energy and measured in Joules, with typical values ranging from 1-3 Joules. Impact energy also governs the SDS drill’s impact rate, which is measured in beats or impacts per minute. Look for at least 0-4,000 bpm . As you might expect from one of the best names in the industry, Makita are famous for their build quality. The rubber overmoulding spreads across a lot of the drill. It makes it easy to hold on to and damps down a lot of the vibration. The pistol grip moulds to the hand well and the trigger is huge.One of my favourite power tool brands is US-based DeWalt. They’re easily one of the most used names by professionals and DIYers across the world. Their D25133K SDS-Plus hammer drill is a well-designed and tough tool. Hammer drilling is ideal for making holes in concrete or masonry. For every twist of the drill bit, an internal hammer impacts it, forcing it into the workpiece and making light work of even hard materials. Hammer Only Mode Don’t push too hard on the drill during operation. A firm, even pressure is all that’s needed to drill through hard materials. Let the drill bit do the work and there’s less chance of binding in the hole as well.

The first thing you’ll notice about this drill is how light and compact it is. Even compared to the lightweight Makita DHR242Z this is about as featherlike as an SDS drill can get. It’s nowhere near the most powerful, but if your main requirement is portability then you can’t go wrong. Making good use of Ryobi’s excellent ONE+ system, if you’ve got any of their 18V tools, the batteries will fit this. It means you can buy their “naked” tools and save yourself a fair bit of money.A tool brand that barely needs an introduction, Japan’s Makita make an enormous range of professional-level kit as well as more reasonably priced tools for DIYers. The powerful DHR242Z is one of the best cordless SDS drills on the UK market right now. It can produce an incredible amount of torque but it’s still comfortable enough for prolonged use. Like any drilling task, start with a smaller bit size and work up to the target hole size in stages. Don’t try to drill a 26 mm hole directly into hard concrete, start with a smaller pilot size and work your way up. It will put less strain on the machine and should produce more accurate and neater results.

Separated into two parts to help dampen down vibrations, there’s a large and comfortable rear handle and chunky front handle that can be rotated through 360° for use at any angle. Built on Makita’s tried and tested LXT platform, this brushless drill makes the most of each battery and will cut through hard materials like a hot knife through butter. What you need depends on the job at hand. If you’re planning on drilling narrow diameter (2-8 mm) holes in concrete, you don’t need a huge drill. Get hold of the lightweight Makita DHR242Z or the DeWalt DCH273N. They’re ideal when you need to work up a ladder or when portability is more useful than breaking power. The Bosch Professional GBH 2-26 is probably the best SDS drill on the market – it combines superior build quality with a powerful and safe hammer action. With the DeWalt D25033K SDS+ users will have the ability to drill into some of the toughest surfaces in the world. Concrete, steel, ceramic and hard woods are no match for this hand held unit. It offers 710 watts of input power, while delivering 590 watts of output power. The electronic variable speed allows users to find the perfect rate for their projects, with the capability of coring into most common materials at varying depths.

DEWALT DWST1-81079-GB TSTAK Job Site Radio

In summary, cordless drills free you up to move and save your arms a bit of ache. Corded drills need to be close to a power source but get the job done. The best SDS drill for you is the one that fits your needs most of the time. Hammer Drilling Sheffield-based tool heroes Evolution Power Tools make some brilliant bits of kit, and the SDS4-800 hammer drill is one of them. If you need a full kit with bits and a box, you can’t go far wrong with this option for the price. Compared to the Makita DHR242Z, this drill runs faster at 1,100 rpm, but puts out marginally less bpm at 4,600. It’s impressive when you consider that this drill has a hammer-only function though. Each impact of 2.1 Joules is plenty for most jobs, and the drilling capacity of 24 mm in concrete, 26 mm in wood and 13 mm in metal is notable. German tool brand Einhell are making waves with their latest range of Power X-Change 18 Volt battery-powered tools. Their take on the cordless SDS drill is the impressive Herocco Brushless SDS Plus. It’s a powerful and compact hammer drill that comes in an excellent hard case. Starting with the ergonomics, DeWalt have sculpted the hand grip superbly. I t fits comfortably in the hand and the top lip portion helps you grip with your thumb and forefinger much more easily. The rubberised grip helps to keep down vibration as well.

It’s a heavy power tool at 2.7 kg, but it doesn’t feel unbalanced when you use the multi-position front handle. The rear rubberised section of the handle makes it comfortable to use and helps to dampen down the vibrations, even when in hammer-only mode. I’ve used Makita power tools for a long time, and they’ve never let me down so far. The HR2630 SDS+ rotary hammer drill is one of the best SDS drills available right now. It’s seriously sturdy and has the most comfortable grip I’ve tested out so far. Weight – For routine DIY tasks, it’s recommended that you go for a lightweight model, which will generally come in at around 2kg. The verdict: Hammer drillsWith a DeWalt SDS+ Hammer Drill you will have everything you need to professionally drill anchors and fix holes with ease. These drills are designed for precision, while ensuring that there are no hiccups when working on any project. My favourite feature on this SDS drill is what the extra setting on the selector switch is for. You’ve got the expected drill, hammer drill and hammer only options, but there’s also a little dot in between. By selecting the dot, you can rotate any chisel bit through 40 different angle settings. This means wide chisel bits can be set to any angle you need. It’s ideal for tight spots or getting flush with the floor so the drill handle isn’t in the way. It’s a simple feature but it shows that Makita know their stuff. Corded or cordless? – Connected directly to the mains, corded drills tend to be more powerful than their cordless cousins and are therefore better suited to heavy duty work. You will, however, need access to a power source to use them, while a cordless model can be charged up and used wherever you need it.