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. Specs-wise, the 800 Watt motor provides up to 1,500 rpm and 2.6 Joules of force per hammer blow. You can drill up to 26 mm holes in concrete or masonry, up to 13 mm in steel, or up to 30 mm in wood. 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.

With 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. 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. 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.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 drills 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. On the other hand, regular hammer drills allow you to do everything you would with a combi, but with a bit more oomph. These drills have two handles – one to turn them on and off and the other to keep them steady while in use. This makes them better suited for tougher jobs where you need power and stability. What should you look for in a hammer drill?

A hammer drill refers to any tool that features a hammer mode – this can include both regular drills and combi drill options. A combi drill – which combines a hammer drill with regular drill and drill-driver modes – drills into wood, metal and masonry. If you’re looking to carry out everyday DIY tasks such as drilling holes in walls and driving screws, a combi drill is your best bet.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 best cordless SDS drills come with a brushless motor. This reduces wear and tear on the mechanical components and increases the drill’s longevity, and also regulates the supply of battery power to the motor. 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. 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.

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.The 550 Watt motor produces a reasonable 2,300 rpm and 4,600 bpm and 1.7 Joules of impact force. This isn’t even close to the best SDS drill on my list, but it’s still enough for most DIY jobs. You can drill holes up to 20 mm in concrete, 13 mm in steel and up to 30 mm in wood. The 830 Watt motor puts out up to 900 rpm and 4,000 bpm in hammer mode with each impact rated at 2.7 Joules of force. You can drill up to 26 mm holes in concrete or masonry, up to 68 mm with a core cutter or up to 30 mm in wood. 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. 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 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