# Best SDS Drill 2026: 10 Ranked, and Why the Amps Don't Add Up Source: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills Published: 2026-09-18 | Updated: 2026-09-19 | Prices checked on Amazon UK on 2026-09-18 An SDS drill spec sheet is not always a spec sheet. The Makita HR2630 lists 18 amps at 240 volts — 4,320 watts by the arithmetic — and then declares 450 watts of maximum power a few lines below. The Scheppach AB1600 lists 16 amps at 230 volts, which is 3,680 watts, against a stated 1,600 watts. Meanwhile, two sheets do close: the Einhell TC-RH 800 E claims 800 watts at 3.33 amps on 230 volts, and the Enventor 1,500 watts at 6.52 amps. Both land within a few watts of the claim, and both deserve the benefit of the doubt. Crucially, the impact figures are just as loose — 1,300 W is paired with 20 J, 1,500 W with 7 J and 1,600 W with 50 J. Only one of those three can be comparable. We ranked ten of the best sds drill models on Amazon on three checks: whether the electrical numbers on the page reconcile, what actually arrives in the box, and how the review scores are spread rather than averaged. Prices are the ones shown at the time of writing. ## The ranking ### 1. Makita DHR202Z 18V SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer (Body Only) - Price: £89.94 | Amazon rating: 4.7 from 3,966 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/makita-dhr202z-sds-plus-hammer - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GR0B31C?tag=ranked10-21 First because 3,966 ratings average 4.7, with 85% at five stars and just 2% at one. This 18v sds drill tops the list on the strength of its review spread rather than its spec sheet: 3,966 ratings, 85% of them five-star, 2% one-star. The published numbers are modest and mostly checkable — 1,100 RPM, a 20 mm chuck, 26 mm in wood and 60 Nm of torque. Even so, its own sheet pairs 18 volts with 1 amp and 450 watts, and 18 V at 1 A is 18 W. Treat the 450 W as a peak figure, not a current draw. What you get is the bare tool. The listing name says batteries and charger not included, so the £89.94 buys the hammer, a side handle and a depth stop. In practice that suits anyone already on Makita's 18V LXT platform. The one-touch sliding chuck changes bits without a key, there is an electric brake, and the trigger is variable. Do not buy this if you own no LXT packs, because a battery and charger will cost more than the tool itself. Likewise, if you are drilling 26 mm holes all afternoon, a corded sds drill with more impact energy will finish the job sooner. The 20 mm chuck and 26 mm wood capacity place it at the light end of this list. Pros: 4.7 from 3,966 ratings — 85% five-star, 2% one-star; 1,100 RPM, 20 mm SDS-Plus chuck and 60 Nm of torque; Costs £89.94, less than three corded models ranked below it; Electric brake, variable speed trigger and one-touch sliding chuck; 3.23 kg, against 16 kg for the Scheppach AB1600 breaker Cons: Batteries and charger not included — the price is for the bare tool; 18 volts, 1 amp and 450 watts on one sheet do not reconcile; No mains option: runtime depends on the packs you already own; 450 W is the joint-lowest stated power in this top ten ### 2. Makita HR2630 26mm SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Drill, Blue - Price: £160.99 | Amazon rating: 4.8 from 1,561 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/makita-hr2630-sds-plus - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01636IZ0G?tag=ranked10-21 Second on 4.8 from 1,561 ratings, and the sharpest contradiction on the page: 18 amps, 450 watts. This corded sds drill is the most expensive tool in the list at £160.99, and the one whose numbers disagree loudest. It lists 18 amps at 240 volts. That is 4,320 watts. Two lines later it declares 450 watts of maximum power — the same 450 W claimed by the cordless Makita above. However you read it, both figures cannot be right. The rest of the sheet is more useful. Three modes switch between rotation only, hammering only and both together, without rotating the chuck. There is a one-touch sliding chuck, variable speed by trigger, forward and reverse, 32 mm of wood capacity and 13 mm in metal. The carry case, side handle and depth stop are included, and drilling vibration in metal is quoted at 2.5 m/s². Which means it is not the tool for chiselling out a floor. A 26 mm, 450 W hammer is a drilling and fixing machine, not a breaker. If you want raw removal work, both the 1,500 W DOVAMAN and the 1,300 W Scheppach cost less. Pros: 4.8 from 1,561 ratings — the highest average in this top ten; Three modes, including hammer-only, without turning the chuck; 26 mm in concrete, 32 mm in wood and 13 mm in metal; Carry case, side handle and depth stop included; Vibration drilling into metal quoted at 2.5 m/s² Cons: 18 amps at 240 volts works out at 4,320 W against a stated 450 W; Most expensive model here at £160.99; Corded only, with no battery option; 'Number of speeds' is listed as 1,200, the same as its RPM figure ### 3. Scheppach AB1600 1600W SDS-Max Demolition Hammer, 50J - Price: £159.00 | Amazon rating: 4.4 from 946 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/scheppach-ab1600-demolition-hammer - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00H27HSBI?tag=ranked10-21 The heaviest tool here at 16 kg, and the only one claiming 50 joules of impact. Third place goes to the only true breaker in the top three. It claims 50 J of impact from a 1,600 W motor at 2,000 blows per minute. By contrast, the same sheet also lists 16 amps at 230 volts, which is 3,680 watts. As with the Makita, the amps and the watts cannot both be describing the same thing. The chuck is 30 mm SDS-Max, so chisels change without tools, and the handles are anti-vibration, with a front loop and a rear D-grip. It rotates nothing: the 2,000 RPM in the speed field is an impact rate in all but name, and the 10 mm wood and metal capacities listed alongside it make little sense on a tool with no rotation. Pointed and flat chisels plus a metal case are included. Do not buy this for drilling. At 16 kg it is a two-hand tool for breaking out concrete and tiles, and the 946 ratings average 4.4, with 4% at one star and 19% at four. That is a more mixed picture than the two Makitas above. If you need holes rather than demolition, a rotary hammer drill will serve you better. Pros: The 50 J claim is the highest impact figure on this page; 30 mm SDS-Max chuck with tool-free chisel changes; Pointed and flat chisels plus a metal storage case included; 4.4 from 946 ratings; Anti-vibration front and rear handles, 2,000 blows per minute Cons: 16 kg — the heaviest tool in this top ten; 16 amps at 230 volts would be 3,680 W, not the stated 1,600 W; No rotation, so its 10 mm wood and metal capacities mean little; 4% one-star and 19% four-star are the weakest mid-range scores in the top three ### 4. Einhell TC-RH 800 E 800W SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer, 2.5J - Price: £59.95 | Amazon rating: 4.5 from 720 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/einhell-tc-rh-800-e - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BLZXMDA?tag=ranked10-21 The cheapest tool here at £59.95, and one of only two whose volts and amps agree. If you want a cheap sds drill whose sheet survives a calculator, this is it. Einhell lists 800 watts, 3.33 amps and 230 volts. That multiplies out to 766 W, within about 4% of the claim. That is the sort of rounding you expect, not the sort of gap you find further up this page. It comes with 2.5 joules of impact energy and a 26 mm concrete capacity. That said, four functions cover drilling, impact drilling and chiselling with and without a lock, and the speed electronics let you match the tool to the material. The depth stop is solid metal, the SDS-Plus chuck is semi-automatic for quick bit changes, and there is an overload safety stop plus large soft-grip surfaces. A transport and storage case is included. It is not the tool for breaking out a driveway. At 2.5 joules it sits below the 6 J, 7 J and 50 J claims further down this page, and its metal capacity is quoted at 26 mm, identical to its concrete figure. Buy it for plugs, fixings and the occasional 26 mm hole. Pros: £59.95 — the lowest price in this top ten; 800 W at 3.33 A on 230 V works out at 766 W, close to the claim; Four functions, including chiselling with and without a lock; 26 mm capacity in concrete from 2.5 joules of impact; Carry case, metal depth stop and overload safety stop included Cons: 2.5 J is the second-lowest impact energy stated here; Metal and concrete drilling capacities are both quoted at 26 mm; 4.5 from 720 ratings, with 3% at one star; No anti-vibration handle listed ### 5. DOVAMAN RH15A 1500W SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer, 7J - Price: £119.97 | Amazon rating: 4.4 from 679 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/dovaman-rh15a-rotary-hammer - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DBM3QSMB?tag=ranked10-21 A complete sds drill kit in one box, undermined by a spec line reading 12.5 milliamps. Worth noting straight away: this sheet lists 12.5 milliamps at 230 volts. That is under 3 watts. A genuine 1,500 W mains tool draws around 6.5 A, which is exactly what the Enventor below declares. So one of those two lines is wrong, and it is not the wattage. The sds hammer drill offers four modes — drilling, hammer drilling, chisel position adjustment and chiselling — with six speeds, up to 4,350 BPM and 7 joules of impact. Capacities are quoted at 40 mm in wood, 32 mm in concrete and 13 mm in steel. A 1.5–13 mm keyed chuck adaptor turns it into a conventional drill, and vibration damping plus a safety clutch handle the rough work. Do not buy it for one-handed overhead work. The boxed weight is listed at 8,440 grams, the heaviest tool here. Check the accessories against what you will actually use, too: three SDS-Plus bits, two chisels, a dust collector, a depth gauge and spare carbon brushes are more than most buyers will wear out. Pros: 7 joules of impact and up to 4,350 blows per minute from a 1,500 W motor; Six speeds and four modes, including chisel position adjustment; Drill chuck adaptor included for wood and steel bits; Kit covers bits, chisels, dust collector, gauge, brushes and case; 4.4 from 679 ratings, 72% of them five-star Cons: Amperage listed as 12.5 milliamps — under 3 W, not 1,500 W; 8,440 grams listed weight, the heaviest here; 6% of ratings are one-star, the second-highest share on this page; Vibration damping is claimed but no vibration value is published ### 6. Scheppach AB1500X 1300W SDS-Max Demolition Hammer, 20J - Price: £109.00 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 549 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/scheppach-ab1500x-demolition-hammer - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09V85SZ6N?tag=ranked10-21 Less than half the weight of the bigger Scheppach at 6 kg, and 20 joules against its 50. At the same time as it claims 20 J from 1,300 W, this sheet lists 13 amps at 230 volts, which is 2,990 watts. The pattern from the rest of this page holds. Its speed fields are no tidier: one line reads 1,300 RPM, the same number as its wattage, while the rotational speed line reads 4,100 — and a demolition hammer rotates nothing at all. The 4,100 blows per minute and SDS-Max chuck match the working end, and the anti-vibration handle is the main reason to pick this over the 16 kg model when working at height or in tight spaces. Pointed and flat chisels and a storage case are included, and the body weighs 6 kg. The catch is the impact claim. This model says 20 J at 1,300 W; the AB1600 says 50 J at 1,600 W. Those are the same brand's breakers, and a 23% power increase cannot produce a 150% jump in impact energy. Buy the AB1500X for portability, not for the joules. Pros: 4.6 from 549 ratings; 6 kg — 10 kg lighter than the AB1600; 20 J and 4,100 blows per minute, with SDS-Max chisels and a case; Anti-vibration handle for longer sessions; £109.00, £50 less than the AB1600 Cons: 13 amps at 230 V gives 2,990 W against a stated 1,300 W; Speed listed as 1,300 RPM and 4,100 RPM on the same sheet; 20 J here against 50 J on the AB1600 — only one can be comparable; No rotation, so it cannot drill ### 7. DEWALT D25133K 800W SDS-Plus 3-Mode Hammer Drill - Price: £125.48 | Amazon rating: 4.7 from 409 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/dewalt-d25133k-sds-plus - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VXGMH3S?tag=ranked10-21 26 mm in the title, 18 mm in the chuck field — and 86% of 409 ratings at five stars. Listed as a 26 mm sds plus drill, but the chuck field reads 18 mm. Its two torque figures disagree with each other as well, at 2.6 Nm and 3.6 Nm on the same sheet. The electrical numbers follow the family pattern: 7 amps at 240 volts is 1,680 watts, against a stated 800 W. Mechanically it is a straightforward, well-liked 1,500 RPM three-mode hammer: rotation only, rotation with hammering, and hammering only, with electronic variable speed on the trigger. It arrives in a TSTAK box with a vibration-damping side handle and a drill depth stop. Of its 409 ratings, 86% are five-star. As a result, the 4.7 average sits on a smaller sample than it looks: 409 ratings against 3,966 for the Makita at number one. If the 26 mm in the title is what sold you, confirm the chuck size before buying, because the sheet states the smaller figure. Pros: 4.7 from 409 ratings, 86% of them five-star; 1,500 RPM and three modes with electronic variable speed; Vibration-damping side handle and depth stop included; Ships in a TSTAK carry box; 13 mm metal and 20 mm wood drilling capacity Cons: 7 amps at 240 volts gives 1,680 W against a stated 800 W; Title says 26 mm, chuck field says 18 mm; Torque listed twice as 2.6 Nm and 3.6 Nm; Only 409 ratings — a smaller sample than the three models above it ### 8. Evolution SDS4-800 650W 4-Function SDS Hammer Drill - Price: £71.98 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 495 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/evolution-sds4-800-hammer-drill - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005S40LJI?tag=ranked10-21 The second-cheapest here at £71.98, with 3 amps at 230 V giving 690 W against a 650 W claim. Either way you read the rounding, this one is close: 650 watts, 3 amps, 230 volts. That is 690 W by the arithmetic, about 6% above the claim. It is the smallest discrepancy among the corded tools here, which makes the rest of the sheet easier to take at face value. It runs at 0–1,100 RPM with 1.6 joules of impact and four functions: drill, chisel, rotation and hammer. Five attachments come in the box — 6, 8 and 10 mm SDS bits, a 250 mm flat chisel and a 250 mm point chisel — plus a depth stop. The two-year warranty is valid only if the tool is purchased in the UK. Do not buy it for concrete at scale. At 1.6 J it is the lowest impact energy stated anywhere on this page, and a cheaper Einhell claims 2.5 J for £12 less. Its 7% one-star share is also the highest here, so read the low-score reviews before you commit. Pros: £71.98, the second-lowest price in this top ten; 650 W at 3 amps on 230 V works out at 690 W, within 6%; Five attachments included: three SDS bits, two chisels and a depth stop; Four functions with variable speed from 0 to 1,100 RPM; 4.3 from 495 ratings Cons: 1.6 J is the lowest impact energy quoted here; 7% of ratings are one-star, the highest share on this page; Two-year warranty valid only if purchased in the UK; Wood and metal capacities are both quoted at 10 mm ### 9. DEWALT D25033K 710W SDS-Plus 3-Mode Hammer Drill - Price: £109.99 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 228 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/dewalt-d25033k-sds-plus - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VXGMCMO?tag=ranked10-21 710 W, 2.0 J and 5,680 blows a minute — the fastest stated impact rate in this top ten. In theory this is the easiest sheet to check, because it publishes no amperage at all — 710 watts, 240 volts, 1,550 RPM and a 2.0 J impact strength. There is nothing to reconcile, and nothing to catch it out either. Its impact rate of 5,680 blows per minute is the highest figure stated on this page. Three modes cover drilling, hammer drilling and chiselling, with variable speed and a 22 mm chuck. Capacities are 30 mm in wood and 13 mm in metal. The kit is a multi-position side handle, a depth stop and a heavy-duty carrying case. Do not buy it if you want the reassurance of a large sample. At 228 ratings it has the smallest following here, and a 4.6 average from that many is less settled than 4.7 from 3,966. At 2.0 joules it also sits close to the 1.6 J Evolution ranked just above, which costs £38 less. Pros: 5,680 blows per minute, the fastest impact rate quoted here; 710 W, 1,550 RPM and a 22 mm SDS-Plus chuck; Three modes with variable speed; 4.6 from 228 ratings, 79% of them five-star; Side handle, depth stop and heavy-duty case included Cons: 228 ratings — the smallest sample in this top ten; 2.0 J of impact is the second-lowest figure stated here; No amperage published, so the wattage cannot be checked; £109.99, £38 more than the 1.6 J Evolution ranked above it ### 10. Enventor 1500W SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer Drill, 6J - Price: £84.99 | Amazon rating: 4.5 from 172 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-sds-drills/enventor-1500w-sds-drill - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CQXPVR21?tag=ranked10-21 Last on the smallest picture of demand: 172 ratings, and 6.52 A at 230 V lands on 1,499 W. In short, this is the other sheet that adds up. At 6.52 amps and 230 volts the draw is 1,499.6 watts, against a stated 1,500 W — a rounding error rather than a marketing gap. It claims 6 joules of impact, 4,500 blows per minute and 0–850 RPM. The kit is comprehensive: three SDS-Plus bits at 8, 10 and 12 mm, a 14 mm pointed chisel, a 14 mm flat chisel, a 360° auxiliary handle, a wrench, a ruler, two spare carbon brushes, 30 g of grease and a carrying case. Capacities are 32 mm in concrete, 40 mm in wood and 13 mm in steel. Do not buy it on the strength of its review sample. At 172 ratings it has the smallest following on this page, and 8% of those sit below three stars, including 5% at one star. At 7.87 kg it is the third-heaviest tool here, behind the 8.44 kg DOVAMAN and the 16 kg Scheppach AB1600. Pros: 6.52 A at 230 V gives 1,499.6 W, matching the 1,500 W claim; 6 joules of impact, 4,500 blows per minute, 32 mm in concrete; Full kit: three bits, two chisels, brushes, grease, ruler and case; 4.5 from 172 ratings, 73% of them five-star; 360° rotatable auxiliary handle Cons: 172 ratings — the smallest sample on this page; 5% one-star and 3% two-star, so 8% sit below three stars; 7.87 kg, the third-heaviest tool here; Maximum chuck size listed as 13 mm while concrete capacity is claimed at 32 mm ## Verdict For most homes, the Einhell TC-RH 800 E at £59.95 is the sensible sds drill: 800 watts, 2.5 joules and 26 mm in concrete, with electrical figures that add up. If you need the best sds drill for concrete at volume, the corded Makita HR2630 carries the strongest review record here (4.8 from 1,561) and three modes — though its own sheet, at 18 amps and 450 watts, does not agree with itself. For demolition rather than drilling, the 6 kg Scheppach AB1500X is the more manageable breaker; the 16 kg AB1600 claims 50 joules, but at 1,600 watts that number sits oddly beside the 20 J of its lighter stablemate.