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. 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. 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”.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. 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. Weighing in at 3.3 kg, it’s a bit heavier than some of the competition, but not enough to make my arms fall off even after a long drilling job. It’s a bit odd that the mode selector switch is on the bottom of the tool, but everything else makes perfect sense. 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.

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. 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.

DEWALT DCD240X2-GB XR Flexvolt Paddle Mixer

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 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. 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. 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. The 800 Watt motor produces up to 1,200 rpm and a maximum 4,600 bpm at the business end. Each impact creates a reasonable 2.4 Joules. You can drill up to 26 mm holes in concrete or masonry, up to 68 mm with a core cutter, 80 mm with a diamond bit, or up to 32 mm in wood.

Other SDS drill features to look for include the maximum drilling depth into concrete – ideally over 20mm – and noise and vibration levels (stated in the drill’s technical specification). 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 . There’s a nicely ergonomic rear handle on the drill and plenty of soft thermoplastic for decent grip. The same goes for the large front handle- an essential accessory when you’re drilling through hard materials. The big brushless motor on board puts out 5,500 bpm and 2.2 joules of energy per impact. 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. 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. 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 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. 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.