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SDS drill vs combi drill

Updated: 22 October 2026

A lintel or a run of engineering brick is when an SDS drill vs combi drill choice matters. A combi’s hammer mode is a ratchet behind a chuck. These Bosch cordless rotary hammers are electro-pneumatic: a piston hits the back of an SDS plus bit. Stay with the combi for screws and ordinary brick. Move to one of these hammers when the brick is hard, the holes add up, or you need a chisel. The rows are on the [Bosch cordless rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/bosch-cordless-rotary-hammer). There was no lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A lintel or a run of engineering brick is when an SDS drill vs combi drill choice matters. A combi’s hammer mode is a ratchet behind a chuck.

Our top picks

Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body

Best overall

Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body
8.3/10about £97.92
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Bosch GBH 18V-22 with L-BOXX

Rank 2

Bosch GBH 18V-22 with L-BOXX
8.5/10about £180.99
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Bosch GBH 18V-18 body

Alternative

Bosch GBH 18V-18 body
7.5/10about £122.95
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On this page
  1. 1.Two hammers that are not the same
  2. 2.Soft brick and small plugs
  3. 3.Concrete, engineering brick, and chisels
  4. 4.It still will not replace the combi

Two hammers that are not the same

A combi, Bosch’s GSB line included, spins a chuck and adds a mechanical impact when you push. Bosch’s DIY explainer says that ratchet wants pressure from you, and that a rotary hammer’s blow is coarser and needs less lean. On a soft red brick and a 6 mm plug, the combi often finishes the hole. On a hard brick it can sit and polish a dimple. SDS plus bits slide and lock so the piston can hit them. A masonry bit in a combi chuck is not that system, and a loose SDS bit in a three-jaw chuck is not safe. Stay with the combi for screws, timber, metal within its stated capacity, and occasional plugs in ordinary brick.

Soft brick and small plugs

Homebuilding treats a normal combi as enough for ordinary masonry, and points to an SDS when the brick is hard or the holes add up. Harder concrete, and holes from about 10 mm upward in any number, are where those guides send you. That about 10 mm is a rule of thumb, not a Bosch capacity for your combi. Bosch’s GSB 18V-21 page gives masonry up to 10 mm. A UK guidance sheet puts some larger GSB models at 13–20 mm. Those numbers are combis, not the hammers here. Six easy plug holes a year do not justify a second tool. A rotary hammer in this set starts at about £97.92 for a green body with no battery, and it makes sense when the combi has already failed. A UK review of that UniversalHammer says 14 mm in brick was hard with a combi and easier with the SDS. That is one wall, not every wall.
Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body

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Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body
8.3/10about £97.92
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Concrete, engineering brick, and chisels

Engineering brick, a concrete lintel and a row of batten holes are the jobs these hammers are in the set to do. The UniversalHammer is listed at 2.0 J, concrete to 16 mm, with 4–8 mm on a 2.5 Ah pack and 16 mm plus tile chiselling above 4.0 Ah. The GBH 18V-18 is 1.5 J and about 4–18 mm, with no chisel function. The GBH 18V-22 is 1.9 J and about 4–22 mm, and the 22 X is 2 J, both with chiselling published. A combi cannot chisel tiles. How to set the chisel is on how to use an SDS rotary hammer. Buy SDS plus bits for these hammers, and change a glazed carbide bit once before you change the platform.

It still will not replace the combi

An SDS hammer is a poor everyday screwdriver. Clutch settings and a chuck that holds a driver bit square are the point of the combi. Wood hates hammer mode. ONECHUCK, on the 18 X and the 22 X, clamps round and hex shanks only up to about 10 mm. The keyed adapter on the green listing at about £126.79 is the one reviewers struggle to remove. Neither turns the hammer into a GSB for a morning of screws. Keep both tools if you do both jobs. A green pack will not run a GBH, and a Professional pack will not run a UniversalHammer. The right SDS that you cannot switch on is no improvement on the combi that at least starts.

Common questions

Will a combi drill concrete?
Sometimes. Homebuilding says a standard combi can drill some concrete, and that harder mixes are SDS work. Bosch’s GSB 18V-21 lists masonry to 10 mm. That figure is for that combi. If the bit glazes and the hole does not deepen, the ratchet has lost that mix.
What hole size is the combi’s comfortable range?
Small plugs in ordinary brick, often under about 10 mm, are the comfortable range in the buying guides. Larger GSB models are quoted at 13–20 mm on a UK guidance sheet, so check your own model. Many holes, or engineering brick, move the job to an SDS.
Why does an SDS need different bits?
An SDS plus shank slides so the piston can strike it. A straight masonry bit is made to be clamped and pushed. A loose SDS bit in a combi chuck is a hazard. Keep two small sets.
Can a combi chisel tiles off?
No. A combi has no chisel lock. Tile and plaster lifting here belongs to the UniversalHammer, or to a GBH 18V-22 or 22 X. The compact GBH 18V-18 is a drilling hammer, not a chisel, on Bosch’s account of that model.
Will an adapter let the rotary hammer replace the combi?
Only for the odd round shank. The keyed adapter sticks in the sleeve in reviews. ONECHUCK stops at about 10 mm. Neither gives you the combi’s clutch for a morning of screws.
I only do six plug holes a year. Do I still buy this?
Not if those six holes are in soft brick and the combi finishes them. Buy a rotary hammer when the combi has stalled, when the brick is engineering brick or concrete, or when you need a chisel. The cheapest body here is about £97.92 and still needs the matching battery.

Related pages

Bosch cordless SDS buying guide

Bosch green or blue 18V SDS

Bosch cordless rotary hammer

Best Bosch cordless rotary hammer for packs you own

How to use an SDS rotary hammer in brick and concrete

Sources

Maker pages, UK regulations and the amazon.co.uk listings stored for this comparison, read on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are those saved listings. A live view of one ASIN the same day had already moved.

  1. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-22 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-18 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-18 X (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-22 X (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Bosch DIY GB, UniversalHammer 18V (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE, Construction dust: silica (CN3) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Bosch Professional GB, AMPShare (retrieved 19 October 2026)