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DeWalt combi drill vs SDS

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are about to drill brick or concrete with a DeWalt combi, and the hammer symbol looks as if it should be enough. A DeWalt combi drill vs SDS choice is a choice of mechanism. The combis here use a ratchet hammer behind a three-jaw chuck. An SDS-Plus rotary hammer uses a piston and a shank that slides. A combi can make occasional plug holes in soft masonry. Concrete lintels, repeated anchors, and core holes need an SDS-Plus tool, and no SDS product is scored in this folder. The [DeWalt cordless drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/de-walt-cordless-drill) only lines up the drills we kept. If you buy through our amazon.co.uk links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to drill brick or concrete with a DeWalt combi, and the hammer symbol looks as if it should be enough. A DeWalt combi drill vs SDS choice is a choice of mechanism.

Our top picks

DeWalt DeWalt DCD799P2T-GB

Best overall

DeWalt DeWalt DCD799P2T-GB
9.6/10about £189.97
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DeWalt DeWalt DCD796P1-GB

Rank 2

DeWalt DeWalt DCD796P1-GB
9.4/10about £119.98
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DeWalt DeWalt DCD776

Best value

DeWalt DeWalt DCD776
9.2/10about £54.50
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On this page
  1. 1.What hammer means on these DeWalt combis
  2. 2.What an SDS-Plus rotary hammer does instead
  3. 3.Which drill in this set to use on masonry
  4. 4.When to stop and use an SDS

What hammer means on these DeWalt combis

On these combis the hammer is a pair of ridged faces that rattle the chuck as it turns. The bit is a round-shank masonry bit in the jaws. DeWalt does not quote that action in joules. Joules are the impact energy of a piston hammer, and printing one for a DCD796 or a DCD799 would invent a rating these listings do not carry. Headline Newton-metres are hard-joint torque. DeWalt's UK page for the DCD796 gives 70 Nm hard and 27 Nm soft. Lean lightly so the bit stays in the hole. If it bounces, ease off. The clutch is out of the circuit once the hammer symbol is selected, so a bound bit keeps turning. Collar steps are on the how to use a DeWalt combi drill page. Where DeWalt has not printed a masonry diameter, do not borrow a third-party 6–8 mm comfort range as if it were a DeWalt capacity.

What an SDS-Plus rotary hammer does instead

An SDS-Plus tool strikes with a piston. The bit has grooves and can slide a few millimetres while it turns, which is why the hole keeps advancing in hard aggregate when a chuck hammer only rattles. DeWalt's DCH273 is the reference outside this category: 2.1 J and 24 mm in concrete, with holes from 4 mm to 24 mm on the matching QW kit page, which also lists rotation-stop for light chiselling. Chisel mode is not a mode of the combis here. Do not buy the DCH273 from this comparison, and do not treat that QW kit as a proved BS 1363 pack. A combi chuck takes round-shank bits. An SDS shank needs an SDS holder. An adaptor in a three-jaw chuck is a poor idea once the hammer is on, because the sliding fit and the piston are the point. A 10 mm frame anchor in a concrete lintel is DCH273-class work. See the DeWalt rotary hammer comparison. The combi stays the tool for wood, metal, and the odd plug.
DeWalt DeWalt DCD799P2T-GB

Testsieger

DeWalt DeWalt DCD799P2T-GB
9.6/10about £189.97
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Which drill in this set to use on masonry

Hammer is stated on the DCD776 at £54.50, the DCD778N at £77.50, the DCD796P1-GB at £119.98 with 4.7 from 1,243 ratings, GG107 at £123.00, the DCD778S2T-QW at £131.00, and the DCD799P2T-GB at £189.97. GG107 is a marketplace code, not a catalogue model. The QW suffix does not prove a British plug. The DCD799 title does say UK plug. Among those kits, the DCD796 has the long review record if one 5.0 Ah pack is enough and you accept that the include line does not name a charger. The DCD701 states no hammer and has no masonry row. The DCD795N bullets do not state a hammer. The DCD709N-XJ title says impact drill while the table says impact driver. The DCK266 twin pack's only torque cell is 205 Nm and it is not split, so that number is not the combi. Kit letters stay on the DeWalt cordless drill buying guide.

When to stop and use an SDS

Stay with a stated-hammer combi for an occasional plug hole in soft brick or block, with a round-shank bit and a check for cables first. Stop for a lintel, a run of anchors, or a core. That is DCH273-class work, up to 24 mm in concrete. A combi is the wrong tool for a day of concrete. HSE treats hammer-action tools above about 15 minutes a day as a medium-risk screen and above about an hour as high risk. HSE sheet CN3 treats concrete dust as a silica hazard. If you do not know what is in the wall, get a professional.

Common questions

Is a DeWalt combi the same as an SDS drill?
No. The combi's hammer is a ratchet behind a three-jaw chuck. An SDS-Plus drill uses a piston and a sliding shank, and DeWalt quotes that energy in joules. The combis in this set are not given a joule rating. They suit wood, metal, and occasional plug holes, not structural masonry.
Can I drill a concrete lintel with hammer mode?
You should not plan on it. A short plug in soft brick is the combi's masonry job. A lintel, a run of anchors, or a core needs an SDS-Plus rotary hammer such as the DCH273 class, rated 2.1 J and 24 mm in concrete, which is not a product in this comparison.
Why is there no joule rating on these combis?
Because a ratchet hammer is not a piston. Joules describe impact energy on an SDS-Plus tool. Newton-metres on the combi are torque. Leaving the joule cell blank is more honest than borrowing the DCH273's 2.1 J or a vibration figure from a model that is not listed here.
Which listings actually state a hammer?
The DCD776, DCD778N, DCD796P1-GB, GG107, DCD778S2T-QW, and DCD799P2T-GB. The DCD701 does not. The DCD795N does not put hammer in the short bullets. The DCD709N-XJ cells disagree about what the tool is. The twin pack includes a combi, and its 205 Nm cell is not a split torque.
Do I need SDS bits in a combi chuck?
No. Use a round-shank masonry bit in the combi chuck. An SDS bit belongs in an SDS holder on a rotary hammer. Do not rely on an adaptor to hammer with an SDS shank in a three-jaw chuck, because the sliding fit is part of the piston system.

Related pages

DeWalt 12V vs 18V drill

DeWalt cordless drill

Best DeWalt cordless drill for kits and bare bodies

DeWalt cordless drill buying guide and plug checks

How to use a DeWalt combi drill: clutch, gear, hammer

Sources

Public sources and amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison. Listings read on 20 October 2026.

  1. DeWalt DCD799P2T-GB product page (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. DeWalt DCD796 product page (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. DeWalt DCD701 product page (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. DeWalt product registration (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. BSI BS EN 62841-2-1, hand-held drills and impact drills (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. HSE hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. HSE vibration risk assessment and time bands (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  8. HSE PUWER overview (retrieved 20.10.2026)