The best DeWalt rotary hammers, compared.
Top pick: DeWalt DCH172N 18 V bare SDS Plus rotary hammer Best value: DeWalt DCH172N 18 V bare SDS Plus rotary hammer – Next-highest value part, at 11: bare 18 V body at about £127.99, 4.8 from 285 reviews, with 1.4 J stated, if you already own a pack and do not need a chisel mode. Updated October 2026.
A rotary hammer is the tool you buy in the UK when brick, block or concrete is too hard for the hammer setting on a combi drill. It is an SDS pistol with a piston that strikes the bit, so the hole is made by impact as well as rotation. You tell a suitable one by the concrete diameter you actually need, whether the listing states impact energy in joules, and whether a rotation-stop or chisel setting is printed. A torque figure in newton metres is not that joule number. A bare cordless body is only useful if a matching battery and charger exist, and a 240 V corded tool is the wrong object on a 110 V site. Also check declared vibration. Batteries, a case and bits belong to that listing, not to the whole range. Hole size, chisel mode and supply are set out in the [rotary hammer buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/de-walt-rotary-hammer/sub/de-walt-rotary-hammer-buying-guide). Past the diameter a compact pistol is rated for, or when the job is breaking rather than drilling, an SDS Max hammer is the next class.
A rotary hammer is the tool you buy in the UK when brick, block or concrete is too hard for the hammer setting on a combi drill.
14 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 4
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will you run it?
The DCH172N is the bare 18 V XR SDS Plus body that reviewers carry up a ladder for plugs and small anchors, and it does not chisel. Across 285 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.8, at £127.99, and the included line is one tool with no battery, charger or case. The listing states 1.4 J, a brushless motor and holes from 4 mm to 16 mm. The manual's optimum band is 4–10 mm, and reviewers report 12 mm through stone and holes in reinforced concrete with new bits, which does not raise that 16 mm maximum. They also say reverse helps a stuck bit, and that a 5 Ah pack balances the body for daily window and door work. The repeated limit is the missing hammer-only mode, so a tile or a chase is the wrong job for this listing. Several UK reviews say the battery fuel-gauge lights face the tool and disappear once the pack is fitted. The table prints 1.4 Nm beside the 1.4 J bullet, and one UK reviewer received an Amazon resale unit in acceptable condition, so the star line is not a durability test. The manual states 1.8 kg without a battery, while the Amazon table prints 1 kg.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own 18 V XR packs and a charger, and the holes stay inside 16 mm, mostly in the 4–10 mm band.
Less suitable: You need rotation-stop, or you still have to buy a pack and a charger before the tool will run.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the DCH172N include a battery?
No. The title says tool only, and the included line is one DCH172N bare unit. It is listed for DeWalt 18 V devices, without a charger or a case.
Can the DCH172N chisel?
No chisel mode is listed. The bullets describe drilling in concrete, brick and masonry from 4 mm to 16 mm, with 1.4 J, a brushless motor and an LED.
Is the DCH172N cordless?
Yes. The power source is battery powered, 18 V. You need an 18 V pack and a charger that are not in this box.
The D25133K is the corded 240 V SDS Plus hammer that reviewers reach for when a combi has already stalled in a lintel, engineering brick or a solid wall. Across 411 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.7, at a captured price of £125.48, and the title states three modes including a static chisel setting. People describe that setting on plaster, tiles, old cement and a mortar bed under coping stones, which is light chasing rather than breaking a slab. The box is a TSTAK, a vibration-damping side handle and a depth stop, so SDS bits and chisels are a separate purchase and the first hole waits on them. Reviewers also say the tool gets hot when it is pushed, and that it is heavier than a cordless combi even when they still call it manageable. One review says the chisel collar no longer holds the bit still, and another says the hammer action has stopped. Those are individual reports, not a counted failure rate. The Amazon table prints an 18 mm chuck beside a 26 mm title, torque cells of 2.6 Nm and 3.6 Nm, and 4.3 kg, while the UK manual states 2.6 J and 2.6 kg, so this listing does not print the joule figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a 240 V socket at home and you want holes up to 26 mm or light chiselling, and you will buy the SDS bits separately.
Less suitable: You are on a 110 V site, you need a breaker, or you want a ladder tool with no lead.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this D25133K chisel?
The title says three modes. Reviews describe a static chisel setting used on plaster, tiles and old cement. The included line is a TSTAK, a vibration-damping handle and a depth stop, not a chisel bit.
What voltage is the D25133K listing?
The title and the power-source line say corded electric, 240 V AC, 800 W. It is not a battery tool, and the listing does not print a 110 V version of this ASIN.
Are SDS bits in the box?
No. The included components are the TSTAK, the side handle and the depth stop. Reviewers say SDS bits and chisels are bought separately.
The DCH033NT listing is an 18 V brushless SDS Plus body with a TSTAK at £135.00, and the only written UK review says it cuts hard bricks and concrete on an XR pack that was not in the box. The star line is 4.5 from 2 ratings, which is too small a sample to treat as a reliability study. The title says rotary hammer drill while the item type says chipping punch, and the bullets do not list modes or a joule figure. The DCH033 manual states 2.0 J, 22 mm in concrete, hammering-only for light chipping and 2.27 kg without a battery. The Amazon table instead prints 3.8 kg, 22 mm in metal and a 50 Nm cell. Those two documents do not describe one settled tool. The included line is a TSTAK box set, not a battery or a chisel bit. Until the page agrees with itself, you are buying a case and a conflicting label rather than a confirmed chisel mode.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own XR packs and you will read the live listing until the item type, the modes and the weight agree.
Less suitable: You need a stated chisel mode or a joule figure on the amazon.co.uk page before you pay £135.00.
Specifications
Common questions
Is a battery included with the DCH033NT?
No. The included line is a TSTAK box set. The only review says the tool takes an XR pack and that the battery is not supplied.
Does the DCH033NT listing say it can chisel?
The item-type line says chipping punch. The title says rotary hammer drill. The bullets do not list modes, so the listing conflicts and does not state a joule figure.
What capacity does the DCH033NT table give?
The table lists a 22 mm chuck, 22 mm in wood and 22 mm in metal, 50 Nm, 18 V and 3.8 kg. It does not give a speed or dimensions.
The DCH172D2 is the same compact 18 V SDS Plus class as the bare DCH172N, sold at £218.99 with 2 x 2.0 Ah named in the title and in the included line. The bullet states 1.4 J, a brushless motor, two modes (rotary hammer and rotary only) and 16 mm in concrete, so the extra money is the small packs rather than extra impact energy or a chisel setting. Across 11 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.4, and one short UK review calls the tool light and still hard-hitting, with no criticism written down. That sample is too thin to read as a durability result. A charger and a case are not named in Amazon's included line, though DeWalt's own DCH172D2-GB page lists a charger, a side handle, a depth rod, a belt hook and a case, so the carton may be fuller than the Amazon sentence. The table also prints 53.1 Nm, 10 x 10 x 10 mm, 2.1 kg and one speed beside a bullet that says 1.8 kg without a battery and two modes. If you already own 18 V XR packs, you are paying kit money for a tool that still will not chisel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You do not yet own 18 V XR packs and you only need holes up to 16 mm, with 2.0 Ah packs enough for the day.
Less suitable: You already have packs, you need a chisel, or you want a larger pack than 2.0 Ah for a long run of holes.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the DCH172D2 kit include batteries?
The title and the included line say 2 x 2.0 Ah Li-ion with the DCH172D2. A charger is not named in that included line, and a case is not named either.
Does the DCH172D2 chisel?
The bullet lists two modes: rotary hammer and rotary only. A chisel or hammer-only mode is not listed. Impact energy in the bullet is 1.4 J.
Why do the DCH172D2 figures disagree?
The bullet states 1.4 J, 1.8 kg without a battery, and 16 mm in wood and concrete. The table also prints 53.1 Nm, 10 x 10 x 10 mm, 2.1 kg and one speed. Both figures are printed on the listing.
Four DeWalt SDS Plus rotary hammers on amazon.co.uk were scored on 19 October 2026 from listing facts and review notes, not from a lab test. Stars, sample size, fit for the job and value in this set are weighted 40, 20, 25 and 15. Impact energy is used only when that listing states joules. Amazon newton-metre cells are not treated as DeWalt impact energy. The highest score is the top pick, once. The highest value-part score among the others is best value, once.
Stars
40%Amazon star rating divided by 5, times 40, rounded to the nearest whole number. The star line is the amazon.co.uk figure captured on 19 October 2026.
Sample
20%Review count on that listing: 1,000 or more scores 20, 500–999 scores 16, 200–499 scores 12, 50–199 scores 8, and 1–49 scores 4.
Fit for the job
25%Starts at 10 for a DeWalt SDS Plus hammer in this set. Points are added for a stated chisel or rotation-stop, a TSTAK or case, a brushless motor, and impact energy in joules. Points come off when a torque, chuck or capacity cell fights the SDS description, when the listing contradicts itself, or when reviews record a failed hammer action or a chisel lock that no longer holds. Cap 25.
Value in this set
15%The £125.48 corded three-mode tool with a TSTAK and 411 reviews scores 14. The £127.99 bare 18 V body with 285 reviews scores 11. The £218.99 kit with 2 x 2.0 Ah and 11 reviews scores 7. The £135.00 bare body with 2 reviews and a type conflict scores 4.
You are choosing a DeWalt SDS Plus rotary hammer for brick, block or concrete, not a combi drill and not a breaker. Start with the hole diameter, then whether you need a chisel setting, then the supply you already own. The DCH172 class is a compact 18 V tool at 1.4 J and 16 mm in concrete on the manual. The D25133 is the corded 240 V three-mode tool at 2.6 J and 26 mm on the manual. The DCH033 page states a brushless 18 V body and a TSTAK, and the item type does not agree with the title.
A rotary hammer, for the job these listings cover, is an SDS Plus pistol with a piston hammer. You buy it for brick, block and concrete when a combi drill's hammer mode has already struggled. The bit locks in an SDS holder and the piston strikes it, so the hole is made by impact as well as rotation. Hole size in concrete comes first. The DCH172 manual allows a maximum of 16 mm, with an optimum of 4–10 mm. The D25133 manual allows 26 mm.
DeWalt states impact energy in joules. The Amazon tables in this set also print newton-metre cells, including 1.4 Nm beside a 1.4 J bullet, 2.6 Nm and 3.6 Nm on the corded listing, 53.1 Nm on the kit and 50 Nm on the DCH033NT. Those cells are not the impact energy.
The UK DCH172D2 page describes rotary hammer and rotary only. The bare DCH172N listing does not add a hammer-only mode. A tile, a chase or a static chisel setting is the corded three-mode job, or a listing whose modes actually agree. The DCH033NT title and item type do not agree.
The DCH172N box is the tool only. The step from about £128 to £219 in this set is the 2 x 2.0 Ah packs, not extra joules. The D25133K title says 240 V. HSE construction guidance says site tools should be cordless or 110 V centre-tapped to earth. A 2.6 J pistol is not a breaker.
Concrete diameter is the first cut. The DCH172 manual allows a maximum of 16 mm, with an optimum of 4–10 mm. Reviewers of the bare listing report 12 mm through stone and holes in reinforced concrete with new bits, which does not raise that 16 mm maximum. The D25133 manual allows 26 mm. The corded title also says 26 mm, while the Amazon table prints an 18 mm chuck, so those two cells are not the same limit. The DCH033 manual states 22 mm in concrete.
Buy the supply you already have. A bare DCH172N at about £127.99 includes no battery, charger or case. It is only a bargain if an 18 V XR pack and a charger exist. The DCH172D2 at about £218.99 names 2 x 2.0 Ah. The bullet states the same 1.4 J class, not extra impact and not a chisel setting. Amazon's included line does not name a charger or a case, though DeWalt's DCH172D2-GB page lists a charger, a side handle, a depth rod, a belt hook and a case.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have already tired a combi drill on brick, a lintel or a solid wall, and you have a 240 V socket. The DeWalt D25133K is the corded three-mode listing at about £125.48, with 4.7 from 411 reviews, a TSTAK and a static chisel setting that reviews use on plaster, tiles and old cement. SDS bits are not in the box. It is the wrong tool on a 110 V site.
You already own 18 V XR packs and a charger, and the holes stay inside 16 mm, mostly in the 4–10 mm band. The DeWalt DCH172N bare body is about £127.99, with 4.8 from 285 reviews, and the listing states 1.4 J and a brushless motor. There is no chisel mode, and there is no battery in the box. Reviewers carry it up a ladder for plugs and small anchors.
You do not yet own 18 V XR packs, you only need holes up to 16 mm, and 2.0 Ah packs are enough for the day. The DeWalt DCH172D2 kit is about £218.99, with 2 x 2.0 Ah named in the title and the same 1.4 J class as the bare body. The star line is 4.4 from 11 reviews. It still will not chisel. If you already own packs, you are paying kit money.
In this set of four amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the DeWalt D25133K, a corded 240 V three-mode SDS Plus hammer at about £125.48, with 4.7 from 411 reviews. It scores 74. The value part is 14 because it is the complete low-price listing, with a TSTAK and three modes. The score still loses points for an 18 mm chuck beside a 26 mm title, and for reviews that record a failed hammer action and a chisel lock that no longer holds. The best value is the DeWalt DCH172N bare 18 V body at about £127.99, with 4.8 from 285 reviews and a score of 72. Its value part is 11, the next highest. It states 1.4 J and a brushless motor, and it does not chisel. The DCH172D2 kit and the DCH033NT have no award. None of these scores is a durability test.
DeWalt DCH172N 18 V bare SDS Plus rotary hammer
Next-highest value part, at 11: bare 18 V body at about £127.99, 4.8 from 285 reviews, with 1.4 J stated, if you already own a pack and do not need a chisel mode.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings checked on 19 October 2026. We did not lab-test these rotary hammers.
