DeWalt rotary hammer chisel mode
Updated: 2026-10-23
You want to lift a tile, knock off plaster or ease a mortar bed. A yellow SDS Plus body looks as if it must have a chisel setting. Chisel mode means the rotation stops and the piston keeps hitting. On these four amazon.co.uk listings, only the D25133K states that mode. Both DCH172 listings do not. The DCH033NT page does not settle it. The four rows sit on the [DeWalt rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/de-walt-rotary-hammer). Listings were read on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You want to lift a tile, knock off plaster or ease a mortar bed. A yellow SDS Plus body looks as if it must have a chisel setting. Chisel mode means the rotation stops and the piston keeps hitting.
You want to lift a tile, knock off plaster or ease a mortar bed. A yellow SDS Plus body looks as if it must have a chisel setting. Chisel mode means the rotation stops and the piston keeps hitting. On these four amazon.co.uk listings, only the D25133K states that mode. Both DCH172 listings do not. The DCH033NT page does not settle it. The four rows sit on the DeWalt rotary hammer comparison. Listings were read on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Chisel mode | Impact energy | Concrete capacity | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  DeWalt DeWalt DCH172N 18 V bare SDS Plus rotary hammer | No | 1.4 J | 4–16 mm | 8.2 | about £127.99 | View offer |
 DeWalt DeWalt D25133K 240 V SDS Plus rotary hammer | Yes | Not stated | 26 mm in the title | 8.4 | about £125.48 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  DeWalt DeWalt DCH033NT 18 V SDS Plus rotary hammer | Conflict | Not stated | Not stated | 6.3 | about £135.00 | View offer |
On this page
What chisel mode is on a DeWalt SDS Plus hammer
Chisel mode is hammering-only. The bit does not spin, and the piston still strikes. You use it to lift tiles, chase a light line in plaster or render, or ease a soft mortar bed. A spinning chisel walks and scars the face. Do not fit a chisel bit in a drilling mode. Select the mode only when the tool is stopped.
On the D25133 the manual adds a non-working index, called bit rotation, so a flat chisel can be turned and then locked. It states 44 positions. That index is not a fourth job. If the selector has no hammer-only symbol, turning the chisel by hand is not a workaround. Drilling a hole is a different sequence, on how to use a DeWalt rotary hammer.
Which of these four listings actually has it
The listing that states three modes is B00VXGMH3S, the D25133K, at £125.48, with 4.7 from 411 reviews. The title says three modes and 240 V. The UK Type 1 manual includes hammering-only for light chipping, chiselling and demolition applications. Reviewers describe plaster, tiles, old cement and a mortar bed. One review says the collar no longer locks, and one says the hammer action has stopped. If the lock has failed, stop.
Both DCH172 listings say no. The bare unit at £127.99 and the kit at £218.99 with 2 x 2.0 Ah are rotary hammer and rotary only. The kit's extra money is the packs, not a third symbol. The DCH033NT at £135.00 conflicts: the item type says chipping punch and the title says rotary hammer. The bullets list neither modes nor joules. The manual adds hammering-only at 2.0 J. The Amazon page does not. Do not buy B08MFBJMLF on the words chipping punch.
What light chiselling is for
Light chiselling, where a page actually states it, is plaster, tiles, render and soft masonry. DeWalt's DCH033M2-GB page, 2 x 4 Ah and not B08MFBJMLF, says rotation-stop for plaster, tiles and render. Reviewers of the corded chisel describe those jobs, not a slab. A 2.0 J or 2.6 J pistol is not a breaker. The D25133 figure is 2.6 J to EPTA 05/2009. The DCH033 manual says 2.0 J. DeWalt's D25614K page states 10.5 J.
The D25133 manual declares 15.4 m/s² for chiselling and 16 m/s² for drilling concrete, each with uncertainty K of 1.5. The DCH033 manual declares 14.0 m/s² for chiselling. The action value at work is 2.5 m/s² A(8) and the limit is 5 m/s² A(8). Do not turn those declarations into a permitted time. The D25133 declares 92 dB(A). Noise action values are 80 and 85 dB(A), and the limit is 87 dB(A).
How to read the conflicts before you buy
The DCH172 manual mentions changing from hammering only, and the mode table does not list that mode. Do not promote the sentence. The D25133K-LX page says 110 V and up to 2 joules. The £125.48 Amazon title says 240 V and prints no joule figure. The Type 1 manual's EPTA figure is 2.6 J. Use the manual for joules and this title for voltage. Cells of 2.6 Nm, 3.6 Nm, 1.4 Nm, 50 Nm and 53.1 Nm are not joules.
The DCH033 manual says 2.27 kg without a battery, 22 mm in concrete and 2.0 J. The listing says 3.8 kg, 22 mm in metal, 50 Nm and chipping punch. Keep both. The 2 x 4 Ah DCH033M2-GB page is not this listing. If you can use 240 V and you need a chisel, the listing that states it is the D25133K, and you buy the SDS Plus chisel. For holes up to 16 mm, the DCH172 is a drill.
Common questions
Does the DCH172N or the DCH172D2 have a chisel mode?
No. Both are rotary hammer and rotary only. The bare unit is £127.99 and the kit is £218.99 with 2 x 2.0 Ah. The mode table has no hammer-only symbol. A sentence about hammering only elsewhere in the manual does not add a third setting.
What does rotation-stop mean on the D25133K, and is a chisel in the box?
The piston hits and the bit does not spin. The manual includes that mode for light chipping, with 44 positions so a flat chisel can be indexed and locked. The box is a TSTAK, a side handle and a depth stop. The chisel is a separate SDS Plus bit.
Why does the DCH033NT page say both rotary hammer and chipping punch?
The title says rotary hammer drill and the item type says chipping punch. The bullets do not list modes or joules. The star line is 4.5 from 2 reviews at £135.00. The manual states 2.0 J and 2.27 kg without a battery. The listing prints 3.8 kg.
Can you put an SDS Plus chisel in the DCH172 anyway?
The manual says no. The only modes on the table are rotary drilling and rotary hammering. If the job is tiles or plaster, the listing in this set that states hammering-only is the 240 V D25133K. Buy the bit separately.
Does the 110 V page for D25133K-LX describe the £125.48 listing?
No. The LX page says 110 V and up to 2 joules. B00VXGMH3S says 240 V and does not print a joule figure. The Type 1 manual lists 2.6 J to EPTA 05/2009. Use the manual for impact energy and this title for the voltage.
Related pages
Sources
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.
- DeWalt DCH172 instruction manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- DeWalt DCH172D2-GB product page (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- DeWalt D25133 instruction manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- DeWalt DCH033 instruction manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE INDG175: hand-arm vibration (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: electrical systems on construction sites (retrieved 19 October 2026)