Cordless or corded DeWalt rotary hammer
Updated: 2026-10-23
In this set, cordless or corded means the 18 V XR DCH172 against the 240 V D25133K. Take the DCH172 when you already keep XR packs and the holes stay inside 16 mm. Take the D25133K when you have a 240 V socket and you need 26 mm or light chiselling. A 110 V site is a third answer, and the 240 V title is not it. The four listings are on the [DeWalt rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/de-walt-rotary-hammer). Prices are the amazon.co.uk snapshot of 19 October 2026.
In this set, cordless or corded means the 18 V XR DCH172 against the 240 V D25133K. Take the DCH172 when you already keep XR packs and the holes stay inside 16 mm.
In this set, cordless or corded means the 18 V XR DCH172 against the 240 V D25133K. Take the DCH172 when you already keep XR packs and the holes stay inside 16 mm. Take the D25133K when you have a 240 V socket and you need 26 mm or light chiselling. A 110 V site is a third answer, and the 240 V title is not it. The four listings are on the DeWalt rotary hammer comparison. Prices are the amazon.co.uk snapshot of 19 October 2026.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Power | Battery in the box | Concrete capacity | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  DeWalt DeWalt DCH172N 18 V bare SDS Plus rotary hammer | Battery | No | 4–16 mm | 8.2 | about £127.99 | View offer |
 DeWalt DeWalt D25133K 240 V SDS Plus rotary hammer | Corded 240 V | No | 26 mm in the title | 8.4 | about £125.48 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  DeWalt DeWalt DCH172D2 18 V SDS Plus hammer kit | Battery | Yes, 2 x 2.0 Ah | 16 mm | 6.4 | about £218.99 | View offer |
On this page
When the 18 V DCH172 is the one
The DCH172 is 18 V, 1.4 J, a concrete maximum of 16 mm, an optimum of 4–10 mm, and 1.8 kg without a battery on the manual. Drilling vibration is 8.8 m/s². There is no chisel mode. Reviewers of the bare unit call it light enough for a ladder. The N suffix, B099K5BXQM, is £127.99 and a bargain only when an XR pack and a charger already exist. The manual lists DCB181 through DCB184 and some FlexVolt packs.
The DCH172D2, B099KDJJY8, puts 2 x 2.0 Ah in the title at £218.99. That gap is the batteries, not extra joules. The bullet is still 1.4 J and two drilling modes. Amazon's included line does not name a charger. DeWalt's kit page lists a charger, a side handle, a depth rod, a belt hook and a case. Bare-unit reviews mention 5 Ah packs for longer runs. The fuel-gauge lights face the tool once the pack is fitted.
When the 240 V D25133K is the one
The D25133K, B00VXGMH3S, is the corded tool at £125.48, titled 240 V, 800 W, three modes and 26 mm. The UK manual states 2.6 J, 26 mm in concrete, 2.6 kg and 16 m/s² when drilling. Hammering-only is light chipping, not breaking a slab. Reviewers describe a lintel a combi could not finish, and a chisel on plaster, tiles and mortar. Beside a normal UK socket, you do not buy a battery to make it run.
Extra joules do not make a 240 V lead legal on a 110 V site, and they do not win every 8 mm hole. On a ladder the cable is the disadvantage. The manual says 2.6 kg and Amazon prints 4.3 kg. The box is a TSTAK, a side handle and a depth stop. Bits are separate. One review says the hammer action stopped, and one says the chisel lock no longer holds. Either report is a repair.
A 110 V site is a third answer
On a UK building site, HSE expects cordless tools, or 110 V centre-tapped to earth, so the maximum to earth is 55 V. The CIS63 sheet says only 110 V or battery portable tools. The kept corded listing is titled 240 V. The D25133 manual notes 230 V and 115 V variants. This Amazon page does not print the 115 V version. Do not relabel it, and do not invent a BS 1363 plug the listing does not print.
The cordless tool in this set is the DCH172: 16 mm, no chisel, and a pack you have to own. If you need rotation-stop and you cannot use 240 V, neither listing covers the job. A DCH273 at 2.1 J on the family manual is outside this set. The D25614K page is described as 110 V and 10.5 J. A 20 V MAX dollar price is not this snapshot.
One recommendation, with a condition
With a 240 V socket and a 20 mm hole or light chiselling, the D25133K at £125.48 is the recommendation if the work stays light and you accept the lead. With XR packs already owned, and 8 mm or 10 mm plugs, the bare DCH172N at £127.99 is the recommendation if you do not need a chisel and you stay inside 16 mm. With no packs, compare £218.99 for two 2.0 Ah packs and the same 1.4 J body against £125.48 for the corded three-mode tool.
A lead-free tool that also chisels is not this pair. The DCH172 will not rotation-stop. The D25133K that will is the 240 V listing. That split is on the chisel mode page. Do not turn 8.8 m/s² or 16 m/s² into a safe shift. The action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8) and the limit is 5 m/s² A(8).
Common questions
When is the cordless DCH172 the right DeWalt hammer?
When you already own 18 V XR packs, the holes stay at or under 16 mm, and you do not need a chisel. The bare unit is £127.99. The manual states 1.4 J, an optimum of 4–10 mm, and 8.8 m/s² when drilling.
When is the corded D25133K the right one?
Beside a 240 V socket, when you need up to 26 mm or light chiselling. This snapshot is £125.48, with a TSTAK. The manual states 2.6 J and 16 m/s² when drilling concrete. The Amazon weight of 4.3 kg does not match the manual's 2.6 kg.
Is the bare unit cheaper once you buy a battery and charger?
Not automatically. £127.99 is the body only. The DCH172D2 at £218.99 names 2 x 2.0 Ah. Amazon may not name a charger, though DeWalt's kit page does. With no packs and a 240 V socket, the corded tool can be the smaller spend.
Can the 240 V listing go on a UK building site?
Not as the site tool. HSE expects cordless equipment or 110 V centre-tapped to earth, 55 V to earth. This title says 240 V. The manual's 115 V note is another variant, not a relabel of B00VXGMH3S.
What if you need both a lead-free tool and a chisel?
You need a different model. The DCH172 listings are two drilling modes. The D25133K has the chisel and a 240 V title. The DCH033NT page does not state hammering-only cleanly. The DCH273, at 2.1 J with rotation-stop, is outside this set. Do not fit a chisel bit in the DCH172.
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)