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Demolition hammer buying guide

Updated: 2026-10-23

Amazon titles use demolition hammer for a 5 joule drill and a 43 joule breaker. If you are chasing a wall, lifting a pad or opening a fireplace, the chuck and the impact energy matter before the star rating. This demolition hammer buying guide is the order we use for the eleven corded tools in the [demolition hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/demolition-hammer): type, joules, shank, weight, then the plug. Prices are the GBP figures from the amazon.co.uk capture on 19 October 2026. Products Compared did not lab-test these tools. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Amazon titles use demolition hammer for a 5 joule drill and a 43 joule breaker. If you are chasing a wall, lifting a pad or opening a fireplace, the chuck and the impact energy matter before the star rating.

Our top picks

Einhell Einhell TC-DH 43 SDS-hex demolition hammer

Best overall

Einhell Einhell TC-DH 43 SDS-hex demolition hammer
8.7/10about £164.98
View offer
Draper Draper Expert 81077 SDS-Max breaker

Rank 2

Draper Draper Expert 81077 SDS-Max breaker
9.2/10about £119.94
View offer
JCB JCB 21-RH1050 3.5 J rotary hammer

Best value

JCB JCB 21-RH1050 3.5 J rotary hammer
7.3/10about £79.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Breaker or rotary hammer
  2. 2.Joules for the material
  3. 3.Shank, weight and the plug
  4. 4.What to ignore on the listing

Breaker or rotary hammer

Five tools only chisel: the Draper, the Einhell TC-DH 43, the JCB 21-DH1300, the Einhell TE-DH 32 and the JCB 21-DH1700. The rest can drill and chisel, apart from the HYCHIKA, which never states joules. Watts do not sort them. The Enventor 6 J says 1500 W and 6 J. The Draper says 1050 W and 25 J. BuildWiz puts SDS-Plus hammer-only work at roughly 2–5 J and an SDS-Max breaker at roughly 8–30 J and above. That is a rule of thumb, not a test of these listings. TradePoint listed a 110 V Hilti weekend bundle with a transformer at £99 including VAT, one retailer's price.

Joules for the material

BuildWiz's bands are a rule of thumb: about 2–5 J for tiles, 8–15 J for a 50–75 mm screed, 20–30 J for a 100–150 mm slab, and 30 J or a contractor once the concrete is reinforced. The 3.5–6 J tools belong with tiles and a short chase. The JCB 21-DH1300 at 15 J is screed class and does not state a weight. The Draper at 25 J and 7 kg is the first tool in the solid-slab band. The TE-DH 32 at 32 J and the TC-DH 43 at 43 J are heavier. The JCB 21-DH1700 prints 75 J in the title and 65 J in the bullets. Keep both. Do not average them.
Einhell Einhell TC-DH 43 SDS-hex demolition hammer

Testsieger

Einhell Einhell TC-DH 43 SDS-hex demolition hammer
8.7/10about £164.98
View offer

Shank, weight and the plug

SDS-Plus, SDS-Max, SDS-hex and 30 mm hex do not share steels. The 3.5–6 J rotary hammers are SDS-Plus, apart from the HYCHIKA. The Draper, the JCB 21-DH1300, the Einhell TE-DH 32 and the Enventor 12 J are SDS-Max. The TC-DH 43 is SDS-hex. The JCB 21-DH1700 is 30 mm hex, and the included line names a case rather than chisels. Weights run from about 6 kg to 24.5 kg. The Draper is 7 kg, the TC-DH 43 is 14.6 kg, the TE-DH 32 is 16.3 kg and the JCB 21-DH1700 is 24.5 kg. UK mains are nominally 230 V. A BS 1363 plug is stated only on the Draper title. Site hire is often 110 V and needs a transformer. Stance and grease are on the how to use a demolition hammer page.

What to ignore on the listing

Ignore table cells that cannot be the tool: 600 A and a 10 mm chuck on the TC-DH 43, 700 Nm on the TE-RH 32, a 75 mm chuck on the HYCHIKA, and 1 A with 5 Nm on the TE-DH 32. Watt lines also conflict: HYCHIKA 900 W against 1500 W, TE-RH 32 1,250 W against 1050 W, JCB RH1500 1050 W against 1500 W. When impact energy is stated once, use that number. A case only in a review, as with the Draper, is not a listing promise. Stop for a professional on structural work, reinforcement, services inside 0.5 m, or a 110 V site with no transformer.

Common questions

How many joules do I need for tiles, screed and a slab?
BuildWiz's rule of thumb is about 2–5 J for tiles, about 8–15 J for a 50–75 mm screed, and about 20–30 J for a solid slab around 100–150 mm. Blockwork sits around 15–25 J. Reinforced concrete is a contractor job or at least a 30 J class breaker. These bands are not a test of the tools in our comparison, and a title that says demolition does not move a 5 J drill into the slab band.
Is SDS-Plus enough if it has a chisel mode?
It is enough for holes, tiles and a short chase. The SDS-Plus tools here are about 3.5–6 J and they still drill, which is the reason to buy one. It is the wrong class for a solid floor slab. A chisel setting is a mode, not a second machine.
What is the difference between SDS-Max, SDS-hex and 30 mm hex?
They are different shanks, so the chisels are not interchangeable. SDS-Max covers the Draper, the JCB 21-DH1300, the Einhell TE-DH 32 and the Enventor 12 J rotary hammer. SDS-hex is the Einhell TC-DH 43. The 30 mm hex is the JCB 21-DH1700. If you already own one family of steels, buy the chuck that matches them rather than the highest joule number on the page.
Do anti-vibration handles change the vibration limit?
No. A soft grip is not a measured m/s² figure, and none of these listings publish one. The action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8) and the limit is 5 m/s² A(8). Gloves do not stop vibration. With no measurement, HSE groups use beyond about 15 minutes a day as likely above the action value, and beyond about an hour as likely above the limit.
When is hire the better buy?
Hire suits one slab, a 110 V site, or a tool heavier than you want to store. A TradePoint weekend bundle with a transformer was £99 including VAT on the page we saw, which is one shop's price. Repeated small breaks are the case for owning a 230 V tool such as the Draper. Structural work and unmarked services are a contractor, not a longer hire.

Related pages

SDS-Max breaker or rotary hammer

Best demolition hammer

Demolition hammer

Break up a concrete floor: joules, services and hire

How to use a demolition hammer without forcing the chisel

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.

  1. HSE vibration regulations (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE vibration risk table (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE construction vibration (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE CIS36, silica dust (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE CIS65, buried services (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. BuildWiz SDS breaker guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. TradePoint 110 V demolition breaker weekend hire (retrieved 19 October 2026)