How to use an Einhell rotary hammer
Updated: 2026-10-23
The hammer is out of the box, the first hole is a plug in brick, and the bit is still loose in the sleeve. How to use an Einhell rotary hammer, on these models, is a short sequence: side handle, a locked SDS bit, a depth stop where the listing includes one, then hammer-drill with light pressure. The [Einhell rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/einhell-rotary-hammer) shows which listing claims chisel mode. Match the symbols in your manual. This is not a lab test. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The hammer is out of the box, the first hole is a plug in brick, and the bit is still loose in the sleeve.
The hammer is out of the box, the first hole is a plug in brick, and the bit is still loose in the sleeve. How to use an Einhell rotary hammer, on these models, is a short sequence: side handle, a locked SDS bit, a depth stop where the listing includes one, then hammer-drill with light pressure. The Einhell rotary hammer comparison shows which listing claims chisel mode. Match the symbols in your manual. This is not a lab test. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Functions | Shank | Bits or chisels | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Einhell HEROCCO 18/20 solo | Drilling, impact drilling, screwing and chiselling | SDS Plus | Bit adapter; masonry bits not listed | 8.5 | about £127.80 | View offer |
 Einhell TE-RH 32 4F kit | Four, including chiselling with and without lock | SDS Plus | 8, 10 and 16 mm bits, two chisels | 9.5 | about £105.99 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Einhell TE-RH 28 3F corded | Three, including impact drilling and chiselling with lock | SDS Plus | No | 7.9 | about £79.00 | View offer |
On this page
Fit the side handle and the bit before the trigger
Fit the side handle first and keep a hand on it. The hammer can twist if the bit catches flint or steel. This page gives no vibration number and no safe trigger time.
Stop the motor before a bit change. Pull the sleeve back, seat a clean, lightly greased SDS shank, let the sleeve return, and tug. The bit should click and still slide a few millimetres. That float lets the piston reach the shank. If the bit pulls out, it never locked. Check on the floor, not on a ladder.
A Plus bit from the 5 J kit will not lock in the TE-RH 40 3F. See SDS Plus vs SDS Max. Clear dust from the chuck before the next bit.
Set the depth stop to the hole you want
A depth stop helps only if the listing includes one. Bullets name a metal rod on the HEROCCO, the TP-HD 18/26, the TE-HD 18/20 kit, the RT-RH 32 and the TP-HD 18/17-C. Do not assume a rod on the other boxes.
Set the gap from bit tip to rod to the hole depth, with the tool stopped, and stop when the rod meets the wall. A 40 mm plug hole wants that gap a little deeper than the plug. Set the rod on the ground before you climb. Tape on the bit is a mark, not a stop.
Hammer drill first, chisel only if this model lists it
Change mode only after the motor has stopped. Four functions means drill, hammer drill, and chisel with and without a rotation lock. Lock means the chisel stops rotating. It is not a trigger lock.
The TE-RH 28 3F states three functions, including chisel with lock. Two sampled units would not chisel because the chuck kept spinning. That is a fault. The TE-RH 40 does not clearly list plain drilling. The TP-HD 18/17-C does not claim chiselling. For a plug in bare brick, use hammer drill. Keep the hammer off while you nick a glazed tile. If you cannot locate cables or pipes, stop.
Let the piston hit, and clear the dust
Let the piston hit. Hard pressure packs dust and glazes the carbide. Withdraw about every 10–15 mm on a deep hole so the flutes clear.
Do not quench a shiny tip in water. The shock can crack it. One supplied bit on the 5 J kit bent on first use with little pressure. Retire that bit. For a short hole at home, clear the dust and wear a mask. If the hammer action has gone, stop. One RT-RH 32 lost hammer action after a second use. That is a defect.
Common questions
How do I change an SDS bit?
Stop the tool. Pull the chuck sleeve back, push a clean, lightly greased shank in until it seats, release the sleeve and tug the bit. It should not pull out, and it should still slide a few millimetres. If it pulls out, it is not locked. Do not change the bit while the motor is spinning, and do not force a Plus shank into the Max chuck on the TE-RH 40 3F.
Why does the bit slide in and out?
That axial float is normal on an SDS chuck. The piston strikes the end of the shank, so the bit has to move a few millimetres. A combi chuck does not work this way, which is why the movement feels like a fault the first time. Float is not a bit that pulls out in your hand. Tug-test it on the floor, with the side handle fitted, before you drill.
How do I set the depth stop?
Where the bullets include a metal depth stop, set the gap from the bit tip to the rod to the hole depth, with the tool stopped, and stop when the rod meets the wall. A rod is named for the HEROCCO, the TP-HD 18/26, the TE-HD 18/20 kit, the RT-RH 32 and the TP-HD 18/17-C. On the other listings, do not assume one is in the box. Tape is only a mark.
What is chisel with lock, and which listing does not have it?
On these bullets, lock means the chisel does not rotate, so a flat blade keeps its angle. It is not a switch that holds the trigger down. The TP-HD 18/17-C does not claim chisel mode at all. It states two functions. The TE-RH 40 claims chiselling and does not clearly claim plain drilling. Read the symbols on your own tool.
Should I lean on the hammer?
No. Light pressure lets the piston hit. Hard pressure packs dust, overheats the tip and can bend a poor bit. Withdraw about every 10–15 mm on a deep hole so the flutes clear. If the hammer will not advance, the limit may be the joules or a blunt bit, not your weight. Quenching a hot carbide tip can crack it.
Do I change mode while it is still spinning?
No. Wait until the motor has stopped, then move the selector. These listings do not include an Einhell dial diagram, so use the shared UK SDS instruction and change mode only at a standstill. If chisel mode only spins the chuck, as on two sampled TE-RH 28 3F units, that is a fault, not a mode you half-selected.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
- Einhell UK, HEROCCO 18/20 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Einhell UK, TE-HD 18/20 Li solo (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Einhell UK, TC-RH 28 3F (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Einhell UK, TE-RH 32 4F kit (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE, Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE, CIS36 dust controls for drilling masonry (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the eleven ASINs (retrieved 22 October 2026)