SDS Plus vs SDS Max on Einhell rotary hammers
Updated: 2026-10-23
You have a case of SDS Plus bits, and the TE-RH 40 3F looks like the bigger Einhell. SDS Plus vs SDS Max on these hammers is one decision. Ten of eleven listings take Plus. Only the 10 J tool takes Max, and the bits do not swap. The [Einhell rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/einhell-rotary-hammer) is the table of joules and prices, captured on 22 October 2026. This is not a lab test. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a case of SDS Plus bits, and the TE-RH 40 3F looks like the bigger Einhell. SDS Plus vs SDS Max on these hammers is one decision. Ten of eleven listings take Plus.
You have a case of SDS Plus bits, and the TE-RH 40 3F looks like the bigger Einhell. SDS Plus vs SDS Max on these hammers is one decision. Ten of eleven listings take Plus. Only the 10 J tool takes Max, and the bits do not swap. The Einhell rotary hammer comparison is the table of joules and prices, captured on 22 October 2026. 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 | Shank | Impact energy | Listed concrete | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Einhell TE-RH 32 4F kit | SDS Plus | 5 J | 32 mm | 9.5 | about £105.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Einhell TE-RH 28 3F corded | SDS Plus | 3.5 J | 28 mm | 7.9 | about £79.00 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Einhell TE-RH 40 3F SDS Max | SDS Max | 10 J | 40 mm | 7.3 | about £169.00 | View offer |
On this page
10 mm against 18 mm
SDS Plus is a 10 mm shank with two grooves. SDS Max is an 18 mm shank with three grooves. Einhell says the systems are not compatible. A Plus bit will not lock in a Max chuck, and a Max chisel will not seat in a Plus hammer. One case of bits has already chosen your next hammer, unless you buy a second case.
Forcing a Plus shank into the Max sleeve risks the chuck. TEH Tools states the same 10 mm versus 18 mm split. Their line that Max starts around 40 J does not describe this 10 J Einhell. SDS Hex is a demolition shank and it is outside this set.
The TE-RH 40 3F is the only SDS Max here
The TE-RH 40 3F, part 4257935, is £169.00, at 10 J and 40 mm in concrete. The box has an E-Box M55 and pointed and flat chisels. Drill bits are not included. Across 447 reviews the star line is 4.3. Reviewers describe thick concrete, an oil-tank base and a foundation, and they call it heavy. Weight repeats. A repeated mechanical failure does not, in the first 50 reviews.
Einhell UK lists 1,050 W, SDS Max and 7.2 kg. Screwfix says 220–240 V. The Amazon voltage cell prints 18 V on a mains tool. That is not a Power X-Change body. Plain drilling is not clearly listed. A round 40 mm hole still needs Max bits.
Five joules is still SDS Plus
The TE-RH 32 4F kit is 5 J and SDS Plus, at £105.99, 4.6 from 1,002 reviews. Higher joules do not change the shank. The kit’s bits, 8, 10 and 16 mm on Amazon and 8, 10 and 12 mm on Einhell UK, will not run the TE-RH 40.
The other ten-millimetre listings are the HEROCCO, the TE-RH 28 3F, both TE-HD 18/20 bodies, the TP-HD 18/26, the 32-1600, the TP-HD 18/28, the RT-RH 32 and the 18/17-C. They share a Plus case. They do not share it with the 40 3F. Who should start on the kit is on the best Einhell rotary hammer page.
Plug holes do not need the Max
A wall plug is an SDS Plus hole. Buying the Max so it feels serious, then hoping the Plus case still fits, spends £169.00 on a chuck you cannot feed. The 40 3F fits when the hole is toward 40 mm or you are breaking a small base and you will buy Max bits.
An SDS Max to Plus adaptor is sold separately in the UK. It is not in the box, and this page does not treat it as a reason to buy Max for plugs. Einhell says the systems are not compatible. If you need the adaptor to make sense of the purchase, buy a Plus hammer.
Common questions
What is the difference between SDS Plus and SDS Max?
SDS Plus is a 10 mm shank with two grooves. SDS Max is an 18 mm shank with three grooves. Einhell states the systems are not compatible, and TEH Tools says the same. The bits do not lock in each other’s chucks. SDS Hex is a demolition shank and is not in this set of eleven hammers. The difference is the steel, not a dial setting.
Which Einhell in this comparison is SDS Max?
Only the TE-RH 40 3F, part 4257935, at £169.00, 10 J and 40 mm in concrete. The box has pointed and flat chisels and an E-Box M55, and it does not list drill bits. The other ten listings are SDS Plus, from the 1.7 J solo to the 5 J kit. The voltage cell prints 18 V, and the supply is still mains.
Will the bits from the TE-RH 32 kit fit the TE-RH 40?
No. The 32 4F kit is SDS Plus and the 40 3F is SDS Max. Einhell says the systems are not compatible. The kit’s 8, 10 and 16 mm bits, or the 8, 10 and 12 mm set on the Einhell UK page, will not lock in the Max chuck. You buy Max bits and Max chisels separately.
Is the 5 J hammer SDS Max because it has more joules?
No. The TE-RH 32 4F kit is 5 J and SDS Plus. Joules do not change the shank. The only Max hammer here is the 10 J TE-RH 40 3F. “Five joules means Max” is false for this set, and TEH’s suggestion that Max begins near 40 J does not describe this Einhell either. Read the shank line.
Why does Amazon say 18 V on the TE-RH 40?
The voltage cell prints 18 V. The same listing describes mains power and 1,050 W. Einhell UK and Screwfix describe 220–240 V with a plug. The 18 V cell is a conflict, not a battery platform, and it will not run on a HEROCCO pack. Ignore it the way you ignore a 44.5 cm chuck on the RT-RH 32.
Can an adaptor make Plus bits safe in the Max chuck?
An SDS Max to SDS Plus adaptor is sold on its own in the UK. It is not in the TE-RH 40 box, and Einhell still says the systems are not compatible. This comparison does not treat an adaptor as a reason to buy Max for plug holes. If you need your Plus bits, buy one of the ten Plus hammers.
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)