The best Makita rotary hammers, compared.
Top pick: Makita HR2663 with HEPA extractor Best value: Makita HR2630/1 110 V – Highest value-part score among the other listings: 12, at about £158.50 with 4.7 from 148 reviews. The title is 110 V. Updated October 2026.
A rotary hammer is an SDS tool for brick, block and concrete in UK homes and on building sites. You choose one by the shank the bits must match, by whether a hammer-only mode is written on the listing, and by whether you can power the tool from the socket or battery rail you already have. SDS-Plus and SDS-Max do not share bits. A 110 V title needs a centre-tapped site transformer or a site 110 V supply, not a 13 A household socket. A 120 V cell is neither that site supply nor a 230 V house tool. Quote impact energy in joules only when that listing prints joules. A newton-metre cell is not the same number. Anti-vibration features do not cancel the daily vibration action value, and masonry dust can contain respirable crystalline silica. How supply, shank and modes fit a house or a site is set out in the [rotary hammer buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-rotary-hammer/sub/makita-rotary-hammer-buying-guide).
A rotary hammer is an SDS tool for brick, block and concrete in UK homes and on building sites.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What can you power it from?
The HR2663 listing is an SDS-Plus hammer with a D-handle, a HEPA dust extractor and a toolbox at £329.53, and the manufacturer line says Makita Canada. The voltage cell says 120 V, so this is not a UK 230 V tool and it is not the same supply as the 110 V site hammers in this set. The star line is 5.0 from 4 ratings, which is why the score is 54: the sample is four ratings, not a large UK consensus. The only written review in the saved listing is from Mexico and says the product is very good, and there is no United Kingdom review text describing how it drills brick or concrete. The included line lists the extractor, a dust cover and a toolbox, not drill bits, and the bullets do not name a hammer-only mode. Impact energy on the listing is printed as 2 ft-lb, not as joules. Capacity cells print 7.5 inch in wood and metal beside a 1 inch chuck, which does not agree with an SDS-Plus masonry title. Bullets cite OSHA, which is not a UK dust rule, so a UK job still follows HSE guidance rather than that line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have already confirmed a 120 V supply, you want the extractor in the box, and you accept a four-rating sample with no UK review text.
Less suitable: You need a UK 13 A or 110 V site tool, a review sample written in the United Kingdom, or a stated chisel mode.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the HR2663 a UK 230 V tool?
No figure on this listing says 230 V or 110 V. The voltage cell says 120 V and the manufacturer line says Makita Canada.
Does the box include dust extraction?
Yes. The included line lists a dust extractor attachment and a dust cover, each with a HEPA filter cleaning mechanism, plus a toolbox. It does not list drill bits.
What do the reviews say?
The star line is 5.0 from 4 ratings. The only written review in the saved listing is from Mexico and says the product is very good. There is no United Kingdom review text.
The HR2630/1 is a corded SDS-Plus hammer at £158.50, titled 110 V and 26 mm, with a carry case, a depth stop and a side handle, and no bits in the included line. Across 148 amazon.co.uk ratings it sits at 4.7, and 25 of the 26 written reviews in the file are marked United Kingdom, which is why this is the best value in the set even though the total score is 65, one point behind the 12 V kit. A bricklayer's review after five months describes knocking bricks out of a wall from a ladder and drilling concrete, and other UK texts mention plumbing first fix and strong impact. The bullets name three modes, including hammering only, which the 12 V kit listing does not. The hard limit is the supply: a UK review says the plug is a site-transformer plug and will not fit a normal 13 A socket, and the return window had already closed. Several UK reviews also say an accessory kit was missing and had to be refunded or ordered again. One UK review says the bit came out after about a month and the tool then stopped, and another says the machine caught fire within a minute while drilling a small hole. The voltage cell prints 127 V beside the 110 V title, and a chuck cell prints 1 inch beside the 26 mm title, so you read the title and the plug rather than those cells.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already have a 110 V site supply or a centre-tapped transformer and want a three-mode SDS-Plus for brick and concrete around the 26 mm title.
Less suitable: You only have a 13 A household socket, or you need SDS-Max and holes toward 40 mm.
Specifications
Common questions
Will the HR2630/1 run from a 13 A socket?
The title says 110 V. A United Kingdom review says the plug is a site-transformer plug and will not fit a normal UK socket. The voltage cell says 127 V.
Can this HR2630/1 chisel?
The bullets list three modes: rotation only, rotation with hammering, and hammering only. The included line is a carry case, a depth stop and a side handle, not a chisel bit.
Are the accessories in the box?
The included line lists the case, the depth stop and the side handle. Several United Kingdom reviews say an accessory kit was missing and had to be refunded or ordered again.
The HR4013C/1 is a corded SDS-Max hammer at £730.00, titled 110 V, with AVT, a carry case and bit grease, a concrete bullet of 40 mm and a 105 mm TCT core bullet. It weighs 6.4 kg in the technicals and the power cell lists 1,100 W. The star line is 4.6 from 123 ratings, but the first 50 written reviews are from the United States, Canada and Japan, and none of those 50 is marked United Kingdom, so that 4.6 is not a UK consensus and the score here is 52. Those texts describe chipping concrete, scraping floors, trenching clay and breaking rock where a smaller SDS-Plus was too slow, and several say AVT and the side handle felt easier on the hands than a hammer they had used at work. The same non-UK sample records the hammer action stopping within about 15 minutes, recovering after a rest, then stopping again, and another review says hammering stopped after less than two hours. A further United States review says the internals failed after two days and the tool was returned. The title needs a 110 V outlet, the voltage cell says 100 V, and the included line has no 13 A adapter. SDS-Plus bits are not listed as compatible, and this amazon listing does not print joules.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a 110 V site supply and already own SDS-Max bits for holes toward 40 mm or a core toward 105 mm.
Less suitable: You only have 13 A sockets, you only own SDS-Plus bits, or you want reviews written in the United Kingdom.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the HR4013C/1 an SDS-Plus hammer?
No. The title and the bullets say SDS-Max. The concrete bullet says 40 mm and a further bullet says a 105 mm TCT core. SDS-Plus bits are not listed as compatible.
Will it plug into a UK 13 A socket?
The title says 110 V and the compatible-devices cell says a 110 V outlet. The voltage cell says 100 V. The included line has no 13 A plug adapter.
Do the reviews on this page come from the United Kingdom?
The star line is 4.6 from 123 ratings. The first 50 written reviews in the saved listing are from the United States, Canada and Japan. None of those 50 is marked United Kingdom.
The DHR242RTJW is an 18 V LXT brushless SDS-Plus kit at £549.49, and the included line lists two 5.0 Ah batteries, a DC18RC charger, a DX06 extractor, a Makpac, a side handle and a depth stop, with no SDS-Plus bits. A bullet states 2.0 J and 24 mm in concrete, which is the only joule figure printed on a listing in this set. The star line is 4.6 from 6 ratings, so the score of 64 rests on that stated kit rather than a large review sample. The written review that clearly describes this kind of work says two people stripped plaster, tiles, lino and concrete in a kitchen and bathroom, finished a kitchen strip-out in a day of near-continuous use, and found one 5.0 Ah pack lasted while the charger refilled the other. That review also says the DX06 left little cleanup once the depth was set, and that the mode dial came off after a knock from falling debris and was then reattached. A second UK review calls a drill a powerhouse and likes a dust-extraction add-on, but it says the drill and the extractor were bought as separate items, so it is not clearly about this ASIN. You still buy bits yourself, the extractor needs adjustment before it seals, and a bullet says the tool is not compatible with G-series batteries. The technical table also prints 970.6 Nm, 1 kg and 10 cm dimensions, which do not match a two-battery rotary hammer kit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already use 18 V LXT, want the extractor in the box, and will pay £549.49 for the batteries and the DX06 rather than a bare body.
Less suitable: You want a large UK review sample, a 110 V corded site tool, or an SDS-Max shank.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the DHR242RTJW box?
The included line lists two BL1850B 5.0 Ah batteries, a DC18RC charger, a DX06 dust extractor, a Makpac, a side handle and a depth stop. It does not list SDS-Plus bits.
Does the listing state impact energy?
Yes. A bullet states 2.0 J and 24 mm in concrete. A torque cell also prints 970.6 Nm, which is not the same figure.
Which batteries does this kit use?
The title says 18 V LXT and the included batteries are two 5.0 Ah packs. A bullet says it is not compatible with G-series batteries.
The HR166DSMJ is a brushless 12 V CXT kit at £204.95 on amazon.co.uk, with two 4.0 Ah batteries, a charger and a Makpac, and the score here is 66 from 4.4 across 151 reviews, the highest total in this set, which is why it is the top pick. United Kingdom reviewers use it where a larger drill is awkward: one describes about 200 holes in concrete for picture frames, and another uses it one-handed on a ladder for concrete lintels. An electrical apprentice who found an 18 V tool too big treats it as the lighter step up from a brushed kit with 2 Ah packs. The listing does not name a hammer-only mode, so this is not a stated chisel-only tool, and the included line has no drill bits. Battery life is the recurring limit in that UK sample: one reviewer had to keep the second pack on charge because the first ran down sooner than they hoped. The same sample includes a charger that arrived with a two-pin European plug, and a shaver adapter would not run it. Price felt high for the size in the apprentice's review, which fits a compact house kit rather than a site breaker. No repeated United Kingdom text in the file describes a failed hammer action.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light 12 V kit for masonry around a house with a 13 A socket, and you will check the charger plug before you rely on it.
Less suitable: You need a stated chisel-only mode, SDS-Max holes toward 40 mm, or a corded 110 V site hammer.
Specifications
Common questions
Are batteries in the HR166DSMJ box?
Yes. The included line lists two 4.0 Ah Li-ion batteries, a fast charger and a Makpac case. It does not list drill bits.
Does the listing say this 12 V hammer can chisel?
No. The bullets name variable speed, constant speed, a depth gauge, a reverse button and an electric brake. They do not name a hammer-only mode.
Will the charger plug into a UK 13 A socket?
One United Kingdom review says the charger arrived with a two-pin European plug and that a shaver adapter would not run it. The listing does not state the plug type.
Five amazon.co.uk listings were scored out of 100 from four parts: stars, the size of the review sample, fit for the job, and value in this set. Star points are the rating divided by 5, times 40, rounded. There is no lab test. The highest score is the top pick. The highest value-part score among the other listings is best value.
Stars
40%Star points are the amazon.co.uk rating divided by 5, times 40, rounded to the nearest whole number. A 5.0 line is 40 points. A 4.4 line is 35.
Review sample
20%1,000 or more reviews score 20. 500 to 999 score 16. 200 to 499 score 12. 50 to 199 score 8. 1 to 49 score 4. A handful of ratings cannot outrank a larger sample on this part.
Fit for the job
25%Each listing starts at 10. Points are added when the listing names hammer-only, a case, a brushless motor, or impact energy in joules. Points come off when a cell fights the title, when reviews record a failed hammer, a bit that will not stay in, or a fire, and when the title or voltage cell is 110 V or 120 V. The part is capped at 25.
Value in this set
15%Value is judged inside this set only. The £158.50 corded three-mode listing with 148 reviews scores 12. The £204.95 kit with two batteries and 151 reviews scores 11. Dearer rows score 5 or 4. The highest value part among the listings that are not the top pick is best value.
Judge the supply you can actually use, the shank your bits must match, and whether hammer-only is written in words. Quote joules only when that listing prints them. The notes below follow the amazon.co.uk listings in this set and the public UK sources in the digest. None of the scores is a lab test.
A rotary hammer drills brick, block and concrete with a hammering action while the bit turns. In a UK house that is wall plugs, frame fixings and a short chase. On a site it is the same work from a supply you are allowed to use. A combi drill with a percussion setting is a different class of tool, and it is a poor match for repeated holes in hard concrete. Supply comes first. A title that says 110 V needs a centre-tapped site transformer or a site 110 V supply, not a 13 A household socket.
The HR2630/1 and the HR4013C/1 titles say 110 V. A UK review of the HR2630/1 says the plug is a site-transformer plug and will not fit a normal 13 A socket. Do not fit a 13 A plug to a 110 V tool. A house with only that socket matches a battery kit.
The voltage cell says 120 V and the manufacturer line says Makita Canada. Nothing on that listing says 230 V or 110 V. The star line is 5.0 from four ratings, and the only written review in the file is from Mexico. OSHA lines on the bullets are not UK dust law.
SDS-Plus and SDS-Max do not share bits. None of these included lines contains drill bits. Only the DHR242 bullets print joules, at 2.0 J. The HR2663 prints 2 ft-lb. A torque cell such as 970.6 Nm is not impact energy, and the SDS-Max row is not a 40 J tool.
A rotary hammer is only useful if you can power it. A 110 V title needs a centre-tapped site transformer or a site 110 V supply, not a 13 A household socket. IET Wiring Matters describes reduced low voltage as up to 110 V between lines and 55 V to earth. HSE HSG141 points sites toward cordless tools or 110 V tools, and a domestic plug is a poor site choice. Do not fit a 13 A plug to a 110 V tool. In this set the HR2630/1 title says 110 V while the voltage cell says 127 V.
SDS-Plus, about 10 mm, and SDS-Max, about 18 mm, do not share bits. The HR2630/1, the DHR242RTJW and the HR2663 are SDS-Plus. The HR4013C/1 title says SDS-Max, with a 40 mm concrete bullet and a 105 mm TCT core bullet. The HR166DSMJ listing does not name the holder, so you do not invent one. Buy bits for the shank the words actually state. Modes are the same kind of check. The HR2630/1 bullets name rotation only, rotation with hammering, and hammering only.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You only have a household socket, so a 110 V title will not plug in. The HR166DSMJ is a brushless 12 V kit at about £204.95, with two 4.0 Ah batteries, a charger and a Makpac, and 4.4 from 151 reviews. The listing does not name a hammer-only mode. Check the charger plug before you rely on it.
You already have a 110 V site supply or a centre-tapped transformer and want three modes, including hammer only. The HR2630/1 is about £158.50, with 4.7 from 148 reviews, a carry case and a 26 mm title. The voltage cell says 127 V. Read the title and the plug.
You have a 110 V supply and SDS-Max bits for holes toward 40 mm or a core toward 105 mm. The HR4013C/1 is about £730.00, titled 110 V, with a 40 mm concrete bullet. The voltage cell says 100 V, and the stored reviews are not from the United Kingdom.
In this set of five amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the Makita HR166DSMJ. It is about £204.95, with 4.4 from 151 reviews, and the score is 66, the highest total here. It is a brushless 12 V kit with two 4.0 Ah batteries, a charger and a Makpac. The listing does not name a hammer-only mode. The best value is the Makita HR2630/1 at about £158.50, with 4.7 from 148 reviews and a value part of 12. The title is 110 V, so it is not a 13 A house tool. None of these scores is a lab test.
Makita HR2630/1 110 V
Highest value-part score among the other listings: 12, at about £158.50 with 4.7 from 148 reviews. The title is 110 V.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and Makita UK pages from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this comparison, taken on 21 October 2026. We did not lab-test these rotary hammers.
