The best Metabo SDS drills, compared.
Top pick: Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc Best value: Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc – Lowest shelf price in this set, about £170.05, with 4.6 from 215 ratings, if you already own an 18 V pack. Modes and joules are not in the bullets, and the battery is not listed. Updated October 2026.
An SDS drill is a rotary or combination hammer with an SDS-plus or SDS-max holder. You buy one in the UK when a combi drill stalls in brick or concrete, or when you need a chisel. Judge a suitable one by the holder, the stated modes, the impact energy in joules, and whether the carton is an 18 V body or a 240 V tool. SDS-plus bits and SDS-max bits do not fit the same holder. A cordless body with no battery and no charger is not a kit you can use the same day. A corded tool still needs a BS 1363 plug. A European plug will not fit a UK socket. Many sites expect 110 V. Declared hammer-drilling vibration sits above the action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8). The limit is 5 m/s² A(8). Plan extraction or suitable respiratory protection for masonry dust, and fit the side handle. A safety clutch is not a substitute for that handle. How to read the holder, the modes and the box is in the [SDS drill buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-sds-drill/sub/metabo-sds-drill-buying-guide).
An SDS drill is a rotary or combination hammer with an SDS-plus or SDS-max holder. You buy one in the UK when a combi drill stalls in brick or concrete, or when you need a chisel.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Which holder matches the bits you will use?
The KHA 18 LTX listing, order 600210840, is about £170.05, the lowest price among the four Metabo SDS listings kept here. The title says SDS-plus and names a MetaLoc case. The bullets state an S-automatic clutch. They do not state joules, a brushless motor or a chisel mode. The included-components line does not list a battery or a charger. One review says the box arrived without a battery, a charger or bits. Across 215 ratings it sits at 4.6. UK texts are short. One UK review praises chiselling on a hammer-only setting. The listing table's 24 mm chuck, 18 A and 460 W are conflicts, not the holder or the current draw. Metabo's UK booklet states 2.2 J EPTA for this order, SDS-plus and 24 mm in concrete, and lists 600210840 as body only plus a MetaLoc. The listing says Ultra-M, not CAS.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own an 18 V pack and you want the most-reviewed SDS-plus listing in this set.
Less suitable: You need modes and joules written on the listing, or a battery in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this KHA 18 LTX listing include a battery?
The included-components line names the drill and the case. It does not list a battery or a charger. A review says the box arrived without a battery, a charger or bits. Metabo lists 600210840 as body only plus a MetaLoc.
What holder does the title state?
The title says SDS-plus. Metabo's UK booklet states 2.2 J EPTA and 24 mm in concrete for this order. SDS-max bits do not fit.
Does the specification table state a chisel mode?
The bullets do not state a chisel mode. One UK review praises a hammer-only feature for chiselling. That is a review comment, not a line in the bullets.
The KH 18 LTX BL 24 listing, order 601713840, is about £209.99 on amazon.co.uk. The title says the carton has no battery and no charger. The bullets state a brushless motor, VibraTech, and hammer drilling, drilling and chiselling. The scope lists a metaBOX 165 L, a depth guide and a rubber-coated side handle. The item weight is 2.7 kg. Across 16 ratings the listing sits at 4.6. The reviews saved with the listing are not from the United Kingdom. They describe chasing, holes and tile lifting on CAS packs, and one comment that the power is a bit light. The listing table gives both 1280 rpm and 4750 rpm, and a 10 mm chuck, so those cells are not used as the holder or the speed. Metabo's sheet for this order states 2.2 J EPTA, SDS-plus and 24 mm in concrete. This order is not the Quick-chuck model.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the listing that states three modes and a brushless motor, and you already have an 18 V pack.
Less suitable: You need a battery in the box, a UK review sample, or an SDS-max tool.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the KH 18 LTX BL 24 include a battery?
The title and the included components say without battery pack and without charger. The scope lists a metaBOX 165 L, a depth guide and a rubber-coated side handle.
Which modes do the bullets state?
Hammer drilling, drilling and chiselling. This order, 601713840, is not the Quick-chuck model.
What case is in the box?
A metaBOX 165 L, plus a depth guide and a rubber-coated side handle. Metabo's sheet also states 2.2 J and 2.7 kg without a battery.
This corded listing is about £404.39 and rated 4.0 from 41 reviews. The title says KHE32 240 V SDS-plus and three-mode wording. The item type name says KHE 3251, order 600659000, with a Metabo Quick chuck in a metaBOX 165 L. The bullets say it takes SDS-plus bits and cylindrical shanks with no impact, with hammer stop, rotation stop and reverse. The listing table gives 800 W, and both wood and metal as 32 mm. It also lists 4470 rpm and 750 rpm. The only UK review, dated 2 November 2021, says the drill was fine and arrived with a European plug. Other reviews describe a chuck that released, a paid repair after one day, and a later failure out of warranty. Joules and weight are not on the listing. Metabo's page for 600659000 states 3.1 J, 800 W, a Quick chuck and 3.6 kg. A European plug does not fit a BS 1363 socket. One report is not every carton.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a corded SDS-plus listing and you will check the plug and the model name before use.
Less suitable: You need a stated UK plug, a battery tool, or SDS-max.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the title KHE32 or KHE 3251?
The title says KHE32 240 V. The item type name says KHE 3251 (600659000) with a Metabo Quick chuck in a metaBOX 165 L. Treat the two names as a conflict on the same listing.
Which shanks do the bullets allow?
SDS-plus, and cylindrical shanks with no impact. SDS-max bits do not fit. Metabo's page for order 600659000 states 3.1 J and 32 mm in concrete.
What did the UK review say about the plug?
The review of 2 November 2021 says the drill arrived with a European plug. That plug does not fit a BS 1363 socket. One report is not every carton.
The KHEV 5-40 BL listing, order 600765500, is about £792.69. The title says brushless, SDS-max, 8.7 J, 1150 W and 240 V, and also 5 kg. The item weight is 8.3 kg. The bullets state two functions, hammer drilling and chiselling, and VibraTech with a decoupled handle and a counter-oscillating weight. The scope is the hammer and a plastic case. Across 10 ratings it sits at 3.7. One of the two reviews saved with the listing, from the United Kingdom on 29 April 2026, says the tool stopped after little use: the green light stayed on and the trigger did nothing. The listing table's 15 A, 40 mm chuck and 10 mm dimensions are conflicts, not the comparison values. The 8.7 J figure is kept because it is in the title and on Metabo's page, which also states 8.3 kg, 10.8 m/s² for hammer drilling and 96 dB(A) sound pressure. This is not the 110 V order 600765610.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need the SDS-max listing in this set and you accept a thin review sample.
Less suitable: You want SDS-plus bits, a battery tool, or a listing without a reported dead trigger.
Specifications
Common questions
What impact energy does the title state?
8.7 J, with 1150 W and 240 V. Metabo's page for order 600765500 states the same 8.7 J, 40 mm in concrete and 8.3 kg. The 5 kg line in the title is not used.
Which modes do the bullets state?
Hammer drilling and chiselling. The bullets do not state a separate drill-only mode. SDS-plus bits do not fit this SDS-max holder.
Why are there two weights?
The title says 5 kg. The item weight says 8.3 kg, and Metabo's page for 600765500 also says 8.3 kg. The table uses 8.3 kg.
Four Metabo SDS drills on amazon.co.uk were scored from the listing stars, whether the bullets state modes and a brushless motor, and whether a UK review reports a dead tool or a non-UK plug. Amazon evidence is weighted 35, stated modes and motor 40, and those UK review flags 25. A body-only price is not treated as a working kit. Where a listing omits joules, the Metabo sheet for that order is used, and a conflicting Amazon cell is not. This is not a lab test.
Amazon evidence
35%Stars and the size of the rating sample on amazon.co.uk. A thin sample, or no UK review text with the listing, carries less weight than a larger set of ratings.
Stated modes and motor
40%Whether the listing states the holder, the modes, and a brushless motor. Impact energy is taken from the Metabo sheet for that order when the listing leaves joules blank.
UK review flags
25%Points come off when a UK review reports a dead tool or a plug that is not BS 1363. A body-only carton is not scored as a kit that works the day it arrives.
Start with the holder and the joules, then the modes the listing actually states, then what is in the box and how the tool is powered. Vibration, noise and the plug come before you treat a body-only price as a finished kit. The notes below follow that order for these four amazon.co.uk listings. None of the scores is a lab test.
A Metabo SDS drill in this set is a rotary or combination hammer with an SDS-plus or SDS-max holder. You buy one when a combi drill stalls in brick or concrete, or when you need a chisel. Separate the four amazon.co.uk listings by holder, stated modes, and whether the carton is an 18 V body or a 240 V tool. Shelf prices here are about £170.05, £209.99, £404.39 and £792.69. Both cordless prices omit the battery and the charger. A body-only price is not a working kit.
The KH 18 title says no battery and no charger. Metabo lists order 600210840 as body only plus a MetaLoc, and a review of that listing reports no battery, no charger and no bits. A body-only price is not a working cordless kit.
SDS-max bits do not fit the three SDS-plus listings. The KHE32 bullets also allow cylindrical shanks with no impact. This KH 18, order 601713840, is not the Quick-chuck model.
Do not use a 10 mm chuck, 18 A, 15 A, 32 mm in steel, or the KHEV title's 5 kg when the Metabo sheet disagrees. The KHEV item weight and the Metabo page say 8.3 kg. Do not put a three-year registered booklet offer on an ASIN that states one year.
The holder decides which bits fit. The KHA 18 LTX and the KH 18 LTX BL 24 are SDS-plus. Metabo states 2.2 J EPTA and 24 mm in concrete for both. The KHE 3251 page, order 600659000, states 3.1 J, SDS-plus and 32 mm in concrete. The KHEV 5-40 BL states 8.7 J, SDS-max and 40 mm in concrete. SDS-max bits do not fit the SDS-plus tools. Joules are absent from the KH 18 and KHA listings, so those figures are the sheets, not Amazon cells.
A cordless price is usable on the day only if the pack is already yours. The KH 18 title says no battery and no charger, with a metaBOX 165 L, a side handle and a depth guide. Metabo lists 600210840 as body only plus a MetaLoc, and a review says that carton had no battery, no charger and no bits. The KH 18 sheet names CAS packs. The KHA listing says Ultra-M, not CAS. The KHEV scope is the hammer and a plastic case.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want three modes and a brushless motor, and you already have a pack. The KH 18 LTX BL 24, order 601713840, is about £209.99. The bullets state hammer drilling, drilling and chiselling, and the title says there is no battery and no charger. The Metabo sheet names CAS packs and 2.2 J. amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 16 ratings, with no UK review text alongside the listing.
You already own an 18 V pack and you want the lowest shelf price in this set. The KHA 18 LTX, order 600210840, is about £170.05, with 4.6 from 215 ratings. The title says SDS-plus and a MetaLoc. The bullets state an S-automatic clutch. They do not state modes or joules, and the included-components line does not list a battery. The listing says Ultra-M, not CAS.
You need about 40 mm in concrete or a chisel on SDS-max, you can handle 8.3 kg, and you are not limited to 110 V. The KHEV 5-40 BL, order 600765500, is about £792.69. The title states 8.7 J, 1150 W and 240 V. One UK review, dated 29 April 2026, reports a dead trigger while the green light stayed on. The sample is 3.7 from 10 ratings.
In this set of four amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24, order 601713840, at about £209.99. The bullets state three modes, a brushless motor and VibraTech, and the title says the carton has no battery and no charger. amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 16 ratings, with no UK review text alongside the listing. Metabo states 2.2 J for this order. The best value is the KHA 18 LTX, order 600210840, at about £170.05, with 4.6 from 215 ratings, and only if you already own an 18 V pack. The bullets state an S-automatic clutch. They do not state modes or joules, and a battery is not in the included-components line. The other two listings have no award. None of these scores is a lab test.
Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc
Lowest shelf price in this set, about £170.05, with 4.6 from 215 ratings, if you already own an 18 V pack. Modes and joules are not in the bullets, and the battery is not listed.
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 listed below, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for these four listings.
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 from the UK listings used for this comparison. We did not lab-test these SDS drills.
