Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Metabo SDS plus vs SDS max

Updated: 2026-10-23

You have a bit case in one hand and two Metabo boxes that look related, and the shanks are not the same system. In this amazon.co.uk set, three listings are SDS-plus and only the KHEV 5-40 BL is SDS-max. The bits do not click across, and a higher joule number does not make them fit. The [Metabo SDS drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-sds-drill) lines the four tools up. This page stays on the shank and the hole size. Products Compared used the listings and Metabo's pages, as at 22 October 2026. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a bit case in one hand and two Metabo boxes that look related, and the shanks are not the same system. In this amazon.co.uk set, three listings are SDS-plus and only the KHEV 5-40 BL is SDS-max.

Our top picks

Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc

Best overall

Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc
8.7/10about £170.05
View offer
Metabo Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24 (601713840), body only

Rank 2

Metabo Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24 (601713840), body only
9.1/10about £209.99
View offer
Metabo Metabo KHEV 5-40 BL (600765500), SDS-max

Alternative

Metabo Metabo KHEV 5-40 BL (600765500), SDS-max
6.3/10about £792.69
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The two shanks in this set
  2. 2.What each is for
  3. 3.Bits, chisels and the connector
  4. 4.Amazon chuck numbers
  5. 5.Which to buy if you are holding a bit case

The two shanks in this set

SDS-plus is the holder on the KHA 18 LTX, order 600210840, the KH 18 LTX BL 24, order 601713840, and the corded listing whose item type is KHE 3251, order 600659000. The Amazon title on that last row says KHE32. SDS-max is the holder on the KHEV 5-40 BL, order 600765500. The 18 V hammers and the KHE 3251 listing share a bit case. The KHEV does not. An SDS-max chisel will not click into the KH 18 or the KHA, and an SDS-plus fixing bit will not click into the KHEV. A 10 mm chuck cell on the KH 18 row is not a third system. It conflicts with the SDS-plus holder.

What each is for

SDS-plus, here, is the fixing and mid-size hole system. Metabo prints 24 mm in concrete for the KHA and the KH 18, both at 2.2 J. Those joule figures are not in the Amazon listings. Metabo prints 32 mm in concrete and 3.1 J for the KHE 3251, and 13 mm in steel. Amazon's 32 mm metal cell disagrees, so quote 32 mm for concrete and 13 mm for steel. SDS-max, here, is the KHEV, at 8.7 J, a 40 mm concrete figure and 8.3 kg. Drop the title's 5 kg. 8.7 J is the wrong blow for a row of 8 mm plugs if you then have to buy another bit set and hold 8.3 kg.
Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc

Testsieger

Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc
8.7/10about £170.05
View offer

Bits, chisels and the connector

Metabo sells connector 623371000, from SDS-max to SDS-plus, so an SDS-max tool can take SDS-plus bits and chisels. The page does not say an SDS-plus hammer can take SDS-max chisels. The connector is not in any of these four cartons. Prefer Metabo for what it does. SDS-plus bits fit three listings directly. SDS-max bits fit the KHEV directly. The connector, if you buy it, lets the KHEV accept plus bits. It does not let the KH 18, the KHA or the KHE 3251 accept max bits.

Amazon chuck numbers

The table prints chuck millimetres that are not a shank standard. The KH 18 row shows 10 mm. The KHA row shows 24 mm. The KHEV row shows 40 mm, beside conflicts such as 15 A. When 24 mm and 40 mm are doing honest work, they are the concrete diameters Metabo states, not a chuck you tighten with a key. The KHE 3251 item type names a Metabo Quick chuck. The bullets say cylindrical shanks run with no impact. That chuck is for drilling without hammer action, and it is not on this KH 18. Order 601713840 is not the Q model.

Which to buy if you are holding a bit case

Match the case you already own. If the bits are SDS-plus and the holes are fixing-sized, buy one of the three plus listings. The KHA and the KH 18 cover the 24 mm class at 2.2 J, as bodies without batteries. The KHE 3251 listing covers the 32 mm class at 3.1 J on the mains, after you check the plug. If the work is about 40 mm or breaking, and you can handle 8.3 kg, the KHEV is the SDS-max tool here. Do not let the connector choose the hammer. A plus hammer for fixings and a max hammer for breaking is two tools. The Metabo SDS drill buying guide is the wider check order.

Common questions

Will my existing SDS-plus bits fit the KHEV?
Not directly. The KHEV is SDS-max. SDS-plus bits click into the KHA, the KH 18 and the KHE 3251 listing. Connector 623371000 lets an SDS-max tool take SDS-plus bits, and it is sold separately. It is not in this carton.
Is there an adapter, and is it in the box?
Metabo lists connector 623371000 from SDS-max to SDS-plus. It is not in the KHEV scope, and it is not in the cordless bodies or the KHE 3251 metaBOX as these listings describe them. It is not a reason to choose the KHEV for a plus bit case.
Is SDS-max always better because 8.7 J is more than 2.2 J?
No. 8.7 J suits the KHEV's about 40 mm concrete figure and breaking, if you accept 8.3 kg. For an 8 mm or 10 mm fixing, the plus hammers are the match, and they are the ones your plus bits fit.
What hole size is the plus tools' concrete figure?
Metabo states 24 mm in concrete for the KHA and the KH 18, and 32 mm for the KHE 3251. The KHEV's figure is 40 mm. These are maker diameters. Stay inside the figure for the hammer you are holding.
Can I use the KHE 3251 keyless chuck for hammer drilling in concrete?
The bullets say cylindrical shanks run with no impact. Use the Quick chuck for rotary drilling, and SDS-plus bits for hammer drilling. This KH 18 does not have that Quick chuck.

Related pages

Best Metabo SDS drill

How to use a Metabo SDS drill

Metabo SDS drill

Metabo SDS drill buying guide: holder, joules, box

Metabo cordless vs corded SDS: body, battery or plug

Sources

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.

  1. Metabo UK, cordless hammers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. KH 18 LTX BL 24 sheet, 601713840 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Metabo UK SDS booklet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Metabo, KHE 3251, 600659000 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Metabo, KHEV 5-40 BL, 600765500 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE, hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. HSE, assessing hand-arm vibration risk (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. HSE, construction dust sheet CN3 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  9. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)