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Rotary hammer buying guide

Updated: 2026-10-23

You have already watched a combi drill skate on a lintel, and the next page is a rotary hammer buying guide crowded with watts and 20 V. The numbers that change the purchase are the chuck, the stated joules, and the included list. Watts and a voltage label do not rank these hammers. This page sets that order for ten SDS-Plus listings on amazon.co.uk, captured from £47.17 to £180.99. It is not a live price on 22 October 2026, and the Products Compared editorial team did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The rows, stars, and prices are on the [rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/rotary-hammer).

You have already watched a combi drill skate on a lintel, and the next page is a rotary hammer buying guide crowded with watts and 20 V.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE

Best overall

Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE
9.2/10about £59.94
View offer
WORX WORX WX381.9 Nitro

Alternative

WORX WORX WX381.9 Nitro
9.2/10about £129.99
View offer
Dong Cheng DongCheng DZC05-26B

Best value

Dong Cheng DongCheng DZC05-26B
8.8/10about £47.17
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the chuck
  2. 2.Read joules, not watts
  3. 3.Open the box list
  4. 4.Modes, reverse, and weight

Start with the chuck

Every tool in this set is SDS-Plus. An SDS-Plus bit has grooves, and the chuck lets that shank slide a few millimetres while a piston strikes it. A round masonry bit from a combi drill does not lock in the same way. If the title only says hammer, check the chuck before you compare watts. Nothing here is SDS-Max, and the bits do not interchange. The Bosch PBH 2100 RE title says keyless chuck. Repeated UK reviews say the chuck is SDS-Plus, and that round bits need an adaptor. Those reviews say not to use hammer mode with that adaptor. The WORX WX391 includes a plug-in keyless chuck, and reviews call that add-on clumsy. The GBH 18V-18 X OneChuck claim is a listing sentence, not a test.

Read joules, not watts

Impact energy, in joules, is the strike. Watts are the motor label on a corded tool, and 20 V is the battery platform. This capture includes SDS-Plus listings stated at 5.5 J and 6 J, which other sites treat as SDS-Max territory. The GBH 18V-22 Amazon row does not state joules. Bosch UK states 1.9 J for that model, number 0611924001. Do not copy 1.9 J onto the GBH 18V-18 X or onto 0611927000. A newton-metre cell is torque, not impact energy. If the cell is empty, leave it empty.
Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE
9.2/10about £59.94
View offer

Open the box list

A low joule price is the wrong bargain if the battery, the bits, or the case are a second payment. The WX381.9, the GBH 18V-22, the GBH 18V-18 X, and 0611927000 do not include a battery or a charger. The GBH 18V-22 does include an L-BOXX. The WX391, at £103.99, is the kit that includes a 20 V 2.0 Ah pack and a charger. The PBH title says the tool is in a case, and reviews agree, while SDS bits are not listed. DongCheng lists four SDS-Plus bits and does not list a case or a chisel. Enventor's package bullet lists a case and chisels, and the included-components attribute names only the hammer. Who each listing is for is the best rotary hammer page.

Modes, reverse, and weight

Hammer drilling is the masonry setting. Rotary only is for wood, metal, or a jaw adaptor. Hammer only stops the spin so a chisel can work. Change mode with the motor stopped. Reverse is claimed on the WX381.9 and on the Stanew. Repeated Enventor reviews say there is no reverse, even though the instruction book claims it. Reverse is unstated on the other rows. Do not treat a missing cell as a yes. A 6 J figure does not help if you cannot hold 7.87 kg at a lintel.

Common questions

Is SDS the same as SDS-Plus, and do I need SDS-Max?
In this set, SDS means the SDS-Plus shank these ten chucks take. SDS-Max is a larger system for heavier breaking, and none of these listings is SDS-Max. If a guide tells you that 5 J automatically means SDS-Max, that is another site's rule of thumb. DEKOPRO states 5.5 J and Enventor states 6 J on SDS-Plus titles in this capture.
Why not buy on watts or on 20 V?
Watts describe the corded motor, and 20 V names a WORX battery platform. Neither figure is the strike. The PBH is 550 W with joules unstated on Amazon, and the Enventor is 1500 W with 6 J stated. Those two numbers are not a ranking until both tools state joules. A bare 18 V or 20 V body also hides the battery price.
What joules do these ten listings actually state?
Amazon states 2.8 J for the DongCheng, 2.0 J for the WX381.9, 1.2 J for the WX391, 6 J for the Enventor, and 5.5 J for the DEKOPRO. The GBH 18V-22 is blank on Amazon. Bosch UK states 1.9 J for that model only. The PBH, the Stanew, the GBH 18V-18 X, and 0611927000 do not state impact energy. A Nm figure is not a substitute.
Is the battery, the case, or a chisel in the box?
The WX391 includes a 2.0 Ah battery and a charger. The WX381.9, both smaller Bosch 18 V bodies, and the GBH 18V-22 do not include a battery. The PBH title includes a case and not the bits. Stanew and DEKOPRO list chisels. DongCheng lists bits and no case. Enventor's package bullet lists a case and chisels, and the included-components attribute does not.
Will my old round bits fit?
Not in the SDS-Plus chuck by themselves. PBH reviews say you need an adaptor and that hammer mode stays off. The WX391 includes a plug-in chuck, and reviews call it clumsy. The GBH 18V-18 X claims a OneChuck for round and hex bits. That claim is not a test, and it is not a licence to hammer through an adaptor.
How heavy is too heavy for a lintel at shoulder height?
There is no single kilogram limit. The cordless bodies and the PBH sit around 1.4–2.3 kg, DongCheng is 2.9 kg, and the heavy corded tools are 5.36 kg, 7.87 kg, and 8.04 kg. A short hole at waist height is a different job from a lintel you are holding overhead. If you already struggle with the printed weight, the higher joule figure will not fix that.

Related pages

SDS rotary hammer vs combi drill

Rotary hammer for concrete

Rotary hammer

Best rotary hammer for brick, cordless or chiselling

How to use a rotary hammer for a first masonry hole

Sources

Safety figures come from legislation.gov.uk and HSE guidance. Prices, stars, and review counts are amazon.co.uk captures from 22 October 2026, not a live scrape. Bosch UK is cited only for the GBH 18V-22 joule and vibration lines that the Amazon capture does not state.

  1. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE INDG175: Hand-arm vibration (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE: Noise at work regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. HSE CN3: Construction dust from rotary drilling (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE INDG463: Control of exposure to silica dust (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. HSE: Electrical safety on construction sites (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Bosch Professional UK: GBH 18V-22 (retrieved 22 October 2026)