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Rotary hammer for concrete

Updated: 2026-10-23

The combi drill has stopped on the lintel, the hard brick, or a small core you hoped would be quick. A rotary hammer for concrete, in this set, means an SDS-Plus tool used inside the diameter the listing actually states. It does not mean a breaker, and a concrete bullet is not a promise about a reinforced slab. The Products Compared editorial team used the amazon.co.uk capture and named UK sources. There is no lab test, the prices are not a live scrape on 22 October 2026, and a qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The ten rows are on the [rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/rotary-hammer).

The combi drill has stopped on the lintel, the hard brick, or a small core you hoped would be quick. A rotary hammer for concrete, in this set, means an SDS-Plus tool used inside the diameter the listing actually states.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE

Best overall

Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE
9.2/10about £59.94
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Enventor Enventor Z1C-HW01-3288EP

Alternative

Enventor Enventor Z1C-HW01-3288EP
8.8/10about £84.99
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.The concrete sizes these listings state
  2. 2.Lintels and hard brick
  3. 3.Rebar, steel lintels, and reinforced concrete
  4. 4.Dust, vibration, and when to stop

The concrete sizes these listings state

Read the concrete cell before you trust the word concrete in the title. The GBH 18V-22 Amazon capture does not state a concrete diameter. Bosch UK states 4–22 mm for that model, optimum 4–12 mm. Do not paint that range onto the GBH 18V-18 X or onto 0611927000. Four Amazon rows state no concrete diameter at all: the PBH 2100 RE, the DongCheng, the GBH 18V-18 X, and 0611927000. A blank cell is not 32 mm. If the fixing is a 30 mm hole, only the listings that state 32 mm even claim it.

Lintels and hard brick

DIY Doctor treats a concrete lintel as an SDS job: start with a smaller bit, hold the tool straight, and move the hole if you hit steel. PBH reviews describe that move in practice. People who could not finish a lintel with a combi drill used the 550 W PBH. Enventor reviews describe lintels on a tool that states 6 J and weighs 7.87 kg, and they say there is no reverse if the bit binds. UK Lintels notes that a steel box lintel is a different fixing from a concrete lintel. On steel, stop at the metal and change to a metal bit and the fixing the lintel maker specifies, often a tek screw.
Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch PBH 2100 RE
9.2/10about £59.94
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Rebar, steel lintels, and reinforced concrete

UK Lintels describes reinforcing bars in a concrete lintel, often about 10–12 mm in the example they show. If the bit sparks, squeals, or stops cutting, treat that as steel. DIY Doctor's default is to move the hole rather than keep a carbide tip spinning on the bar. If you cannot move the hole and you are not sure, stop. DEKOPRO's own bullet says not to use that 5.5 J hammer on extra-thick reinforced concrete. Enventor's 6 J and 32 mm bullet are the highest stated figures here, on SDS-Plus, with no reverse in the reviews. A 6 J pistol hammer is not a breaker. When the job is a reinforced slab, a structural opening, or a full day of hammering by an employee, hire a breaker or bring in a competent person.

Dust, vibration, and when to stop

Concrete dust is a silica problem. HSE sheet CN3 covers hand-held rotary drilling. Capture the dust on a short job. Use an M or H class extractor when drilling is the main activity, or respiratory protection of APF 20 if you cannot. A ceiling hole drops dust onto you. No listing states a decibel level. At work, the daily vibration action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8) and the limit is 5 m/s² A(8). INDG175's 15-minute rule of thumb is not a measurement of these ten tools. None of the corded hammers here is stated as 110 V. Seating the bit is how to use a rotary hammer.

Common questions

Will these rotary hammers drill a concrete lintel?
They are the class of tool DIY Doctor points at for a concrete lintel, and PBH reviews describe lintels after a combi stalled. That is not a promise once you hit a reinforcing bar. The WX391's stated ceiling is 13 mm. Enventor and DEKOPRO state 32 mm and weigh about 8 kg. A steel box lintel is a metal fixing. If you are unsure the lintel can spare the hole, stop.
What concrete diameter does each listing actually state?
Amazon states 13 mm for the WX391, 22 mm for the WX381.9, 26 mm for the Stanew, and 32 mm for the Enventor and the DEKOPRO. Bosch UK states 4–22 mm, optimum 4–12 mm, for the GBH 18V-22 only. The PBH, the DongCheng, the GBH 18V-18 X, and 0611927000 do not state a concrete diameter on Amazon. Do not borrow 32 mm for a blank row.
What should I do if the bit hits steel?
Stop. A carbide masonry tip spinning on a bar will spark and blunt. DIY Doctor's advice is to move the hole. A dedicated rebar cutter is rotary only. If moving the hole is impossible and the bar is structural, a competent person should decide.
Can I chase out tiles with the same tool?
Only if that listing claims a hammer-only mode and you have a chisel. The PBH, WX381.9, DongCheng, Enventor, Stanew, and DEKOPRO claim the mode. The three Bosch 18 V bodies and the WX391 do not state it. PBH reviews call the chisel mode limited for heavy mortar. A full floor strip is closer to a breaker hire than to a 550 W pistol drill.
Is a 6 J SDS-Plus hammer a breaker?
No. Enventor's 6 J and DEKOPRO's 5.5 J are the highest stated impact energies in this SDS-Plus set. Hire companies offer a separate breaker class, often on 110 V. Use the 6 J tool for the holes it is described for, if you can lift 7.87 kg. Hire the breaker when the concrete has to come out.
When do I hire a breaker or stop because the concrete is structural?
Hire a breaker or get a competent person for a reinforced slab, a structural opening, or a full day of hammering by an employee. Stop on your own lintel if you hit steel and cannot move the hole safely. Domestic 230 V hammers in this capture are not stated as 110 V site tools.

Related pages

Best rotary hammer

Rotary hammer buying guide

Rotary hammer

How to use a rotary hammer for a first masonry hole

SDS hammer vs combi drill: when the UK lintel skates

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)