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SDS max chisel set: shank, tip, and length

Updated: 2026-10-23

The basket is full of chisels that all say SDS. The SDS max chisel set worth paying for has an 18 mm shank and the tip that matches the job, whether that is a concrete pad, a cable chase or a tile bed. A star rating does not make that choice. This is the order of the decision, from the amazon.co.uk listings we kept in October 2026. We did not run a workshop test. The [SDS max chisel comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/sds-max-chisel) is where those seven products sit side by side. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The basket is full of chisels that all say SDS. The SDS max chisel set worth paying for has an 18 mm shank and the tip that matches the job, whether that is a concrete pad, a cable chase or a tile bed.

Our top picks

Nucraft Nucraft angled tile chisel

Best overall

Nucraft Nucraft angled tile chisel
9.4/10about £11.04
View offer
Bosch Bosch PRO SDS max-4C flat

Best value

Bosch Bosch PRO SDS max-4C flat
8.2/10about £9.95
View offer
Keewaki Keewaki 4-piece 450 mm

Alternative

Keewaki Keewaki 4-piece 450 mm
7.4/10about £36.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Check the chuck before the basket
  2. 2.Pick the tip for one job
  3. 3.Choose a length you can control
  4. 4.Set or a single chisel
  5. 5.What the listing must show

Check the chuck before the basket

SDS max and SDS Plus are different chucks. Heller’s shank guide puts SDS Plus at about 10 mm and SDS max at about 18 mm, and the two do not interchange. A title that only says SDS is not enough, because ordinary SDS and SDS Plus share the 10 mm family. If the hammer does not say SDS max, stop. We do not recommend an adaptor, and a Plus shank sold as max is not the goods as described under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Shelf prices here run from £9.95 for a Bosch flat to £36.99 for a four-piece 450 mm set. Either figure is wasted on the wrong shank. The SDS max versus SDS Plus page separates the three names before you order.

Pick the tip for one job

A point starts a break in a concrete pad or a mortar joint. It punches a tile bed instead of sliding under the ceramic. A flat, often about 25 mm, dresses and splits. A wide or spade blade, about 40–80 mm, clears mortar and render and can lift tiles if you keep it shallow. An angled wide blade does that job with the hammer off the floor. A gouge or U-groove cuts a cable slot. None of those edges substitutes for another. Buy the tip you will use this week. A tube of four is wasted if three pieces stay in the tube. Whether a stated 15 degree bend beats a straight wide blade belongs on the tile page.
Nucraft Nucraft angled tile chisel

Testsieger

Nucraft Nucraft angled tile chisel
9.4/10about £11.04
View offer

Choose a length you can control

About 280–300 mm suits walls, where you can see the edge. About 400–450 mm adds reach on a floor. Longer steel snaps more easily if you lever it, because the side load sits further from the chuck. HSE’s vibration guidance says not to keep a blunt breaker chisel in use, because a dull edge makes the hammer run longer for the same break. A Bosch flat is printed as 25 × 280 mm on the scope line and as 37 cm in the dimensions, and reviews mention other lengths. You cannot treat that page as a 280 mm chisel until you measure the steel. A 450 mm set is the floor-reach choice only when the chuck is already SDS max. On a wall chase, the extra length is mostly leverage you should not use.

Set or a single chisel

A single is the better buy when you know the edge. A Bosch flat is £9.95, an angled tile chisel is £11.04, and a straight wide tile chisel is £17.09. A set earns its price only if you will use more than one tip. The four-piece 450 mm set at £36.99 includes a point, a 25 mm flat, an 80 mm wide blade and a 25 mm U-groove. If the job is only tiles, three pieces are spectators. Einhell UK’s £30.95 set is part 49190110 and names 40Cr. The amazon.co.uk Einhell set is part 49190103 at £29.99 and does not carry that steel line.

What the listing must show

The page has to agree with itself before a star line means anything. On the Bosch flat the scope line says 25 × 280 mm and the dimensions say 37 cm. On the 450 mm set, a specification field says carbide tipped, with a 118 degree point and a spiral flute. The bullets describe heat-treated alloy steel and do not mention carbide, so treat that field as unverified. Heat treated or Long Life is a process claim, not hours on concrete. If the hammer is a light SDS Plus drill, more steel will not enlarge the chuck. Hire an SDS max breaker for a structural opening or a day on a pad. Buried cables and pipes are the same stop.

Common questions

Will an SDS max chisel fit a normal SDS drill?
No. A normal SDS or SDS Plus chuck is about 10 mm. An SDS max chisel is about 18 mm, and the two do not lock in each other’s tools. If the chuck is marked SDS max, that is the shank that seats.
Do I need a point, a flat, or a wide blade for a concrete pad?
Start with a point, then a flat, often about 25 mm, to dress the break. A wide blade, about 40–80 mm, clears loose material once the pad is open. If the surface is tiles on a screed, leave the point in the tube.
Is 300 mm or 400 mm the better length?
About 280–300 mm suits walls. About 400–450 mm adds reach on a floor. The longer piece is easier to snap if you lever it sideways. Extra length is not a tougher grade of steel.
Is a four-piece set better than one flat chisel?
Only when you will use more than one tip. A single flat at £9.95 is one 25 mm edge, and that listing’s length lines disagree. A 450 mm four-piece at £36.99 adds a point, a wide blade and a U-groove.
Does heat treated tell me how long it will last?
No. It describes a process, not an hour-count. HSE’s point is that a blunt breaker chisel keeps the hammer running longer, so you change the edge rather than trusting the bullet.

Related pages

SDS max chisel for tile removal

Best SDS max chisel

SDS max chisel

How to use an SDS max chisel safely on a UK hammer

SDS max versus SDS plus: which shank actually fits

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. Heller Tools, SDS shank guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. TEH Tools UK, SDS Plus vs SDS max (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE, INDG175 hand-arm vibration (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE, vibration controls (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. HSE, construction dust CIS36 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Bosch Professional GB, flat chisels (retrieved 22 October 2026)