The best SDS Max rotary hammers, compared.
Top pick: Enventor SDS Max 1500 W Best value: Enventor SDS Max 1500 W – Higher score per raw pound among the listings that print joules, at £118.99 with a bit in the box. Updated October 2026.
An SDS Max rotary hammer is a two-handed mains tool with an 18 mm, five-groove chuck. In the UK you buy one when renovation or occasional trade work has outgrown an SDS Plus drill: larger holes in concrete, and a hammer-only mode that drives a chisel. It is not a picture-hanging drill, and it is not a chisel-only breaker. An SDS Plus bit will not seat. Hammer drilling makes the holes. Hammer-only drives the chisel, and you change mode only with the motor stopped. A useful listing states impact energy in joules, names a side handle, and suits a UK socket: nominally 230 V and a BS 1363 plug. Many sites use a 110 V centre-tapped supply, so a 13 A plug is the wrong machine there. Weight, and whether the box holds a bit, a chisel and a case, matter more than watts. How the 18 mm shank differs from the 10 mm system is set out in the [SDS Max and SDS Plus guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/sds-max-rotary-hammer/sub/sds-max-rotary-hammer-vs-sds-plus).
An SDS Max rotary hammer is a two-handed mains tool with an 18 mm, five-groove chuck.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What is already in your kit?
Across 13 amazon.co.uk ratings the Enventor SDS-Max sits at 5.0, a thin sample beside the Einhell’s 447. The bullets state 12 joules, 40 mm, 1,500 W, 520 rpm and up to 4,100 blows per minute, and the box names a 16 mm bit, an 18 mm pointed chisel, grease and a case at £118.99. UK reviews in the saved listing call it heavy and more at home breaking concrete and brick than drilling small holes, which matches the 10.1 kg listing weight. One reviewer found it too much tool for light DIY, and another noted that similar capacity exists for less money. The technical table does not print a voltage, though a UK review describes a fixed cable and a 3-pin plug. Reviewers also mention a plastic case and the noise. It is the lower outlay when you want a bit in the box and can live with 13 reviews. It is a weak match if you need a large review base or a lighter hammer for overhead holes.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first large hole or a small break-out when you want a bit and a chisel in the case and can accept a thin review sample.
Less suitable: Overhead drilling, buyers who want several hundred ratings, and a 110 V site.
Specifications
Common questions
What chuck and modes does the listing state?
The bullets state an SDS-Max chuck with tool-free bit changes, and three positions: hammer only, hammer drilling, and chisel adjust. They say to change mode only when the tool is switched off. The table prints a maximum chuck size of 1.57 inches and a drilling capacity of 40 mm is in the bullets.
What steel is in the box?
The bullets list one 16 mm SDS-MAX drill bit, one 18 mm pointed chisel, an assistant handle, grease, two carbon brushes, a dust cap, a wrench, a ruler and a carrying case. They do not name a flat chisel.
What voltage does the table print?
The technical table does not print a voltage. One UK review in the saved listing describes a fixed cable and a UK 3-pin plug. The listing does not call the tool cordless.
The Einhell TE-RH 40 3F, model 4257935, is the listing with the wider evidence: 4.3 from 447 amazon.co.uk ratings at £169.00 in the saved listing. Bullets state 1,050 W, 10 joules, up to 4,100 blows per minute and 40 mm in concrete, with hammer drilling and chiselling with and without lock. The box is an E-Box M55, a side handle, a 40 cm pointed chisel and a 40 cm flat chisel, and no drill bit. Listing weight is 7.2 kg, lighter than the Enventor’s 10.1 kg, and UK reviews say it breaks concrete and block while the anti-vibration takes the edge off. One verified UK reviewer said the supplied chisels broke quickly and bought replacements at Screwfix. The technical table prints 18 V beside power source AC, which the manual does not support: the Einhell sheet says 220–240 V. A single non-UK review describes an oil seal leaking after a few deep holes, which is one report rather than a rate. You get the largest review count here and two chisels, and you still buy a Max bit separately and you still ignore the 18 V cell.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional concrete and block work when you want a flat chisel and a review sample in the hundreds.
Less suitable: Anyone who treats the 18 V cell as a battery tool, and a job that needs a drill bit on day one.
Specifications
Common questions
Which modes do the bullets name?
The bullets name hammer drilling, and chiselling with and without fixing, selected on a rotary switch. The table's number-of-speeds cell prints 3.
What does the voltage cell say?
The technical table prints 18 Volts and power source AC. The bullets do not describe a battery or a charger. They state 1050 W, 10 joules and an SDS-Max chuck.
Is a drill bit included?
No drill bit is named. The included-components line lists the hammer, an E-Box M55, an additional handle, a pointed chisel and a flat chisel, both 40 cm.
The Makita HR4013C/2 is the 240 V corded listing at £608.93 in the saved listing, with 4.3 from 227 ratings. The bullets state two modes, 40 mm in concrete, a 40 mm maximum bit diameter and a 105 mm TCT core, and they do not print joules. Listing weight is 6.9 kg, the lightest of the three, and the case contains grease, a depth stop and a handle, not a bit or a chisel. The stored review texts are largely from outside the United Kingdom, so they are not British opinion. Those texts include renovation use, a motor that smoked after half an hour, chiselling that went better than drilling thick solid concrete, and a chuck that jammed. The UK manual’s 8.0 joule figure is a manufacturer number, not an Amazon bullet, and the US 11.4 joule line does not belong here. At more than three times the Einhell’s raw price you are paying for the 240 V name, variable speed and a declared vibration figure, and you still supply the steel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 230 V house or workshop when you already own SDS Max bits and chisels and want the lightest of these three.
Less suitable: A first-time buyer who needs steel in the case, a 110 V site, and anyone reading the non-UK reviews as local proof.
Specifications
Common questions
Do the bullets state the impact energy?
No. The bullets state two modes, SDS-max bits, 40 mm in concrete, a 40 mm maximum bit diameter and a 105 mm TCT core. The table prints a maximum torque of 8 Nm and does not print joules.
What comes in the case?
The included-components line lists bit grease, a carry case, a depth stop, a handle and the HR4013C/2. It does not list a drill bit or a chisel.
What voltage does the listing print?
The title and the table print 240 V, and the power source is corded electric. The table also prints 11 A and 1100 W, while the item type name prints 1000 W.
Three amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the stored files. This is not a lab test and not a ranking of every SDS Max hammer on the market. Stars, review evidence, kit and stated impact, and the raw price band are weighted 30, 35, 20 and 15. A blank voltage cell, a table that conflicts with the bullets, and watt cells that disagree are deductions. The highest score is the top pick. Best value is the higher score per raw pound among the two listings that print joules.
Stars
30%Stars are (amazon rating / 5) × 30, rounded to the nearest integer. A 5.0 is 30 points. A 4.3 is 26. The line stays the stored amazon.co.uk figure.
Review evidence
35%400 or more stored ratings score 35, 200 to 399 score 28, and fewer than 50 score 8. If the stored review texts are mostly not from the United Kingdom, this block is capped at 18.
Kit and stated impact
20%Joules printed in the bullets add 6. A named drill bit adds 4, a named chisel adds 4, and a case adds 3. A 220–240 V cell with no conflicting cell adds 3.
Raw price band
15%Under £150 scores 15, £150 up to £300 scores 12, and £400 and above scores 4. The stored prices are £118.99, £169.00 and £608.93.
Check the shank before the price. SDS Max is an 18 mm, five-groove chuck, and an SDS Plus bit will not seat. You want hammer drilling for holes and a hammer-only setting for a chisel, changed only with the motor stopped. Read impact energy in joules where the bullets print it. Watts do not replace that figure. Then read the weight, the voltage cell and the included line. A bit, a chisel and a case decide what you can do on the day it arrives. A 13 A plug is the wrong match for a 110 V site.
An SDS Max rotary hammer rotates and hammers. The chuck is the 18 mm, five-groove system. SDS Plus is the 10 mm, four-groove system for anchors and light chiselling, usually on tools under about 5 kg. The two shanks do not interchange. A demolition breaker that uses an SDS Max chuck only chisels. That is a different machine. Cordless SDS hammers checked alongside this set were Plus tools, at about 2 joules, not Max.
SDS Plus is 10 mm and will not seat in an 18 mm chuck. A search for Max still returns Plus drills, bits and chisel-only breakers. Read the shank on the bullets before you compare watts or stars.
One technical table prints 18 V beside power source AC. The bullets state 1,050 W and an SDS Max chuck, and the manual says 220–240 V. That cell is a conflict, not a battery platform. A blank voltage cell is also not proof of cordless.
Hammer drilling and hammer-only are selected with the motor stopped. Included chisels are a starter set, not a site kit. One UK review said the supplied chisels broke quickly. Non-UK review text is not British opinion.
SDS Max is an 18 mm, five-groove chuck. SDS Plus is 10 mm and will not seat. If the search result is Plus, it belongs in a different comparison. Modes should include hammer drilling and hammer-only chiselling. In this set, one listing states three positions, including chisel adjust. Another states hammer drilling and chiselling with and without lock. The third states two modes and does not name drill-only. Change mode only with the motor stopped.
Listed weights here are 10.1 kg, 7.2 kg and 6.9 kg. UK reviews of the 10.1 kg tool call it heavy, noisy, and more at home breaking concrete and brick than drilling small holes. One reviewer found it too much tool for light DIY. A lighter hammer is easier to hold overhead and still needs steels you may have to buy. A house needs nominally 230 V and a BS 1363 plug. One title and table print 240 V, corded. One table omits voltage.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are drilling a few large holes or breaking a small patch, and you want a bit and a chisel in the case. The Enventor listing states 12 joules and 10.1 kg at £118.99, with 5.0 from 13 reviews. Compare the weight before the price. The review sample is thin, and the voltage cell is blank.
You have outgrown SDS Plus bits, and those bits will not fit this chuck. The Einhell TE-RH 40 3F states 10 joules and 7.2 kg at £169.00, with 4.3 from 447 reviews, two chisels and no drill bit. Buy a Max bit, and do not treat the 18 V table cell as a battery tool.
You want a 240 V SDS Max hammer and you already own the steels. The Makita HR4013C/2 is the lightest here at 6.9 kg and £608.93, with 4.3 from 227 reviews that are mostly not from the UK. It is not the 110 V version. A slab may still be a hire job.
The top pick is the Einhell TE-RH 40 3F. It scores 75: 4.3 from 447 amazon.co.uk ratings, 10 joules and 40 mm stated in the bullets, two 40 cm chisels and an E-Box, at £169.00 in the saved listing. The technical table prints 18 V beside AC, which the manual does not support, and no drill bit is in the box. One UK review said the supplied chisels broke quickly. The best value is the Enventor SDS Max 1500 W at £118.99, score 64, with 12 joules stated, a 16 mm bit and a pointed chisel, and only 13 ratings. It lists 10.1 kg, and the voltage cell is blank. The Makita HR4013C/2 scores 52 at £608.93. 240 V is printed, joules and steel are not, and the stored review texts are mostly not British opinion. Neither result is a ranking of every SDS Max rotary hammer in the UK.
Enventor SDS Max 1500 W
Higher score per raw pound among the listings that print joules, at £118.99 with a bit in the box.
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 from the research digest, carried onto this page on 22 October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the stored amazon.co.uk figures in the display file, not a fresh shelf check.
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 the stored UK listing figures. We did not lab-test these SDS Max rotary hammers.
