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SDS plus vs SDS max chisel

Updated: 2026-10-23

The chisel will not go into the chuck. SDS plus vs SDS max is a shank difference first, and a job difference second. Plus is the 10 mm system on the rotary hammer most UK households already own. Max is the 18 mm system on a breaker. They do not cross. If the drill says SDS plus and the job is tiles, plaster or a short chase, use the [SDS plus chisel comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/sds-plus-chisel). If the job is a reinforced floor or a concrete yard, hire a max breaker. This page does not rank the ten listings. Prices are GBP. Links may earn us a commission.

The chisel will not go into the chuck. SDS plus vs SDS max is a shank difference first, and a job difference second. Plus is the 10 mm system on the rotary hammer most UK households already own.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 2607019457 3-piece set

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 2607019457 3-piece set
9.4/10about £19.95
View offer
Firecore Firecore 75 mm angled chisel

Alternative

Firecore Firecore 75 mm angled chisel
9.3/10about £13.29
View offer
Hilka Hilka 40 mm SDS chisel

Best value

Hilka Hilka 40 mm SDS chisel
9.3/10about £4.84
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two shanks
  2. 2.What each system is for
  3. 3.Buy plus, or hire max
  4. 4.Listings that say SDS and nothing else

Two shanks

TEH Tools states it plainly: an SDS plus shank is 10 mm, an SDS max shank is 18 mm, and they are not interchangeable. The max steel is visibly thicker and stops at a plus chuck. Grinding it down, or wrapping a plus shank, loses the lock the striker needs. A 20 × 250 mm plus flat is not a 600 mm max flat. Read the nameplate. If you already know you have plus, the edge is on the buying guide.

What each system is for

SDS plus is for a chase, plaster, ceramic tiles or a patch of screed. SDS Drill UK’s rule of thumb is about 2.5 to 3.5 joules for regular chiselling, and about 5 joules upward as max territory. BuildWiz puts plus at about 2 to 5 joules and max at about 8 to 30, and says a plus drill on a full slab burns motors. Those are guides, not a figure printed on any chisel here. A thin screed can still come up in hammer-only. The boundary is a reinforced floor or a yard slab, not any concrete. How to select hammer-only is on the how to use page. A wide plus blade is still a plus blade.
Bosch Bosch 2607019457 3-piece set

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 2607019457 3-piece set
9.4/10about £19.95
View offer

Buy plus, or hire max

If you already own an SDS plus drill and the job is tiles, plaster or a chase, buy a plus chisel. In this set those shelf prices run from £4.84 to £19.95, which is not a hire quote. A max breaker for an afternoon of ceramic is a shank you cannot fit. If the job is one reinforced slab or a concrete yard, hire the max breaker and take the max chisels that come with it. A plus chisel will not turn a light hammer into that machine, and the hire steels will not fit the plus drill when you get home.

Listings that say SDS and nothing else

Every kept listing that states a system says SDS plus, except Hilka’s 40 mm chisel, ASIN B00LK2WFDC, at £4.84. The title says SDS. One UK review says the piece is SDS plus. That is uncertainty about plus, not an example of max. Do not treat a bare SDS title as proof of either shank. If the housing says SDS-plus or SDS+, you are in this comparison. If it says SDS-max, you are in a hire shop. Check the body of the tool, then buy the edge for the job you actually have.

Common questions

What is the shank size difference?
SDS plus is a 10 mm shank. SDS max is an 18 mm shank. TEH Tools states both sizes and says they are not interchangeable. The max steel is visibly thicker and will not pass the rollers in a plus chuck. You do not need a gauge if the housing is marked, but the diameters are the reason a near fit still fails.
Can I put a max chisel in a plus drill?
No. The shank will not lock, and grinding it down destroys the fit the striker needs. A plus chisel will not lock in a max chuck either. Use the chisel that matches the mark on the drill body. Adapters that promise both systems are outside this comparison, and they are not a reason to buy the wrong steel.
Is SDS the same as SDS plus?
Often in casual speech, and not on a product title. In UK DIY, SDS drill usually means the plus rotary hammer people own. A listing that only says SDS can still be plus, as with the Hilka review, or it can be hiding a max shank. Read the drill, then the chisel bullets, before you trust the short title.
Will my plus drill break a concrete floor?
It can chip a thin screed or a small patch in hammer-only. It is the wrong tool for a reinforced floor or a yard slab. UK guides put that heavier breaking with SDS max, and they warn that a plus drill on a full slab overheats. Hire a max breaker for the slab. Do not expect a £20 plus chisel to change the hammer’s joules.
What joules do I need?
SDS Drill UK’s rule of thumb is about 2.5 to 3.5 joules for regular chiselling, and about 5 joules upward as max territory. BuildWiz uses about 2 to 5 joules for plus and about 8 to 30 for max. Both are guides, not a rating printed on any listing here. Match the chuck first. A chisel does not upgrade a 2 joule hammer into a breaker.
Should I buy a max breaker for one slab?
Hire it. A max breaker is the right machine for one reinforced pad or a yard, and it is a poor purchase if that is the only day you will use it. The chisels that come with the hire are max chisels. They will not fit the plus drill you use for shelves the week after. Return them with the machine.

Related pages

SDS chisel for tile removal

SDS plus chisel

Best SDS plus chisel for plaster, chasing or tiles

SDS plus chisel set: point, flat, spade or tile blade

How to use an SDS plus chisel on your rotary hammer

Sources

Sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026.

  1. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE INDG175, hand-arm vibration (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE, vibration controls (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE, chasing concrete and raking mortar (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional UK, chisels (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Bosch GBH 2-26 manual (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. TEH Tools, SDS-Plus vs SDS-Max (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)