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SDS chisel to remove tiles

Updated: 2026-10-23

A straight 20 mm flat skates on the glaze or punches a hole through the tile and into the screed. You still have most of the floor stuck down, and you now have a crater. An SDS chisel to remove tiles is a wide, cranked blade, about 75 mm to 100 mm, used in hammer-only so the edge can get under the ceramic and the adhesive. The tile will break. This page is that job only, with the amazon.co.uk chisels we compared. The rankings sit on the [SDS plus chisel comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/sds-plus-chisel). Prices are GBP. Affiliate links may earn us a commission.

A straight 20 mm flat skates on the glaze or punches a hole through the tile and into the screed. You still have most of the floor stuck down, and you now have a crater.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 2607019457 3-piece set

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 2607019457 3-piece set
9.4/10about £19.95
Lytool Lytool 40 mm and 100 mm set

Alternative

Lytool Lytool 40 mm and 100 mm set
9.4/10about £16.14
On this page

Why the blade is wide and bent

Bosch Professional UK points tile removal at a tile chisel, not a generic flat. The crank lets the wide edge lie nearer the floor. In this set that means Firecore at 75 × 250 mm and 15 degrees, £13.29; Lytool’s 100 × 280 mm blade, angle not stated, at £16.14 with a 40 mm chisel; HPMAISON at 75 × 185 mm and 25 degrees, £9.99; and WORKPRO at 75 × 165 mm, degrees not stated, £11.99. Keewaki’s bend is only 40 mm. A 75 mm edge can still overload a light drill if you lean on it. Shapes for plaster as well as tiles are in the buying guide.

Floor tiles and adhesive

Start at an edge or a doorway. Set hammer-only, keep a low angle, and let the blows run under the tile. When the ceramic lifts, move along. Do not prise. WORKPRO and HPMAISON reviews include snaps during that work, and the 165 mm WORKPRO is called short for the floor. How to lock the angle is on how to use an SDS plus chisel. Firecore at 250 mm and 15 degrees, 4.5 from 1,002 ratings, is the more comfortable reach. Lytool’s 280 mm piece is the longest. One review says it lifted porcelain, and another that the fixing end broke after 15 minutes.

Wall tiles and plaster

Wall tiles need a lower angle than a floor, because the edge is working towards plaster you may want to keep. HPMAISON’s 25 degree crank is steeper than Firecore’s 15 degrees, and one review says that edge gouged the plaster. If the plaster has to stay, stop at the first deep groove. A 20 mm flat is the follow-up for a chase once the tiles are gone. The Bosch three-piece stops at 40 mm. People lift a few wall tiles with that spade. It is a poor plan for a whole bathroom. If the wall is structural, or you cannot find the cables, stop.

What is too small or too much tool

The Bosch PRO flat at £7.70 will not lift a bathroom floor, and the three-piece at £19.95 is still the wrong only buy if tiles are the whole job. Hilka’s £4.84 40 mm flat has snap-in-the-chuck reviews. Stop if you suspect asbestos. For a domestic ceramic floor, buy Firecore for 250 mm at 15 degrees, or Lytool for 100 mm if you can accept an unstated angle. A reinforced slab is a breaker, not a wider plus blade. The same fork is on the best SDS plus chisel page.

Common questions

What width do I need for floor tiles?
About 75 mm to 100 mm, cranked, on an SDS plus hammer in hammer-only. Firecore is 75 mm. Lytool’s wide piece is 100 mm. A 20 mm or 40 mm straight flat punches or skates once the tile is stuck across its back. Keewaki’s bent chisel is only 40 mm, so it is not this width.
Is a crank necessary?
For a floor, yes if you want the edge under the tile without standing the drill on its nose. A straight flat can start a loose edge and then binds. The listings that state an angle are Firecore at 15 degrees and HPMAISON at 25 degrees. WORKPRO and Lytool are cranked or angled and do not print the degrees. Do not invent a number for them.
Will the tiles come off whole?
Do not plan on it. Hammer blows shatter ceramic, especially porcelain and any tile bedded in a full coat of adhesive. Reviews describe lifting floors, not saving the tiles for reuse. If you need them intact, this is the wrong method. A cranked chisel is for removal, not for salvage.
Can I scrape adhesive with the same chisel?
You can take off a good share of the adhesive with the same wide edge after the tile is up. A thin, hard bed will still need a scraper. Bosch’s PRO SDS plus floor scraper is 130 mm with a replaceable blade at £172.12 including VAT, and Faithfull lists a 400 × 100 mm SDS plus scraper at £47.99. Those are different tools from a 75 mm forging.
Is 165 mm long enough?
For a small patch, sometimes. WORKPRO is 165 mm and reviewers call it short for floor work. HPMAISON is 185 mm. Firecore at 250 mm and Lytool at 280 mm keep the drill further off the tiles. Short is not the same as weak, and both short listings also have snap reviews, so length is not the only limit.
What if the chisel gouges the plaster?
The edge is too steep or not square to the wall. HPMAISON reviews include that gouge. Lower the angle, take smaller bites, and stop if the plaster has to remain flat. A 25 degree crank is more aggressive on a wall than a 15 degree one. Patching is likely. Do not keep hammering in the same groove.

Related pages

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)