Wall chaser buying guide
Updated: October 2026
You are marking a socket drop in a UK hallway, and the listing in the basket is leading with 50 mm or a watt figure in the thousands. A wall chaser buying guide starts with the leaf you are allowed to cut, then the channel the cable or pipe needs, then the dust control, and only then the lead and the price. The eight amazon.co.uk rows in our [wall chaser comparison](/hub/fireplaces-and-stoves/wall-chaser) are the examples, captured on 15 October 2026 by the Products Compared editorial team. No laboratory test was run. Prices are the GBP figures on those captures, and Amazon links are affiliate links (tag pcuk26-21).
You are marking a socket drop in a UK hallway, and the listing in the basket is leading with 50 mm or a watt figure in the thousands.
You are marking a socket drop in a UK hallway, and the listing in the basket is leading with 50 mm or a watt figure in the thousands. A wall chaser buying guide starts with the leaf you are allowed to cut, then the channel the cable or pipe needs, then the dust control, and only then the lead and the price. The eight amazon.co.uk rows in our wall chaser comparison are the examples, captured on 15 October 2026 by the Products Compared editorial team. No laboratory test was run. Prices are the GBP figures on those captures, and Amazon links are affiliate links (tag pcuk26-21).
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Depth stated | Width stated | Supply | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Metabo Metabo MFE 40 wall chaser | Up to 40 mm | Adjustable | 220–240 V corded | 8.6 | about £347.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Einhell Einhell TC-MA 1300 wall chaser | 8–30 mm | 26 mm | 230 V corded | 8.3 | about £89.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  MAXXT MAXXT R2409-EU wall chaser | 10–50 mm | 8–42 mm | 220–240 V corded | 7.4 | about £128.99 | View offer |
On this page
Start with the wall, not the disc
The first number is the leaf, not the guard's maximum. In England, Approved Document A paragraph 2C30 limits a vertical chase to one third of the leaf and a horizontal chase to one sixth. On a 100 mm leaf that is about 33 mm vertically and about 17 mm horizontally, excluding plaster. It is arithmetic, not a survey of your house. A tool that can cut 50 mm can still be set too deep on a horizontal run, where the allowance is the smaller fraction. A council note of 24 April 2024, from Eden District Council, bars back-to-back chases and states 15 mm of residual thickness on hollow blocks unless the manufacturer says otherwise. Measure the leaf, then set the guard under the limit.
Width for the cable or the pipe
A trade guide treats about 30 mm by 30 mm as enough for first-fix electrics and 25 mm conduit. That is a rule of thumb, not a result from these listings. A lagged pipe still needs the pipe, the insulation, and a cover of filler before you apply the leaf limits. The Draper 54956 states 8–28 mm wide, and the Einhell TC-MA 1300 states a highlight width of 26 mm. Both MAXXT part numbers state 8–42 mm. The SUSEMSE S133 states 42 mm. The JAOGAUS GS-133-2 states no width at all.
Dust control is part of the purchase
Chasing masonry is high-risk silica work. The Health and Safety Executive's control is an M or H class extractor on the tool, plus RPE at APF 20, and extraction does not capture all of the silica. A dust port is a hose connection. A Henry that reviewers name is not that unit. The R2409-UK-VC title says "with Dust Extractor" while the bullets say the vacuum is sold separately. The JAOGAUS bullets claim a water feed leaves no dust, with no review text behind them. These sources do not show water as the HSE method. The detail is on the wall chasing and silica dust page.
Which listing illustrates which fork
None of these eight captures is a 110 V site model. Brick or block around 30 mm points at the Draper 54956 at £98.95 or the Einhell TC-MA 1300 at £89.99, both pulled rather than pushed. The Einhell solo is £229.98 for the tool only, plus two 18 V batteries and a charger. The Metabo MFE 40 at £347.99 is the trade-priced corded tool, push cut, with the extractor still to add. A wider channel you have checked against the leaf points at the two MAXXT part numbers. The JAOGAUS at £85.99 states no depth, width, or voltage. On concrete, do not default to a sub-£100 tool whose reviews describe stalling. If the method itself is the question, see wall chaser versus angle grinder.
Common questions
What should I decide before I look at brands?
Decide the material, then the legal depth for that leaf, then the width of the cable or pipe, then the dust control, then corded or cordless. Brand and price come after. On a 100 mm leaf in England the worked example is about 33 mm vertical and about 17 mm horizontal, excluding plaster. A 50 mm headline does not raise that limit.
Is a 50 mm chaser better than a 30 mm chaser for a house wall?
Only if the leaf may lose that depth. Both MAXXT listings state 10–50 mm. On a 100 mm leaf the horizontal limit is about 17 mm, so 50 mm can overcut it. The Draper and the Einhell TC-MA 1300, around 30 mm, sit closer to a cable drop, and can still be too deep if you set the guard to the stop.
What width do I need for twin-and-earth or 25 mm conduit?
A trade guide's rule of thumb is about 30 mm by 30 mm for first-fix electrics and 25 mm conduit. It is not a result from these listings. The Draper states 8–28 mm, the Einhell highlight states 26 mm, and both MAXXT models state 8–42 mm. A lagged pipe needs the pipe, the insulation, and a cover of filler before you apply the leaf limit.
Should I buy 125 mm or 150 mm discs?
Diameter sets how deep the guard can go, not whether the chase is legal. The Draper and both Einhells are a 125 mm class, around 30 mm deep. The Metabo listing states up to 40 mm and does not print a diameter. A UK review mentions 125 mm. Both MAXXT listings use two 150 mm discs and state 10–50 mm. The JAOGAUS capture states none.
Does a dust port mean I can skip a proper extractor?
No. A port is a connection. HSE's control is an M or H class extractor on the tool, plus RPE at APF 20, and extraction does not capture all silica. Reviewers mention a Henry. HSE does not call a Henry that unit. The MAXXT UK-VC title says a dust extractor, and the bullets say the vacuum is sold separately.
Which listing is not a complete specification?
The JAOGAUS GS-133-2. Depth, width, disc diameter, and voltage are absent, and the power-source field says dc while batteries are not required. The SUSEMSE 4,800 W line is a printed maximum load, not a checked rating beside the 1,320–1,900 W tools. Do not average the two MAXXT part numbers. Only the EU page states a voltage and a concrete exclusion.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, retrieved 15 October 2026.
- HSE: Chasing concrete and raking mortar (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- HSE: Construction dust (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- HSE: Silicosis (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- HSE: Construction information sheet CN2 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Approved Document A, structure (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Eden District Council: Wall chases (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- SELECT: Installation of cables (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Building work, replacements and repairs (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Approved Document P, electrical safety (retrieved 15 October 2026)