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How to use a tile chisel on an SDS hammer

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have the bit in one hand and the rotary hammer in the other, and the kitchen floor still looks intact. How to use a tile chisel here means hammer-only, a greased shank, and a blade that stays nearly flat, so you lift the tile instead of excavating the screed. This page is that sequence. It does not rank the seven listings. Sizes and prices sit on the [chisel tiles comparison](/hub/flooring-tools-and-accessories/chisel-tiles). Peter F., 20 October 2026: public UK guidance and review notes, no laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the bit in one hand and the rotary hammer in the other, and the kitchen floor still looks intact.

Our top picks

VonLux VonLux two-piece cranked set

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VonLux VonLux two-piece cranked set
8.1/10about £16.90
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Lebahan Lebahan 165 mm 25° tile chisel

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Lebahan Lebahan 165 mm 25° tile chisel
7.6/10about £12.99
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HPMAISON HPMAISON 185 mm bent tile chisel

Alternative

HPMAISON HPMAISON 185 mm bent tile chisel
7.4/10about £9.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Before the first blow
  2. 2.Fit the bit and select hammer-only
  3. 3.Lift, do not excavate
  4. 4.Adhesive, and when to stop

Before the first blow

Stop before any method if the floor might be vinyl tile, thermoplastic tile, paper-backed sheet, or bitumen adhesive. The Health and Safety Executive lists those as materials that can contain asbestos. HSE sheet a23 describes a gentle hand scraper, wetting, and no sanding. An SDS masonry chisel is not that method. Floor substrates and old vinyl are on remove floor tiles with an SDS chisel. On ceramic or porcelain you are confident is ordinary tile, Topps Tiles puts goggles, gloves, and covered arms on the list, because chips leave at face height. A loose tile or a free edge is the start. If nothing is loose, break one tile and work under the rim that break creates.

Fit the bit and select hammer-only

Seat the SDS-Plus shank until it locks, then tug it. Einhell describes that shank as about 10 mm with two grooves. If the collar is SDS-Max, or you are holding a combi drill, stop. The chuck check is in the buying guide. Select hammer-only, sometimes marked as a chisel or as roto-stop. Duro's sheet says to use the angled blade only with rotation stopped, and to grease the shank before and during use. UK notes include a shank that snapped after something like 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or about an hour. Stop when the tail bends, cracks, or disappears into the chuck. Do not drill a broken stub out. Return a bit that failed on first use.
VonLux VonLux two-piece cranked set

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VonLux VonLux two-piece cranked set
8.1/10about £16.90
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Lift, do not excavate

Start at the free edge, with the crank nearly parallel to the floor. Pro Tiler Tools says keep a powered blade flat, and do not force it down into the screed. The bend, whether the listing says 15°, 25°, or only cranked, is supposed to slide under the tile. A steep angle turns it into a pick. A stab throws a chunk of screed out with the tile. If the tile does not move, shift along the joint rather than standing on the machine. A 75 mm blade is clumsy in a tight corner. If the blade skates, go back to the opening. If the hammer jumps and the floor crumbs, flatten it.

Adhesive, and when to stop

Adhesive is a second pass, with the same shallow angle, taking the high spots rather than chasing every smear into the concrete. After the ridges are down, lay a straight edge across the floor and mark the hollows. Stop when the shank bends or sticks, or when the bed is pre-1970s mortar that Topps says may need hired gear. If you are still choosing a club hammer, that decision is SDS chisel vs bolster. At work, the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 set an action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8) and a limit of 5 m/s² A(8). A first-session failure goes back under section 9 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Common questions

Which mode should the hammer be in?
Hammer-only, with rotation stopped. Makers call that roto-stop or chisel mode. Drill mode, and hammer-drill mode, spin the edge and heat the shank. Duro's tile-chisel sheet says not to use this blade on a machine that cannot lock rotation. If your only drill revolves, the chisel will sit there, which is what one HPMAISON reviewer found.
Should I grease the shank?
Yes, before you start and again during the job. The grease belongs on the SDS tail that slides in the chuck, using whatever the hammer maker allows. It is there to limit heat. A shank that is too hot to touch, or that has changed colour, is a signal to stop and let it cool, not a cue to carry on through the next row of tiles.
Where do I start if no tile is loose?
Break one ceramic tile to make an edge, then work the blade under that rim. Topps Tiles describes that opening on a kitchen floor. Stabbing the middle of a sound field is how the tip digs into the screed before any tile moves. On a floor that might be old vinyl rather than ceramic, you do not break a tile at all. You stop and follow HSE guidance.
What angle lifts a tile instead of digging?
Keep the crank nearly parallel to the floor so the blows run under the tile. A steep angle acts as a pick and pulls screed out with the ceramic. If the hammer jumps and the floor crumbs, flatten the blade. If it only skates, go back to the free edge. A stated 15° or 25° is the shape of the steel, not a licence to stand the hammer on end.
What if the shank gets hot or bends?
Stop. Grease and hammer-only are how you avoid that heat, and they are not a repair once the tail has bent or cracked. UK notes on these listings include snaps from about 15 minutes to about an hour. Do not keep working a bent bit, and do not drill a broken stub out of the chuck. Return a bit that failed on first use.

Related pages

Best tile removal chisel

Chisel tiles

SDS plus tile chisel guide: chuck, width, and bend

Remove floor tiles SDS: stop if it may be asbestos

SDS chisel vs bolster for tiles on plaster or brick

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, checked in October 2026. Prices, stars, sizes, and review themes come from the amazon.co.uk snapshot in the display file.

  1. HSE: where asbestos is found (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE asbestos essentials a23 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE ST4: hand and pneumatic chiselling (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GB: tile chisels (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Einhell UK: rotary hammer chisel fittings (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Screwfix: DeWalt SDS Plus cranked tile chisel 40 mm × 250 mm (retrieved 20 October 2026)