Home › SDS Drill Help and Guides
SDS Drill Help and Guides
Everything you need to know before buying or using an SDS rotary hammer drill, written in plain English for tradespeople and DIYers.
What Is an SDS Drill?
What an SDS drill is, how a rotary hammer works, the difference from an ordinary hammer drill, and which jobs need SDS-Plus, SDS-Max or SDS-Quick.
What Does SDS Mean?
SDS stands for the slotted shank bit system invented by Bosch in 1975. Learn what the letters mean and the difference between SDS-Plus, SDS-Max and SDS-Quick.
SDS Drill Settings Explained
What the settings on an SDS drill do: rotary mode, hammer drilling, chisel-only mode, rotation stop, safety clutches and speed control, and when to use each.
Advice When Buying an SDS Drill
Practical SDS drill buying advice for UK tradespeople and DIYers: impact energy, corded vs cordless, weight, vibration, dust extraction and features worth paying for.
Ready to compare tools? Browse all 116 drills on the search page or by manufacturer.