If you’re looking to buy and start working with your first SDS drill then here’s a few words of advice:
- SDS drills tend to be heavy when compared to standard drills, this means that generally they’re unsuitable when working up a ladder or when space is restricted (although the more expensive models do tend to be smaller and lighter in size)
- Although you can use SDS drills for smaller DIY tasks you should do so with caution if the material you’re drilling is only light and relatively easy to drill through, otherwise the added power provided by an SDS drill can cause damage to whatever you’re drilling
- Remember that most SDS drills use special drill bits that only fit in SDS drills. If you want to use a standard drill bit then you’ll more than likely need an adaptor and you wouldn’t be able to use the hammer setting
- Look for a drill with a safety clutch, this improves safety by cutting the power to the drill but if it get jammed in the substance you are drilling. If you don’t have a safety clutch then the drill could spin out of your grip and cause harm to your wrist/arm, knock you off ladder or cause damage to the substance that you’re drilling
- If you can get a unit with a fine speed control this will enable you to be much more careful when entering and exiting substances, reducing the risk of damage
- If you’re hoping to use the drill as a chisel then remember you’ll need one with a rotation lock so that the drill bit doesn’t rotate whilst in use
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