Cordless SDS-Plus Drills

Cordless SDS-Plus drills are the workhorse of the modern site. They take the standard SDS-Plus bit shank used by every major brand, so drill bits and chisels click straight in and out with no chuck key, and the hammer mechanism does the hard work of punching into brick, block and concrete. Because they run on batteries, there are no trailing leads, no transformer and no hunting for a socket, which makes them ideal for first fix, plumbers and electricians chasing in cable and pipe runs, and anyone working off a ladder or scaffold.

Most tools here run on an 18v platform (Makita LXT, DeWalt XR, Bosch Professional 18V and Einhell Power X-Change all feature), with a handful of twin-18v, 40v XGT and 54v FlexVolt machines that get close to corded power. If you already own batteries from one of these systems, a body-only version is usually the cheapest way in. Nearly all offer three modes: rotary drilling, hammer drilling, and a hammer-only setting for light chiselling, and many add brushless motors, anti-vibration handles and dust extraction compatibility for silica dust control.

When you compare models, look at impact energy in joules (J) rather than just voltage. Around 1.2 to 2 J suits fixings and general drilling up to about 20mm; 2.5 to 3.5 J handles bigger anchors and occasional breaking. Also check whether the price includes batteries and a charger, as body-only prices look tempting but the batteries are often the dearest part.

We list 53 cordless SDS-Plus drills from Black and Decker, Bosch, DeWalt, Draper, Einhell, Festool, Flex, Makita, Milwaukee, Sealey and Stanley, with prices from around £57 to £700. Every listing has a plain-English description, key features, honest pros and cons, and a link to check the current price at Tooled-Up.