SDS-Quick Drills

SDS-Quick is the smallest member of the SDS family, developed by Bosch for its 12v-class Uneo drills. The shank is shorter and slimmer than SDS-Plus, designed for compact pneumatic hammer mechanisms, and the clever part is that these little machines also accept standard quarter-inch hex screwdriver bits and hex-shank drill bits straight into the same holder. One pocket-sized tool can therefore drill into brick and concrete, drill into timber and steel, and drive screws, with no chuck or adaptor.

Be clear about what these tools are for. With around 0.5 to 0.6 J of impact energy they will happily put 5mm and 6mm plug holes into brick, block and even concrete for shelving, curtain poles, radiators and light fixings, jobs where a full-size SDS drill is overkill and a normal cordless combi struggles with hard masonry. They are light, quiet by SDS standards, and small enough to use one-handed at the top of a ladder. What they will not do is take SDS-Plus bits, drill large diameters or handle any chiselling; there is no rotation-stop mode.

For a homeowner or a maintenance engineer who wants one small tool that covers hanging, fixing and light masonry drilling, SDS-Quick is a genuinely useful niche. For anything structural, or holes beyond about 10mm in concrete, step up to an SDS-Plus machine.

We list 2 SDS-Quick drills, both from Bosch, priced from around £80 to £89. Each page spells out exactly what the tool can and cannot do before you buy.