SDS drill

[romic]

I'm thinking of getting a corded SDS plus drill - nothing fancy.

I need one that I can use for a channelling chisel bit

For this, I need a drill that has a roto stop

Looking through the Screwfix catalogue, there are various SDS plus drills that say they are suitable for: drill, hammer drill, chisel. However not all of them say they are roto stop. If a drill is advertised as being OK for chisel, does this mean that it would have roto stop?

I am specifically looking at the DeWalt 2kg SDS Plus Drill (Summer Screwfix cat p.830), either the £129.99 or the £199.99. (I don't know why the difference in price as the spec for both seem identical, unless the extra £70 is purely because it's L shaped)

Roger

[Bob Minchin]

If it chisels then it will have a roto stop.

2kg is the best weight for drilling but can be a bit light for big chiselling jobs. All depends what you do most of. For occasional DIY drilling with a very capable chiselling capacity I have the 6Kg Screwfix TITAN bought about 3 years ago for £50 which has survived well including being lent to relations which is normally a sure fire way of killing tools!! Maybe even buy a cheap 6Kg and a 2kg if the need and budget is there. BTW buy quality bits and chisels - worth it in the long run.

Bob

[RubberBiker]

I bought the older version (GBH-2-24DFR) of this:

's now 10 years old and has been pushed far beyond its spec quite a few times as well as a lot of routine work - I'm quite likely to replace it with the same. The reviews on Screwfix are favourable too.

Mine is actually the DFR model, same basic drill but comes with an interchangeable twistlock chuck - making it very capable for larger timber and steel drilling.

[Ian White]

"Roto stop" is even more ambiguous than you think, because in hammer-only mode it's also very desirable to have a multi-position rotation *lock* to prevent the chisel from twisting.

The only way to make sure is from the manufacturer's website (and even there, be very careful to match the exact model number).

In that price range you should be looking for the full three modes, including rotation lock for hammer mode, and of course a safety clutch.

It's also important to have a good trigger-operated speed control, though you won't see much about that in a spec sheet.

There's more in the Wiki.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I have the 'original' small DeWalt which has been great. It's similar (in appearance) to the 129.99 one.

[John Rumm]

Have a look at:

is basically a rebadged Makita HR2450, which is a very good SDS - precise and delicate speed control, multi-position lock in chisel mode, lots of power etc. I have had the Makita one for quite a few years and it has been nothing short of excellent. The only down side is that it does not have a swappable chuck for regular drilling like some do (although obviously you can fir a regular chuck on the end).

[romic]

Thanks for the comments

I've had the DeWalt drills recommended to me by a friend who uses them but, on looking at their web site, I see that the brushes aren't replaceable. I don't know how often they need replacing (I see that the instruction manual states the drill should be returned after 40 hours use) or the cost involved, but the cost and inconvenience is something I'd have to look at.

Thanks for the recommendations - I see that, other than the DeWalt, they have replaceable brushes. I'll have to have a detailed look at their specifications.

I'm looking at doing various work around the house, and decided that it's time to sort myself out some decent tools that will last. Generally there won't be much heavy use of the tools, although there will be various masonry drilling and wall chasing out to do.

Roger

[Malcolm]

Have a look in Wickes. I have had the 2Kg drill (around £100) for a number of years and am very satisfied with it. It is a re-badged Kress and as such is serviced by Draper in the UK - they replaced a broken mains lead FoC and sent it back to me even though it was out of warranty

Malcolm

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've never replaced brushes on any drill - and my oldest one is 40 years old... Of course it's not much used these days.

[Tim S]

Bob Minchin coughed up some electrons that declared:

Interestingly, I have an Hitachi 2kg and it seems more effective (ability to usefully impart energy) than my 8kg ALDI.

However, the Hitachi will get damn hot after 15-20 minutes of non stop brutality, whereas the ALDI doesn't care what you do to it.

Long and short - my Hitachi is more useful for a wide variety of odd jobs and can do most "normal sized" jobs but needs lots of breaks if you go in for a long stint.

The ALDI, being cheap and heavy is reserved for concrete breaking and plaster mixing and at 35 or 40 quid or whatever it was, why not :)

Cheers

Tim