What is an SDS Drill and Why Should You Get One?

What is an SDS drill and is it worth investing in one? SDS is short for Slotted Drive Shaft or Slotted Drive System. These drills are typically used for heavy-duty drilling into materials such as brick, stone, concrete and other types of masonry. Unlike regular drills, they have a unique design that provides a high level of power during drilling. They also allow you to use the drill in three modes - rotary, hammer and rotary/hammer. With this type of drill, even the toughest material can be drilled quickly and easily, without the risk of drill bits breaking. If you’re planning to do some renovation or demolition, an SDS drill is the way to go. 

Everything You Need to Know About SDS Drills

Before we share some of the advantages of SDS drills, let’s take a closer look at this type of drill to find out how it compares to standard drills. 

These drills use SDS bits, which are placed into the chuck to create a rotary hammer or hammer drill. The main types of drill bits used in these tools include SDS Plus and SDS Max. These bits are very similar, with a few small differences. 

• SDS Plus bits are smaller and thinner, with two open grooves and two closed grooves. The grooves are attached by locking balls. The bits come in a variety of sizes. Generally, they are best for smaller holes as they are thinner.

• SDS Max bits are thicker, with three open grooves that are attached to locking segments rather than balls. These bits are ideal for larger hammer drills, making bigger sized holes. SDS Max chisels are used for chiselling, digging chipping and other heavy work.

Why Use an SDS Drill?

Using a regular drill is fine for wood, metal and other materials. For heavy materials such as masonry, you will need tools and drill bits that will not easily wear or break. If you often do bigger projects around the house, such as breaking up driveways, removing walls or anything else that requires a lot of power, you will need tools that are up for the job. 

Demolition and other projects involving masonry take time and effort. Using SDS power tools will make things a lot easier. On the flip side, these tools are not always cheap. If you are planning a large once-off project, you may not want to fork out money to get a tool you won’t likely use too much after the work is done.

If you want the benefits of this drill without investing in a new drill, you can convert your regular drill by replacing the chuck with an SDS chuck. This gives you all of the benefits of an SDS tool, without having to purchase a separate tool. 

Ruwag offers a selection of premium quality SDS bits for every type of project. We also offer SDS chisels and SDS bit sets that include a variety of sizes. Shop our range now to find the best bits for your SDS drill.