SDS Drill Hire in Sheffield

Local SDS Drill Hire Sheffield

A SDS hammer drill is the ideal tool to use for the drilling of hard brickwork, concrete, and most types of masonry. Unlike a percussion drill a SDS drill can tackle the difficult job of drilling into really hard engineering bricks, concrete, and hard stone. It does this by way of a powerful hammer action mechanism that is built into this type of power tool. It can be obtained for rental from your local tool hire shop.

What does the SDS on a sds drill stand for? 

SDS stands for Special Direct System, although some users refer to it as a "slotted drive system" due to the bits having a slot cut into each side of their shanks. These slots allow the drill bit being used to be hammered forward by the powerful action of the tool, whilst being gripped by ball bearings that locate within the same slots. This differs from a percussion type drill where the drill bit is secured with a jawed chuck. It is also worth noting that sds and sds+ (plus) refer to the same type of tool.

How does a sds hammer drill work?

One of these tools works by way of an internal piston that fires the inserted drill bit back and forth at a high percussion rate. At the same time the motor within the tool rotates the bit around, this dual action allows the tool to deliver a high force that basically rotates and hammers the drill bit through most types of hard construction materials.

The friction of the drill bit being used is kept relatively low -  increasing the effectiveness of this type of power tool. The slots (mentioned above) that are present in the drill bit allow the bit to glide forward and back easily as it is rotated. As you can probably imagine, these "slots" should be greased slightly with each change of drill bit to maintain the performance as well as reliability and ease of drill bit changing.

Are all sds+ drills the same?

If you are looking to hire a sds drill from a tool hire shop in Sheffield you may be offered a choice of models to pick from. All sds drills are hammer drills that are designed for the heavy drilling of hard concrete, masonry, and stone materials.

Usually available to hire are models that are two mode or three mode. A two (2) mode sds drill will work in the hammer action mode mentioned above as well as having a rotary (non-hammer action) action. The rotary action is used for the drilling of metal, plastics, and woodwork and will require a suitable adapter and chuck to be fitted. A three (3) mode sds+ drill also has the addition of a "hammer only" function. When used this stops the rotation of the unit allowing small sized chisel to be fitted, these can be used for light chiselling of masonry, plaster, and soft building materials such as mortar, cement, and breeze / thermal blocks. This "hammer action" mode is also commonly referred to as "rotary stop", and "chisel action" mode by professional users and tool hire shops.

Can you use "normal" drill bits in a sds hammer drill?   

You cannot use "normal" smooth shanked masonry drill bits in a sds+ drill - and there would be no benefit in trying to do so! These heavy duty hammer drills must be fitted with sds+ drill bits which can be freely purchased at your tool rental shop as well as at most DIY superstores. SDS drill bits can also be purchased online from all types of outlets including here.

What are SDS Max drills?

These are a totally different type and specification of drills. SDS Max drills are power tools that have a different "bit" system and which are designed for the drilling of really large diameter holes in masonry.

If your unsure as to which type of hammer drill you need for a particular job - simply ask the tool hire shop for advice! As a rule if you need to drill a hole up to around 24mm in size then a sds hammer drill is what you want. Above this size then you are probably looking at a sds "max" unit.

What about drilling holes for an extractor fan, ductwork, and piping?

A sds drill may be suitable for carrying out the above - but only with a core drill attachment. It all depends on the size of hole that needs drilling, the depth of the hole, and the type of material. Again for advice we recommend you contact your local tool hire company.   

Where can you find a company that offers SDS Drill Hire in Sheffield?

This powerful tool can be rented for use on a temporary basis from Turner Hire based in Sheffield.

It can be hired for a single day, several days, over a weekend, or for an alternative period of time.

Contact Details:

Turner Hire and Sales
426 London Road
(Near Queens Road)
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
S2 4ND

Telephone: (0114) 2581682