Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

DeWalt 12V vs 18V drill

Updated: 23 October 2026

The two yellow drills are not a big version and a small version of one battery. A DeWalt 12V vs 18V drill choice is a choice of platform. The DCD701 will not run an 18 V pack, and the 18 V combis in this set will not run a 12 V pack. Buy the DCD701 when the work is pilots, hinges, and overhead screws and you will own 12 V batteries. Buy an 18 V combi when the wall is masonry or the batteries you already have are 18 V. The [DeWalt cordless drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/de-walt-cordless-drill) lists every kept model. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The two yellow drills are not a big version and a small version of one battery. A DeWalt 12V vs 18V drill choice is a choice of platform.

Our top picks

DeWalt DeWalt DCD796P1-GB

Best overall

DeWalt DeWalt DCD796P1-GB
9.4/10about £119.98
View offer
DeWalt DeWalt DCD701D2-GB

Alternative

DeWalt DeWalt DCD701D2-GB
9.4/10about £138.64
View offer
DeWalt DeWalt DCD776

Best value

DeWalt DeWalt DCD776
9.2/10about £54.50
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two platforms, not two sizes of one battery
  2. 2.What the DCD701 is built to do
  3. 3.What the amazon row adds and confuses
  4. 4.When the 18 V combi is the one to buy first

Two platforms, not two sizes of one battery

DeWalt's 12 V XR packs are the batteries for the DCD701, and that family also accepts older 10.8 V slide packs. That is a slide-pack story inside the small platform. It is not a bridge to 18 V. An 18 V XR battery, a Powerstack pack, or a FlexVolt pack used as 18 V belongs on the DCD776, DCD709, DCD778, DCD795, DCD796, DCD799, and the combi in the twin pack. None of those packs runs the DCD701. If you already charge 18 V batteries, a 12 V kit is a second charger. Plug letters stay on the DeWalt cordless drill buying guide. This page only settles which battery family you are joining.

What the DCD701 is built to do

DeWalt's UK page for the DCD701D2-GB lists a 12 V brushless drill driver, 152 mm long, 57.5 Nm, a 10 mm chuck, and 20 mm in wood, with two 2 Ah packs and a DCB112 charger. Peak voltage in the manual is 12 V and nominal is 10.8 V. There is no masonry row. Hammer figures in that PDF, including a concrete vibration value, belong to the DCD706, which is not listed here. Reviewers call it light enough for one-handed screwdriving. A decorator used it to remove catches and handles. The bullet weight is 0.9 kg for the tool only. Metal-drilling vibration is given as 2.5 m/s², a declared test figure on the HSE action value, not your daily exposure. Brushless on 12 V is a compact driver with a clutch and two speeds, and no hammer on this model.
DeWalt DeWalt DCD796P1-GB

Testsieger

DeWalt DeWalt DCD796P1-GB
9.4/10about £119.98
View offer

What the amazon row adds and confuses

The kept listing is B07V1VVTBF at £138.64, 4.7 from 28 reviews. The title and the bullets say 12 V, two 2.0 Ah batteries, a charger, and a TSTAK box. The GB suffix matches a UK kit code. The voltage cell says 18 and the chuck cell says 13 mm, against DeWalt's 10 mm chuck and the 12 V title. Use 12 V, 10 mm, 57.5 Nm, and 20 mm in wood, and treat the Amazon 18 V and 13 mm cells as errors on this ASIN. Twenty-eight ratings is a thin sample next to the DCD796's 1,243. Four written reviews, and none describes masonry. £138.64 is a kit price for two batteries and a charger on the small platform. If you only needed a body for packs you already own, this is the wrong shelf.

When the 18 V combi is the one to buy first

Buy the 18 V combi first if you already own 18 V packs, you need a hammer stated on the listing, or the work is in the 13 mm class printed on the 18 V titles. The DCD796P1-GB at £119.98 names one 5.0 Ah pack and has the long review record. The DCD799P2T-GB at £189.97 names two 5 Ah packs and says UK plug, with 15 ratings. The DCD776 body at £54.50 is the cheap route once an 18 V charger exists. Those are different kits, not three sizes of the DCD701. An 18 V combi is the wrong first tool for overhead screws in a fitted kitchen if you will never own an 18 V pack. Set the clutch as on the how to use a DeWalt combi drill page. The DCD701 is not the tool for a lintel.

Common questions

Will my 18 V batteries fit the DCD701?
No. The DCD701 takes 12 V XR packs and older 10.8 V slide packs. An 18 V XR, Powerstack, or FlexVolt pack used as 18 V will not run it. You would be buying a second battery family, not using up the packs on your saw.
Is 12 V just a weaker 18 V?
It is a shorter drill driver for confined screwdriving, with 57.5 Nm and a 10 mm chuck on DeWalt's page, and no hammer on this model. It is not a detuned 18 V combi. The 18 V tools add the hammer and the larger battery platform. Brushless appears on both and does not make the power the same.
Can the DCD701 drill brick?
This model's manual has no masonry capacity, and the amazon listing does not state a hammer. Do not use the DCD706 concrete figures from the shared PDF. For plug holes you want an 18 V combi with a hammer stated, and for lintels you want an SDS-Plus tool.
Why does Amazon say 18 V?
The voltage cell on B07V1VVTBF says 18, and the chuck cell says 13 mm. The title, the bullets, and DeWalt's UK page say 12 V and a 10 mm chuck. Keep the clash visible and follow the title and DeWalt, not the stray cell.
What is 10.8 V compatibility?
DeWalt's 12 V packs and the DCD701 are sold as compatible with existing 10.8 V slide tools and batteries. Nominal voltage in the manual is 10.8 V and peak is 12 V. That compatibility stays inside the small platform. It does not let an 18 V XR pack run this drill.
Is £138.64 a lot for a small drill?
It is a kit price for two batteries, a charger, and a TSTAK box, on a listing with 28 ratings. It is a lot if you already own 18 V packs and only needed a body. It is a reasonable kit if the small platform is the one you mean to keep for cabinets.

Related pages

DeWalt combi drill vs SDS

DeWalt cordless drill

Best DeWalt cordless drill for kits and bare bodies

DeWalt cordless drill buying guide and plug checks

How to use a DeWalt combi drill: clutch, gear, hammer

Sources

Public sources and amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison. Listings read on 20 October 2026.

  1. DeWalt DCD799P2T-GB product page (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. DeWalt DCD796 product page (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. DeWalt DCD701 product page (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. DeWalt product registration (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. BSI BS EN 62841-2-1, hand-held drills and impact drills (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. HSE hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. HSE vibration risk assessment and time bands (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  8. HSE PUWER overview (retrieved 20.10.2026)