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How to use an Einhell cordless drill

Updated: 2026-10-23

The clutch clicks and the screw stops, and you are not sure whether the Einhell cordless drill has reached the setting you chose. This page is for an owner. Products Compared separated the collar, the gear slider and hammer mode from the listings in the [Einhell cordless drill 18V comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/einhell-cordless-drill-18v). The TC-CD 18/35 has one gear and no hammer, so ignore two-speed advice on that driver. Our amazon.co.uk links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The clutch clicks and the screw stops, and you are not sure whether the Einhell cordless drill has reached the setting you chose. This page is for an owner.

Our top picks

Einhell Einhell TC-CD 18/35 Li 1.5 Ah kit

Best overall

Einhell Einhell TC-CD 18/35 Li 1.5 Ah kit
7.9/10about £43.00
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Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/50 Li-i BL Solo

Rank 2

Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/50 Li-i BL Solo
9.0/10about £53.95
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Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/44 Li-i 2.5 Ah kit

Best value

Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/44 Li-i 2.5 Ah kit
8.6/10about £44.00
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On this page
  1. 1.Set the clutch before you pull the trigger
  2. 2.Gears, direction, and the chuck
  3. 3.Register within 30 days
  4. 4.When to stop and call a professional

Set the clutch before you pull the trigger

The numbers on the collar are a slip clutch for screws, not a second gearbox. Einhell's drill and driver instructions, from a TE-CD 18/40 pattern, say you move the ring when the tool is stopped. Start on a low number. Drive a chipboard screw into a scrap batten, and raise the number until the head sits flush. If the clutch clicks and the screw stops high, the setting is too low. If the head buries itself, the number is too high. The drill symbol turns the slip clutch off. Use it for holes, not for the last turns of a brass screw. A short pull on the trigger is slower than a full pull. The centre position on the direction switch locks the trigger. Your own manual wins if the symbols differ.

Gears, direction, and the chuck

Gear 1 is the slower, higher-torque speed, for screws and larger bits. Gear 2 is the faster speed for smaller holes, once the bit is seated and the clutch is on the drill symbol. Change gear only when the chuck has stopped. The TC-CD 18/35, bare tool and 1.5 Ah kit, is single speed. Fields that print 21 or 22 speeds are the clutch count. You cannot drop to gear 1 on that driver because there is no slider. A 10 mm chuck cannot hold every masonry shank. A 13 mm chuck is the pattern on the combis that state it. Hammer mode, where the listing states it, is a third position for ordinary brick. It is absent on the two TC-CD rows. For which walls are still the wrong job, use the masonry page.
Einhell Einhell TC-CD 18/35 Li 1.5 Ah kit

Testsieger

Einhell Einhell TC-CD 18/35 Li 1.5 Ah kit
7.9/10about £43.00
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Register within 30 days

Register the tool on einhell.co.uk within 30 days if you want the extra cover Einhell publishes. Ordinary registration adds a year, taking the warranty to three years. On a tool whose model code contains BL, the brushless promise is 10 years on motor defects, and it is the motor only. A brushed TC-CD does not receive that cover. Keep the proof of purchase. Registration does not add a battery to a Solo carton, and it does not correct a Euro two-pin charger. The plug check sits on the Solo versus kit page.

When to stop and call a professional

Stop if you cannot tell whether a cable or a pipe is in the wall, or if the bit has stalled in a concrete lintel or engineering brick. Pushing harder polishes the hole. For employers, INDG175's rule of thumb is about 15 minutes on a hammer-action tool toward the 2.5 m/s² A(8) action value. These listings state no vibration number, so that time is not a runtime for your drill. Stop if the tool has smoked or the chuck has jammed. A jammed chuck is a repair, not a clutch setting. One UK report on the 80 Nm Solo described a jam on the third use. If centring the changeover switch does not free it, do not keep the trigger pulled.

Common questions

What do the numbers on an Einhell drill mean?
They are clutch settings for driving screws. A low number slips sooner. A higher number allows more torque before the clutch clicks. The drill symbol switches that slip off for drilling. They are not gears. Move the numbered ring only when the tool is stopped.
Why does the drill click and stop driving the screw?
The clutch has reached the torque you set. On a screw that is still proud of the surface, raise the number one step. On a screw that is already flush, the click is the result you wanted. If it clicks in free air, the chuck may not be holding the bit.
Which gear should you use?
On a two-speed combi, use gear 1 for screws and larger bits, and gear 2 for smaller holes once the clutch is on the drill symbol. Change only when the chuck has stopped. The TC-CD 18/35 has one speed. You cannot select gear 2 on that driver.
Does every Einhell 18V drill have a hammer setting?
No. The two TC-CD 18/35 rows in this set do not. TE-CD and TP-CD listings in the comparison state hammer mode. The twin pack's drill is described as having a hammer in UK reviews, not in the bullets. A hex impact driver is for screws, not for masonry holes.
How long do you have to register the warranty?
Einhell asks you to register on einhell.co.uk within 30 days of purchase. That adds a year, to three years in total. The 10-year brushless cover is the motor only, and only when BL is in the model code. Registration does not change what was in the box.

Related pages

Einhell cordless drill 18V buying guide

Einhell cordless drill 18V

Best Einhell 18V cordless drill: pick and value kit

Einhell combi drill for brick and when to hire SDS

Einhell Solo versus kit: when the bare body is cheaper

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. Einhell UK Power X-Change batteries (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Einhell UK TC-CD 18/35 Li-Solo (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Einhell brushless warranty (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Einhell product warranty (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. HSE vibration regulations (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. HSE INDG175 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Screwfix best drills guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)