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HiKOKI 18V or 36V drill

Updated: 2026-10-23

You already own slide packs, or you are about to buy some, and the two green combis look like the same drill with a different sticker. A HiKOKI 18V or 36V drill choice, in this set, is the DV18DC class against the DV36DC, not a ranking of the DS18DD drill driver. Capacities are HiKOKI's catalogue and product-page figures. Prices and conflicts are the amazon.co.uk listings, checked on 22 October 2026. It is not a lab test. The rows themselves are on the [Hikoki cordless drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/hikoki-cordless-drill). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own slide packs, or you are about to buy some, and the two green combis look like the same drill with a different sticker.

Our top picks

Hikoki Hikoki KC18DCJAZ, combi and impact driver

Best overall

Hikoki Hikoki KC18DCJAZ, combi and impact driver
7.1/10about £359.99
View offer
Hikoki Hikoki DV36DCW2Z, body and case

Alternative

Hikoki Hikoki DV36DCW2Z, body and case
6.5/10about £209.99
View offer
Hikoki Hikoki KC18DCJCZ, combi and wrench

Alternative

Hikoki Hikoki KC18DCJCZ, combi and wrench
2.9/10about £357.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What actually changes between DV18DC and DV36DC
  2. 2.What a Multi Volt pack does on each tool
  3. 3.Which amazon.co.uk listing is which side
  4. 4.When neither combi is the right tool

What actually changes between DV18DC and DV36DC

The heads are both 190 mm. The DV18DC is 140 Nm hard and 20 mm in brick, with a product-page impact rate of 0–30,000/min. Do not merge that with the DV36DC. The DV36DC is 155 Nm hard and 22 mm in brick, with an impact rate of 0–33,000/min. You gain 2 mm of brick and 15 Nm. You do not gain a rotary hammer. How the collar behaves is the how to use a HiKOKI cordless drill page. An 18 V-only pack leaves the DV36DC as a body you cannot start.

What a Multi Volt pack does on each tool

The BSL36A18 switches. On the DV36DC read it as 2.5 Ah at 36 V. On an 18 V tool it is 18 V 5.0 Ah. A sheet heading that says only 5.0Ah should not be copied onto the DV36DC. The 2 x 5.0 Ah kit highlights are the 18 V reading. A BSL1820M does not run a DV36DC. Pre-Multi-Volt packs BSL3620, BSL3625, BSL3626 and BSL3660 are a different rail, and the UC36YRSL charger is excluded.
Hikoki Hikoki KC18DCJAZ, combi and impact driver

Testsieger

Hikoki Hikoki KC18DCJAZ, combi and impact driver
7.1/10about £359.99
View offer

Which amazon.co.uk listing is which side

There is no bare DV18DC among the seven kept listings. KC18DCJCZ at £357.00 adds a wrench, and the table's 600 Nm is that wrench, not the 140 Nm combi. KC18DCJAZ at £359.99 is 5.0 from 2 ratings and adds an impact driver, and the table's 210 Nm is that driver. Who should take which second tool is the best HiKOKI cordless drill page. The 36 V side is the DV36DCW2Z at £209.99, 4.3 from 10 ratings: body, side handle and case, no battery. The listing prints 33,000 rpm for the impact rate, and 2 kg against a catalogue 2.8 kg with a BSL36A18. Do not adopt a claim that a BSL1840M runs the DV36DC.

When neither combi is the right tool

If the holes are repeated structural concrete, neither combi is the tool. BS EN 62841-2-1 does not cover rotary hammers, and buying the 36 V body does not cross that limit. If the holes are in brick and you already have a Multi Volt pack, the DV36DC body is the 36 V side. If you do not, the DV18DC inside a twin pack is the 18 V side, and you still read 140 Nm as the combi. A BSL1820M does not put you on the 36 V side.

Common questions

Is the DV36DC just a DV18DC with a bigger battery?
No. The catalogue gaps are 155 Nm against 140 Nm hard, 22 mm of brick against 20 mm, 20 mm of mild steel against 16 mm, and 118 mm of soft wood against 102 mm. The DV36DC also needs a Multi Volt pack at 36 V. A larger 18 V pack on a DV18DC does not turn that combi into the 36 V tool.
What does 5.0 Ah on a BSL36A18 mean when the tool is 36 V?
It means you are looking at the 18 V reading. At 36 V the same pack is 2.5 Ah. On the DV36DC, use 2.5 Ah. On an 18 V drill, use 5.0 Ah. The 2 x 5.0 Ah line on the KC18 kits is that 18 V reading.
Will my BSL1820M run the DV36DC?
No. A BSL1820M does not run a DV36DC. The two packs in the £278.95 DS18DDQJRZ kit are that limit. You need a Multi Volt pack, such as the BSL36A18, before the £209.99 body will run.
Will a BSL36A18 run an 18 V HiKOKI drill, and at what capacity?
Yes, on current 18 V slide tools, at 18 V and 5.0 Ah. The pack switches down. Some older 18 V tools are on HiKOKI's incompatible list. On the DV36DC the same pack is 36 V and 2.5 Ah. Pre-Multi-Volt packs BSL3620, BSL3625, BSL3626 and BSL3660 do not run Multi Volt tools.
Why does Amazon show 33,000 rpm for the DV36DCW2Z?
Because the impact rate has been printed in the rotational-speed cell. HiKOKI lists the DV36DC impact rate at 0–33,000/min and high no-load speed at 0–2,200/min. The 22 in the speeds cell matches slip stages. The chuck does not spin at 33,000 rpm.
Which listing do I actually buy for each side?
For 36 V, the DV36DCW2Z at £209.99, body, side handle and case, no battery. For 18 V there is no bare DV18DC here. Buy KC18DCJCZ at £357.00 for the wrench, or KC18DCJAZ at £359.99 for the impact driver. Read 140 Nm as the combi on both. The 600 Nm and 210 Nm cells belong to the other tool.
Is a combi the right tool for repeated structural concrete?
No. A catalogue brick figure of 20 mm or 22 mm is not a structural-concrete programme. Repeated, deep or reinforced work belongs on a rotary hammer. BS EN 62841-2-1 does not cover rotary hammers. Choosing 36 V instead of 18 V does not change that limit.

Related pages

HiKOKI cordless drill buying guide

HiKOKI drill body only or kit

Hikoki cordless drill

Best HiKOKI cordless drill for the job you actually have

How to use a HiKOKI cordless drill: collar and gears

Sources

Public UK sources and manufacturer pages, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk listing figures.

  1. Hikoki UK catalogue 2025 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Hikoki DS18DD (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Hikoki DV18DC (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Hikoki DV36DC (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Hikoki DV18DEW2Z (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Hikoki Multi Volt (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Hikoki UK warranty terms, 25 August 2025 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. HSE, hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)