The best Makita cordless drills 12V, compared.
Top pick: Makita DF333DSAE Best value: Makita DF032DZ – Best value, and not the top pick: a brushless 1/4 inch hex body at about £98, 4.4 from 70 reviews, with no battery, charger or case in the box. Updated October 2026.
A 12V cordless drill is a compact lithium-ion drill driver, or a small combi, sold in the UK as 10.8 V nominal and 12 V maximum. You use it for furniture, plasterboard, short screws and a few brick plugs. It is for short jobs in the house. The pack has to be that tool's own 12 V slide battery. An 18 V pack will not run the body, and an older pod-style 10.8 V battery often will not fit a slide pack. Round-shank bits need a 10 mm keyless chuck. Hex bits need a 1/4 inch hex. Only a combi states a masonry diameter, and about 8 mm is a few plugs, not an SDS drill. A kit names batteries, a charger and a case. A body-only box does not. Read torque in newton metres, not a watt figure. The charger needs a BS 1363 plug for 230 V mains, and a non-genuine pack can void the cover. Head, kit and platform are set out in the [12V cordless drill buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-cordless-drill-12v/sub/makita-cordless-drill-12v-buying-guide).
A 12V cordless drill is a compact lithium-ion drill driver, or a small combi, sold in the UK as 10.8 V nominal and 12 V maximum. You use it for furniture, plasterboard, short screws and a few brick plugs.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Which bits will you drive?
The Makita DF333DSAE is listed at £204.99 on amazon.co.uk, with a star line of 4.7 from 4,773 reviews. No review in the saved listing is marked United Kingdom, so that count is not a British sample and this comparison does not treat it as one. The title says two batteries, a charger and a carrying case, while the included-components row names only the DF333DSAE, and those two lines are left as they stand. Where the listing cells agree, the tool is a 10 mm chuck, 30 Nm, two gears, 1,700 rpm, 21 mm in wood and 10 mm in steel, at a listed weight of 1.2 kg. Keyless, brushless and an LED are not stated as attributes, and hammer mode is not on the listing. It is the same DF333 family as the cheaper DWAE kit, at a much higher shelf price, with a box you should check against the title before you count on the batteries.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You specifically want the DF333DSAE listing and will check the box against the title before you rely on the batteries.
Less suitable: You want the cheaper DF333DWAE kit, a confirmed keyless chuck in the Amazon attributes, or reviews written in the United Kingdom.
Specifications
Common questions
What does the DF333DSAE title include?
The title says two batteries, a charger and a carrying case. The included-components row names only DF333DSAE, so the box contents are not confirmed by both fields. The raw price is £204.99.
Is there a United Kingdom review in the saved listing?
No. The Customer Reviews line says 4.7 out of 5 stars from 4,773 reviews. No review block is marked United Kingdom, so that count is not a British sample.
What chuck and torque does the listing state?
Maximum chuck size is 10 mm, torque is 30 Nm, gears are two, and both speed cells say 1,700 rpm. Wood is 21 mm and steel is 10 mm. Keyless, brushless and hammer mode are not stated as attributes.
The Makita DF333DWAE is a 12 V Max CXT kit at £112.69 on amazon.co.uk, with a 10 mm keyless chuck in the bullets and two 2.0 Ah batteries, a charger and a carry case named in the included-components row. Across 19 reviews the listing sits at 4.5, and only two of those reviews in the saved listing are marked United Kingdom. Both are short and positive: one describes it as lightweight and sturdy for daily building jobs, and neither states a fault, so the British sample does not show a recurring complaint. The bullets give 30 Nm, two speeds, 20 torque settings plus drill mode, 21 mm in wood and 10 mm in steel. The listing wood cell says 30 mm, so the two wood figures do not match, and rpm is left as n/a because the bullet says 1,700 rpm while a speed cell also prints 700 rpm. Brushless is not stated, and there is no hammer mode. In this set it is the top pick when you want a keyless chuck and batteries together, and a poor match if you need masonry or a larger set of United Kingdom reviews.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a genuine 12 V CXT kit with a 10 mm keyless chuck and two batteries for furniture and light timber.
Less suitable: You need masonry, or you want a United Kingdom review sample larger than two short comments.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the DF333DWAE listing include batteries and a charger?
Yes. The included-components row lists two 2.0 Ah Li-ion batteries, a 12 V Max charger, a carry case and a screwdriver bit. The amazon.co.uk price in the saved listing is £112.69.
What chuck does the DF333DWAE use?
The bullets say a 10 mm keyless chuck. Wood capacity in the bullets is 21 mm and steel is 10 mm. The listing wood cell says 30 mm, so those two wood figures do not match.
Does the DF333DWAE have a hammer mode?
No. The listing drill type is Basic Drill. Brushless is not stated in the title or the bullets. The listing and the bullets both say two speeds.
The Makita DF032DZ is a brushless 12 V Max CXT body at £98.00, listed at 4.4 from 70 amazon.co.uk reviews. Six of the reviews in the saved listing are marked United Kingdom. They use it for blinds, shutters and overhead screws, and one reviewer drove 6 x 150 mm screws into unpiloted timber and still did not call it underpowered. The same set says it would struggle where more torque is needed, and that reviewer keeps an 18 V combi for those jobs. The title says no batteries are included, and the included-components row lists only the tool, so the £98 price is not a charger or a case. The bullets describe a 1/4 inch hex drive, an LED job light and an electric brake, and one reviewer finds the hex collar releases the opposite way to a one-handed pull toward the tool. Listing torque is 35 Nm, and rpm stays n/a because the speed cells disagree. It is the best value here if you already own CXT packs and drive hex bits, and the wrong first buy if you need round-shank bits or a battery the same day.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own 12 V CXT packs and want a short brushless driver for 1/4 inch hex bits.
Less suitable: You need a battery in the box, a three-jaw chuck, or masonry.
Specifications
Common questions
Are batteries included with the DF032DZ?
No. The title says no batteries included, and the included-components row lists only the DF032DZ. There is no charger or case in that row. The raw price is £98.00.
Is the DF032DZ brushless, and what drive does it use?
The title says brushless. The bullets say a 1/4 inch hex drive, a keyless chuck, an LED job light and an electric brake. Listing torque is 35 Nm. The two speed cells do not agree, so rpm is not shown.
What do United Kingdom reviews say it struggles with?
One United Kingdom review says it would struggle where more torque is needed and keeps an 18 V combi for that work. Another dislikes the direction of the hex collar. The listing line is 4.4 from 70 reviews.
The Makita DF033DWAE is a 12 V Max CXT kit at £128.98, listed at 4.4 from 21 reviews, with seven United Kingdom reviews in the saved listing. Those reviews use it for curtain rails, taking doors off for painting, plasterboard and lighter DIY, and they describe it as compact next to an 18 V tool. The bullets give a 1/4 inch hex drive rather than a three-jaw chuck, and one United Kingdom buyer expected a drill chuck and did not receive one. The included-components row lists two 2.0 Ah batteries, a 12 V Max charger, a carry case and a screwdriver bit, though reviewers say the case leaves little room for accessories. Torque is 30 Nm, with 20 settings plus drill mode and two speeds, and the bullets put wood at 21 mm and steel at 10 mm. Rpm is not shown, because the bullets say up to 1,700 rpm and the speed cells say 700 rpm. It suits hex screwdriver bits when you want batteries in the box, and it is the wrong listing if your existing bits are round shank or you need masonry.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You drive 1/4 inch hex bits and want a complete 12 V CXT kit with two batteries.
Less suitable: You need round-shank bits, a keyless chuck, or a hammer mode.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the DF033DWAE have a drill chuck?
The bullets say a 1/4 inch hex chuck, not a three-jaw chuck. A United Kingdom review expected a drill chuck and did not get one. The kit lists two 2.0 Ah batteries, a charger and a carry case at £128.98.
What did United Kingdom reviews use it for?
Reviewers mention curtain rails, taking doors off, plasterboard and lighter DIY. They also say it is not for heavy masonry or large bolts. The listing line is 4.4 from 21 reviews.
How many speeds does the listing claim?
Two, in the bullets and in the Number of Speeds cell. Rpm is not settled: the bullets say up to 1,700 rpm and the speed cells say 700 rpm. Torque is 30 Nm.
The Makita HP332DSAJ is the only combi drill in this set, at £144.73, listed at 3.8 from nine amazon.co.uk reviews. Four of the reviews in the saved listing are marked United Kingdom. The title calls it a brushless 12 V Max CXT combi, and the bullets state 8 mm in masonry, 10 mm in steel and 28 mm in wood, with a 10 mm keyless chuck and 35 Nm on the listing. The box names two 2.0 Ah batteries, a fast charger and a Makpac case. Those United Kingdom reviews call it light and well built for overhead work, and they also call it extremely noisy. The battery shape will not let the tool stand upright, and one buyer had misread CXT as LXT before keeping it for pilot holes. Another saw little reason to start a CXT kit unless the price was a deal. Rpm is n/a because the speed cells disagree, and 8 mm in masonry is a plug hole rather than a day with an SDS drill.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the only hammer mode in this set, for a few 8 mm plugs, with batteries in the box.
Less suitable: You want a quiet drill, an SDS tool, or you already own 18 V LXT packs.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the HP332DSAJ a hammer drill?
Yes. The title calls it a brushless combi drill. The bullets state 8 mm in masonry, 10 mm in steel and 28 mm in wood, with a keyless chuck. Listing torque is 35 Nm.
What comes in the HP332DSAJ box?
The included-components row lists the tool, two 2.0 Ah Li-ion batteries, a fast charger and a Makpac case. The raw price is £144.73. Listing voltage is 10.8 V; the title says 12 V Max CXT.
What do the United Kingdom reviews complain about?
Noise, a battery shape that will not let the tool stand upright, and one buyer who had misread CXT as LXT. The listing line is 3.8 from 9 reviews.
Five Makita 12V CXT listings on amazon.co.uk were scored from listing facts and review notes, not from a lab test and not from a vibration measurement. The score adds star points, a listing-sample block, a fit block and a price band of 2 to 8. Rpm stays unset where the speed cells disagree. The DF333DSAE line of 4,773 reviews is not treated as a British sample, because the saved listing has no review marked United Kingdom. Prices are the amazon.co.uk figures stored for this comparison.
Stars
40%The amazon.co.uk star rating divided by 5, multiplied by 40, and rounded. The star line stays the UK listing figure, not a lab score.
Listing sample
10%70 reviews score 10. 21 and 19 reviews score 6. Nine reviews score 2. The DF333DSAE sample is capped at 2 because no review in the saved listing is marked United Kingdom, so 4,773 is not a British sample.
Fit
24%12 points for a genuine Makita 12 V drill, plus 6 for a confirmed 10 mm keyless chuck, plus 4 when batteries are named in the included-components row, plus 2 when the title says brushless.
Value
26%Amazon.co.uk shelf price: 8 points under £100, 7 under £120, 5 under £140, 4 under £160, otherwise 2. The £98 body is the best value. It is not a complete kit. The score adds these price points, which top out at 8.
Start with the battery platform, then the head, then hammer or driver, then kit or body. A watt cell is not motor output, and an 8 mm masonry figure is not an SDS drill. The notes below follow that order for these five amazon.co.uk listings. None of the scores is a lab test.
A Makita cordless drill 12V here is a CXT drill driver, or the HP332 combi, rated 10.8 V to 12 V maximum. You buy it for furniture, plasterboard, short screws and a few brick plugs. An 18 V LXT pack, including a pack for a DHP482, will not run these tools, and an older pod-style 10.8 V battery will not fit the slide CXT pack.
An 18 V LXT pack will not run these bodies, and a CXT pack will not run an LXT tool. One HP332 buyer had misread CXT as LXT. Older pod-style 10.8 V batteries do not fit the slide pack either.
The DF033 and the DF032 use a 1/4 inch hex. A United Kingdom review of the DF033 expected a drill chuck and did not get one. The DF032 driving shank is not 3/8 inch when the listing and the 1/4 inch line say otherwise.
Ignore 24 W, 21.6 W and 350 W cells in these tables. Makita UK prints hard and soft torque in newton metres: 30/14 Nm on the DF033 and DF333, and 35/21 Nm on the DF032 and HP332. Amazon often shows only one of those numbers.
Stay on CXT. An 18 V LXT battery, including a pack for a DHP482, will not run these tools, and an older pod-style 10.8 V battery will not fit the slide CXT pack. If you want one pack for a saw as well, this page is the wrong platform. Round-shank bits need the 10 mm keyless chuck on the DF333 or the HP332. The DF333DWAE bullets state that chuck. The DF333DSAE listing states 10 mm, and keyless is not confirmed. Hex bits suit the DF033 and the DF032.
DWAE and DSAJ listings include two 2.0 Ah packs, a charger and a case. The DF032DZ is the body alone, so the £98 shelf price is not a charger or a case. The DF333DSAE title says a two-pack kit, and the included-components field names only the tool. Do not count on those batteries until both lines agree. Read torque as the Makita UK hard and soft pair: 30/14 Nm on the DF033 and DF333, and 35/21 Nm on the DF032 and HP332. A single 30 Nm or 35 Nm bullet is the hard figure, not the soft one.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a two-pack kit and round-shank bits for rails and furniture. The Makita DF333DWAE is about £112.69, with a 10 mm keyless chuck, two 2.0 Ah batteries, a charger and a case, and 4.5 from 19 reviews. Only two of those reviews are marked United Kingdom.
You want a shorter brushless body and you will bring your own 2.0 Ah or 4.0 Ah slide pack. The Makita DF032DZ is about £98, 1/4 inch hex, with 4.4 from 70 reviews. The box is the tool only. There is no charger and no case.
You want the only hammer mode in this set, for a few plugs, with batteries in the box. The Makita HP332DSAJ is about £144.73, brushless, 10 mm keyless, two 2.0 Ah packs and a Makpac, with 3.8 from 9 reviews. Eight millimetres in masonry is not a day of concrete.
In this set of five amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the Makita DF333DWAE, about £112.69, with a 10 mm keyless chuck, two 2.0 Ah batteries, a charger and a case, and 4.5 from 19 reviews. Only two of those reviews are marked United Kingdom. Wood is 21 mm in the bullets and 30 mm in the listing cell, and there is no hammer mode. The best value is the DF032DZ at about £98, a brushless 1/4 inch hex body with 4.4 from 70 reviews and no battery in the box. The other three have no award. The DF333DSAE star line of 4.7 from 4,773 is not a United Kingdom sample. None of these scores is a lab test.
Makita DF032DZ
Best value, and not the top pick: a brushless 1/4 inch hex body at about £98, 4.4 from 70 reviews, with no battery, charger or case in the box.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the product display for this comparison.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings used in this comparison, checked on 22 October 2026. We did not lab-test these Makita 12V cordless drills.
