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Makita 12V cordless drill buying guide

Updated: 2026-10-23

A Makita 12V cordless drill on amazon.co.uk can be a short hex body with no battery, a keyless kit, or the only combi in this set. By the end you should know whether you are on 12 V Max CXT, which head holds your bits, and whether the price includes two batteries. The five listings we kept are examples of those choices. The [best Makita 12V cordless drill](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-cordless-drill-12v/sub/makita-cordless-drill-12v-best) page matches each one to a job, and the [Makita cordless drill 12V comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-cordless-drill-12v) holds the table. Prices are the amazon.co.uk figures we stored, checked on 21 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.

A Makita 12V cordless drill on amazon.co.uk can be a short hex body with no battery, a keyless kit, or the only combi in this set.

Our top picks

Makita Makita DF333DWAE

Best overall

Makita Makita DF333DWAE
7.1/10about £112.69
View offer
Makita Makita DF032DZ

Best value

Makita Makita DF032DZ
6.7/10about £98
View offer
Makita Makita HP332DSAJ

Alternative

Makita Makita HP332DSAJ
6.0/10about £144.73
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Stay on 12 V Max CXT
  2. 2.Hex, keyless chuck, or the combi
  3. 3.Kit or body
  4. 4.What the listing figures do not mean

Stay on 12 V Max CXT

CXT is Makita's slide-on 12 V Max platform. The packs in these kits do not run an 18 V LXT drill or saw, and an LXT pack does not click onto a CXT tool. Older pod-style 10.8 V batteries do not fit the slide tools either. A 10.8 V cell beside a 12 V Max title is still this CXT slide platform, not a reason to hunt for a different charger. A United Kingdom review of the HP332DSAJ shows how easy the names are to mix. The buyer had read CXT as LXT, then kept the drill for pilot holes. If you already own LXT packs, read the Makita 12V vs 18V drill page before you add a second charger.

Hex, keyless chuck, or the combi

The DF033DWAE at £128.98 and the DF032DZ at £98.00 both say 1/4 inch hex in the bullets. A round twist bit will not seat. One United Kingdom buyer of the DF033DWAE expected a drill chuck and did not get one. The Makita DF033 hex or keyless chuck page stays on that component. The DF333DWAE at £112.69 states a 10 mm keyless chuck, so round-shank bits can go in the jaws. Makita UK lists 0.8–10 mm. The DF333DSAE prints 10 mm, and the attributes do not confirm keyless. The HP332DSAJ at £144.73 is the only combi, at 8 mm in masonry. That is a plug, not an SDS rotary hammer. Makita UK prints 30/14 Nm on the DF033 and DF333, and 35/21 Nm on the DF032 and HP332. Amazon often shows only the higher number.
Makita Makita DF333DWAE

Testsieger

Makita Makita DF333DWAE
7.1/10about £112.69
View offer

Kit or body

The £98.00 DF032DZ is a body. The title says no batteries are included, and the included-components row lists only the tool. There is no charger and no case. The DF333DWAE at £112.69 and the DF033DWAE at £128.98 each list two 2.0 Ah batteries, a 12 V Max charger, a carry case and a screwdriver bit. The HP332DSAJ at £144.73 lists two 2.0 Ah batteries, a fast charger and a Makpac. The DF333DSAE at £204.99 is the awkward listing. The title says two batteries, a charger and a carrying case. The included-components row names only the tool. Where the bullets say so, cover is one year plus two if you register within 30 days, and a non-genuine pack voids it. The DF333DWAE listing does not print that bullet.

What the listing figures do not mean

Watt cells, including 24 W and 350 W on the DF032DZ, are not a way to rank these drills. Rpm stays unset where the speed cells disagree. Only the DF333DSAE has both speed cells at 1,700 rpm. Makita UK states about 70 minutes for a 2.0 Ah pack and about 130 minutes for a 4.0 Ah pack on the DC10WD, with a 240 V input. Confirm the plug is BS 1363. If the work is a day of brick, or you want one pack that also runs a saw, this platform is the wrong shelf. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

Common questions

Will an 18 V LXT battery run this drill?
No. CXT and LXT are separate Makita platforms, and the slide connectors are not shared. CXT packs do not fit LXT or XGT tools. An 18 V pack you already own will not click onto these drills. Older pod-style 10.8 V batteries do not fit the slide tools either.
Do I need the combi, or is a drill driver enough?
A drill driver covers furniture, plasterboard and light steel within the stated capacities. On the DF333 family the bullets put wood at 21 mm and steel at 10 mm. Buy the HP332DSAJ when you need the 8 mm masonry figure. That figure is a plug, not a rotary hammer, and the other four listings have no hammer mode.
Which listing includes two batteries and a charger?
The box rows name two 2.0 Ah batteries and a charger on the DF333DWAE, the DF033DWAE and the HP332DSAJ. The DF032DZ is the tool only. The DF333DSAE title and the box row disagree, so read the row, not only the title.
Is the DF032DZ a complete drill at £98?
No. £98.00 is the body on amazon.co.uk. The title says no batteries are included, and there is no charger or case in the included-components row. It is a sensible price if a CXT pack is already charged. It is not a first kit, and the hex drive will not hold a round-shank bit.
Can the HP332 drill concrete?
The bullets and Makita UK state 8 mm in masonry, 10 mm in steel and 28 mm in wood. That is a small plug in brick or block, not a concrete chase and not an SDS drill. If the bit is not progressing, stop. The hammer mode is the reason to buy this listing, and it is also the limit.
Why is the DF333DSAE so much more than the DF333DWAE?
The amazon.co.uk prices we stored are £204.99 and £112.69. The dearer listing shows 4.7 from 4,773 reviews, and no review we stored is marked United Kingdom, so that count is not a British sample. The title and the included-components row also disagree about batteries. The cheaper DWAE kit names the batteries, the charger and the case in the box row.

Related pages

How to use a Makita 12V drill

Makita cordless drill 12V

Best Makita 12V cordless drill for your stated job

Makita DF033 hex driver or the 10 mm keyless chuck

Makita 12V vs 18V cordless drill: CXT packs do not fit

Sources

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.

  1. Makita UK: DF333D drill driver (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Makita UK: DF033D drill driver (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Makita UK: DF032D drill driver (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Makita UK: HP332D combi drill (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Makita: DF032D instruction manual (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Makita UK: BL1021B 12V 2.0Ah battery (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. HSE: Control of Vibration at Work Regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Screwfix: Makita DF333DWAE 12V CXT drill driver (retrieved 22 October 2026)