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

Makita SDS body only or kit

Updated: 2026-10-23

£159.90 looks like the cheap Makita cordless SDS drill until you read the box. On amazon.co.uk on 21 October 2026 that price was the DHR182Z body. The HR166DSMJ kit was £204.95, and the DHR242RTJW kit was £549.49. They are three different cartons. This page is the contents list and the point at which the bare tool is still the lower bill. It is not a lab test. A qualifying Amazon purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The table of all three is the [Makita cordless SDS drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-cordless-sds-drill).

£159.90 looks like the cheap Makita cordless SDS drill until you read the box. On amazon.co.uk on 21 October 2026 that price was the DHR182Z body. The HR166DSMJ kit was £204.95, and the DHR242RTJW kit was £549.49.

Our top picks

Makita Makita DHR182Z 18 V body

Best overall

Makita Makita DHR182Z 18 V body
8.2/10about £159.90
Makita Makita DHR242RTJW kit

Alternative

Makita Makita DHR242RTJW kit
6.3/10about £549.49
On this page

What body only leaves out

The DHR182Z bullets say the box has no battery, no charger and no case. There is no BL1850B, no DC18RC, no Makpac and no DX06. The star line is 4.6 from 304 ratings, and the review file names four UK write-ups inside that count. It drills nothing unless 18 V LXT packs and a charger are already on the shelf. Z on this ASIN means the bare tool. DHR182ZJ is a different sheet: still no battery or charger, but a Makpac is included. Do not merge Z and ZJ. A side handle and a depth stop are not on the DHR182Z included line. The £159.90 figure is the hammer only.

The £204.95 kit is a different battery

The HR166DSMJ at £204.95 includes the tool, two 4.0 Ah batteries, a fast charger, a Makpac and a depth stop. Those packs are CXT, 12 V max. The voltage cell prints 10.8 V, the same family, not a forgotten 18 V pack. Buying it to save money against the bare LXT body starts a system the DHR182 will not share. Makita UK lists no hammer-only mode. The best Makita cordless SDS drill page is where that carton is the best value. The listing does not say the charger has a BS 1363 plug. One UK review, dated 25 April 2018, reported a 2-pin European plug and said a shaver adaptor was not enough. Look at the pins. UK reviews also mention shorter battery life than expected.
Makita Makita DHR182Z 18 V body

Testsieger

Makita Makita DHR182Z 18 V body
8.2/10about £159.90

What the £549.49 kit adds

The DHR242RTJW carton is two BL1850B 5.0 Ah LXT packs, a DC18RC, a DX06, a Makpac, a side handle and a depth stop. The bullets add 2.0 J and 24 mm, in line with Makita UK, and they say G-series batteries do not fit. This is the only box here with extraction. The star line is 4.6 from six reviews. One UK write-up praises the extractor on a strip-out. The other bought the drill and the extractor separately, so it does not prove this carton. You are not paying for the 970.6 Nm cell, which conflicts with 2 Nm in the same file. A bare DHR242Z is a different suffix. Six reviews do not settle £549.49, and they do not cancel the contents list. The DX06 does not make concrete dust safe.

When the bare tool is still the lower bill

The bare DHR182Z is the lower bill when the missing parts are already paid for. If you have LXT packs and a charger, £159.90 buys the hammer. £204.95 then buys a different battery family. £549.49 buys a hood, a case and new 5.0 Ah packs, not a better hole in 10 mm brick. If you own no packs, do not add a battery price to £159.90 and call the sum an Amazon price. On 21 October 2026 Screwfix listed one BL1850B 5.0 Ah pack at £69.99 including VAT. That is one pack, not a charger, a second pack or a DX06. A reseller price of £72.95 for one 5.0 Ah pack plus a DC18RC is also not an amazon.co.uk total. £159.90 plus £69.99 is a label for two shops, and you may still need a charger. The HR166 at £204.95 can be the smaller outlay when you own nothing, if you accept CXT and check the plug.

Common questions

What does Z mean on DHR182Z?
On this listing, Z is the bare tool. The bullets say there is no battery, no charger and no case. Use the included-components line rather than the letter alone. The UK comments about hard brick refer to that body, not to a two-battery carton.
Is DHR182Z the same box as DHR182ZJ?
No. Makita UK's DHR182ZJ sheet includes a Makpac, and still no battery or charger. ASIN B07TK53ZWB is DHR182Z, and the bullets say no case. If a photo shows a Makpac, check the suffix before you assume £159.90 includes it.
What do you still have to buy for the £159.90 tool?
At least one 18 V LXT battery and a charger, if you do not own them. The listing does not include a DX06, and a side handle and depth stop are not on the included line. A BL1850B at £69.99 was a Screwfix price on 21 October 2026 for one pack only.
Does the HR166 charger have a British plug?
The listing does not say. One UK review dated 25 April 2018 reported a 2-pin European plug and said a shaver adaptor was not enough. Check the unit for a BS 1363 plug. One 2018 review does not prove every charger since.
What is the £549.49 paying for?
Two BL1850B 5.0 Ah LXT packs, a DC18RC, a DX06, a Makpac, a side handle and a depth stop. The bullets state 2.0 J and 24 mm. The line is 4.6 from six ratings. The 970.6 Nm cell is a listing conflict, not part of the receipt.
When is the bare tool still the lower spend?
When you already own 18 V LXT packs and a charger, and you do not need a dust hood in the same box. It is not the lower spend when you own nothing, or when you need the 24 mm sheet and the DX06 included.

Related pages

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. Makita UK, DHR182 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Makita UK, DHR242 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. Makita UK, HR166D (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE, hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. HSE, construction dust sheet CN3 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, supply of machinery safety regulations 2008 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Screwfix, Makita BL1850B 18 V 5.0 Ah (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. SDS Drill UK, advice when buying an SDS drill (retrieved 21 October 2026)