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Makita cordless SDS drill buying guide

Updated: 2026-10-23

You are looking at three genuine Makita cordless SDS drills on amazon.co.uk, and a newton-metre column looks as if it could finish the job. On 21 October 2026 the rows were the DHR182Z body at £159.90, the HR166DSMJ kit at £204.95 and the DHR242RTJW kit at £549.49. Decide from the Makita UK sheets and the included-components line, not the torque cell. This page uses those listings and the maker pages. It is not a lab test. A qualifying Amazon purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The full table is on the [Makita cordless SDS drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-cordless-sds-drill). Read the brand, the battery family and the joules before the pounds.

You are looking at three genuine Makita cordless SDS drills on amazon.co.uk, and a newton-metre column looks as if it could finish the job.

Our top picks

Makita Makita DHR182Z 18 V body

Best overall

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

Alternative

Makita Makita DHR242RTJW kit
6.3/10about £549.49
View offer
Makita Makita HR166DSMJ 12 V max kit

Best value

Makita Makita HR166DSMJ 12 V max kit
8.0/10about £204.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the brand and the platform
  2. 2.Use joules from Makita, not newton metres from Amazon
  3. 3.Read the carton before you compare prices
  4. 4.Check the plug before you call a kit ready

Start with the brand and the platform

A Makita cordless SDS drill in this set is a Makita rotary hammer with an SDS plus holder. A title that only says 'for Makita 18 V' is a different product, and it is not one of these three ASINs. Dong Cheng, Draper, DCA and Ginour sit outside this category even when search results mix them in. The DHR182Z and the DHR242RTJW are 18 V LXT tools. The DHR242 bullets add that G-series batteries do not fit. The HR166DSMJ is a 12 V max CXT kit. Its voltage cell prints 10.8 V, the same CXT family, not a small 18 V drill. LXT and CXT packs do not interchange, and XGT is not in this Amazon set. The platform fork is on the Makita LXT or CXT SDS page.

Use joules from Makita, not newton metres from Amazon

Makita UK lists 1.7 J and 18 mm in concrete for the DHR182, with three modes including hammer only. The amazon.co.uk row prints 1.7 Nm and a parcel of 13.4 × 3.6 × 10 cm. Those are the joule digits with the wrong unit. Do not treat 1.7 Nm as fastening torque. The DHR242 bullets agree on 2.0 J and 24 mm, plus 3 mode operation. The same file also prints 970.6 Nm beside 2 Nm. Follow the bullet where it matches the maker sheet. Makita UK lists the HR166 at 1.1 J, 16 mm and two modes only, with no hammer-only line. SDS Drill UK's rule of thumb is about 1.2–2 J for plug holes up to roughly 16 mm, as advice rather than a test. None of the three is SDS max.
Makita Makita DHR182Z 18 V body

Testsieger

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

Read the carton before you compare prices

£159.90, £204.95 and £549.49 are not three prices for the same box. The DHR182Z comes without a battery, a charger or a case. Makita's DHR182ZJ sheet still has no battery or charger, but a Makpac is included. This Amazon ASIN is the one without the case. The HR166DSMJ includes two 4.0 Ah CXT batteries, a fast charger, a Makpac and a depth stop, and no dust hood. The DHR242RTJW includes two 5.0 Ah LXT packs, a DC18RC, a DX06, a Makpac, a side handle and a depth stop. That arithmetic is on the Makita SDS body only or kit page.

Check the plug before you call a kit ready

One UK review of the HR166, dated 25 April 2018, said the charger arrived with a 2-pin European plug and that a shaver adaptor was not enough. The listing does not state the plug, so check the unit for a BS 1363 plug. UK mains are 230 V. A bare DHR182Z plus a battery you buy later is a different spend from a two-battery kit with extraction. Ranking by 970.6 Nm would put the dearer kit first for a number the bullets do not support.

Common questions

Is a drill sold for Makita 18 V a Makita tool?
No. The brand has to be Makita, and the model has to be one of the three kept rows. A title that only claims compatibility with Makita 18 V batteries is a different tool. Dong Cheng, Draper, DCA and Ginour are outside this set. Pack fit was not tested here.
What should you read before the price?
Read the brand, then whether the pack is 18 V LXT or 12 V max CXT, then the joules and concrete diameter on the Makita UK page, then the included-components line. Only after that is £159.90 comparable with £204.95 or £549.49. The Amazon torque and parcel cells on these rows conflict with the bullets or with the maker sheet.
Why does Amazon show 1.7 Nm on the DHR182Z?
The file prints torque as 1.7 newton metres. Makita UK publishes 1.7 joules for the DHR182, which is impact energy, not fastening torque. The same listing prints a 24 mm chuck beside 18 mm wood and metal capacities, and a parcel of 13.4 cm. Use the maker's 1.7 J and 18 mm concrete figure.
Which of these three reaches 24 mm in concrete?
On the Makita UK sheet, and in the Amazon bullets, the DHR242 is listed to 24 mm at 2.0 J. The DHR182 sheet lists 18 mm at 1.7 J. The HR166 sheet lists 16 mm at 1.1 J. The £549.49 row is the kit, not a bare DHR242Z. Six reviews are not a large UK sample.
Does the HR166 chisel?
The Makita UK page for the HR166D lists two modes: rotation only, or rotation with hammer. It does not list a hammer-only line. The Amazon bullets for the HR166DSMJ do not name the modes. If you need to chip tiles or chase, that two-mode line is the reason to look at the DHR182 or the DHR242. Makita lists both with three modes.
Are these SDS max tools?
No. All three are SDS plus rotary hammers in the roughly 1.1–2.0 J band on the Makita UK sheets. SDS max is a larger shank for heavier breaking. SDS Drill UK's rule of thumb of about 1.2–2 J is for plug holes up to roughly 16 mm.

Related pages

How to drill brick with an SDS drill

Makita cordless SDS drill

Best Makita cordless SDS drill for the packs you own

Makita SDS body only or kit: what £159.90 leaves out

Makita LXT or CXT SDS: which battery actually fits

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)