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Makita drill buying guide

Updated: 2026-10-23

You have a Makita drill in an amazon.co.uk basket, the title says 18 V, and the price looks like the end of the decision. It is not. That voltage covers more than one battery slot, and a low sticker can be a body with nothing that will turn the chuck tonight. Use this order before you pay: which family the listing names, what the included line lists, whether hammer mode is stated, and only then the price. The [Makita drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-drill) is the four-row table. This page does not rank those rows. There is no lab test, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a Makita drill in an amazon.co.uk basket, the title says 18 V, and the price looks like the end of the decision. It is not.

Our top picks

Makita DHP487Z brushless body

Best overall

Makita DHP487Z brushless body
9.4/10about £86
View offer
Makita DK18015X2 twin pack

Best value

Makita DK18015X2 twin pack
9.4/10about £182.50
View offer
Makita DHP482 with 100-piece set

Alternative

Makita DHP482 with 100-piece set
8.8/10about £97
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What 18 V Makita does not tell you
  2. 2.Body only, bit set, or a named kit
  3. 3.Cells that disagree with the bullets
  4. 4.A check order before you pay

What 18 V Makita does not tell you

Makita prints 18 V on more than one system, and the packs do not share a slot. LXT is the slide-pack family on the DHP482 and the DHP487. G-series is the family on the HP457D, the BL1813G pack and the DC18WA charger. CXT is a 12 V max line and XGT is a 40 V max line. Neither appears in this set, so a title that only says 18 V has not told you which slot you are buying. A twin pack that says 18 V is not a starter kit for an LXT drill. A tool sold as suitable for Makita 18 V batteries is a different product if the brand cell is not Makita. Those listings were left out of this comparison.

Body only, bit set, or a named kit

The letter Z on DHP487Z, and on the part number DHP482Z, means body only. ITS, a UK seller, uses that suffix the same way: no battery in the code. At £86 the DHP487Z included line is the drill and one screwdriver bit. You are not paying for a pack, a charger or a case. Only B00NOURNGW, the DK18015X2 at £182.50, names both packs and a charger: two BL1813G packs and a DC18WA, plus an HP457D, a TD127D, a canvas bag and three bits. B00NBYH3YS at £180 names two 1.3 Ah packs and a hard case, and it does not name a charger. Those packs are G-series. A Z body is the right row only when the LXT pack and the charger are already on your shelf.
Makita DHP487Z brushless body

Testsieger

Makita DHP487Z brushless body
9.4/10about £86
View offer

Cells that disagree with the bullets

On the DHP487 the speeds cell prints 20. The bullets say two mechanical gears and 20 torque settings plus drill mode. Twenty is the clutch ring, not twenty speeds. The how to use a Makita combi drill page is where that collar is explained. On B00NBYH3YS the model cell prints XDT16T and the torque cell prints 20 Nm. The bullets name an HP457 and a TD127D. Those codes do not describe the tools in the included line. The sister listing prints 42 Nm as one figure for both tools. When the model cell and the bullets disagree, trust the included line, and leave the torque cell unread until it names one tool.

A check order before you pay

Read the family first. Look for LXT on the compatible-devices line, or for BL1813G and DC18WA in the bullets. A cheaper sticker in the other family is not a saving, because the pack you have will not run the new body. Read the price last. £86 and £97 are bodies. £180 and £182.50 are G-series twin packs, and only the £182.50 row names a charger. Register a consumer purchase within 30 days if you want Makita UK's extra two years on top of the first year on the tool. That extra cover excludes business use and a worn chuck. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 still requires the goods to match the description, registration or not.

Common questions

Is a drill sold for Makita 18 V batteries a Makita drill?
Only if the brand cell says Makita. A title that says the tool works with Makita 18 V packs can be another manufacturer's body. Those listings were left out of this comparison.
What does the Z on DHP487Z mean?
Z means the code is a body. On the DHP487Z the included line is the drill and one screwdriver bit, and the title says the batteries and charger are not included. The DHP482 row uses the same idea: the part number is DHP482Z even though the title adds a 100-piece bit set. You still need an LXT pack and a charger that you already own, or a second purchase.
Does a 100-piece bit set replace a battery?
No. On B07Q22BXP4 the included components are the 100-piece drill and screwdriver set. Reviews say the battery and the charger are missing, and that this is easy to miss in the description. The bits matter after a pack is clicked on. They do not store energy, and they do not charge.
Why does the DHP482 wood cell say 13 mm?
The amazon specification table prints 13 mm in wood beside a 12.7 mm chuck. Makita UK's DHP482 sheet states an auger up to 38 mm. The 62 Nm figure agrees across those two sources. The wood figure does not.
Which of these four names a charger?
Only B00NOURNGW, the DK18015X2 at £182.50, names a charger, and the charger is a DC18WA. That charger belongs with the BL1813G packs in the same bullets, not with an LXT drill. The DHP487Z and the DHP482 listing do not include a charger. B00NBYH3YS does not name one in the included line.
Are the twin packs a way to start an LXT set?
No. Both twin packs are 18 V in the title, and both put small packs next to an HP457-family combi and a TD127D impact driver. The £182.50 row names those packs as BL1813G. Part Shop Direct lists the BL1813G as G-series only, not as an LXT pack.

Related pages

Best Makita drill

Makita LXT or G-series

Makita combi drill or SDS

Makita drill

How to use a Makita combi drill: clutch, gear, hammer

Sources

Sources for this comparison, last checked on 22 October 2026.

  1. Makita UK DHP487 product page (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Makita UK DHP482 technical PDF (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Makita UK warranty (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Part Shop Direct BL1813G battery (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE vibration in construction (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. HSE noise for employers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. HSE CIS36, control of silica dust (retrieved 22 October 2026)