The best Metabo cordless drills, compared.
Top pick: Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic Set Best value: Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic – 4.5 from 145 reviews at about £114.67, with two 12 V packs, for furniture rather than brick. Updated October 2026.
A cordless drill is a battery tool that turns a bit. In a UK home you buy one for flat-pack furniture, cupboard fixings and the occasional plug in soft brick. You recognise a suitable cordless drill by checks that stay true when the models change. A hammer collar is for masonry. A plain drill driver is not for brick, and the hammer cannot be added later. A 12 V push-in pack and an 18 V slide pack do not interchange. A body-only listing means you already need a matching pack and charger. Hard torque is the headline figure. The clutch range is lower, and that is what protects a screw. The same name can still be printed with two torque figures and two masonry diameters, so match the order number on the current UK sheet. A combi hammer bores masonry only inside the stated diameter. It is not an SDS tool and it does not chisel. Take the battery off before you change a bit. Those checks are the [cordless drill buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-cordless-drill/sub/metabo-cordless-drill-buying-guide).
A cordless drill is a battery tool that turns a bit. In a UK home you buy one for flat-pack furniture, cupboard fixings and the occasional plug in soft brick.
28 products checked · 61 hrs invested · +24,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Will you drill brick?
Order 600080710 is the PowerMaxx set at about £129.00, rated 4.8 from 36 reviews, with no United Kingdom review text on the listing. Non-UK reviews describe a light tool for furniture and overhead work. One German review says the chuck plays up, the torque ring is narrow in gloves, and the case catches stick. The listing says 10 mm chuck, 1,400 rpm and 34 Nm, and prints 6 mm for wood and metal without putting those diameters in the bullets. The charger is LC 24 in one place and LC 40 in another.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the PowerMaxx driver and the 41-piece set in one ASIN.
Less suitable: You want masonry, or you want the charger model to be a single code.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the same drill as 600984500?
Both are PowerMaxx BS Basic drill drivers at 12 V with 34 Nm, two speeds and no hammer. This order is 600080710, the title adds a 41-piece set, and the price is about £129.00 against about £114.67.
Which charger does the listing name?
Included components say LC 24. The compatible-devices line says LC 40. Both are on the listing.
Are the 6 mm wood and metal figures in the bullets?
No. They appear only as listing cells. The bullets do not repeat a diameter. There is no hammer mode.
This row is titled Metabo Y/602317870 at about £154.15, with 4.7 from 379 reviews and seven United Kingdom reviews on the listing. The listing says hammer drill, 50 Nm, 1,800 rpm and 450 rpm, a 10 mm chuck, 10 mm in wood and 10 mm in metal, and 1.6 kg. The contents row does not list batteries or a charger, while UK reviews describe both and also a dead battery on arrival. It has the largest review sample here and a model code that does not match the clean SB 18 L order number, so it is not the top pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are comparing review volume on an 18 V Metabo hammer kit and you will check the packs on arrival.
Less suitable: You want the order number on the box to match 614053580 before you pay.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the model number on this listing?
The title, model number and part number are Y/602317870. That is not the same string as order 614053580. The listing says hammer drill, 50 Nm, 18 V and a 10 mm chuck.
Are batteries listed in the box contents?
The included-components row only says Metabo Y/602317870, 18 V. A battery-capacity cell says 2 Ah. United Kingdom reviews describe two batteries and a charger, which is review text rather than the contents row.
What do the United Kingdom reviews say?
The star line is 4.7 from 379, with seven United Kingdom reviews on the listing. They praise two batteries, the chuck and the bits. One says a battery arrived flashing red and would not charge.
Order 602207710 is a BS 18 drill driver at about £146.07, rated 4.7 from 86 reviews, with no United Kingdom review text on the listing. The bullets say it works with CAS 18 V packs and include a work light and a belt hook. There is no hammer mode. The title promises two 2 Ah packs, an SC 30 charger and 74 pieces, while the contents row omits the packs and the charger. Listing wood of 50 mm and steel of 48 mm are not in the bullets. It suits someone who already knows they do not need masonry.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an 18 V Metabo drill driver on CAS packs and you will not drill masonry.
Less suitable: You need a hammer collar, or you need the box contents to match the title line for line.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the BS 18 have a hammer mode?
No. The listing drill type is Basic Drill. Reviews on the listing include a buyer who returned one because it had no percussion, and a note that SB 18 has percussion and BS 18 does not.
Are the batteries in the included-components row?
No. The title says 18 V, 2 x 2 Ah and an SC 30 charger. The included-components row names the chuck, a bit holder, an angle adapter and a plastic case with 74 pieces.
Should the 48 mm steel figure be quoted on its own?
It is only a listing cell, next to a 48 Nm torque cell, and the bullets do not state it. Wood at 50 mm is also listing-only.
Order 600984500 is a 12 V PowerMaxx drill driver at about £114.67, with 4.5 from 145 reviews and only two of those reviews marked United Kingdom, both short and positive. The listing gives two speeds, 1,400 rpm, 34 Nm maximum and a separate 17 Nm cell, 18 mm in wood, and a hex spindle as well as a keyless chuck. There is no hammer mode. The charger is LC 24 in one row and LC 12 in a bullet. It is the best value here when you want a small driver and a large review count, and the wrong tool when you need masonry or an 18 V CAS pack.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small 12 V Metabo driver for furniture and you do not need to drill brick.
Less suitable: You need a hammer mode or packs that fit an 18 V CAS tool.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the PowerMaxx BS Basic include batteries?
Yes. The included-components row names two 12 V 2.0 Ah push-in LiPOWER packs, a keyless chuck, a belt hook and a plastic case. The price on the listing is about £114.67.
Which charger is in the box?
The included-components row says charger LC 24. A bullet says charger LC 12. The listing contains both, so the charger model is not a single confirmed code.
Will this drill hammer into brick?
No. The listing drill type is Basic Drill. Wood capacity on the listing is 18 mm. Steel and masonry diameters are not given.
Order 603180840 is the brushless BS 18 LTX-3 BL Q I Metal drill driver at about £239.99, sold body only with a metaBOX 145 L. The listing says three speeds, 4,000 rpm, 130 Nm, a 13 mm QuickPlus chuck and CAS 18 V compatibility. Wood and metal are both 13 mm in listing cells the bullets do not repeat. There is one rating and no review text, and no hammer mode. It belongs with someone who already owns 18 V packs and wants the metal drill, not with a first Metabo kit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own 18 V CAS packs and you want this body-only metal drill.
Less suitable: You need batteries in the box, or you need to drill masonry.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the metal drill include a battery?
No. The title says body only. Included components are a C-wrench, a Futuro Top QuickPlus chuck, a side handle and a metaBOX 145 L. A battery-capacity cell prints 18 Ah, which is not a pack in the box.
Is there a hammer mode?
No. The listing drill type is Basic Drill. Bullets describe impulse mode and an anti-kickback cut-out, which are not a masonry hammer.
What do the reviews say?
The star line is 4.0 from one rating. The listing has no review text.
The listing is the SB 18 L, order 614053580, at about £99.99, with two 2.0 Ah packs, an SC 36 charger and a metaBOX 145 named in the included-components row. It claims 60 Nm, 1,850 rpm and a 13 mm keyless chuck, and the bullets include a hammer function and an LED. Wood, steel and masonry diameters are absent, gear count is absent, and there is no star line. In this set it is the top pick when you want one complete 18 V combi at the lowest price here, and a weak pick if you need review text or a stated hole diameter.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a complete 18 V Metabo combi with batteries and a case, and you can accept a listing with no reviews.
Less suitable: You need a stated masonry diameter or a United Kingdom review sample before you buy.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the SB 18 L listing include batteries and a charger?
Yes. The included-components row names two 18 V 2.0 Ah LiPOWER packs, an SC 36 charger, a keyless chuck, a belt hook and bit case, and a metaBOX 145. The amazon.co.uk price on the listing is about £99.99.
Does this SB 18 L have a hammer mode?
Yes. The listing drill type is Combination Drill and a bullet says the hammer function is for masonry. The listing does not give a masonry diameter, and it does not say the motor is brushless.
Is there a star rating for this ASIN?
No. The listing has no customer-review line and no review text.
Order 614053940 is an SB 18 L set at about £154.15 with two 2.0 Ah packs, an SC 36 charger, a plastic case and a 78-piece accessory claim. The listing matches the lower-priced SB 18 L row on 60 Nm, 1,850 rpm and a 13 mm keyless chuck, and it also has no star line. Diameters are absent. The 5.88 kg figure is the packed listing weight. It is the row to open when you specifically want the bit set, not when you want the lowest price for the same combi pattern.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the SB 18 L pattern and you are paying extra for the 78-piece set named on this ASIN.
Less suitable: You only need the drill, the charger and two batteries.
Specifications
Common questions
How is 614053940 different from 614053580?
Both list 60 Nm, 1,850 rpm, a 13 mm chuck, two 2.0 Ah packs and an SC 36 charger. This row adds a 78-piece accessory set and a plastic carry case, and the price is about £154.15. It does not say metaBOX.
Does the listing include a hammer mode?
Yes. The drill type is Combination Drill and the item type name is a cordless hammer drill set. No masonry diameter is printed.
Why is the weight 5.88 kg?
That is the listing item weight. It is much higher than a bare combi, so it reads as packed weight. A separate tool weight is not on the listing.
Order 685184590 is a two-tool 18 V brushless set at about £528.50. The box list names hammer drill SB 18 LTX BL I, impact driver SSD 18 LTX 200 BL, two 5.5 Ah LiHD packs, charger ASC 55 and a metaBOX 145 L. The listing speed is 2,900 rpm and the torque cell is 200 Nm on a row marked impact driver, so that number is not a drill-only hard torque. There is no star line and no hole diameter. It is the row for someone who wants both tools, and a poor comparison if the brief was a single combi.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the SB 18 LTX BL I and the SSD 18 LTX 200 BL together with 5.5 Ah packs.
Less suitable: You only need a combi drill and you are comparing headline torque.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this one drill or two tools?
Two tools. Included components name hammer drill SB 18 LTX BL I and impact driver SSD 18 LTX 200 BL, plus two 5.5 Ah packs, charger ASC 55 and a metaBOX 145 L. The price is about £528.50.
Does 200 Nm belong to the drill?
The listing prints 200 Nm and sets drill type to Impact Driver. The row also contains the impact driver in its name. The listing does not give a separate hard-torque figure for the SB 18 LTX BL I.
Are there reviews?
No. The listing has no customer-review line and no review text.
Eight amazon.co.uk listings were compared on shelf price, whether two batteries and a charger are in the box, hammer mode, chuck, torque and the star line where the listing has one. There was no lab test. A missing review line is not a zero-star rating from buyers. The weights below are the share of that decision and sum to 100. The top pick is the listing with the highest score in this set. Best value is the 12 V driver with the largest review count on a clean order number.
Box contents and battery system
30%18 V slide packs and 12 V push-in packs do not interchange. A complete kit needs the batteries and the charger on the contents row, not only in the title. Body only means you already own a matching pack.
Hammer, chuck and capacity
25%SB is a hammer collar for masonry. BS is a drill driver, and the hammer cannot be added later. A stated hammer is not a stated hole diameter. Quote the order number when Metabo’s UK page and a retailer sheet disagree.
amazon.co.uk reviews
25%Stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines on these listings. A missing review line scores nothing on this part. It is not treated as a zero-star rating from buyers.
Price in this set
20%Prices are the eight amazon.co.uk shelf figures, from about £99.99 to about £528.50. They are not a wider market survey, and they will move.
Decide hammer or driver, then the battery family, then what the carton actually contains. Torque and the order number come after those three. The notes below follow that order for these eight amazon.co.uk listings. None of the scores is a drilling test.
A cordless drill here is either a 12 V drill driver with push-in packs or an 18 V tool on slide packs. Metabo groups the 18 V packs as LiPOWER, LiHD and LiHDX, and those packs also fit other Cordless Alliance System tools. PowerMaxx uses 12 V push-in packs. The two families do not interchange. An adapter that stays inside the 12 V class does not turn a push-in pack into an 18 V pack. Metabo UK says 12 V for the PowerMaxx driver. Some shops still print 10.8 V.
BS means no hammer collar, and the collar cannot be added later. A combi hammer still only bores masonry inside the stated diameter. It does not chisel, and it is not an SDS tool.
Hard torque is the headline, 34 Nm, 60 Nm or 130 Nm here, or 200 Nm on a row that also contains an impact driver. The clutch range is much lower and is what protects a screw.
PowerMaxx uses 12 V push-in packs. 18 V slide packs are a different family, including LiPOWER, LiHD and LiHDX. An adapter that stays inside the 12 V class does not join them. A bit set in the title is not the drill.
The first split is hammer or not. An SB cordless combi has a hammer collar for masonry. A BS drill driver does not, and you cannot add the collar later. In this set the SB 18 L rows and the Y/602317870 listing state a hammer. The PowerMaxx rows, the BS 18 kit and the brushless metal drill do not. The combo includes hammer drill SB 18 LTX BL I beside an impact driver, so the hammer is in the box rather than on a single-drill listing. A stated hammer is not a stated hole size.
The second split is the battery family, then what the box actually contains. 18 V slide packs, including LiPOWER, LiHD and LiHDX, fit Metabo 18 V tools and other Cordless Alliance System brands. PowerMaxx uses 12 V push-in packs. They do not interchange. Orders 600984500 and 600080710 are the 12 V rows. The metal drill, order 603180840, is body only: a QuickPlus chuck, a side handle and a metaBOX, with no battery and no charger, at about £239.99.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a small driver for furniture and you will not drill brick. The PowerMaxx BS Basic, order 600984500, is about £114.67 with two 12 V push-in packs, 4.5 from 145 reviews, and no hammer. The packs do not fit an 18 V tool.
You want a complete 18 V combi for the odd plug in soft brick. The SB 18 L, order 614053580, is about £99.99 with two 2.0 Ah packs, an SC 36 charger and a metaBOX 145. The listing states a hammer and does not print a masonry diameter.
You already own 18 V packs and you want a metal drill for steel, not a first kit. The BS 18 LTX-3 BL Q I Metal, order 603180840, is about £239.99 body only, brushless, with 130 Nm claimed and no hammer. Price a pack before you compare it with a kit.
In this set of eight amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the Metabo SB 18 L, order 614053580, at about £99.99. It is the complete 18 V combi with two 2.0 Ah packs, an SC 36 charger and a metaBOX 145, with 60 Nm and a 13 mm keyless chuck, and it has no star line. Best value is the PowerMaxx BS Basic, order 600984500, at about £114.67, with 4.5 from 145 reviews. It is a 12 V driver for furniture, with no hammer, and the charger is printed as both LC 12 and LC 24. None of these scores is a lab test.
Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic
4.5 from 145 reviews at about £114.67, with two 12 V packs, for furniture rather than brick.
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 UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for these eight listings.
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 the amazon.co.uk figures used in this comparison. We did not lab-test these drills.
