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Metabo 12V or 18V cordless drill: which system?

Updated: 2026-10-23

Choosing a Metabo 12V or 18V cordless drill is a battery-system decision before it is a torque comparison. PowerMaxx tools use a 12 V push-in format, while Metabo's 18 V tools use slide packs in the Cordless Alliance System. The packs do not interchange. For furniture assembly and light drilling, PowerMaxx offers a compact tool. For sharing batteries across a broader tool collection, or choosing a combi with hammer action, 18 V is usually the more flexible route. Compare the exact kits on the [main Metabo cordless drill page](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-cordless-drill), but decide which battery mount you want to own first.

Choosing a Metabo 12V or 18V cordless drill is a battery-system decision before it is a torque comparison.

Our top picks

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic

Best overall

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic
7.1/10about £114.67
View offer
Metabo Metabo BS 18 LTX-3 BL Q I Metal

Alternative

Metabo Metabo BS 18 LTX-3 BL Q I Metal
5.4/10about £239.99
View offer
Metabo Metabo SB 18 L 614053580

Rank 3

Metabo Metabo SB 18 L 614053580
7.6/10about £99.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two mounts, not two sizes of the same pack
  2. 2.What the adapter and charger do not do
  3. 3.Which compared drills belong to each system
  4. 4.Match the system to the next two years of work

Two mounts, not two sizes of the same pack

PowerMaxx BS Basic order 600984500 is a 12 V drill driver. A push-in pack enters the handle. Current Metabo UK information states 12 V, 17/34 Nm and no hammer. Older shop copy may say 10.8 V, which does not put it in the 18 V system. 18 V tools use slide-on LiPOWER, LiHD or LiHDX packs, shared with other Cordless Alliance System brands. About 0.8 kg with a battery for the PowerMaxx compares with 1.6 kg for the SB 18 L with a 2.0 Ah pack. Read the voltage, the mount and the order number. The Metabo cordless drill buying guide then sets hammer, contents and the order number in sequence.

What the adapter and charger do not do

Metabo adapter 625225000 stays within the PowerMaxx class. It lets compatible machines built for 10.8 V or 12 V push-in packs run from a 12 V slide-on battery. It does not turn a PowerMaxx pack into an 18 V CAS pack, and Metabo does not claim that it powers an 18 V drill. Do not improvise with a third-party cross-voltage adapter. If a listing does not name your exact battery and tool, treat them as incompatible until the manufacturer confirms otherwise. A charger that accepts more than one format still only describes charging. In this Amazon set, one PowerMaxx row says LC 24 in the contents field and LC 12 in a bullet. The 41-piece set mentions LC 24 and LC 40 in different places. Confirm the supplied charger. A 12 V slide pack on the official adapter remains a 12 V solution.
Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic

Testsieger

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic
7.1/10about £114.67
View offer

Which compared drills belong to each system

Order 600984500 is £114.67 with two 2.0 Ah push-in packs, at 4.5 from 145 reviews, and no hammer. Order 600080710 is £129 with a 41-piece set. Extra pieces do not change the voltage class. Both are 34 Nm drivers. On 18 V, order 614053580 is a £99.99 combi with two 2.0 Ah packs, an SC 36 and a metaBOX. BS 18 order 602207710 is £146.07 with no hammer, and its contents row omits the packs the title names. The £239.99 metal drill is body only, brushless, and has no hammer. The £528.50 combo adds an impact driver. Order 614053940 and B07719JR75 are further hammer rows. None of them changes which mount you own.

Match the system to the next two years of work

Choose PowerMaxx for furniture, cupboards and ordinary screws when you want the lighter handle. There is no hammer, and the packs are a separate family from 18 V CAS. Choose 18 V when you already own CAS packs or need an SB combi for occasional masonry. Order 614053580 claims 60 Nm. Metabo's current UK page gives 13 mm masonry, and the Amazon row does not. If brick is the question, read the Metabo cordless drill masonry guide. The £99.99 18 V combi is cheaper here than either PowerMaxx kit, and it still will not take a 12 V pack. Choose the platform you will keep, then the drill within it.

Common questions

Will a PowerMaxx battery fit an 18 V Metabo drill?
No. PowerMaxx push-in batteries and 18 V CAS slide packs use different systems. The fact that both carry the Metabo name, or that one charger may support several pack types, does not make them interchangeable in a tool.
What does adapter 625225000 connect?
It lets compatible PowerMaxx machines designed for 10.8 V or 12 V push-in packs use a supported 12 V slide-on pack. It remains within the 12 V PowerMaxx class. It does not connect a 12 V battery to an 18 V CAS drill.
Are 10.8 V and 12 V PowerMaxx completely different?
Not necessarily. Older marketing may use 10.8 V where current Metabo UK material says 12 V, and the official adapter page addresses compatible 10.8/12 V push-in PowerMaxx machines together. Match the exact tool and pack references rather than deciding from voltage wording alone.
Does choosing 18 V mean I get a hammer drill?
No. Metabo BS 18 models are drill drivers without hammer action, while SB models add the hammer setting. The 18 V BS 18 and specialist metal drill in this comparison have no hammer. Check the prefix and mode collar as well as voltage.
Is PowerMaxx too small for useful drilling?
No. It is a capable compact drill driver for furniture, timber and metal within its stated capacities. It becomes the wrong tool when you require hammer drilling, want to share 18 V CAS packs or need the output and gearbox of a larger specialist drill.
Should I buy body only if I already own Metabo batteries?
Only after confirming those batteries are 18 V CAS packs compatible with the tool. PowerMaxx packs do not qualify. Compare the body-only price with a kit and account for pack condition, charger availability and the capacity needed for the work.

Related pages

Best Metabo cordless drill

How to use a Metabo cordless drill

Metabo cordless drill

Metabo cordless drill buying guide: order of checks

Metabo cordless drill for masonry: soft-brick plugs

Sources

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.

  1. Metabo UK: SB 18 L cordless combi drill 614053580 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Metabo UK: PowerMaxx BS Basic cordless drill driver 600984500 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Metabo UK: BS 18 LTX-3 BL Q I Metal cordless drill driver 603180840 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Metabo UK: battery solutions (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Metabo UK: XXL warranty (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE: vibration advice to employers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. HSE: hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)