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Metabo cordless drill buying guide

Updated: 2026-10-23

Choosing a drill for a shelf, a kitchen refit or the occasional wall plug should not require decoding several nearly identical green tools. This Metabo cordless drill buying guide puts the decisions in the order that matters: first whether you need a hammer action, then the battery system, then exactly what is supplied, and finally the order number against the specification. You can compare the eight current amazon.co.uk rows on the [main Metabo cordless drill page](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-cordless-drill). A familiar model name, a large torque figure or a high star rating cannot correct a tool that lacks the mode or the battery fit your work needs.

Choosing a drill for a shelf, a kitchen refit or the occasional wall plug should not require decoding several nearly identical green tools.

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.Start with hammer or no hammer
  2. 2.Choose 12 V push-in or 18 V CAS
  3. 3.Check what is actually in the box
  4. 4.Match the order number before comparing torque

Start with hammer or no hammer

An SB drill is a combi with an impact-drilling position for masonry. A BS drill driver has no hammer action, and the hammer cannot be added later, whatever masonry bit or accessory set you buy. Choose SB for brick fixings. Choose BS for furniture, timber and screws. The BS 18, order 602207710, is 18 V and still has no hammer. PowerMaxx orders 600984500 and 600080710 are non-hammer drivers. SB 18 L order 614053580 combines drilling, screwdriving and a hammer mode. The limits of that mode are in the Metabo cordless drill masonry guide. An SB combi is not an SDS drill.

Choose 12 V push-in or 18 V CAS

PowerMaxx 12 V push-in batteries and Metabo 18 V slide packs do not interchange. The mount and the voltage class differ, not only the capacity. Current Metabo material calls PowerMaxx BS Basic a 12 V tool. Older retailer copy may still say 10.8 V. The 18 V range uses LiPOWER, LiHD or LiHDX slide packs in the Cordless Alliance System. If you already own CAS tools, a body-only 18 V drill can make sense. For a first tool used on cupboards, the PowerMaxx is the smaller handle. Its specification is 17/34 Nm and no hammer. Order 614053580 is 26/60 Nm on Metabo's current UK page. Those figures are hard torque, not the clutch that protects a screw. Adapter 625225000 stays inside the 10.8/12 V PowerMaxx class and does not run an 18 V drill. The Metabo 12 V or 18 V comparison is that system decision.
Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic

Testsieger

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

Check what is actually in the box

Body only means no battery and no charger. The £239.99 BS 18 LTX-3 BL Q I Metal includes the drill, QuickPlus chuck, side handle, C-wrench and metaBOX, and you still add an 18 V pack and charger. Its three gears and claimed 130 Nm are for metal drilling, not the cheapest starter kit. Order 614053580 is £99.99 with two 2.0 Ah packs, an SC 36 charger and a metaBOX 145. Order 614053940 is £154.15, the same 60 Nm pattern, a 78-piece set and a plastic case. The bits do not raise capacity. Charger lines conflict: LC 24 and LC 12 on one PowerMaxx row, LC 24 and LC 40 on the 41-piece set, and an 18 V title that names an SC 30 while the contents row omits the packs. Check the codes when the box arrives.

Match the order number before comparing torque

Match the order number. Metabo's current UK page for 614053580 states 26/60 Nm and 13 mm masonry. Older SB 18 L sheets still show 25/50 Nm and 10 mm. Do not average them. Listing B07719JR75 is model Y/602317870 at 50 Nm, with 4.7 from 379 reviews, and its contents row does not itemise batteries or a charger. It is not the £99.99 order, which has no Amazon star line in the collected data. Hard torque of 34, 60 or 130 Nm is not the clutch. The 614053580 page states a clutch of 0.7–5.5 Nm. The drill symbol bypasses that limit. On the two-tool combo, the 200 Nm cell belongs to the impact driver.

Common questions

Do I need an SB drill just to assemble furniture?
No. A BS drill driver such as the PowerMaxx BS Basic can drill timber and drive furniture screws without a hammer mode. Choose SB only if masonry is genuinely part of the work. The trade-off is that PowerMaxx uses its own 12 V battery system rather than 18 V CAS packs.
Will a PowerMaxx battery fit an 18 V Metabo drill?
No. PowerMaxx push-in packs and 18 V CAS slide packs belong to different voltage and mounting systems. Adapter 625225000 remains within the PowerMaxx 10.8/12 V class; it does not connect a 12 V pack to an 18 V drill.
What does body only mean?
It means the battery and charger are not supplied. A body-only price can be attractive if you already own compatible 18 V CAS packs, but it is not directly comparable with a kit containing two batteries, a charger and a case. Price the missing power equipment before deciding.
Why do SB 18 L specifications say either 50 Nm or 60 Nm?
Different order numbers and generations appear under the same family name. The current Metabo UK page for 614053580 states 60 Nm hard torque and 13 mm masonry, while older sheets state 50 Nm and 10 mm. Use the exact order number, not the name alone.
Is the 78-piece set worth paying more for?
Only if the included bits match work you would otherwise buy them for. The set does not increase drilling torque or add hammer action. Compare the drill, batteries, charger and case first, then value the accessories separately rather than treating 78 pieces as 78 improvements.
Should the highest Amazon rating decide the purchase?
No. Ratings apply to a particular listing, and some rows have no UK review text or no star line. First choose the correct mode and battery system, then use review count and comments to judge listing reliability. A highly rated non-hammer drill is still wrong for brick.

Related pages

Best Metabo cordless drill

How to use a Metabo cordless drill

Metabo cordless drill

Metabo 12V or 18V cordless drill: packs do not swap

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)