Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Metabo 12V vs 18V drill

Updated: 2026-10-23

Both drills are green, both say Metabo, and a LiPOWER label appears on more than one class. A Metabo 12V vs 18V drill choice is the pack in your hand. A 12 V PowerMaxx pack pushes in. An 18 V pack slides on. Metabo UK says those 12 V packs are not compatible with 18 V tools, and CAS is the 18 V system. Buy the other class and you pay for a battery that will not run the tool you already own. The rows are on the [Metabo drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-drill). Updated on 22 October 2026 from Metabo UK and these amazon.co.uk cards. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Both drills are green, both say Metabo, and a LiPOWER label appears on more than one class. A Metabo 12V vs 18V drill choice is the pack in your hand. A 12 V PowerMaxx pack pushes in. An 18 V pack slides on.

Our top picks

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic set

Best overall

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic set
8.4/10about £129
View offer
Metabo Metabo BS 18

Rank 2

Metabo Metabo BS 18
8.8/10about £146.07
View offer
Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic

Best value

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic
8.6/10about £114.67
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two shapes of Metabo pack
  2. 2.The 12 V cards in this set
  3. 3.What CAS covers
  4. 4.A charger range is not a pack that fits

Two shapes of Metabo pack

The split is physical. PowerMaxx in Metabo's UK cordless range is 12 V push-in. A push-in pack will not meet the 18 V slide-on rails, even when the plastic is the same colour. All 18 V packs in the LiPOWER, LiHD, and LiHDX families fit 18 V Metabo tools. The same Metabo UK answer says 12 V, 14.4 V, and 36 V batteries are not compatible with 18 V tools. LiPOWER is a cell family name inside a voltage, not a promise that every LiPOWER pack shares one shoe.

The 12 V cards in this set

Two of the seven cards are 12 V push-in, and neither is described as CAS. B093WKG8RF is PowerMaxx BS Basic order 600984500 at £114.67, with two 2.0 Ah packs named. The charger name conflicts: LC 12 in a bullet, LC 24 in the components field. B0D79P7D8Y is order 600080710 at £129.00, again with two 2.0 Ah packs. Its charger name conflicts between LC 24 and LC 40. Do not pick a winner the card does not settle. Both are drill drivers. Index torque for the PowerMaxx set is 17 / 34 Nm. That pair is not a reason to call the tool almost an 18 V. If you already own 18 V packs, these kits add packs that will not slide onto the 18 V drill. The other five cards are 18 V.
Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic set

Testsieger

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic set
8.4/10about £129
View offer

What CAS covers

CAS, on Metabo's UK pages, is the multi-brand 18 V system. Those pages do not present 12 V as CAS. Do not call a PowerMaxx kit CAS because a third-party sheet lists 12 V packs under that name. Inside 18 V, LiPOWER, LiHD, and LiHDX fit 18 V Metabo tools. That set is not a bridge to 12 V. B0D9KKS9Q6 names CAS and an SC 30. B0G5Q4Q4YG names LiPOWER and an SC 36, and it does not name CAS. B07719JR75 does not name CAS, and batteries are not in the components field. An 18 V card that never prints CAS is still not a 12 V tool. B0BCZHDK88 names CAS and ships without a pack. The KH does not name CAS on the amazon card. Metabo's UK page for order 601713840 does say CAS. Do not rewrite the amazon card to match that page. You still need a slide-on pack before the metal driver's 130 Nm is available.

A charger range is not a pack that fits

Metabo UK says 18 V packs can be charged on Metabo chargers with a 5-pin slide-on mount and a stated voltage range. That sentence is about 18 V packs and those chargers. It is not permission to push a 12 V pack into an 18 V tool, or to seat a push-in pack on an SC 30 or SC 36. If the pack does not meet the mount, the range printed on the charger does not reshape it. The PowerMaxx cards name LC chargers, and those model numbers already conflict. If you want one charger and one pool of batteries, stay in one class. First charge, once the pack matches the tool, is on the how to use page. Do not buy the cheaper 12 V set as a spare battery for an 18 V drill.

Common questions

Will my PowerMaxx 12 V pack run a Metabo 18 V drill?
No. The PowerMaxx pack is 12 V and push-in. Metabo UK states that 12 V batteries are not compatible with 18 V tools. The 18 V pack slides on. Matching green housings, a shared LiPOWER name, or a similar torque figure does not change the mount. You would be buying a second battery system, not a spare pack.
Is CAS 12 V, 18 V, or both?
CAS, as Metabo UK describes it, is the 18 V system, shared with other brands. The 12 V PowerMaxx packs in this set are not described as CAS. Partner 18 V packs share that class. They do not pull a push-in pack into an 18 V drill.
Can I charge a 12 V push-in pack on the SC 30 or SC 36 from an 18 V kit?
No. Those chargers belong with the 18 V kits that name them. The 5-pin slide-on sentence on Metabo's UK page is about 18 V packs on chargers with that mount. A push-in PowerMaxx pack does not use that mount, and an LC charger is not an SC 30.
Which cards in this set are the 12 V ones?
B093WKG8RF, order 600984500, at £114.67, and B0D79P7D8Y, order 600080710, at £129.00. Both name two 2.0 Ah push-in packs. Neither is described as CAS. The other five cards are 18 V.
If I already own 18 V packs, which prices still make me buy batteries again?
The two PowerMaxx kits, at £114.67 and £129.00, because those packs will not run your 18 V tools. The KH at £209.99 and the metal driver at £239.99 do not make you buy batteries if you already own 18 V slide-on packs. They do if all you own is PowerMaxx. B07719JR75 at £154.15 does not name packs in the components field, so confirm the box.

Related pages

Metabo drill buying guide

Best Metabo drill

Metabo drill

How to use a Metabo drill: charge and set the mode

Metabo drill for masonry: plug holes or an SDS hammer

Sources

Sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026.

  1. Metabo UK cordless drill drivers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Metabo UK cordless range 2025/26 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Metabo UK XXL warranty (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Metabo UK battery solutions (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE hand-arm vibration duties (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. HSE CN3: dust from drilling and chasing concrete (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)