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How to use a Metabo drill

Updated: 2026-10-23

The case is open, the collar shows numbers and a drill symbol, and you have already chosen the card. How to use a Metabo drill from here is a sequence, not a new shortlist: charge a pack that is actually in your hand, set the gear with the motor stopped, then match the collar to the bit. A full battery in the wrong symbol still drills nothing useful, and a body-only carton has no pack to charge. The rows are on the [Metabo drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-drill). Updated on 22 October 2026 from Metabo's UK manuals and the amazon.co.uk cards, not from a bench run. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The case is open, the collar shows numbers and a drill symbol, and you have already chosen the card.

Our top picks

Metabo Metabo Y/602317870

Best overall

Metabo Metabo Y/602317870
9.4/10about £154.15
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Metabo Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24

Alternative

Metabo Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24
7.6/10about £209.99
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Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic

Best value

Metabo Metabo PowerMaxx BS Basic
8.6/10about £114.67
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On this page
  1. 1.Charge the pack you actually have
  2. 2.Gear and direction with the motor stopped
  3. 3.Clutch, drill, and hammer are different symbols
  4. 4.The combination hammer is a different fitting

Charge the pack you actually have

Metabo's pack instructions say to charge a lithium-ion pack before use. Charge only on a Metabo charger, and do not put a pack that is already full straight back on it. B0B7R9HNYR, the KH, and B0BCZHDK88, the metal driver, are body only: no battery and no charger. The metal drill's 18 Ah field is not a pack. B07719JR75 does not name batteries in the components field. If the parcel has no pack, you are looking at a missing battery, not a faulty clutch. A pack dead on arrival is a seller issue under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9. These cards do not confirm a BS 1363 plug on the charger, so check the pin on the unit you received.

Gear and direction with the motor stopped

On the BS and SB family manuals, you change the rotation selector only when the motor has stopped. The same rule covers the gear. First gear is the low speed and the high torque, which is the gear for screws. Second gear is the high speed for drilling. Forcing the selector while the chuck is still spinning is how the gearbox gets jammed. For a 5 mm screw, drop to first gear with the motor stopped, then use a low number on the torque collar so the clutch clicks. A clearance hole is the opposite: second gear and the drill symbol.
Metabo Metabo Y/602317870

Testsieger

Metabo Metabo Y/602317870
9.4/10about £154.15
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Clutch, drill, and hammer are different symbols

A BS uses one sleeve. The numbers are torque settings for screws. The drill symbol is maximum torque for drilling. There is no hammer symbol on that sleeve. An SB uses two sleeves. One chooses screw, drill, or impact drilling. The other sets the torque when you are in the screw position. Hammer mode is stated on three cards in this set: B07719JR75, the SB 18 L kit B0G5Q4Q4YG, and the KH B0B7R9HNYR. The four drivers do not state hammer mode. A BS that will not hammer brick is as described. Masonry is the masonry page, not a collar trick.

The combination hammer is a different fitting

The KH 18 LTX BL 24, order 601713840, is the SDS-plus card. The bullets say hammer drilling, drilling, and chiselling. Fit the side handle before you drill. The box list also names a depth guide and a metaBOX 165 L. Metabo's UK page for this order prints no-load speed 0–1,280 rpm and a maximum impact rate of 4,750 bpm. Amazon's speed cells print 1,280 rpm and 4,750 rpm. Do not treat 4,750 as a drilling speed. It is the impact rate on the manufacturer page. SDS-plus bits have a different shank from a round straight bit. Do not copy keyless-chuck steps from the KHA quick guide onto this card. Chiselling is stated on the KH bullets and not on the chuck combi cards. A chisel in a keyless chuck is the wrong tool.

Common questions

Do I charge a new Metabo pack before the first hole?
Yes. The lithium-ion pack instructions say to charge before use. Do not recharge a pack that is already full, and use a Metabo charger. One flashing LED on the capacity button means the pack is nearly flat. If the carton is body only, there is no pack to charge until you add an 18 V pack and a charger. B07719JR75 does not name batteries in the components field, so check the parcel rather than assuming the reviews have specified the box.
Which collar position is for screws, and which is for drilling?
On a BS, the numbered positions are for screws and the drill symbol is for drilling at maximum torque. Start screws in first gear, motor stopped before you change gear, on a low number so the clutch clicks. On an SB, a separate sleeve selects screw, drill, or impact, and the torque sleeve only matters in the screw position. The drill symbol is not a halfway hammer.
When do I switch to the hammer symbol, and which cards even have one?
Use the hammer or impact symbol for masonry, with a masonry bit, on a card that states hammer mode. In this set that is B07719JR75, the SB 18 L B0G5Q4Q4YG, and the KH. The four drill drivers do not state a hammer. Leaving impact selected on wood or metal is the wrong symbol. A BS that refuses to rattle in brick is working as specified.
What else do I need if the title says body only?
A battery and a charger. B0B7R9HNYR and B0BCZHDK88 include neither. The metal drill's 18 Ah line is not a pack in the box. You need an 18 V slide-on pack. A 12 V PowerMaxx push-in pack will not run these tools. A metaBOX is the case.
How is the KH different from a chuck combi when I fit a bit?
The KH takes an SDS-plus shank, not a straight bit locked in a keyless chuck. Fit the side handle, use the mode for drilling, hammer drilling, or chiselling, and read 4,750 as an impact rate in bpm on Metabo's UK page, not as 4,750 rpm. Do not copy chuck-change steps from the KHA quick manual onto order 601713840. The combi collar with numbered torque does not apply to this hammer.

Related pages

Best Metabo drill

Metabo drill buying guide

Metabo drill

Metabo 12V vs 18V drill: push-in or slide-on packs

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)