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Metabo cordless vs corded SDS

Updated: 2026-10-23

The £170.05 cordless row looks like the bargain next to a £404.39 mains hammer, until you notice the carton has no battery. In this amazon.co.uk set, two listings are 18 V bodies and two are titled 240 V. Neither corded order is the 110 V sister, and a European plug will not fit a BS 1363 socket. The [Metabo SDS drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/metabo-sds-drill) is the four-row table. Products Compared used these listings and Metabo's order numbers, as at 22 October 2026. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The £170.05 cordless row looks like the bargain next to a £404.39 mains hammer, until you notice the carton has no battery. In this amazon.co.uk set, two listings are 18 V bodies and two are titled 240 V.

Our top picks

Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc

Best overall

Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc
8.7/10about £170.05
View offer
Metabo Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24 (601713840), body only

Rank 2

Metabo Metabo KH 18 LTX BL 24 (601713840), body only
9.1/10about £209.99
View offer
Metabo Metabo KHE32 240 V listing (item type KHE 3251)

Alternative

Metabo Metabo KHE32 240 V listing (item type KHE 3251)
6.9/10about £404.39
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A body-only price is not a working drill
  2. 2.Which 18 V packs the paperwork names
  3. 3.240 V at home
  4. 4.110 V is a different order
  5. 5.When to pick which

A body-only price is not a working drill

Both cordless shelf prices omit the pack and the charger. The KH 18 LTX BL 24, order 601713840, is £209.99, and the title says there is no battery and no charger. The scope lists a metaBOX 165 L, a depth guide and a side handle. The KHA 18 LTX, order 600210840, is £170.05. Metabo lists that order as body only plus a MetaLoc case, and one review says the box arrived without a battery, a charger or bits. Dealer prices, including a figure before VAT, are not these amazon.co.uk prices. This page does not invent a battery price.

Which 18 V packs the paperwork names

The two cordless listings do not use the same battery sentence. The KH 18 sheet names CAS packs for order 601713840. A CAS pack from another brand can be right when that sheet allows it. Do not assume every CAS brick you own is listed. The KHA listing says Ultra-M. It does not say CAS. Both tools are 18 V SDS-plus hammers at 2.2 J on Metabo's pages, with a 24 mm concrete figure. The KH 18 bullets also state brushless, VibraTech and three modes. The KHA bullets state an S-automatic clutch and do not state those modes.
Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc

Testsieger

Metabo Metabo KHA 18 LTX (600210840), MetaLoc
8.7/10about £170.05
View offer

240 V at home

The corded listings are titled 240 V, the usual marking for a tool meant for UK mains at 230 V. The KHE listing, title KHE32 240 V and item type KHE 3251, order 600659000, is £404.39. The KHEV 5-40 BL, order 600765500, is £792.69. UK plugs are BS 1363. A European plug does not fit that socket. The only UK review on the KHE listing says the drill came with a European plug. That is one report, not every carton. Do not paste it onto the KHEV. The KHEV remains the heavy corded tool, at 8.3 kg, 8.7 J and SDS-max.

110 V is a different order

Many UK sites will not allow 230 V tools, and they expect 110 V from a transformer. Metabo's corded range lists KHEV 600765500 as 240 V and 600765610 as 110 V. The KHE 3251 GB 110 V type is 00659390, which is not this KHE listing. If the site rule is 110 V only, neither corded ASIN is the purchase. Cordless avoids the mains lead only after the pack and charger exist. It does not automatically satisfy a site rule on batteries. A Saturday in your own flat is the cleaner cordless case, once you already own the right packs.

When to pick which

Choose an 18 V body if the pack and charger are already solved for that model. The KHA at £170.05 is the lower body price, with modes unstated. The KH 18 at £209.99 states three modes and brushless, on 16 ratings with no UK review text. Choose a corded 240 V listing if you can use a BS 1363 socket and you have checked the plug. Pick the KHE 3251 listing for corded SDS-plus, and the KHEV if you accept 8.3 kg. Choose neither corded ASIN for a 110 V-only site. On the stickers the KHA body is £170.05 and the KHE listing is £404.39 before any pack. The gap does not reverse until you price the batteries. The Metabo SDS drill buying guide keeps the wider sequence.

Common questions

Is the cheaper cordless listing a full kit?
No. £170.05 is the KHA 18 LTX body, order 600210840, in a MetaLoc case. The included-components line does not list a battery or a charger, and one review says none arrived. The KH 18 at £209.99 states the omission in the title.
Will a CAS pack from another brand run the KH 18?
The KH 18 sheet names CAS packs, so a CAS pack can be right when that sheet allows it. Check order 601713840 rather than assuming every brick fits. The KHA listing does not say CAS. It says Ultra-M.
Can I plug the KHEV or the KHE 3251 listing into a normal UK socket?
Only if the plug is BS 1363. Both listings are titled 240 V, which suits UK mains at 230 V, and the plug is a separate check. The only UK review of the KHE listing says it arrived with a European plug. Do not assume the KHEV carton matches it.
What if the site will not allow 230 V?
Buy a different order. KHEV 600765610 is the 110 V sister, and the KHE 3251 GB 110 V type is 00659390. Neither is one of these four ASINs. A cordless body avoids a 230 V lead only after you own the pack, and the site may still restrict batteries.
Does corded always cost more?
Not once batteries are in the sum. On these stickers the KHA body is £170.05 and the KH 18 body is £209.99, while the KHE listing is £404.39 and the KHEV is £792.69. The cordless numbers are not working kits. Add a pack and a charger before you call the body cheaper.

Related pages

Best Metabo SDS drill

How to use a Metabo SDS drill

Metabo SDS drill

Metabo SDS drill buying guide: holder, joules, box

Metabo SDS-plus vs SDS-max: which bits actually fit

Sources

Public UK sources listed below, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for these four listings.

  1. Metabo UK, cordless hammers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. KH 18 LTX BL 24 sheet, 601713840 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Metabo UK SDS booklet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Metabo, KHE 3251, 600659000 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Metabo, KHEV 5-40 BL, 600765500 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE, hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. HSE, assessing hand-arm vibration risk (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. HSE, construction dust sheet CN3 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  9. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)