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18V cordless drill buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You are about to spend between £24 and £77 on a first 18V cordless drill, and the listings look alike: 18V, 20V and 21V titles, a battery, a charger, and a torque figure that may not be real. This 18V cordless drill buying guide is the order of checks, so you can read the twelve amazon.co.uk listings in the [18V cordless drill comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/cordless-drill-18v) without being steered by the volt number. Peter F. read those listings and their UK reviews on 16 October 2026. This is not a lab test. Prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk figures from that date. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to spend between £24 and £77 on a first 18V cordless drill, and the listings look alike: 18V, 20V and 21V titles, a battery, a charger, and a torque figure that may not be real.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (2×2.0 Ah)

Best overall

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (2×2.0 Ah)
8.5/10about £75.23
View offer
BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB

Best value

BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB
8.3/10about £35.00
View offer
Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/44

Rank 3

Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/44
7.7/10about £44.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What an 18V cordless drill is in this set
  2. 2.Check the mode before the voltage
  3. 3.Read one torque figure, then chuck and gears
  4. 4.Pack, UK charger and platform
  5. 5.What to leave until last

What an 18V cordless drill is in this set

The twelve listings are drill drivers or combi drills, from £23.99 to £76.50. A drill driver turns a bit and drives screws. A combi adds hammer mode for brick and block. A 20V or 21V title is usually the peak off the charger. BBC Gardeners' World and ITS both describe 18V nominal and about 20V maximum as a labelling difference. Matching each listing to a job is the best 18V cordless drill page.

Check the mode before the voltage

Flat-pack and plasterboard need a clutch and no hammer. Ordinary brick plugs need a listing that states hammer mode. Concrete, engineering brick or a stalled hole is an SDS hire. The Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 listings state impact drilling in masonry. The Einhell TE-CD 18/44 lists a hammer drill. The BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB names wood, metal and plastic only, and UK reviews limit it to light work. The Mylek spec says combination drill, yet a UK review says there is no hammer, and Rivlox reviews say the same. The EasyImpact 18V-38 has Impact in the name, but the bullets do not name masonry. Combi drill vs drill driver is that one decision.
Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (2×2.0 Ah)

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (2×2.0 Ah)
8.5/10about £75.23
View offer

Read one torque figure, then chuck and gears

A UK retailer guide treats under 40 Nm as light work and 40 to 60 Nm as general DIY, a rule of thumb. The Einhell prints 44 Nm and 14 Nm. FADAKWALT shows 30 Nm, 35 Nm and 21 Nm. The BCD700S1K-GB torque field reads 1 inch pound. The Bosch 18V-40 gives 40 Nm in both fields and the BCD001C1-GB gives 37 Nm. The Mylek lists 15 Nm. A 13 mm chuck on the Bosch 18V-40 and the Einhell takes a larger bit than the one-speed BCD001C1-GB, which tops out at 600 rpm, and the Mylek.

Pack, UK charger and platform

Prefer a battery and a charger with a UK 13 A plug. A second pack, on the Bosch 18V-40 two-pack, the FADAKWALT and the Ginour, saves a wait mid-job. The BCD001C1-GB charger is 400 mA, about 3.75 hours. The BCD700S1K-GB included-components line lists no charger. Bosch POWER FOR ALL, Einhell Power X-Change and BLACK+DECKER Powerconnect do not share packs. Ginour's Makita compatible line is a listing claim, not permission to mix batteries. The Bosch one-pack spec says CR2032 while the bullets say an 18V 1.5 Ah pack.

What to leave until last

UK reviews on the Mylek and the Rivlox say the bundled bits bend, snap or wander, so budget for a PZ2. The Einhell has no case. A CE/UKCA bullet is the seller's claim. In Great Britain, GOV.UK allows UKCA or CE marking for machinery under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. If a drill is not as described, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the route. Where ordinary brick ends is the 18V cordless drill for masonry page.

Common questions

What should you check on an 18V cordless drill before you buy it?
Check five things in order: the job and whether the listing states hammer mode, one readable torque figure, the chuck size and number of gears, the battery and a UK charger, and the platform. Bits and the case come last because you can replace them for a few pounds. Voltage on its own does not rank the twelve kits.
Is a 20V or 21V drill a higher class than 18V?
Not on its own. A 20V or 21V title is usually the peak voltage off the charger, while 18V is the nominal figure, and ITS and BBC Gardeners' World both describe it that way. Compare listed torque, chuck and mode instead of the volt number. Rivlox and Ginour put 21V in the title without that number proving a harder turn.
Do you need hammer mode in a typical UK house?
Only if you will drill brick or block. Flat-pack and plasterboard need no hammer. For ordinary brick plugs choose a combi that states hammer mode, such as the Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40. Concrete and engineering brick call for an SDS hire, not a larger battery in the same class of drill.
Is under 40 Nm enough, or do you want 40 to 60 Nm?
As a rule of thumb from a UK retailer guide, under 40 Nm covers light work and 40 to 60 Nm suits general DIY. For furniture and small fixings under 40 Nm is enough. If you plan shelves and larger screws, look for a clearly stated 40 Nm or more, and do not average two fields that disagree.
Is a 10 mm chuck enough, or do you want 13 mm?
A 10 mm chuck suits furniture screws and small bits. A 13 mm chuck, found on the Bosch 18V-40 and the Einhell, accepts a larger shank, which helps with bigger drill bits. Neither changes how hard the drill can turn a screw. Chuck size is the next check after one torque figure you can read.
What should you do if two fields on one listing disagree?
Do not average them. Read the title and bullets, check the UK reviews for the same point, and treat the figure as unproven if they still conflict. The Einhell's 44 Nm and 14 Nm is the clearest example in this set. Ask the seller before you buy if the number decides your purchase.

Related pages

Screws and accessories

Cordless drill 18V

Best 18V cordless drill for each job, and the skip

How to use a cordless drill: clutch, gears and bits

Cordless drill for brick: when the combi is enough

Combi drill vs drill driver: with a hammer, or none

Sources

Public UK sources on machinery marking, vibration at work, work equipment, and consumer rights, plus ITS and BBC Gardeners' World on 18V and 20V labels. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for these twelve ASINs. Prices move. Bosch DIY and BuildWiz were also in the digest and are not repeated as extra rows here.

  1. HSE, Hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, product marking by sector (UKCA and CE) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, regulation 7 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. ITS, 18V and 20V labels (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. BBC Gardeners' World, cordless drills (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Which?, how to buy a cordless drill (retrieved 16 October 2026)