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Cordless drill for brick

Updated: October 2026

You want a shelf on ordinary brick, and the new 18V drill is in the hallway. A cordless drill for brick can drill the plug holes if it is a combi that states hammer mode, you fit a masonry bit you bought yourself, and the brick starts to cut. Concrete, engineering brick, or a hole that stalls is when you hire an SDS and stop. The twelve listings are on the [18V cordless drill comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/cordless-drill-18v). Peter F. read the amazon.co.uk pages and UK reviews on 16 October 2026. There was no measured hole in a named brick. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want a shelf on ordinary brick, and the new 18V drill is in the hallway.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (1×1.5 Ah)

Best overall

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (1×1.5 Ah)
8.0/10about £64.97
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Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (2×2.0 Ah)

Rank 2

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

Best value

BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB
8.3/10about £35.00
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On this page
  1. 1.Brick plugs are not the same job as plasterboard or concrete
  2. 2.Which of these kits actually state hammer mode
  3. 3.How to drill the plug hole, and when hammer stays off
  4. 4.When these combis stop

Brick plugs are not the same job as plasterboard or concrete

Plasterboard needs a clutch and no hammer. Ordinary brick needs a combi whose listing states hammer mode, plus a masonry bit. Concrete, engineering brick, or a hole that will not move needs an SDS hire. BuildWiz draws that line, and HSS separates brick, plasterboard and studs. A combi rank, a grey bit, or a 21V title does not create hammer mode. A hollow sound behind the skim is not solid brick. Whether to buy the mode is combi drill vs drill driver. Chuck and platform stay on the 18V cordless drill buying guide.

Which of these kits actually state hammer mode

The Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 two-pack at £75.23 and the one-pack at £64.97 both state impact drilling in masonry, 40 Nm and a 13 mm chuck. The one-pack spec also says CR2032 and Impact Driver. Leave that visible. The 18V-38 at £76.50 has Impact in the name, but the bullets do not name masonry. LEEIKOO at £29.99 states hammer drilling with thin UK review text. The Einhell is grouped as a hammer drill, with 44 Nm and 14 Nm in different fields. The BCD700S1K-GB states masonry hammer and prints 1 inch pound. Stay off brick with the BCD001C1-GB, Rivlox and the Mylek: reviews say no hammer, even where a spec line says combination drill.
Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (1×1.5 Ah)

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (1×1.5 Ah)
8.0/10about £64.97
View offer

How to drill the plug hole, and when hammer stays off

Buy a masonry bit in the plug diameter. Bundled Mylek and Rivlox bits bend, snap or wander, and a photo of a masonry bit does not prove hammer mode. Set the collar to hammer, not a numbered clutch. Wear eye protection, check for cables and pipes, and ease off if the bit polishes instead of cutting. Turn hammer off as soon as you leave the brick. The screw that follows is on how to use a cordless drill.

When these combis stop

A hole that polishes or wanders is an SDS hire, not a second battery. Call a professional if the hole might be structural, or the fixing is a boiler, a kitchen unit or a heavy television, or asbestos or reinforcement is possible. A chimney breast or a concrete lintel is not a longer session with the 18V-40. Employers sit under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the HSE figures of 2.5 m/s² A(8) and 5.0 m/s² A(8). That is not a Saturday shelf, and no file here states a vibration figure. A missing stated hammer mode is the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Common questions

Can an 18V combi drill ordinary brick for a wall plug?
It can, when the listing states hammer mode and you use a masonry bit you bought for the plug. In this set the Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 two-pack and one-pack both state impact drilling in masonry. The hole is for an ordinary brick plug, not for concrete. If the brick does not cut, stop and hire an SDS. A 21V title does not make a driver into that combi.
Which listings should you not use on brick?
Do not use the BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB on brick. Its listing does not state hammer mode, and UK reviews limit it to light work. Rivlox reviews say there is no hammer setting. A UK review of the Mylek MYW09 says there is no hammer action. The EasyImpact 18V-38 does not name masonry in the captured bullets, so do not rely on the model name. A combi rank on its own is not a mode.
Are the bundled bits enough for a brick hole?
No. Buy a masonry bit for the plug diameter. UK reviews of the Mylek and Rivlox kits say the supplied bits bend, snap or wander. A masonry bit drawn in a product photo does not prove hammer mode, and it does not prove the bit will survive the hole. The screw that goes into the plug still wants a PZ2, which is a separate bit from the masonry one.
When do you turn hammer mode off?
Turn it off for plasterboard, wood and metal, including the screws and brackets on the same shelf if those fixings are not in the brick. Hammer mode is for the masonry hole only. Leave it on and it chews plaster and timber. A drill driver has no hammer switch to turn off, because the mode is not there.
When should you hire an SDS instead?
Hire an SDS when the brick does not move, or when you already know the wall is concrete or engineering brick. That is a hire, not a second 18V combi from this set. This page does not state a day rate or a joule figure, because neither is in these listings. If the hole might be structural, or the fixing is a boiler, a kitchen unit or a heavy television, get a professional rather than a longer hire on your own.
Do vibration limits apply to one shelf at home?
The HSE action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8) and the limit of 5.0 m/s² A(8) apply to employers under the vibration rules, alongside duties on work equipment. They are not a pass or fail mark for one shelf in a house. No listing in this set publishes a vibration figure, so there is nothing to compare against those numbers for a Saturday job.

Related pages

Screws and accessories

Cordless drill 18V

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

18V cordless drill buying guide: mode, torque, chuck

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

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)