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

Combi drill vs drill driver

Updated: October 2026

A combi drill vs drill driver decision is hammer or no hammer. A drill driver turns a bit and drives screws. A combi adds a hammer mode for ordinary brick. If you will not touch brick, buy the driver. If one brick shelf is likely, buy a combi whose listing states hammer mode. The twelve kits, from £23.99 to £76.50, are on the [18V cordless drill comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/cordless-drill-18v). Peter F. read the amazon.co.uk listings and UK reviews on 16 October 2026. There was no lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A combi drill vs drill driver decision is hammer or no hammer. A drill driver turns a bit and drives screws. A combi adds a hammer mode for ordinary brick. If you will not touch brick, buy the driver.

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.A combi adds hammer; a drill driver does not
  2. 2.Furniture and plasterboard, or a brick shelf
  3. 3.Which of these twelve are the drivers
  4. 4.Which to buy, with one condition

A combi adds hammer; a drill driver does not

A drill driver gives you rotation and a clutch, with hammer absent. A combi adds a hammer position for masonry. ITS Hub splits that into screwdriver, drilling and hammer drilling. Torque and platform stay on the 18V cordless drill buying guide. An impact driver is a third tool, and it is not one of these twelve listings. The Bosch one-pack states masonry impact in the bullets, while a spec field says Impact Driver and another says CR2032. A 21V title does not settle the mode.

Furniture and plasterboard, or a brick shelf

Flat-pack and plasterboard need a clutch and a PZ2. A Phillips bit cams out of a Pozidriv recess. HSS treats plasterboard, brick and studs as different walls. Keep hammer off for plasterboard, wood and metal even on a combi. Ordinary brick needs a stated hammer mode and a masonry bit you buy yourself. Concrete or a stalled hole is the cordless drill for brick page, and it ends in an SDS hire. You can own a combi and still do the furniture. You cannot own only a driver and then drill the brick.
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

Which of these twelve are the drivers

The clean driver is the BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB at £35.00: 37 Nm in both fields, one speed at 600 rpm, a 10 mm chuck, 4.6 from 1,972 ratings. Hammer is not stated. UK reviews limit it to light work, including an 80 mm wood screw. The best-value score under £50 does not make it a brick drill. Rivlox at £23.99 has a UK review that says there is no hammer setting. The Mylek at £29.77 lists 15 Nm, a combination-drill line, and a UK review that says there is no hammer. The Bosch 18V-40 two-pack at £75.23 states masonry impact and 40 Nm. The 18V-38 does not name masonry in the captured bullets. The Einhell prints 44 Nm and 14 Nm.

Which to buy, with one condition

Buy the BLACK+DECKER driver if you will not touch masonry. You give up brick and a second gear. Buy a combi that states hammer mode if one ordinary brick shelf is likely. The EasyImpact 18V-40 bullets name masonry impact. The two-pack at £75.23 adds a second pack. If the brick does not move, hire an SDS. Do not average the Einhell's 44 Nm and 14 Nm. Who each listing suits beyond this fork is the best 18V cordless drill page.

Common questions

What is the difference between a combi drill and a drill driver?
A drill driver rotates a bit and drives screws, with a clutch and no hammer. A combi drill does that and adds hammer mode for masonry. The extra mode is the whole difference in this set. An impact driver is a separate tool, and none of these twelve listings is that tool. A spec line that says Impact Driver on the Bosch one-pack conflicts with the combi title. It does not change the definition.
Is a drill driver enough for flat-pack and plasterboard?
Yes, if you will not drill brick. You need a clutch and a PZ2 bit for Pozidriv furniture screws, and you keep hammer off or absent. The BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB is the clear driver here, at £35.00, with 37 Nm and one speed at 600 rpm. UK reviews limit it to light work. It is enough for furniture and plasterboard. It is the wrong tool once the wall is brick.
Do you need a combi if the house has brick?
You need a combi that states hammer mode if you will drill ordinary brick for plugs. The Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 listings state masonry impact. A combi rank, or the word Impact in a model name, is not the same statement. The EasyImpact 18V-38 does not name masonry in the captured bullets. Concrete and a stalled hole are an SDS hire, not a reason to buy any combi from this list and hope.
Can you use a combi with hammer switched off?
Yes. Screwdriver mode and drill mode are still there when hammer is off. Use those for plasterboard, wood and metal, and turn hammer on only for the brick hole. A drill driver has nothing to switch, because hammer was never fitted. Owning a combi does not force you to hammer every screw. Leaving hammer on for chipboard is how the head strips.
Does a higher volt label settle this decision?
No. A 20V or 21V title is a battery label, not a higher class and not a hammer mode. Rivlox is a 21V set whose reviews say there is no hammer. Read the mode and one torque figure that does not fight another field on the same page. The BLACK+DECKER driver is 18V and 37 Nm with no hammer. The Bosch 18V-40 is 18V and 40 Nm with masonry impact stated. The volts match. The jobs do not.
What if you might do one brick shelf later?
Buy a combi that states hammer mode, and accept that you will still use it as a driver for the flat-pack with hammer off. The EasyImpact 18V-40 is the listing in this set that states the mode in the bullets. If you are certain the shelf will never be on brick, the £35 BLACK+DECKER driver matches that limit and costs less. A hole that will not cut is an SDS hire, not a cue to choose a heavier driver.

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

Cordless drill for brick: when the combi is enough

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)