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Combi drill vs drill driver

Updated: October 2026

You are choosing between two amazon.co.uk listings that both say 18 V, and one costs more because the title says combi. The extra money is a hammer, and you only need it if the wall is brick or block. A combi drill versus a drill driver is that fork. In this set, captured on 15 October 2026, the clear drill driver is the BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB. A stated combi is the Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 or, at a lower price, the JYGMPRO set. The [cordless drill comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/cordless-drill) lines them up. Products Compared did not lab-test either type. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing between two amazon.co.uk listings that both say 18 V, and one costs more because the title says combi. The extra money is a hammer, and you only need it if the wall is brick or block.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40

Best overall

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40
9.4/10about £75.23
View offer
BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB

Rank 2

BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB
9.2/10about £35
View offer
JYGMPRO JYGMPRO DZL00010

Best value

JYGMPRO JYGMPRO DZL00010
8.6/10about £42.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A combi is a drill driver plus a stated hammer
  2. 2.Trust the hammer sentence, not the category
  3. 3.Choose the drill driver for screws and timber
  4. 4.Choose a stated combi only for brick or block
  5. 5.A stated combi is still not an SDS

A combi is a drill driver plus a stated hammer

A drill driver rotates. You use it for screws and for timber, plastic and metal within the listed capacity. The numbered collar is a clutch so the screw stops before it tears the chipboard. A combi adds a mechanical hammer, so the bit ticks as it turns. That is what makes a short hole in ordinary brick or lightweight block practical. Homebuilding’s writer took a drill driver to a brick wall and found the limit. An impact driver is a third tool: a hex-shank screw tool, not a chuck drill.

Trust the hammer sentence, not the category

Four listings state a hammer in words you can quote. The Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 says impact drilling in masonry. The BLACK+DECKER BCD700S1K-GB says hammer drilling and prints 21,000 BPM. KELNOW says hammer drill. JYGMPRO says hammer drilling. Everything else is a denial, a silence, or a reviewer’s complaint. The two-battery Rivlox set, at £27.99, says it has no impact or hammer function. The type field still says Combination Drill, and it ranks in Combi Drills. The one-battery Rivlox set does not state a hammer, and reviewers say there is no hammer setting.
Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40
9.4/10about £75.23
View offer

Choose the drill driver for screws and timber

The BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB is the drill driver to name. At £35.00 it holds 4.6 stars from 1,972 amazon.co.uk reviews. It lists 37 N·m, a 10 mm chuck, one speed at 600 rpm, 25 mm in wood and 10 mm in metal. The bullets do not claim masonry. The pack is a 1.5 Ah POWERCONNECT battery. Reviewers call it enough for household tasks and tell you to keep it off masonry and steel. Toolstation puts drill drivers on wood, plastic and thin metal, not masonry. The cordless drill buying guide is the rest of the checklist.

Choose a stated combi only for brick or block

If you will drill brick or block, buy a listing that says so, then still read the torque line and the batteries. The Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 at £75.23 states masonry impact, lists a single 40 N·m, a 13 mm chuck and two 2.0 Ah packs, and holds 4.7 stars from 517 reviews. It is a chuck drill, despite the Impact Driver type field. The JYGMPRO set at £42.99 also states hammer drilling, with one 42 N·m figure and two 2.0 Ah packs, and 4.3 stars from 1,118 reviews. The best cordless drill page says who should skip it.

A stated combi is still not an SDS

Toolstation notes that combis are often noisier and heavier than drill drivers, and that they remain weak on hard concrete. That weight point is a general pattern, not a measurement of this set. The drill driver is £35.00. The named 18 V combis are £65.99 and £75.23. JYGMPRO states a hammer at £42.99, so the gap is not automatic. Do not use the Bosch 18V-40’s listed weight of 1 kg to claim the combi is the light one. Do not use hammer mode on wood. It splits the timber. The cordless drill for brick page is that stop.

Common questions

What is the actual difference?
A drill driver rotates and drives screws, with a clutch. A combi drill adds a mechanical hammer so a masonry bit can work in brick or block. An impact driver is a hex-shank tool for screws, not a chuck drill with a hammer. An SDS rotary hammer is another machine. Trust a hammer sentence in the bullets, not the words combi or impact driver in Amazon’s type field.
Is a drill driver enough for flat-pack and shelves on stud walls?
Yes. Screws, chipboard, plasterboard on timber and thin metal within the listed capacity are drill-driver work. The BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1-GB matches, at £35.00, with 37 N·m and no masonry claim. You do not need to pay for a hammer you will leave switched off. Stud walls are not brick, even when the plaster is hard.
Do you need a combi for one or two holes in brick?
You need a tool whose listing states a hammer, plus a masonry bit. One or two plug holes in ordinary brick are the job a stated combi is sold for. A drill driver is a poor choice for that wall, which is the mistake Homebuilding describes. A handful of holes is not a reason to hire an SDS yet. A long run in concrete is.
Is an impact driver the same as a combi?
No. An impact driver delivers rotational blows through a hex bit holder and is used for screws. A combi has a chuck and, when the listing is honest, a hammer mode for masonry. Amazon labels the Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 and the JYGMPRO as Impact Driver. The titles and the hammer bullets describe combis. Buy from those sentences.
Why does Amazon file a no-hammer drill under Combi Drills?
The category follows a type field and a rank, not the hammer sentence. The two-battery Rivlox set says it has no impact or hammer function and still appears in Combi Drills. Read the note on the listing. If the hammer is absent, the rank does not add one.

Related pages

Screws and accessories

Cordless drill

Best cordless drill among these twelve UK listings

Cordless drill buying guide: hammer, packs, torque

Cordless drill for brick when the listing states hammer

How to use a cordless drill without stripping screws

Sources

Public UK sources on machinery marking, drill standards, chargers and battery disposal. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for this comparison on 15 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. Which?, How to buy the best cordless drill (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. BSI, BS EN 62841-2-1:2018+A12:2022 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK, UKCA and CE by sector (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. HSE, INDG271 Buying new machinery (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. HSE, Hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Electrical Safety First, Chargers (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 15 October 2026)