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Parkside 20V or 12V drill

Updated: October 2026

A Parkside 20V or 12V drill can look the same in a green box, and the batteries still will not swap. This page is the choice between X 20 V Team and X 12 V Team, using the eight listings in the [Parkside cordless drill comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/parkside-cordless-drill), captured on 15 October 2026. We did not lab-test them. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are from that capture. The box and the plug stay on the [Parkside cordless drill buying guide](/hub/screws-and-accessories/parkside-cordless-drill/sub/parkside-cordless-drill-buying-guide).

A Parkside 20V or 12V drill can look the same in a green box, and the batteries still will not swap.

Our top picks

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V

Best overall

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V
8.4/10about £39.00
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Parkside Parkside PBSA 12 C2

Rank 2

Parkside Parkside PBSA 12 C2
7.2/10about £59.00
View offer
Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li E6

Rank 3

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li E6
5.4/10about £56.28
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On this page
  1. 1.They are two battery systems
  2. 2.What the listings actually claim
  3. 3.When 12 V is the right buy
  4. 4.One recommendation, with a condition

They are two battery systems

Parkside's X 12 V page calls that foot compact tools for light to medium work, and it points heavier jobs at X 20 V. It does not say the packs interchange. Lidl.co.uk, on 16 October 2026, makes the same split. A PAP 20 B3 manual says that pack fits X 20 V Team devices and may only be charged on X 20 V Team chargers. Electrical Safety First advises against other manufacturers' batteries and adapters. If you already own one genuine pack, buy the body that foot accepts. The 20 V drills here are the PABS bodies. The PSBSA title says 20-Li and the spec table says 18 V, so it is not a clean example. The 12 V drills are the PBSA 12 X12V, the C2 kit and the Performance PBSPA 12 D4. Brushless on that last row is still X 12 V Team, not a third system.

What the listings actually claim

Consistent 20 V PABS listings state a 13 mm chuck and 30 mm in wood. The bare X20V is £39.00 with no battery and 4.6 from 23 reviews. The E6 at £56.28 names a battery and a charger and has no reviews. The 12 V PBSA rows state a 10 mm chuck and 25 mm in wood. The C2 kit at £59.00 names a battery, a charger and a case. For flat-pack screws both ceilings are enough. A 20 V badge here is not a masonry drill. Brick is on Parkside drill for brick.
Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V

Testsieger

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V
8.4/10about £39.00
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When 12 V is the right buy

Choose 12 V when this drill is the only cordless tool you expect to own, and the work is furniture, hinges and the odd pilot in softwood. UK reviewers of the bare PBSA 12 call it lighter than a normal drill. One says it takes the battery from an older Parkside drill. Another says 20 V offers more tools if you will buy them. The C2 at £59.00 is the 12 V kit that names a battery, a charger and a case. A UK reviewer says the charger is two-pin. The bare PBSA at £49.99 only makes sense if an X 12 V pack is already in the house. A brushless claim on the Performance 12 V does not share batteries with the 20 V tools.

One recommendation, with a condition

If you may buy another Parkside cordless tool, choose X 20 V and stay there. The bare PABS 20-Li X20V at £39.00 is the sensible body once you already own an X 20 V pack and a UK charger, which is why it is the top pick on the best Parkside cordless drill page. If you own nothing, £39.00 is not the cost of a working drill. A Lidl page showed a 20 V 2 Ah battery and a 2.4 A charger at £22.99 on 16 October 2026. That is a Lidl price. Price the pack before you call the bare tool cheaper than the E6 at £56.28, which names a battery and a charger and has no reviews. If the jobs are flat-pack and tight cupboards, choose X 12 V and stay there. Do not buy both feet. A bare body is only a saving when the battery is already paid for.

Common questions

Can I put a 12 V Parkside battery on a 20 V drill?
No. X 12 V Team packs do not run X 20 V Team tools, and a PAP 20 B3 manual limits that 20 V pack to X 20 V Team chargers. Parkside's X 12 V page does not claim the packs interchange. Do not bridge the feet with an adapter. Buy the body, the pack and the charger for one family.
Which foot should a first drill use?
Choose X 20 V if you may add another cordless tool later, and X 12 V if this drill is the only one and the work is furniture and hinges. A UK reviewer of the bare PBSA 12 puts it that way. If you own no pack, buy a kit so the first price includes a battery and a charger, then check the plug. The £39.00 bare 20 V body is a second tool until you have priced a pack.
Is the Performance 12 V a third platform?
Not in this comparison. The PBSPA 12 D4 is marked X 12 V Team. It claims a brushless motor, 35 Nm and 19 mm in wood, and it is sold bare at £59.00. A 20 V Performance tool can share X 20 V packs when it is marked that way. This drill is not that tool. Its 3.3 star line is from reviews outside the UK.
Is 13 mm versus 10 mm a real difference?
Yes, for the shank and for the hole the listing claims. Consistent 20 V PABS rows state a 13 mm chuck and 30 mm in wood. The PBSA 12 rows state a 10 mm chuck and 25 mm in wood. The Performance 12 V states 19 mm in wood. For hinge screws both are enough. You notice 13 mm when the bit is larger or the timber is thicker. Neither figure is a hammer claim.
Are 20 V tools automatically hammer drills?
No. The PABS bodies in this set do not claim hammer action. The PSBSA title does, but the spec table prints no blow rate and says 18 V. A C3 bullet mentions chiselling and the spec line says Basic Drill. Voltage does not add a hammer. A hole in brick needs the masonry page, not the larger battery.

Related pages

Screws and accessories

Parkside cordless drill

Best Parkside cordless drill for an X 20 V battery

Parkside cordless drill buying guide for box and plug

Parkside drill for brick, and when a driver is wrong

How to use a Parkside cordless drill for timber screws

Sources

Listing prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for this comparison on 15 October 2026. Public UK sources cover the plug, product-safety alerts, workplace dust and vibration, and faulty goods. Prices move. The alerts cited are not Parkside recalls.

  1. amazon.co.uk, Parkside drill listings, 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First, Drills (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. OPSS, PSD 2511-0084 lithium-ion drill charger (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. OPSS, PSD 2609-0230 cordless drill (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. HSE, CN3 drilling dust (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. HSE, Construction vibration FAQ (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Which?, Faulty goods (retrieved 15 October 2026)