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Which 18V battery system to buy in the UK: Makita, DeWalt, Ryobi, Bosch, Milwaukee and Einhell compared

Updated 2026-11-15 · Researched by the SoleStack team · How we research

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When you buy a cordless drill you are really choosing a battery system. Later tools from that brand can be bought as cheaper "bare" tools without a battery or charger, so the first choice shapes what you spend for years.

This guide compares seven 18V systems using prices and specs we checked on B&Q and Amazon UK product pages on 15 Nov 2026, plus each brand's published warranty terms. We have not used these tools ourselves. Every figure comes from a retailer listing or a manufacturer page linked in the sources. Where a torque figure comes only from a retailer listing we say so, and where a figure was not published we write "Not stated".

Black Friday prices change fast, so treat every price as a snapshot and check the live price before you buy.

On a tight budget? Our budget combi drill guide compares the cheapest drills in more detail.

Comparison at a glance

SystemCheapest drill kit we foundPrice (checked 15 Nov 2026)Battery and charger kitBare tools we pricedBrand warranty
Einhell Power X ChangeBare combi drill 4513942 plus 1 x 2.5Ah starter kit£50 + £27 = £77 at B&Q1 x 2.5Ah plus charger, £27 at B&QCombi drill £50 (B&Q)3 year product warranty; 3 year battery warranty with registration within 30 days
Bosch Green (Power for ALL)EasyImpact 18V-40, 1 x 2Ah£49 at B&Q2 x 4Ah plus charger, £113.99 at B&Q (marketplace seller)Impact driver £134 (B&Q), £98.74 (Amazon UK)2 years; 3 years if registered on MyBosch within 4 weeks
Ryobi ONE+R18PD3-115GK, 1 x 1.5Ah£80 at B&Q1 x 2Ah plus charger, £54.99 at B&Q (marketplace seller), £49.98 on Amazon UKImpact driver, multi tool and circular saw, £71 to £1142 years; 3 years if registered within 30 days
DeWalt XRDCD776D2T-GB, 2 x 2Ah£109 at B&QNot in our listImpact drivers, multi tool, £67.99 to £1713 year limited warranty when registered
Bosch Blue (Professional 18V)GSB 18V-45, 2 x 2Ah£130 at B&QNot in our listNot in our listB&Q listing states 3 years; Bosch terms not verified
Milwaukee M18M18BPD-402C, 2 x 4Ah£184.99 at B&Q (marketplace seller); £213.00 on Amazon UKNot in our listCombi drill and impact driver, £101.94 to £148.991 year; 3 years if registered within 30 days
Makita LXTDLX2131TJ twin kit, 2 x 5Ah£248.99 at B&Q (marketplace seller)2 x 5Ah plus charger and case, £170 at B&Q (marketplace seller)Impact driver, multi tool, circular saw, £91.64 to £1851 year; 3 years if each tool is registered online within 30 days

How to read this table:

Battery kit cost per Ah

Each price below includes a charger, so this is a rough guide, not a pure battery price.

Battery kitPrice (checked 15 Nov 2026)Total AhCost per Ah, charger included
Einhell 1 x 2.5Ah plus charger£27 at B&Q2.5Ah£10.80
Bosch Green 2 x 4Ah plus charger£113.99 at B&Q (marketplace seller)8Ah£14.25
Makita LXT 2 x 5Ah plus charger and case£170 at B&Q (marketplace seller)10Ah£17.00
Ryobi ONE+ 1 x 2Ah plus charger£49.98 on Amazon UK2Ah£24.99

We found no DeWalt, Bosch Blue or Milwaukee battery kit to compare.

Who should pick what

Einhell Power X Change

Einhell had the cheapest route in. The 1 x 2.5Ah battery and charger kit was £27 at B&Q, sold by B&Q, and the bare brushless combi drill 4513942 was £50, also sold by B&Q. Together that is £77 for a brushless drill, one battery and a charger. The B&Q page did not give a model name or torque figure for the bare drill, so torque is Not stated.

For a fuller kit, the TP-CD 18/60 Li-i BL came with 2 x 4Ah batteries, a charger and a case for £118.99 from a marketplace seller on B&Q. The retailer listing states 60Nm.

Warranty: Einhell UK runs a 3 year product warranty and a 3 year Power X Change battery warranty, and the battery needs registering within 30 days. Retailers we checked disagreed on the battery term (2 or 3 years), so confirm on Einhell's site.

See the Einhell 2.5Ah starter kit at B&QPrice checked 15 Nov 2026

Bosch Green (Power for ALL)

Bosch's green tools are its home and garden range and run on the 18V Power for ALL battery. The EasyImpact 18V-40 kit with one 2Ah battery, a charger and a carry case was £49 at B&Q, the cheapest complete drill kit in our data. Bosch lists 40Nm maximum torque (38Nm hard, 20Nm soft). It is a brushed drill according to B&Q.

The step up is the UniversalImpact 18V-60, a brushless drill with 2 x 2Ah batteries for £147 at B&Q, which Bosch lists at 60Nm maximum. For more batteries, a 2 x 4Ah starter set with charger was £113.99 from a marketplace seller on B&Q. The bare brushless impact driver 0603980304 was £134 at B&Q, where the retailer listing states 350Nm. We could not match it to a single Amazon UK listing, so we have not linked one.

Warranty: 2 years as standard, or 3 years if you register on MyBosch within 4 weeks. Batteries and chargers are excluded from the extension.

See the Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 kit at B&QPrice checked 15 Nov 2026

Bosch Blue (Professional 18V)

Bosch Professional is a separate 18V platform from Bosch Green. Our data lists it as compatible with Bosch's AMPShare and ProCORE batteries.

The GSB 18V-45 kit with 2 x 2Ah batteries and a GAL 18V-40 charger was £130 at B&Q. The retailer listing states 45Nm. A bigger GSB 18V-55 kit with 2 x 5Ah batteries was £332.99 from a marketplace seller, a price our research flagged as high for that kit. We found no bare blue tools or battery kits in this round of checks.

Warranty: the B&Q listing for the GSB 18V-45 states a 3 year guarantee. We could not open Bosch Professional's own terms, so confirm registration rules with Bosch.

Ryobi ONE+

Every Ryobi ONE+ bare tool in our data cost £114 or less. The entry kit is the R18PD3-115GK percussion drill with one 1.5Ah battery for £80 at B&Q; the retailer listing states 50Nm. The B&Q page did not confirm a charger is included, and a cheaper refurbished version shares the same code, so check before buying.

Bare ONE+ tools we priced:

The RC18120-1C20 battery and charger kit with one 2Ah battery was £49.98 on Amazon UK from a third party seller, or £54.99 from a marketplace seller on B&Q.

Warranty: 2 years as standard, 3 years if registered within 30 days. We could not confirm how the extension applies to batteries.

See the Ryobi RID18BL-0 on Amazon UKPrice checked 15 Nov 2026

DeWalt XR

DeWalt's 18V XR range had the cheapest drill kit in our list from a trade brand platform: the DCD776D2T-GB with 2 x 2Ah batteries, a charger and a TSTAK case for £109 at B&Q. DeWalt's Danish service page lists 42Nm hard and 24Nm soft. It is a brushed drill.

DeWalt also had the cheapest bare impact driver from a major brand in our data. The DCF887N 3 speed brushless impact driver was £67.99 from a marketplace seller on B&Q, and DeWalt UK lists 205Nm. The DCF787N was £68.50 on Amazon UK from a third party seller, against £112 at B&Q; the retailer listing states 170Nm. The DCS356N brushless multi tool was £104.99 on Amazon UK, sold by Amazon, against £171 at B&Q.

We did not find a standalone DeWalt battery kit on B&Q or Amazon UK when we checked.

Warranty: DeWalt UK states a 3 year limited warranty when registered, though B&Q listings show 1 year. We could not confirm DeWalt's registration deadline.

See the DeWalt DCD776D2T-GB kit at B&QPrice checked 15 Nov 2026

Milwaukee M18

Milwaukee M18 had the most expensive single drill starter kit in our comparison table. The M18BPD-402C with 2 x 4Ah batteries and a case was £213.00 on Amazon UK from a third party seller dispatched by Amazon, or £184.99 from a marketplace seller on B&Q. The retailer listing states 60Nm, and B&Q describes it as brushed.

Bare M18 tools we found were FUEL brushless models, which our research flags as pro grade (the B&Q listing gives 2.2kg for the drill with a 5Ah battery): the M18FPD3 combi drill at £143.99 and the M18FID3 impact driver at £148.99, both from marketplace sellers on B&Q. Retailer listings state 158Nm and 226Nm. The M18FID3 was also £101.94 on Amazon UK from a third party seller; check the seller before buying.

Warranty: 1 year as standard, extendable to 3 years if registered within 30 days, with RedLithium batteries covered for up to 2 years. These terms come from a UK retailer summary, so confirm with Milwaukee.

Makita LXT, and the G Series trap

Makita's main 18V system is LXT. Our data had no single LXT drill kit, so the cheapest LXT drill route was the DLX2131TJ twin pack: DHP482 combi drill, DTD152 impact driver and 2 x 5Ah batteries for £248.99 from a marketplace seller on B&Q. Retailer listings state 62Nm for the drill and 165Nm for the driver. Confirm the charger and case, which the listing does not show.

To add LXT tools later, the 2 x 5Ah battery kit with DC18RC charger and Makpac case was £170 from a marketplace seller on B&Q. Bare LXT tools we priced:

Check the battery before you buy a Makita kit. B&Q sold a Makita 18V combi drill kit, HP488DAEX3, for £105. B&Q states it runs on Makita's 18V G Series batteries, which do not fit LXT tools. If you plan to build a Makita collection, look for "LXT" in the product name.

Warranty: 1 year as standard, 3 years if each tool is registered online within 30 days. The extension excludes batteries and chargers. These terms come from a UK retailer summary, so confirm with Makita.

See the Makita DTD153Z bare tool at B&QPrice checked 15 Nov 2026

Also in our data: Erbauer EXT

Erbauer is a Kingfisher own brand sold mainly at B&Q and Screwfix. Its 18V EXT bare tools were among the cheapest we priced at B&Q: a brushless impact driver at £48 and a brushless multi tool and 165mm circular saw at £68 each, with 3 years on tools and 2 years on batteries per B&Q. Our budget combi drill guide covers the Erbauer Elite drill kit.

FAQ

Which 18V battery system should I buy?

Choose by the tools you will want next, not just the first drill. On 15 Nov 2026 prices, Einhell (£77 with battery and charger) and Bosch Green (£49 kit) were cheapest to start, DeWalt XR started at £109, and Makita LXT and Milwaukee M18 cost the most to enter.

What is the cheapest 18V battery platform in the UK?

In our data, Einhell Power X Change: a 2.5Ah battery and charger for £27 at B&Q, and a bare brushless combi drill for £50. The cheapest single boxed drill kit was the Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 at £49.

Are Ryobi batteries compatible with Bosch?

No. Each brand designs its 18V batteries for its own tools, and every system in this guide uses its own battery. The same applies to Makita and DeWalt. Plan to use one brand's own batteries with that brand's tools, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Do Makita G Series batteries fit LXT tools?

No. B&Q states that the HP488DAEX3 kit runs on Makita 18V G Series batteries, which do not fit LXT tools. If you want to grow a Makita collection, buy tools and batteries marked LXT.

Are Bosch Green and Bosch Blue batteries the same?

Bosch sells them as two separate 18V platforms: Power for ALL for green and Professional 18V for blue. Treat them as different systems and check Bosch's compatibility information before mixing them.

What is the best cordless tool brand for beginners?

For a first drill on a budget, Bosch Green and Einhell had the lowest entry prices in our data, and both offer 3 year cover in some form (Bosch with MyBosch registration). Ryobi ONE+ suits beginners who expect to add several tools, given its spread of bare tools from £71.

Sources

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