Combi Drills: What to Buy, How to Use One, and When You Need Something Bigger

You're an hour into trying to put a 10mm hole through a concrete lintel with a tool that was never designed for it, burning through drill bits and getting nowhere. The combi drill is the first power tool most people buy, and the one most people use on the wrong setting, with the wrong bit, on the wrong material. Get it right and it handles 90% of drilling and screwdriving tasks around the house. Get it wrong and you'll blame the tool when it's the technique.

What it is and when you need one

A combi drill (short for combination drill) is a cordless tool that does three jobs in one body. It drills holes in wood, metal, and plastic. It drives and removes screws. And it has a hammer mode that lets it punch through light masonry like brick and blockwork for wall plugs and fixings. Three functions, one tool, controlled by a mode selector collar on the front.

A standard drill driver can drill holes and drive screws but has no hammer action, so it's useless on masonry. A dedicated hammer drill (like an SDS) smashes through concrete but can't drive a screw. The combi drill sits in the middle, doing all three jobs adequately. That "adequately" matters. It's brilliant at timber and screwdriving, decent at light masonry, and completely outclassed by an SDS drill on anything harder than a standard brick.

For a homeowner doing renovation work, a combi drill covers first-fix tasks (drilling through timber joists for cables and pipes), second-fix tasks (screwing faceplates to walls, fixing pipe clips), and kitchen installation (pilot holes, cabinet screws, handle fixings). It's the tool you'll pick up most often.

Understanding the three modes

Every combi drill has a mode selector, usually a collar behind the chuck that you twist to switch between settings. This is where beginners go wrong, because the wrong mode on the wrong material either damages the workpiece, wrecks the drill bit, or strips the screw head.

Screwdriver mode (numbered settings)

The numbers around the collar (typically 1 to 20+) control a clutch that limits how much torque the drill delivers. When the torque reaches the set limit, the clutch slips and the chuck stops spinning. This prevents you from over-driving screws into soft materials or stripping screw heads.

Low numbers (1-5) deliver gentle torque. Use these for plasterboard fixings, thin sheet materials, and small screws into softwood. Medium numbers (8-14) handle most general screwdriving into softwood and hardwood. High numbers (15-20+) are for long screws into dense timber or structural fixings that need real force.

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Start lower than you think you need. It's easy to bump up the torque setting if the screw isn't seating. It's harder to fix a screw you've driven 3mm too deep into a kitchen unit faceplate because you had the clutch on 18.

Drill mode (drill bit icon)

This bypasses the clutch entirely and delivers maximum torque. Use it whenever you're drilling a hole, regardless of material. The chuck spins continuously until you release the trigger. Never use numbered clutch settings for drilling holes, as the clutch will slip partway through and the bit will bind in the hole.

Hammer mode (hammer icon)

Engages a piston mechanism that adds a rapid hammering action (around 28,500 beats per minute on most 18V models) on top of the rotation. This percussive force is what gets masonry drill bits through brick and lightweight block. Use it exclusively with masonry bits, and only on masonry materials.

When a combi drill is not enough

This is the section most buying guides skip, and it's the one that saves you the most frustration.

A combi drill's hammer mode works on standard bricks, lightweight blocks, and mortar joints. For drilling 6mm or 8mm holes for wall plugs in a brick wall, it's fine. Slow, compared to an SDS, but it gets the job done.

It fails on dense concrete, engineering bricks, concrete lintels, and thick stone. If you're spending more than 30 seconds on a single hole and the bit isn't making progress, stop. You need an SDS drill. Pushing harder won't help. You'll overheat the bit, burn out the motor, and still not get through.

Specific scenarios where combi drill fails and SDS is needed:

• Drilling into a poured concrete floor slab for pipe clips or cable fixings
• Any hole larger than about 16mm diameter in masonry
• Repeated masonry drilling (battening out an entire wall with 50+ fixings)
• Engineering bricks, which are significantly harder than standard facing bricks
• Chiselling or chasing cable channels into walls (SDS has a chisel-only mode; combi drills don't)

For the renovation tasks that matter most (drilling through timber joists, driving screws into studs, fixing brackets and clips, installing kitchen cabinets), the combi drill is the right tool. Save the SDS for when you hit something hard.

Brushless vs brushed motors

Older and cheaper combi drills use brushed motors, where carbon brushes make physical contact with the spinning rotor. These brushes wear over time, reducing performance and eventually requiring replacement. Brushless motors use electronic switching instead of physical contact, which means less friction, longer runtime per battery charge, more consistent power delivery, and a longer motor lifespan.

The market has shifted. Brushless used to cost noticeably more. In 2026, budget brushless combi drills start from around £70(Einhell at Screwfix), and every mid-range and professional model is brushless as standard. For anyone doing renovation work rather than the occasional shelf bracket, brushless is the right choice. The extra runtime alone justifies the cost when you're drilling 40 holes through joists in a day of first-fix work.

Brushed drills still exist at the budget end (Black+Decker, some Ryobi models) for under £50. They're adequate for occasional light use. Hanging pictures, assembling furniture, the odd shelf. But their hammer performance is notably poor. The Guardian's hands-on testing found budget brushed models couldn't drill through a standard breeze block. If your walls are anything harder than plasterboard, spend more.

What to buy

Three tiers, with specific recommendations at each. All prices are for complete kits (drill, battery, charger) unless marked as bare units.

Budget: £40 – £70

The Black+Decker 18V with one 1.5Ah battery runs around £50from Toolstation. It's light, simple, and fine for occasional light DIY. The Ryobi R18PD3 starter kit with two 1.5Ah batteries hit £50on Amazon and scored 94/100 from Good Housekeeping as a joint runner-up in their 2026 testing. Ryobi is the smart budget pick because the ONE+ battery platform has over 200 compatible tools, so your batteries work with everything from a circular saw to a garden strimmer if you expand later.

Be honest about this tier's limits. These are brushed motors with 40-50Nm of torque. They'll drive screws into softwood and drill timber without complaint. On masonry, they struggle. If your project involves any first-fix work through joists or fixing into brick walls, step up to mid-range.

Mid-range: £120 – £180

This is the sweet spot for anyone renovating a house or managing a build. Every drill here is brushless, 18V, and powerful enough for sustained use.

The Makita DHP490 is the current standout. The Guardian named it best overall in February 2026. It delivers 65Nm of torque, weighs just 1.0kg bare, and has a 13mm keyless chuck. The bare unit runs around £69at B&Q, but you'll need a battery and charger on top. A Makita LXT starter battery pack adds roughly £58bringing the real cost to about £127total. That's still less than the DeWalt equivalent kit.

The DeWalt DCD778D2 kit with two 2Ah batteries runs £150at Screwfix. It matches the Makita on torque (65Nm), weighs slightly more at 1.15kg, and comes ready to use with no additional purchases. DeWalt's XR batteries range from 2Ah up to 15Ah (PowerStack), and the platform has a three-year warranty when you register the tool.

The Bosch GSB 18V-45 bare unit at £50from Screwfix looks tempting, but here's a trap that catches people out. Bosch sells two completely separate product lines. Blue is the professional range. Green is the DIY range. Their batteries are not interchangeable. If you buy a Blue combi drill and then want a Green garden tool, your batteries won't fit. Check the colour before you commit to the platform.

Professional: £180 – £330

At this tier, you're either buying a premium single drill or (smarter) a twin pack that pairs a combi drill with an impact driver. The DeWalt twin pack (combi + impact, 2x2Ah batteries) runs £200at Toolstation. The Milwaukee M18 combi drill kit with 2x5Ah batteries comes in at £230.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL is the professional benchmark. But for a homeowner, the extra spend over mid-range Makita or DeWalt buys diminishing returns. You're paying for durability that matters when a tool runs eight hours a day, five days a week. For weekend renovation work, mid-range is the right call.

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Battery platforms: the decision that locks you in

Your first cordless tool purchase isn't just about the drill. It's about which battery system you're committing to, because every additional tool you buy on that platform uses the same batteries. Switch platforms later and your existing batteries become expensive paperweights.

For a homeowner renovating a house, Makita LXT or DeWalt XR are the two strongest choices. Both have wide tool ranges, competitive pricing, and readily available batteries at every UK retailer. Ryobi ONE+ is the right pick if budget is the primary concern and you want garden tools on the same platform.

One warning on Makita: the newer 40V XGT platform uses different batteries from the 18V LXT range. They're not interchangeable. Stick with 18V LXT for home renovation.

How to use it properly

Drilling into timber

Set the mode to drill (bypass the clutch). Use a standard HSS twist bit or a wood bit. Mark your hole position with a pencil cross so you can see where to place the bit. Start at low speed to prevent the bit from skating across the surface, then increase to full speed once the bit has bitten. Let the drill do the work. Pressing harder doesn't make it faster; it makes the bit overheat and wander off line.

For holes through joists (first-fix electrical and plumbing routes), use a flat wood bit or an auger bit. Keep the drill straight and let the bit's lead point pull itself through. Building regulations restrict where you can drill through joists: stay within the middle third of the joist depth and avoid areas near supports.

Drilling into masonry

Switch to hammer mode. Fit a masonry bit (carbide tipped, identifiable by the wider cutting tip). Mark the hole position and use a nail or centre punch to create a small starting indent so the bit doesn't wander.

Start at low speed with light pressure. Once the bit has started, increase speed and let the hammer action do the work. Pull the bit out periodically to clear dust from the hole.

For wall plugs, drill 5-10mm deeper than the plug length. A 6mm plug needs a 6mm masonry bit. Match them exactly; a 6mm plug in a 7mm hole will spin instead of gripping.

Driving screws

Switch to screwdriver mode (numbered settings). Choose a torque setting that's lower than you think you need. It's easy to turn it up. Winding a screw back out of over-driven chipboard without splitting the board is not easy.

Use the correct screwdriver bit for your screw head. Phillips (cross-shaped, marked PH2) and Pozidrive (similar but with additional tick marks, marked PZ2) look alike but are different. A Phillips bit in a Pozidrive screw will cam out under load, stripping the head. Check the screw packaging.

Speed settings

Most combi drills have a two-speed gearbox, controlled by a slider on top of the body. Low gear (speed 1) gives higher torque at lower rotation speed. High gear (speed 2) gives faster rotation with less torque.

Use low gear for driving screws and drilling large holes. Use high gear for drilling small holes in soft materials where speed matters more than force.

How to check quality when buying

Pick up the drill in a shop if possible. These things tell you more than any spec sheet:

Weight and balance. Hold the drill as if you're about to use it. Does it feel balanced in your hand, or does it tip forward heavily? A front-heavy drill causes fatigue faster. Most quality 18V brushless drills weigh 1.0-1.3kg bare.

Chuck quality. Spin the chuck open and closed by hand. It should run smoothly without gritty resistance. Wobble in the chuck means inaccurate drilling.

Trigger control. The variable-speed trigger should give you smooth, proportional control from slow to fast. A trigger that jumps from nothing to full speed makes precision work difficult.

Mode selector. The collar should click positively between each setting. Vague detents mean the collar can slip between modes during use.

The combi drill and impact driver pairing

Every UK DIY forum thread on drills ends with the same advice: buy a combi drill AND an impact driver. The combi's clutch works for occasional screws, but an impact driver is faster, easier on your wrists, and less likely to strip screw heads.

Twin packs that pair both tools on the same battery platform run £150 – £330 depending on brand and battery capacity. You get two tools, two batteries, and a charger in one box. For a single renovation project, the combi alone will handle the work. For ongoing DIY, the twin pack is the better investment.

Where you'll need this

A combi drill appears across multiple phases of any extension or renovation project:

• First fix electrics - drilling through timber joists and studs for cable routes, fixing back boxes for sockets and switches
• First fix plumbing - drilling through joists for pipe runs, fixing pipe clips to timber studwork
• Second fix electrics - fixing faceplates, light fittings, and consumer unit components
• Second fix plumbing - fixing pipe clips, radiator brackets, and boiler flue components to walls
• Kitchen installation - drilling pilot holes and driving screws for wall units, brackets, handles, and hinge adjustments
• Temporary kitchen setup - fixing temporary shelving, worktop supports, and mounting brackets

Common mistakes

Using hammer mode on timber. The hammering action splinters wood fibres and produces ragged holes. Switch to drill mode for all timber work.

Skipping pilot holes in hardwood. Softwood (pine, spruce) is forgiving. Hardwood and dense manufactured boards like MDF will split if you drive a screw without a pilot. Kitchen cabinet fittings are a common casualty.

Mismatching plug and bit sizes. A 7mm masonry bit with a 6mm wall plug means the plug rattles in the hole and the screw pulls out under load. Always match the bit diameter to the plug diameter exactly.

Buying a bare unit without checking battery costs. A bare unit price isn't the real cost. Add the battery and charger before comparing brands. See the worked example in the mid-range section above.

Choosing 12V for renovation work. Compact 12V drills are lighter and cheaper, but they lack the torque and hammer performance for sustained renovation tasks. For any project involving first-fix or kitchen installation, 18V is the right voltage.

Safety

Secure your workpiece. Drilling into loose timber that spins when the bit catches is how wrists get twisted and drill bits snap. Clamp it or brace it.

Watch for hidden hazards in walls and floors. Cables and pipes run behind plasterboard and through joists. Use a cable and pipe detector before drilling into any wall or floor. Hitting a live cable is a genuine electrocution risk. Hitting a water pipe means an emergency plumber call and water damage.

Keep battery contacts clean and dry. Store batteries indoors at room temperature. Extreme cold reduces capacity and extreme heat degrades the cells.