Makita vs DeWalt: which 18V cordless system should you buy?
If you already own 18V batteries from one of the two brands, stay with that brand, because a battery only fits tools from its own brand.
If you are starting from zero, the DeWalt twin kit we compare was £70 cheaper on 28 Oct: the DeWalt DCK266P2 is £259.95 and the Makita DLX2180TJ is £329.95. Both are a brushless combi drill and impact driver with two 5 Ah batteries, a charger and a case.
How we chose. We have not tested these tools, and we do not score them. We picked three like-for-like pairs from the Makita and DeWalt tools sold by Tooled Up and My Tool Shed: a twin kit, an impact driver without battery, and a spare battery. We compared them on facts the shops list (what is in the box, voltage, battery size, torque where listed) and on price. Every product was in stock when we checked.
The difference at a glance
| Detail | Makita | DeWalt |
|---|---|---|
| 18V range | LXT | XR |
| Batteries fit | Makita 18V LXT tools | DeWalt 18V XR tools |
| Higher-voltage range | 40V Max XGT, a separate system with its own batteries and chargers Source: Makita | 54V FLEXVOLT; DeWalt says its FLEXVOLT batteries also fit 18V XR tools Source: DeWalt |
| Twin kit, 2 × 5 Ah | £329.95 | £259.95 |
| Impact driver, no battery | £99.99 | £79.95 |
| Spare 18V battery | £59.95 (5 Ah) | £49.95 (4 Ah) |
The six products we picked
| Product | Type | Specs (as the shop lists them) | My Tool Shed | Tooled Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeWalt DCK266P2 Twin Kit | Twin kit | 18 V XR; brushless combi drill + impact driver; 2 × 5 Ah, charger, ToughSystem case | £259.95 | £259.95 |
| Makita DLX2180TJ Twin Kit | Twin kit | 18 V LXT; brushless combi drill + impact driver; 2 × 5 Ah, charger, case | £329.95 | £329.95 |
| DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver | Impact driver, no battery | 18 V XR; brushless; 205 Nm | £79.95 | £79.95 |
| Makita DTD157 Impact Driver | Impact driver, no battery | 18 V LXT; brushless; 140 Nm; 3,000 rpm | £99.99 | £99.99 |
| DeWalt DCB182 Battery | Battery | 18 V XR; 4 Ah; Li-ion | £49.95 | |
| Makita BL1850B Battery | Battery | 18 V LXT; 5 Ah; Li-ion | £59.95 |
An empty cell means that shop does not sell the product in the stores we compare.
Twin kits
1. DeWalt DCK266P2 18V XR Brushless Combi Drill and Impact Driver Kit
£259.95 Tooled Up
- Pros: £70 less than the Makita kit with the same contents; two brushless tools, two 5 Ah batteries, a charger and a ToughSystem case; the same price at both shops.
- Cons: the shops do not list torque, speed or weight for the two tools in this kit.
- Who it's for: anyone starting a cordless set from zero who wants a drill and a driver.
- Who should skip: anyone who already owns Makita LXT batteries.
2. Makita DLX2180TJ 18V LXT Brushless Combi Drill and Impact Driver Kit
£329.95 Tooled Up
- Pros: two brushless tools, two 5 Ah batteries, a charger and a case; the same price at both shops; the batteries also fit the Makita impact driver and battery below.
- Cons: £70 more than the DeWalt kit; the shops do not list torque, speed or weight for the two tools.
- Who it's for: anyone who has chosen the Makita LXT range, or already has LXT tools.
- Who should skip: anyone starting from zero who wants the lowest price for a twin kit.
Impact drivers, no battery
3. DeWalt DCF887 18V XR Brushless Impact Driver
£79.95 Tooled Up
- Pros: the lowest price of the six; 205 Nm listed, the higher of the two drivers; the same price at both shops.
- Cons: no battery, no charger and no case.
- Who it's for: owners of DeWalt 18V XR or FLEXVOLT batteries.
- Who should skip: anyone with no DeWalt batteries (the twin kit is the cheaper way in).
4. Makita DTD157 18V LXT Brushless Impact Driver
£99.99 Tooled Up
- Pros: brushless; 3,000 rpm and 140 Nm listed; the same price at both shops.
- Cons: £20 more than the DCF887, with lower listed torque (140 Nm against 205 Nm); no battery, no charger and no case.
- Who it's for: owners of Makita 18V LXT batteries.
- Who should skip: anyone with no Makita batteries.
Spare batteries
5. DeWalt DCB182 18V XR 4 Ah Battery
£49.95 My Tool Shed
- Pros: £10 less than the Makita battery; fits DeWalt 18V XR tools.
- Cons: 4 Ah, 1 Ah less than the Makita battery; about £12.49 per Ah against about £11.99; one shop only (My Tool Shed), so there is no second price to compare.
- Who it's for: a second battery for a DeWalt 18V XR kit.
- Who should skip: anyone who wants the longest run time per battery.
6. Makita BL1850B 18V LXT 5 Ah Battery
£59.95 My Tool Shed
- Pros: 5 Ah, the bigger of the two batteries; the lower price per Ah (about £11.99); fits Makita 18V LXT tools.
- Cons: £10 more than the DeWalt battery; one shop only (My Tool Shed).
- Who it's for: a second battery for a Makita LXT kit.
- Who should skip: DeWalt owners; it does not fit their tools.
Same product, different shops
The four tools above are sold by both My Tool Shed and Tooled Up, with the same barcode, and on 28 Oct the two shops showed the same price for all four. The two batteries are sold by My Tool Shed only. Delivery costs can change the total, so check the final price at checkout.
Prices checked 6 Oct 2026, may change. You buy from the retailer at their price. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links (#ad).