DEWALT GG107 18V Combi Drill Review: a no‑nonsense workhorse for DIY and light pro jobs

I’ve been using this DEWALT GG107 18V combi drill for a little while now on basic DIY jobs: putting up shelves, drilling into brick walls for curtain rails, assembling flat-pack, and a couple of small outdoor projects. I bought it as a complete kit with the two batteries, fast charger and T-STAK case because I was tired of borrowing my neighbour’s drill every time I had to hang something. I’m not a tradesperson, just a normal user who wants tools that work when I pick them up.

First impression: it feels like a proper tool, not a cheap supermarket drill. It’s not crazy powerful like the big 5Ah pro kits, but it’s clearly built to handle more than just the odd IKEA job. The specs say 18V, up to 42 Nm torque, 2 speeds and hammer function, which is the standard combo for this type of drill. On paper it looks decent; in practice, it actually holds up pretty well for everyday use.

What pushed me towards this kit was the price for a known brand, plus the two batteries and the T-STAK case. I already knew DEWALT from work sites I’ve been on, where their tools get thrown around a lot and usually keep going. I wasn’t expecting miracles at this price, but I wanted something I wouldn’t have to replace in a year. So I went in with fairly realistic expectations: solid mid-range drill, not a top-of-the-line beast.

After using it on wood, masonry and metal, I’d say it does what it promises. It’s not perfect, there are a couple of annoying details, and there’s definitely better stuff if you’re on site all day every day. But for home projects and occasional heavier use, it’s pretty solid. I’ll break down what I liked and what annoyed me so you can see if it fits what you need.

On value, this kit sits in a pretty sensible spot. You’re getting a known brand, a proper 18V combi drill, two XR batteries, a charger and a T-STAK case. Compared to no-name or supermarket drills, you pay more, but you’re getting better build quality and a battery platform you can actually expand later if you want other DEWALT tools. Compared to the top DEWALT brushless kits with big 5Ah batteries, this is clearly cheaper but also less powerful and with smaller batteries.

If you’re a home user who does regular DIY – shelves, kitchens, garden projects, fixing things around the house – the price-to-usage ratio makes sense. You’re not overspending on features you won’t use, but you’re not stuck with a weak drill that struggles on basic jobs. The included second battery and case add real value; buying those separately later always ends up costing more. From that angle, it’s good value for money.

Where the value starts to look a bit less attractive is if you’re a tradesperson or very heavy user. In that case, you might be better off spending more upfront on a brushless model with bigger batteries, because you’ll gain in power, runtime and long-term durability. This kit will still work, but you might hit its limits faster and end up upgrading sooner than you’d like. So it depends how hard you’re planning to push it.

Overall, I’d put it this way: for casual and semi-regular users, it’s a pretty solid deal and feels like money well spent. For full-time pros, it’s more of an entry-level DEWALT that will get the job done but isn’t the best long-term investment. There’s better out there if you’re willing to pay more, but in its price bracket, it holds up well and doesn’t feel like a rip-off.

Design-wise, this drill is pretty typical DEWALT: black and yellow, slightly chunky, and clearly built more for function than for looking pretty in a toolbox photo. The body is mostly plastic with rubber overmoulding in the main grip areas. It’s not the most compact 18V drill on the market, but it’s short enough to get into most corners and cupboards. Total length is about 240 mm, which matches the specs, and in the hand it feels balanced, especially with the smaller batteries.

The 13 mm keyless chuck is all metal, which I like a lot. On cheaper drills, the plastic chucks tend to loosen or wear quickly, and bits slip more easily. Here, the chuck tightens down well, and I didn’t have any slipping with masonry bits or larger wood bits. The automatic spindle lock makes it easy to change bits with one hand while holding the drill, which is handy when you’re up a ladder or wedged in a tight spot.

The control layout is straightforward: two-speed slider on top, mode ring (screw/hammer/drill) behind the chuck, and the torque adjustment ring. The trigger is variable speed and feels responsive, so you can start screws slowly and then speed up. The forward/reverse switch is in the usual spot above the trigger and clicks positively. The LED work light is at the base of the handle and comes on with the trigger, with a small delay after you release it, so it doubles as a mini torch while you line up the bit.

In practice, the design gets the job done without trying to be clever. No gimmicky screens or weird buttons, just basic controls. On the downside, it’s not the slimmest or lightest drill, and if you’re working overhead for a long time you feel it. Also, there’s no belt hook included, which is something I miss when I’m going up and down ladders. But overall, for the price bracket, the design is sensible and focused on durability more than style.

The kit comes with two compact XR Li-ion batteries, listed around 1.5–2Ah depending on which part of the description you believe. In practice, they’re on the smaller side compared to the 4–5Ah packs you see on higher-end kits. For home use, that’s not a big issue, because the drill is lighter and you’re usually not drilling hundreds of holes in one go. For trade work, you’d probably want bigger batteries or spares.

With mixed use – some drilling into brick, some driving screws, some light work on wood – I was getting around an hour of active use per battery, spread over an afternoon. That’s not scientific, but it gives you an idea. It’s enough to do a room’s worth of shelves, curtain rails and a bit of furniture assembly without running dry, especially because you can rotate between the two batteries. If you’re doing heavier hammer drilling non-stop, you’ll drain them faster, obviously.

The “fast charger” is decent. From nearly empty to full took roughly 30–40 minutes in my experience, which is quick enough that by the time you’ve measured, marked, hoovered a bit of dust and had a drink, the second battery is ready. The charger is not tiny, but it’s sturdy and the cooling seems fine – I didn’t notice batteries getting worryingly hot. There’s no fancy display, just simple lights to show charging and full.

On the downside, small-capacity batteries mean more frequent swaps if you’re doing a big job. If you’re planning to renovate a whole house, I’d strongly consider buying at least one higher-capacity DEWALT XR battery to go with this kit. The positive side is the drill feels lighter and more manageable with the compact batteries, which matters if you don’t have huge hands or you’re working overhead. For the average DIYer, the battery setup is acceptable and practical; for heavy users, it’s a bit underpowered but still usable with extra packs.

The standout part of the packaging is the T-STAK case. This isn’t one of those flimsy plastic boxes you’re afraid to close. It’s a solid, stackable case with proper latches that feel secure. Inside, there’s a shaped area for the drill, spaces for the two batteries and the charger. It’s not super tidy if you throw cables around, but once you figure out a layout, everything fits and stays in place fairly well.

I like that the case is tough enough to sit on or to stack other boxes on top. For storage in a shed or garage, that matters. It also means you can grab the whole kit by the handle and know you’ve got everything you need for a job at a friend’s house or somewhere else. No hunting for the charger or spare battery. For someone like me who tends to misplace things, having it all in one case is a real plus.

The downside is that the case is fairly big for what’s inside. If you’re tight on space, it’s not the most compact way to store a drill and two small batteries. Also, there’s no dedicated section for drill bits or driver bits apart from some small gaps you can improvise with. I ended up throwing a small bit set in there loose, which works but isn’t very organised. A couple of proper bit holders inside the lid would have been handy.

As for the actual shipping packaging (from Amazon), nothing special there: standard cardboard box, some protection, and that’s it. The product box and case did their job, no damage on arrival. So overall, the packaging and case are practical, clearly more geared towards durability than compactness or clever storage systems. It’s functional, which fits the rest of the product.

In terms of durability, this drill gives off a solid vibe. The all-metal chuck is the first thing that reassured me. I’ve had cheaper drills where the chuck started wobbling or slipping after a few months, especially after hammer drilling into brick. Here, after a series of masonry holes and some rough handling, the chuck still feels tight and runs true. No noticeable play or weird noises so far.

The body plastic is thick and the rubber overmoulding covers the main impact zones. I’ve already dropped it once from about waist height onto a concrete floor (my fault, not the drill’s), and it came away with just a scuff on the plastic, no cracks, no functional issues. The T-STAK case helps a lot with protection during transport and storage; it’s rigid and doesn’t feel like it will fall apart after a year in the garage.

Inside, the motor is fan-cooled and the tool has thermal overload protection and replaceable carbon brushes, which is a nice touch. That means if you ever wear the brushes out after a lot of use, you can swap them instead of binning the drill. I haven’t had it long enough to wear anything out, but it’s a good sign that DEWALT designed it with maintenance in mind, not as a disposable gadget.

Of course, it’s not indestructible. If you’re on a building site every day, dropping it from scaffolding and using it in the rain, you’ll eventually find its limits. The plastic casing and seals are not in the same league as the top-tier brushless models. But for regular DIY, occasional site work, and being thrown into the back of a car with other tools, it feels more than up to the task. I’d say it’s clearly above the cheap brands in toughness, even if it’s not the toughest in the DEWALT range.

On the performance side, this drill is pretty honest. It’s rated up to 2000 RPM and 42 Nm of torque, with hammer action up to 25,500 bpm. In reality, I had no trouble drilling into standard brick walls with a 6 mm and 8 mm masonry bit for wall plugs. It’s not as fast as the bigger high-end models, but it goes through brick and block without struggling, as long as you let it work and don’t force it too much. The hammer mode is noisy but effective enough for typical home jobs.

In wood, it’s more than enough. I used it on 18 mm MDF, softwood studs and some old hardwood shelves. With a 25 mm spade bit, it handled holes cleanly in softwood on the lower speed (more torque). For driving screws, it’s comfortable with 5 x 70 mm and 6 x 100 mm screws into studs. The clutch settings are useful to avoid overdriving smaller screws in furniture or plasterboard. It’s not a monster impact driver, but as a combi drill it holds its own.

On metal, I only tested it with up to 10 mm drill bits through mild steel and some brackets, and it did fine. You obviously want to use the lower speed and some lubricant, but the motor didn’t feel like it was suffering. The fan-cooled motor and thermal overload protection seem to do their job – I did a series of repeated holes and the drill got warm but not worrying. The electric brake stops the chuck quickly, which is good for accuracy and safety.

Where you see the limits is if you try to treat it like a site drill for hours on end or push huge bits through tough masonry. It will do it, but it slows down and you feel that it’s more of a mid-range unit. If you’re a professional using it all day, you’d probably want a higher-torque model with bigger batteries. For home owners and occasional trades, though, the performance is solid: it doesn’t feel underpowered for normal tasks and you’re not left swearing at it halfway through a job.

This kit comes as a fairly complete package: the drill body (DCD776C2), two XR lithium-ion batteries, a charger and a T-STAK case. The listing is a bit confusing on battery capacity (1.5Ah mentioned in the title, 2Ah in the description), but the idea is the same: you get two compact 18V packs, not the big heavy 5Ah bricks. For casual use, that’s fine, and having two batteries is already a big plus compared to single-battery kits.

The drill itself is a classic 18V combi: it has drill, screwdriver and hammer modes, a 13 mm keyless chuck, two mechanical speeds, and 15 torque settings. Max torque is listed at 42 Nm hard and 24 Nm soft, which is enough for most home tasks like driving long screws into studs or drilling into brick with the hammer function. You also get an LED work light, electric brake, and rubber-coated handle. Nothing fancy, just the basics you actually use.

The charger is a standard DEWALT unit: not the tiniest, not the biggest, but it charges the compact batteries fairly quickly. I could go from almost empty to full during a coffee break when I was switching between batteries. The T-STAK case is rigid and feels durable, with enough space for the drill, batteries, charger and a few bits if you’re not too messy. It’s not perfectly laid out inside, but at least everything has a place and doesn’t rattle around too much.

In short, you’re getting a ready-to-go kit: no need to buy batteries or a case separately. For someone starting from scratch or upgrading from a cheap corded drill, it’s convenient. The downside is that the kit is a bit bulky to store if you’re short on space, and the included accessories are minimal – no drill bits, no screw bits, just the bare tool and power gear. So you’ll still need to budget for a basic bit set if you don’t already have one.