DCA ADJZ2055i 20V Brushless Hammer Drill Review: a no‑nonsense workhorse for home DIY

I’ve been using this DCA 20V brushless hammer drill set for a few weeks on typical home jobs: shelves, kitchen bits, a couple of wall plugs in brick, and a small DIY project in softwood. I went for it because it was cheaper than the big brands, but still had a brushless motor, 2 batteries and a metal chuck, which you don’t always get at this price. My expectations were pretty modest: I just wanted something that doesn’t feel like a toy and can drill into masonry without crying.

First impression when I picked it up: it actually feels like a proper tool, not supermarket-grade plastic. The case is basic but practical, the accessories are nothing fancy but usable, and the drill itself has a decent weight without being tiring. I’ve mostly used it for drilling 6–10 mm holes in brick and concrete blocks, plus a lot of screwing and unscrewing furniture and timber. It handled all that without overheating or cutting out.

It’s not perfect. The hammer mode isn’t on the same level as a dedicated SDS drill, and if your walls are really hard concrete you’ll notice the limit. The included bits are fine for starting out, but if you plan to work a lot in masonry, you’ll want better quality bits. Also, the battery indicator being red instead of green is a bit confusing at first, even though they warn you about it.

Overall, after a few solid days of mixed use, I’d say this drill sits in a good spot: better built and stronger than the really cheap stuff, but clearly not a pro site tool. For home DIY, flat renovations, and weekend projects, it gets the job done without feeling like you’re pushing it too far every time you hit a brick wall.

In terms of value, this DCA drill sits in a sweet spot. You get a brushless motor, 2 batteries, a metal chuck, and a full accessory kit for the price of some single-battery brushed drills from the big brands. If you’re just equipping yourself for home projects and don’t already have a tool ecosystem, that’s hard to ignore. You basically buy one box and you’re ready to drill wood, metal, masonry, and drive screws.

Compared to Makita, Bosch Professional or DeWalt, you obviously lose a bit in refinement, brand reputation, and long-term ecosystem (extra tools on the same batteries, etc.). But you also spend quite a bit less. From what I’ve experienced, the performance is more than enough for a home user, and the small compromises (slightly cheaper plastics, average included bits, slower charger) are acceptable at this price.

Where the value really shows is if you’re an occasional or intermediate DIYer. You don’t need a £200 drill that will be used once a month to hang a frame. This DCA is good enough to handle more serious projects – kitchen fitting, light renovation, building shelves, decking – without feeling underpowered, and you’re not overpaying for a logo you’ll barely use. The 4.4/5 rating on Amazon with quite a lot of reviews lines up pretty well with my experience: mostly satisfied users, a few who expected SDS-level hammering from a combi drill.

So is it the best drill out there? No. Is it good value for money for someone who wants a capable, cordless hammer drill set without blowing the budget? Yes. If you know what you’re buying – a strong DIY-level combi drill, not a pro SDS – you’ll probably be happy with what you get for the price.

Design-wise, the DCA drill is pretty straightforward. The green colour screams generic DIY brand, but that doesn’t bother me. What matters more is the shape and balance. At about 1.3 kg without the battery, it feels light enough to hold above your head for a while, but not so light that it feels hollow. Once the battery is clipped in, the balance is actually pretty good: the weight sits low in the handle, so it doesn’t tip forward too much when you’re drilling into a wall.

The grip is rubberised, and that helps a lot when your hands get sweaty or dusty. The trigger is progressive enough to control the speed, especially in the low gear for starting screws. The forward/reverse switch is standard and easy to flick with your thumb. There’s also an LED work light under the chuck. It’s not a floodlight, but in a dark corner under a cupboard or in a hallway with the power off, it’s enough to see your mark without needing a headlamp.

The mode selector ring (screw / drill / hammer) is clear and has a decent click, so you don’t feel like it’s going to slip between modes. Same for the torque settings: they’re easy to adjust, and the numbers are visible. I’ve used it a lot in screw mode with lower torque settings for furniture assembly, and it avoided stripping screws pretty well once I dialled it in. Not as refined as some big-brand drills, but it does the job.

If I had to nitpick on design, the plastic doesn’t feel as tough as Makita or DeWalt gear. It’s fine for home use, but I wouldn’t throw it off a scaffold. Also, the belt clip is handy, but I wouldn’t hang the drill on it while climbing ladders with a lot of weight on the chuck. In short: the design is practical, the ergonomics are decent, and nothing feels obviously badly thought out for the intended level of use.

The drill comes with two 2.0 Ah 20V batteries, and for home use that’s honestly the main selling point. During a few days of mixed work (drilling, screwing, some hammer drilling), I managed to use only one battery most of the time. When I pushed it harder with a half-day of almost continuous use, I swapped to the second battery once the first one started to slow down. So in practice, with two batteries, you’re covered for a full DIY day unless you’re really abusing the hammer mode non-stop.

The first charge is long, which matches what one Amazon user mentioned. You basically plug it in and forget it for several hours. After that initial charge, the recharge time drops to around 2 hours per battery from near-empty, at least from what I’ve seen. It’s not ultra-fast, but if you rotate them sensibly, it’s workable. This is clearly not meant for a professional who needs to charge batteries between jobs in under an hour, but for a weekend project it’s fine.

The battery indicator is a bit odd because the light is red instead of green, which goes against what your brain expects. But once you know it, you get used to it quickly. The built-in charge level button on the battery is actually handy: I often check it before starting a job so I’m not halfway through a hole in brick and suddenly out of juice. No fancy Bluetooth or anything, just a simple LED indicator that actually helps.

In terms of power consistency, the drill keeps a stable performance until the battery is nearly empty. You don’t really feel it fading slowly; it goes from working normally to suddenly not having enough power, which is typical of Li-ion packs. Overall, for the target use, the battery setup is good value for money: two packs, decent runtime, and a basic but functional charger. If you start doing heavier daily work, you’ll probably wish for 4.0 Ah batteries, but that’s another price range altogether.

On durability, I obviously don’t have years of hindsight, but after a few weeks of use, there are some signs of how it’s built. The big positive point is the 13 mm all-metal chuck. It grips bits well, doesn’t slip, and still feels tight after a lot of bit changes. That’s often the weak point on cheaper drills, and here it feels closer to what you’d get from bigger brands. No wobble or runout that I could see with normal bits.

The housing is mainly plastic with some rubber inserts. It looks and feels decent, but you can tell it’s not meant for getting thrown around on a construction site every day. I accidentally dropped it once from about one metre onto a wooden floor while changing bits – no damage apart from a small scuff. I also used it in a pretty dusty environment drilling into brick and plaster, and the vents didn’t clog up or spit dust into my face more than usual.

The brushless motor is another plus for longevity. It runs cooler and should, in theory, last longer than brushed motors in cheaper drills. After several long drilling sessions in hammer mode, the body was warm but not burning hot, and there were no weird smells or noises. The gearbox still shifts cleanly between low and high speed, and the clutch clicks feel the same as on day one.

There’s a 2-year limited warranty, which is reassuring for a brand that’s not as well known as Makita or Bosch in some countries. I wouldn’t treat this drill like an indestructible pro tool, but for regular home use, small renovation jobs, and occasional heavier work, it gives the impression it will hold up if you don’t abuse it. If you need something to live in the back of a van and get hammered every day, I’d look at higher-end brands. For a DIYer who takes basic care of their tools, this DCA should last a good while.

On performance, this thing is pretty solid for home and light renovation. In wood, it goes through 35 mm holes like the spec says without struggling, as long as your bit is sharp. I drilled multiple 10 mm holes in softwood beams and chipboard, and even with the cheaper included bits, it cut through at high speed without bogging down. In metal, I only went up to 8 mm in mild steel, and it did it fine in low gear with some cutting oil. No weird noises, no overheating.

For masonry, it’s where you see it’s a combi drill, not an SDS. In brick and light concrete blocks, the hammer mode at 27,000 BPM works fine. I drilled several 6 and 8 mm holes for wall plugs in my kitchen and hallway, and it went through in a reasonable time. It’s not lightning fast, but perfectly acceptable for hanging cupboards, TV brackets, and shelves. A couple of Amazon reviewers who complained about masonry probably either had very hard concrete or bad drill bits. With decent bits, it does the job.

Where it starts to struggle is in older, very hard concrete or thick structural walls. I tried a 10 mm hole in a particularly nasty concrete lintel, and there you feel the limit. It still gets through, but you have to be patient, keep pressure steady, and let the hammer do its thing. For that kind of work on a regular basis, I’d clearly go for an SDS drill instead. But for occasional heavy holes plus regular DIY, this DCA is acceptable.

The 55 Nm torque feels realistic. In low gear, it will twist your wrist if you’re not holding it properly when a big bit jams. As a screwdriver, I used it for assembling cabinets and driving long screws into studs. It didn’t feel underpowered at any point. The clutch does its job to avoid overdriving screws, even if it’s not ultra-precise. Overall, for the price bracket, the performance is good: not mind-blowing, but clearly above the basic entry-level stuff.

The set is pretty complete for the price. In the case you get the 20V brushless hammer drill, two 2.0 Ah batteries, the charger, and a bunch of bits and accessories. There’s a 19-piece screwdriver bit set, 9 drill bits (wood, metal, masonry in 6/8/10 mm), a flexible shaft, a magnetic bit holder, a hex extension rod, and a belt clip. For someone who doesn’t already have a toolbox full of bits, it’s enough to start working right away.

The drill itself has two speeds (0–450 / 0–1800 RPM), an 18+1+1 clutch setting ring (screw, drill, hammer), and a 13 mm all-metal keyless chuck. Max torque is listed at 55 Nm, which matches what I felt: it has enough force to bury big screws into wood without complaining, and you need to hold it firmly in low gear. The impact rate goes up to 27,000 BPM, which is decent for a combi drill in this range. It’s not a monster, but it’s not weak either.

One detail that matters: it comes with two batteries. This is a big plus in practice. On my small renovation, I was able to work almost non-stop by swapping batteries. They’re 2.0 Ah, so not huge, but for a general-purpose drill it’s fine. Charging time after the first long initial charge is roughly a couple of hours per battery, which matches what one of the Amazon reviewers said. Good enough for DIY; for heavy daily use, you’d probably want higher capacity packs.

The overall package is clearly targeted at home users who want a ready-to-go kit. The case is sturdy enough to be thrown in a car boot or stored in a damp garage without worrying too much. You’re not getting pro-grade accessories, but for the price, having everything in one box is practical. You can always upgrade the bits later if you start doing more serious work.