JCB Pro 18V 75Nm Brushless Combi Drill Review: a chunky workhorse with serious torque

I’ve been using this JCB Pro 18V 75Nm brushless combi drill for a few weeks on general DIY and some heavier renovation jobs: stud walls, a bit of masonry, and a lot of screwdriving. I usually reach for Makita or DeWalt on friends’ sites, so I was curious if this JCB set with 2 x 5.0Ah batteries and a fast charger could actually keep up, or if it was just a badge on a generic tool.

First impression when you lift the case: this isn’t a toy. The whole kit with the two big batteries is on the heavy side, and the drill itself feels more like a pro tool than a light DIY gadget. The 75Nm torque spec isn’t fake marketing either – the first time I drove long screws into treated timber, it twisted my wrist a bit when I got lazy with the grip. So power-wise, it’s up there.

Where I started to really form an opinion was over a couple of longer sessions: one afternoon building a timber frame and another drilling pilot holes and fixing into brick. With the brushless motor and the 5.0Ah batteries, I basically forgot about battery anxiety. I drained one pack properly only once, and by then the second one on the 4.5A fast charger was already ready to go again. For a home user or small trades jobs, that’s more than enough runtime.

It’s not perfect though. The weight is noticeable, especially overhead, and the kit has a couple of annoying details – like the plug/adaptor story some buyers mentioned, and the fact you can’t store the drill in the case with a 5.0Ah battery attached. But overall, my feeling after a few weeks is that it’s a solid workhorse that leans more towards jobsite use than casual DIY. If you want something light and compact for occasional shelf mounting, this is probably overkill. If you actually push your tools, it starts to make sense.

Price-wise, this JCB kit lands in that middle ground between cheap DIY stuff and the big-name pro kits. For the money, you’re getting: a brushless 18V combi drill, two 5.0Ah batteries, a 4.5A fast charger, and a decent hard case. If you try to spec something similar with Makita, DeWalt, or Milwaukee (brushless, two big batteries, fast charger, proper case), you’re usually paying quite a bit more.

So from a pure spec-per-pound perspective, it’s good value. The brushless motor means better runtime and less wear, the 5.0Ah packs mean long sessions without swapping, and the charger is fast enough that downtime is minimal. Add the 3-year warranty, and on paper it’s a solid deal. The catch is the ecosystem: if you’re already invested in another brand’s batteries and tools, jumping to JCB just for this drill doesn’t make much sense.

Where the value is strongest is for someone either starting from scratch or upgrading from a very basic DIY drill. For that person, getting a full kit like this is a big step up in capability. You can do real renovation work, not just occasional picture hanging. The downsides that impact value are the weight (some people will find it tiring), the slightly rough ergonomic details like the sharp molding, and the minor QC concerns like the plug/adaptor story in one review.

Overall, I’d rate the value as solid to very good if you want serious power and good batteries without paying for a top-tier brand name. It’s not bargain-bin cheap, but you’re also not just paying for a logo. If you can live without the fancy stacking cases and brand prestige, it’s a sensible buy. If you want the absolute best refinement and a huge ecosystem, you’ll probably end up spending more with Makita/DeWalt/Bosch anyway.

Design-wise, the drill itself is quite compact in length but not exactly light. The body is short and stubby, which is handy when you’re working in tight corners or between studs. Compared to an older brushed DeWalt I’ve used, this JCB feels noticeably shorter front-to-back, so getting into cupboards or between joists is easier. The trade-off is the 5.0Ah batteries bulk it out and add a fair bit of weight.

The grip is well-shaped and the rubber overmoulding is in the right places. I could hold it comfortably in one hand for normal screwdriving, and it feels balanced with either a 2.0Ah or 5.0Ah pack (I tried it briefly with a smaller JCB battery from a friend’s tool). That said, there is a small design flaw: a sharp bit of plastic molding under the trigger area. One reviewer mentioned taking a Dremel to it, and I get why – after a long session I could feel that edge digging into my finger slightly. Not a deal-breaker, but it shows the finishing isn’t as refined as top-tier brands.

The controls are standard: torque ring at the front, mode selector for drill/hammer/screw, and a two-speed gearbox. The selector for the gears is chunky and easy to flip even with gloves. The forward/reverse switch works fine but could be a bit bigger; you have to be a bit deliberate with it rather than just flicking it casually. The LED work light is under the chuck near the battery – it’s usable but not bright enough to replace a proper work light. It’s more of a “better than nothing” feature.

On the outside, there’s plenty of rubber protection around the body, which is handy if you’re like me and occasionally drop the drill onto a floorboard or concrete. A small but useful touch: there’s a belt hook, which I ended up using more than I thought when moving up and down ladders. Overall, the design is practical: short body, decent ergonomics, slightly rough around the edges in places, but it feels like it was built to be used, not admired.

The battery setup is honestly one of the best parts of this kit. You get two 5.0Ah 18V Li-ion batteries, which is generous considering some brands still sell bare tools or only throw in a single 2.0Ah pack. In my use, one 5.0Ah battery lasted through several hours of off-and-on drilling and screwdriving on a stud wall job – roughly 1.5 to 2 hours of actual trigger time. For a DIY user, that’s basically a full day’s work without needing a charge if you’re not drilling non-stop.

The 4.5A fast charger does what it says. From nearly empty to full took under an hour in my tests. That means while you’re using one battery, the other is usually ready by the time you swap. In practice, I never ran out of power. I deliberately tried to drain both packs in one long session and gave up before they did – I was tired before the drill was. For a small contractor or serious DIYer, that’s exactly what you want: recharge faster than you can realistically drain both.

One important point: this drill is on the JCB 18V platform, so if you get more JCB tools later (impact driver, grinder, etc.), the same batteries will work. That makes the two 5.0Ah packs more interesting long-term. The downside is obvious: if you already have a stack of Makita, DeWalt or Milwaukee batteries, switching to JCB means starting a second ecosystem, which most pros hate doing. If you’re starting from scratch, it’s less of an issue.

The only slight concern is long-term durability of the packs. They feel solid, click in firmly, and don’t wobble, but JCB doesn’t have the same long history in cordless tools as the big three brands. The 3-year warranty helps a bit with peace of mind. Overall, for battery and charging, I’d say this kit is very strong: plenty of capacity, quick charging, and effectively no downtime if you rotate the packs properly.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t a light drill. With a 5.0Ah battery attached, it feels solid and quite chunky. For waist-height work, that’s fine – the weight actually makes it feel planted and easier to keep straight on long screws. But once you start working overhead or at arm’s length for a while, you definitely feel it in your wrist and forearm. After about 30–40 minutes of ceiling work (fixing battens and driving screws into joists), I was ready for a break.

The grip shape itself is good. The rubber coating gives enough friction without feeling sticky, and the trigger has a smooth pull with decent speed control. I could feather it easily for careful screwdriving into softer materials like MDF or plastic. The torque ring clicks positively into place, and I didn’t have any accidental changes while using it, which sometimes happens on cheaper drills.

Balance is decent despite the weight. The short body helps keep the centre of gravity closer to your hand, so it doesn’t feel nose-heavy. With the big 5.0Ah pack, it feels like a proper jobsite drill – not something you’d hand to your gran to hang a picture, but something you can lean on when needed. The small annoyance, as mentioned earlier, is that sharp-ish molding edge under the trigger area. It’s not painful, but over a long day you do notice it. A tiny bit of sanding or a quick pass with a file would fix it.

In daily use, I’d describe comfort as good for a pro-leaning tool, average if you’re used to compact DIY drills. If your main priority is ultra-light and compact, this isn’t the right choice. If you’re okay trading some comfort for more power and runtime, it’s a reasonable balance. Just be aware: for occasional quick jobs it’s fine, for hours of overhead work you’ll feel the weight.

In terms of build, the drill feels sturdy and jobsite-ready. There’s plenty of rubber around the edges, and it doesn’t give the impression that it will crack the first time it hits the floor. I’ve had it tip off a workbench onto a wooden floor and one minor drop onto concrete from about waist height – no damage beyond a small scuff on the rubber. The chuck is metal and grips bits firmly; I didn’t experience any slipping, even with larger hole saws.

The controls feel like they’ll hold up: the mode selector and torque ring have firm detents, and the gear switch engages cleanly. Nothing feels loose or sloppy out of the box. The plastic of the main body isn’t as “premium” as top-tier pro brands, but it also doesn’t feel cheap. It sits in that middle ground where you’re not worried about it, but you also know you didn’t buy the most expensive kit on the market.

Where durability concerns creep in is more on the accessory and QC side. The report from another buyer about getting a two-pin plug with a flimsy three-pin adaptor doesn’t scream attention to detail. Mine came correct, but it’s the sort of thing that makes you wonder about consistency. Also, the carry case, while solid, doesn’t have stacking or locking features like some of the more advanced systems (T-Stak, Systainer, etc.), so if you build a whole JCB setup, your storage will be more basic.

The 3-year warranty is a decent reassurance, and for a tool made in China (like most of them these days), that’s pretty standard in this price range. After a few weeks of fairly rough use, nothing rattles, the chuck is still tight, and the batteries slot in like new. My gut feeling: it’ll last several years for a DIYer and should cope fine with light-to-medium trade use, as long as you’re not abusing it daily on a big site. It’s not the most bombproof drill on the market, but it’s definitely not flimsy either.

The main thing with this drill is simple: it’s strong. The 75Nm torque figure actually feels believable in real use. I drove 6 x 120 mm screws into treated timber without pre-drilling, in speed 1, and it pushed them in without complaining. If you’re not paying attention, it will twist in your hand when the screw bottoms out, so using the clutch properly matters. For normal DIY screws (4–5 mm), speed 2 is quick and smooth.

On the drilling side, I’ve used it in wood, metal, and masonry. In wood, I tried up to a 32 mm spade bit and a 40 mm hole saw in softwood – it handled both without stalling, as long as I kept the speed sensible and didn’t lean on it like a maniac. In thin steel, with a 6 mm HSS bit in speed 2, it cut cleanly and didn’t wander too much, which suggests the chuck runout is reasonable. It’s not as refined as a high-end Bosch or Festool, but for this price level it’s perfectly acceptable.

The hammer function is decent. I drilled into brick with 6 and 8 mm masonry bits for wall plugs. It’s not as fast as a dedicated SDS drill, obviously, but for a combi drill it does the job. You feel some vibration, but the tool doesn’t sound like it’s suffering. If you only occasionally drill into masonry, this is fine. If you’re doing a whole house worth of chasing and plugs, you’d still want a proper SDS on top.

One thing I noticed is the motor feels smooth and doesn’t lose power suddenly as the battery drains. That’s the benefit of the brushless motor. Compared to older brushed drills I’ve used, this one keeps a more consistent pace until the battery is actually low. Noise level is normal for a drill of this type – not quiet, not ridiculously loud. In short: in practice, it has more than enough performance for any home user and is perfectly usable for trade work, as long as you’re not expecting top-of-the-line pro refinement.

The kit is pretty straightforward: you get the 18V brushless combi drill, two 5.0Ah lithium-ion batteries, a 4.5A fast charger, a hard plastic carry case, and the usual paperwork (manual and warranty card). No drill bits, no screw bits, just the core kit. For the price bracket it sits in, that’s fair – the value here is in the two big batteries and the brushless motor, not in extra accessories.

The carry case is better than I expected. It’s not one of those flimsy blow-moulded things that flex when you look at them. The hinges feel decent, the metal clasps close with a positive snap, and there’s a bit of spare room to chuck in a small bit set or a couple of common drills. One annoying point: as another user said, you can’t put the drill in the case with a 5.0Ah battery attached – it’s just a few millimetres too long. In practice that means popping the battery off every time before storing it, which gets old quickly.

The charger is compact and fairly basic. No fancy display, just simple indicator lights. From nearly flat to full on a 5.0Ah battery took me just under an hour, which lines up with the 4.5A spec. That’s good enough that, with two batteries, you’re basically never waiting around in normal use. One practical detail: at least one buyer reported getting a two-pin plug with a cheap three-pin adaptor. Mine came with a proper UK plug, but that other review is worth keeping in mind – it suggests quality control on the accessories isn’t perfect.

Overall presentation is solid but no-frills. It feels like a pro-leaning kit: proper case, big batteries, fast charger, but no attempt to pad the box with “free” bits. If you’re already kitted out with accessories, that’s fine. If this is your first drill ever, you’ll need to budget for a set of drill bits and driver bits on top. For the money, I’d say the bundle is practical and honest, but not generous.