At a glance
The Ryobi RCD18-0 is the budget pick in our best cordless drills UK comparison – the entry point into 18V brushless performance at roughly half the price of the DeWalt DCD796. At 40Nm it is the lowest-torque drill in our test series and it sits firmly below the compact brushless class on raw performance. What it offers in return is genuine value for occasional users, compatibility with the extensive Ryobi ONE+ battery platform and hammer function at a price point where most competitors offer drill driver only models.
It is a drill that rewards honest assessment. For light domestic tasks in softwood and flat-pack assembly it is perfectly capable. For demanding applications – hardwood, large diameter drilling, sustained masonry work – the limitations of 40Nm become apparent. The question worth asking before purchase is whether the Bosch GSR 18V-55 or DCD796 at a higher price would serve better in the long run.
Overview and first impressions
The RCD18-0 is unmistakably a Ryobi ONE+ product – the green and black livery, the lighter build compared to professional alternatives and the straightforward controls. At 198mm body length it is longer than all the compact drills in our comparison, which is worth noting if you regularly work in confined spaces such as inside kitchen cabinets or under staircases. Weight with a 2.0Ah battery is approximately 1.5kg, competitive despite that longer body.
Build quality is adequate for the price. The 13mm keyless chuck tightens securely and runs true, the 24-position clutch ring clicks through its settings cleanly and the forward/reverse switch sits in a comfortable thumb position on either side of the body. The variable speed trigger offers reasonable low-speed control for starting screws without skipping. It does not feel as solid or refined in the hand as a DeWalt or Milwaukee at twice the price, but the plastics are sturdy enough and nothing flexes or rattles. For a drill at this price point that is fair.
The LED work light is functional though it illuminates a smaller area than the lights on higher-end models. The belt clip is not included as standard, which is a minor omission worth knowing if you work from a ladder regularly. The drill ships body only in the RCD18-0 configuration – you will need at least one ONE+ 18V battery and a charger, both available separately or as part of various Ryobi starter kits that frequently represent better value than buying components individually.
The RCD18-0’s hammer function is useful for occasional light masonry but should not be the sole reason to choose it over a drill driver only alternative. At 40Nm the hammer performance in dense brick or concrete block is significantly weaker than the DCD796 at 74Nm. For occasional small rawlplug fixings into medium-density brick it is adequate – for regular or demanding masonry work it is not the right tool.
Specifications and scores
How it performed in our tests
The RCD18-0 performed as the specifications suggest – capable and confident on light tasks, progressively less so as demand increases. In softwood and flat-pack work it is genuinely good: the clutch is accurate enough to avoid stripping chipboard screws, the trigger gives adequate low-speed feel for starting fixings cleanly and the 1,700rpm top speed handles countersinking and pilot drilling without complaint. The brushless motor also means it runs notably cooler and more efficiently than older Ryobi brushed models, which is a meaningful real-world improvement even at this price point.
Where the 40Nm ceiling shows is in denser material. Driving long screws into hardwood joists requires noticeably more trigger time than the professional alternatives in our comparison, and the motor audibly works harder under sustained load. It never stalled in our testing but it is clearly operating closer to its limits than the DeWalt or Makita equivalents. For the majority of occasional domestic users that performance envelope still covers everything they are likely to encounter – it is only for more regular or demanding use that the torque gap becomes a daily frustration.
The Ryobi ONE+ platform is the RCD18-0’s biggest selling point. With over 100 tools on the ONE+ 18V platform – including garden tools, a circular saw, jigsaw, random orbital sander and many more – any batteries bought with the RCD18-0 work across the whole range. For someone building up a set of home and garden tools on a budget, that platform breadth is a genuine argument for starting with Ryobi.
Battery system and runtime
The RCD18-0 runs on Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ platform – one of the largest and most affordable cordless tool ecosystems available in the UK, and particularly well suited to budget-conscious buyers who want to cover both power tools and garden tools with a single battery system. ONE+ batteries are stocked at B&Q, Screwfix, Toolstation and Amazon, making replacements straightforward to source without specialist trade suppliers.
The brushless motor makes genuinely good use of battery charge compared to older brushed Ryobi models – runtime is noticeably longer per charge cycle, and the motor runs cooler during sustained use which helps battery longevity over time. With a 4.0Ah battery the RCD18-0 will comfortably handle a full day of light domestic tasks. The ONE+ platform also means any batteries you buy carry across to the full range of compatible tools, which includes leaf blowers, circular saws, jigsaws, sanders, hedge trimmers and more – a real advantage if you are starting to build up a tool collection from scratch.
- Runtime with 2.0Ah battery – light domestic use – comfortable for a morning of softwood drilling and flat-pack assembly
- Runtime with 4.0Ah battery – mixed use – full day of light to moderate domestic work
- Charge time – approximately 35 minutes for 2.0Ah, 70 minutes for 4.0Ah with a standard ONE+ charger
- Platform breadth – Ryobi ONE+ covers over 100 compatible tools across power and garden ranges
- Warranty – 3 years when registered with Ryobi
Performance and limitations
At 40Nm the RCD18-0 sits clearly below the other drills in our comparison on outright torque. That gap shows in demanding applications. For the occasional homeowner whose drilling amounts to flat-pack furniture, small shelving brackets in softwood and the odd rawlplug into a soft brick wall, the RCD18-0 covers the requirement. For anyone who does more than this regularly, spending more on the DCD796 is a better long-term decision.
- Lowest price in our comparison by a significant margin
- Hammer function included at this budget price
- ONE+ platform – 100+ compatible tools
- 24-position clutch for reasonable torque control
- 40Nm – lowest torque in comparison
- 198mm body – longest in comparison
- Build quality below professional alternatives
- Hammer performance weak in hard masonry
- Existing Ryobi ONE+ platform owners
- Occasional users – flat-pack, light shelving
- Budget buyers building a ONE+ tool set
- Regular users – DCD796 is a far better long-term buy
- Dense hardwood or sustained masonry work
- Those who will quickly outgrow 40Nm
Final verdict – is it worth it?
The Ryobi RCD18-0 is a decent drill at a genuinely low price. For the buyer who needs a functional combi drill for occasional domestic use and does not want to spend professional drill money, it does the job. The ONE+ platform breadth and the inclusion of hammer function at this price are genuine advantages over bare-bones budget alternatives, and the brushless motor is a meaningful upgrade over older brushed models at a similar price point.
The honest limitation is torque. At 40Nm the RCD18-0 is comfortable in its lane for light work but reaches its ceiling quickly when tasks get demanding. Driving structural screws into hardwood, drilling large diameter holes through thick timber or sustained masonry work all reveal the gap between this drill and the next step up. That is not a failure of the product – it is simply the reality of what 40Nm at this price delivers.
Where we would push back is on buyers who stretch to justify the budget pick when their actual use pattern warrants more. A drill that gets used twice a year on flat-pack furniture and the odd shelf bracket is a perfectly sensible RCD18-0 buyer. A drill that gets used monthly on a range of moderate domestic tasks – hanging radiators, building garden structures, regular masonry fixing – is a DCD796 buyer who will regret not spending the extra within six months. Be honest about which one you are before committing.
A capable budget combi drill that earns its place through price and ONE+ platform breadth. Right for occasional users and existing Ryobi owners. Anyone who uses a drill more than a few times a year should seriously consider spending more on the DCD796 instead.
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