What does "tool only" mean?
"Tool only" means you are buying the tool itself and nothing else. No battery, no charger, no case. It is sometimes labelled "body only" or "bare tool" in UK listings, and it matters a lot when comparing prices.
If you have browsed cordless power tools in the UK, you have probably seen listings tagged "tool only", "body only" or "bare unit". All three labels point to the same thing: the product in the box is the tool itself, without the extras that make it run. In the Tools Prices catalogue, listings spell this out explicitly. A Makita DTM53 18v LXT cordless multi-tool, for example, is listed as "No Batteries, No Charger, No Case" and marked "Body only". A Draper BCD12V combi drill is listed the same way.
[3]What is actually in the box
- The tool itself, and nothing else in the "tool only" format.
- No battery, so a cordless tool will not run until you add one you already own or buy separately.
- No charger, so even if you have a battery, you need a compatible charger to keep it topped up.
- No case or storage, which some retailers sell separately as part of a kit or bundle.
The catalogue's own filter makes the distinction easy to see. Under "Tool & kit", you can filter pack contents by "Body only" or "Kit / bundle", and listings flagged "Check contents" are the ones where the pack format is not stated clearly in the retailer title. That filter text is worth taking literally: the site notes that filters use retailer titles, so exact contents and battery compatibility should always be checked before buying.
[3]Why the price gap is not always a bargain
A concrete comparison makes the point. In the recorded catalogue, the Makita DTM53 body-only multi-tool starts at £124.62, while a Draper 10-piece slide hammer kit, a complete bundle, starts at £36.97. Those look like wildly different prices, but they are not really comparable products: one is a bare cordless unit that still needs a battery and charger, and the other is a full kit with everything included. Comparing a body-only price against a kit price is the classic mistake, because the cheaper-looking listing may cost you more once you add the missing pieces.
[3]This is also why the same tool model can appear at very different prices across retailers. If one retailer sells the bare unit and another sells it with two batteries and a charger, the barcode of the tool may match but the total value does not. The site's three-point checklist is built for exactly this: confirm bare tool or complete kit, match the voltage and battery platform, then check included batteries, blades and case.
[3]When tool only is the smart buy
Body only makes sense when you already own batteries and a charger on the same platform. Cordless systems are built around this idea. DeWALT markets its 54V XR FLEXVOLT range as a family of cordless tools, and its current redemption offer of a free 9AH battery with any 54V XR FLEXVOLT purchase only makes sense because those products take the same battery. Bosch Professional, meanwhile, runs a Professional 12V System of its own. If you are already invested in one of these platforms, adding a bare tool is usually cheaper than buying another kit with duplicate batteries you do not need. Just be careful mixing voltages: the catalogue lets you filter by 12V, 18V, 20V, 36V, 40V and 54V, and a battery from one voltage class will not suit a tool built for another.
[3][1][2]Watch for manufacturer promotions too, because they can change the maths. At the time of observation, DeWALT was running a redemption offering a free 9AH XR FLEXVOLT battery with purchases of 54V XR FLEXVOLT products, and Bosch Professional was offering a free battery with qualifying measuring tool purchases. These are time-limited offers with terms attached, so check the current terms rather than assuming they still apply.
[1][2]How to verify before you pay
- Confirm the pack format: body only, or kit and bundle.
- Read the retailer title for "no batteries", "no charger", "no case" wording.
- Match the voltage and battery platform to what you already own.
- Check the observation date on the listing, then confirm today's price, availability and delivery with the retailer before ordering.
Prices shown are last recorded observations and can change, and delivery may cost extra on top of the item price. Your practical next step: pick your category, set the pack-contents filter to "Body only" or "Kit / bundle" depending on what you need, and compare like with like before you commit.
[3]Sources and dates
- https://www.dewalt.co.uk/en-gb · accessed 2026-10-18
- https://www.bosch-professional.com/gb/en/ · accessed 2026-10-18
- https://toolsprices.co.uk/ · accessed 2026-10-18