WORX WX390.9 Review

Drilling into concrete, brick, or stone is one of those tasks that separates serious home renovation from simple decoration. A standard drill-driver can handle wood, plastic, and thin metal without breaking a sweat, but the moment you need to mount a television bracket on a solid brick wall, install exterior light fixtures on a masonry façade, or run cable conduits through a concrete floor, you are in hammer drill territory. A hammer drill adds a rapid percussive pounding action behind the rotating bit, pulverising the material in front of it rather than just scraping it away. Without this hammer function, a masonry bit in a standard drill will spin uselessly, overheat, and blunt within seconds. The good news is that modern cordless hammer drills have become remarkably compact and lightweight — you no longer need a heavy, mains-powered SDS rotary hammer just to put a few holes in a wall. For homeowners and DIY renovators who want the versatility of a cordless drill with the added muscle for occasional masonry work, a cordless hammer drill bridges the gap perfectly.

When shopping for a cordless hammer drill, the key metric to look at is impact energy, measured in joules (J). This number tells you how hard the hammer mechanism strikes with each blow — higher joules mean faster progress through tougher materials. For occasional home use, 1 to 1.5 joules is sufficient for drilling 6 to 13 mm holes in concrete and brick. The drill's no-load speed and blow rate (measured in blows per minute, or BPM) also matter — more BPM means more hammer strikes per second, which translates to faster drilling. Weight is another practical consideration: a compact hammer drill under 1.5 kg is far easier to handle for overhead or extended work than a full-size SDS machine. Battery compatibility is worth checking too — many manufacturers now offer a shared battery platform across their entire tool range. WORX, a brand under the Positec group with over 6,000 patents in power tool innovation, has built its POWER SHARE system so that a single 20-volt battery works across dozens of tools, from drills to lawnmowers. The WX390.9 hammer drill is sold as a bare tool — meaning you bring your own battery and charger — which keeps the price down if you already own WORX 20V tools.

This review examines the WORX WX390.9, a 20-volt cordless hammer drill delivering 1.2 joules of impact energy and weighing just 1.2 kg. We will test its performance across drilling, screwdriving, and hammer-drilling modes, evaluate how well the lightweight design handles real-world tasks, assess what comes in the box (and what does not), and identify the ideal user for this tool. We will also discuss the WORX POWER SHARE battery ecosystem and whether this bare-tool approach makes sense for your existing or planned tool collection.

The WX390.9 is built around a 20-volt motor that delivers up to 900 RPM in no-load speed and a hammer mechanism producing 1.2 joules of impact energy at a rate of 5,000 blows per minute. This combination gives it enough punch to drill 13 mm diameter holes in concrete and brick, 13 mm in wood, and 10 mm in steel — making it capable across the three most common materials you will encounter in home renovation. The three-mode selector switches between rotary-only drilling for wood and metal, rotary hammer for masonry, and screwdriving mode with adjustable torque. The self-tightening 13 mm keyless chuck uses an SDS-style adapter system: the drill accepts standard round-shank bits natively via the chuck, while the included SDS adapter lets you use SDS-Plus masonry bits for the best hammer-drilling performance. This dual-compatibility is a clever feature — you get the convenience of a standard keyless chuck for everyday drilling and screwdriving, plus the option to use proper SDS bits when you need maximum efficiency in concrete.

At just 1.2 kg, the WX390.9 is exceptionally light for a cordless hammer drill. WORX has achieved this by designing a compact motor and gear assembly housed in a slim, well-balanced body measuring 22 × 7.5 × 27 cm. The black and orange colour scheme is distinctive on the job site, and the ergonomic soft-grip handle is shaped to fit the hand securely — even when wearing work gloves. The weight distribution places the centre of gravity close to the grip, so the tool does not feel front-heavy even with a longer drill bit installed. A forward/reverse switch sits within easy thumb reach, and the variable-speed trigger provides smooth acceleration from a slow start to full speed, giving you precise control when starting a hole or driving a screw into delicate material. The LED work light, positioned above the trigger, illuminates the drilling area — helpful when working in dim corners or inside cupboards. The tool balances well enough for one-handed use in a pinch, though two-handed operation is recommended for hammer drilling into masonry.

In real-world use, the hammer-drill function performs admirably for a tool in this weight class. Drilling a 6 mm hole into standard brick for a wall plug takes around 10 to 15 seconds — not as fast as a dedicated SDS rotary hammer, but perfectly acceptable for the kind of occasional masonry work a home DIYer or kitchen fitter encounters. The 1.2 J impact energy is well-matched to the tool's size: it hits hard enough to make steady progress without generating the kind of vibration that would fatigue your hands after a few holes. In rotary-only mode, the 900 RPM top speed provides clean drilling in wood and metal, and the screwdriving mode with variable torque control handles everything from delicate electrical faceplate screws to driving 6 mm wood screws into stud timber. The hammer function engages and disengages cleanly with a positive click on the mode selector — no grinding or partial engagement. With a 2.0 Ah battery (not included), you can expect roughly 30 to 40 holes in brick on a single charge, depending on depth and diameter.

The included accessories are more generous than expected for a bare tool. WORX supplies two SDS-Plus masonry drill bits (6 mm and 8 mm), two HSS metal drill bits (5 mm and 6 mm), and four 25 mm screwdriver bits (PH2 Phillips, PZ1 and PZ2 Pozidriv, and a slotted bit), plus a magnetic bit holder. The self-tightening chuck and SDS adapter are pre-installed. Everything packs into the supplied injection-moulded plastic case, which has shaped recesses for each component and a secure latch. This is a practical touch — unlike many bare tools that arrive in a cardboard box, this one is ready to store and transport from day one. Being part of the WORX POWER SHARE 20V system, the drill is compatible with all WORX 20V, 40V, and 80V MAX batteries, though you will only use 20V packs with this tool. WORX offers a 2-year standard warranty, extendable to a total of 5 years if you register the tool on their website within 30 days of purchase — one of the most generous warranty programmes in the power tool industry.

Measuring 22 × 7.5 × 27 cm and weighing 1.2 kg, the WX390.9 is among the lightest cordless hammer drills on the market — lighter even than many standard drill-drivers. It carries a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from over 580 verified buyers and ranks #87 in Hammer Drills and #11,780 in the broader DIY and Tools category. Manufactured in Germany and backed by a 5-year warranty with registration, this drill represents excellent value for anyone already invested in the WORX POWER SHARE battery platform. For those new to WORX, the bare-tool format means factoring in the additional cost of a battery and charger — but for existing WORX users, this is a lightweight, capable hammer drill that adds masonry capability to your toolkit at a competitive price.

The WORX WX390.9 is the ideal cordless hammer drill for DIY renovators and existing WORX POWER SHARE users who need a lightweight, versatile tool for occasional masonry drilling alongside everyday drilling and screwdriving — it is not a heavy-duty rotary hammer and is best suited to those who already own or plan to buy into the WORX 20V battery platform.