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How to use a Bosch combi drill

Updated: 22 October 2026

The screw head is chewed, or the bit has polished a mark into the timber and stopped. How to use a Bosch combi drill, on an EasyImpact, a UniversalImpact or a GSB, is mostly the collar in front of the chuck: a low number for screws, the drill symbol for holes, and the hammer only for masonry with a masonry bit. This page is that procedure. It is not a ranking. The [Bosch cordless drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/bosch-cordless-drill) holds the kits and the prices. The Products Compared editorial team used Bosch’s UK sheets and a generic UK mode guide, not a filmed lesson on your model. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The screw head is chewed, or the bit has polished a mark into the timber and stopped.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40, 1 x 1.5 Ah

Best overall

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40, 1 x 1.5 Ah
8.7/10about £64.97
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Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40, 2 x 2.0 Ah

Rank 2

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40, 2 x 2.0 Ah
9.0/10about £75.23
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Bosch Bosch UniversalImpact 18, 1 x 1.5 Ah

Alternative

Bosch Bosch UniversalImpact 18, 1 x 1.5 Ah
6.5/10about £103.21
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On this page
  1. 1.Three positions on the collar
  2. 2.Gear and trigger
  3. 3.Fit the bit so it stays
  4. 4.Stop and hand it back

Three positions on the collar

Numbers on the collar are the clutch, for screws. A drill symbol bypasses that clutch so the chuck keeps turning. A hammer symbol adds the blows, and it belongs on brick or block with a masonry bit, not on wood or steel. Start screws on a low number. If the clutch clicks and the screw is still proud, move one or two numbers higher. If the head strips, you were already too high, or the pilot hole was missing. For a hole in timber or thin metal, use the drill symbol. The EasyImpact sheet lists 20 torque steps and an impact rate up to 24,450 blows per minute. An EasyDrill has no hammer position. Concrete is not a fourth symbol. What the hammer will enter is on drilling masonry.

Gear and trigger

These pistol drills have two gears. Bosch’s EasyImpact sheet gives 0 to 430 rpm in the low range and 0 to 1,630 rpm in the high range. Use the low gear for long screws, large bits and the start of a masonry hole. Use the high gear for small bits in wood. Change gear only when the chuck is still. Squeeze the trigger a little so the bit starts straight, then increase. When the clutch clicks during a hole, you are still on a number. Stop, move the collar to the drill symbol, and continue. Change direction only when the chuck has stopped. To back a screw out, stop, select reverse, and start gently. If the screw is already stripped, stop. Which tool to buy, including the EasyDrill that has no hammer, is the buying guide.
Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40, 1 x 1.5 Ah

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40, 1 x 1.5 Ah
8.7/10about £64.97
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Fit the bit so it stays

Open the keyless chuck until the jaws sit wider than the bit shank. Push the bit fully home, tighten the sleeve by hand, then give a short extra twist and tug. If it pulls out, the sleeve was not tight or the shank is damaged. UniversalImpact 18 reviews describe a chuck that loosens so the bit falls out, and one crunching chuck that would not turn on arrival. On that model, tug the bit every time. Use a masonry bit for the hammer, a wood bit for timber and a steel bit for metal. A wood bit in hammer mode burns. These kits include a double screwdriver bit, not a set of drills. If the sleeve will not turn on a new tool, do not hit it with pliers. That is a return.

Stop and hand it back

Stop when the tool does something the job does not explain. A spark at the motor end is a reason to release the trigger. A dead trigger after little use is a return under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if the tool is not of satisfactory quality. Do not open the housing. A battery that will not release is also a stop: one AdvancedImpact went back, and one EasyDrill was collected for repair. Charge Power for All packs between 0 °C and 35 °C. If the pack will not click at all, you may have a green battery on a blue GSB, or the reverse. Call a professional when the hole is concrete or structural, or when you cannot tell where cables or pipes run. At work, PUWER 1998 applies, and the Health and Safety Executive action value for hand-arm vibration is 2.5 m/s² A(8). None of these listings states a vibration magnitude.

Common questions

What number should the torque collar be on?
Start low for screws and raise it only if the clutch clicks before the screw is home. The EasyImpact details describe 20 torque steps. They do not publish a tested number for a particular screw. Holes use the drill symbol, not a high clutch number.
Which gear for screws and which for small holes?
Low gear for screws, large bits and the start of masonry: 0 to 430 rpm on the EasyImpact sheet. High gear for small bits in wood, up to 1,630 rpm. Change gear only when the chuck is stopped.
When do I turn the hammer on?
Only for brick or block, with a masonry bit, and only on a model that has a hammer collar. Keep it off for wood, metal, plastic and screws. The EasyDrill has no hammer mode. Concrete is outside this setting.
Why does the clutch click and stop?
The collar is on a number, and the torque has reached that step. On a screw, the click means you need one higher number or the screw is home. On a hole, you left the collar on the clutch. Move it to the drill symbol.
How do I tighten a keyless chuck?
Twist the sleeve until the jaws close on the full shank, then one firm extra twist and a tug on the bit. If the sleeve will not move, or the chuck crunches, stop and return the tool. On the UniversalImpact 18 the tug is not optional.
What do I do if the battery will not release?
Stop using the tool. Do not lever the pack off and do not open the housing. A stuck release in this comparison led to a return or a repair collection. If the pack never clicked on, check the family. Green Power for All packs do not fit the blue GSB.

Related pages

EasyImpact or Professional

Best Bosch cordless drill

Bosch cordless drill

Bosch cordless drill buying guide: batteries first

Bosch combi drill masonry: brick plugs, not concrete

Sources

Public UK pages from Bosch, the Health and Safety Executive and GOV.UK, plus the amazon.co.uk listings for these ASINs. Shelf prices and stars come from those listing dumps, not from a fresh live check and not from the Bosch shop.

  1. Bosch DIY UK cordless drill guide (retrieved October 2026)
  2. Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 UK product page (retrieved October 2026)
  3. EasyImpact 18V-40 en-GB technical data sheet (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Bosch DIY drills and screwdrivers (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GSB 18V-25 UK (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Bosch Professional AMPShare (retrieved October 2026)
  7. HSE hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved October 2026)
  8. GOV.UK product marking: UKCA and CE (retrieved October 2026)