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Bosch cordless SDS buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

Nine Bosch 18 V rotary hammers on amazon.co.uk sound like the same tool. Some are green UniversalHammer bodies, some are blue GBH bodies, and only two boxes contain a battery and a charger. This Bosch cordless SDS buying guide is the trade-off behind the [Bosch cordless rotary hammer comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/bosch-cordless-rotary-hammer): the platform you already own, the joule figure that matches the hole, and what is in the carton. Prices are the raw snapshot of 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A purchase through our links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Nine Bosch 18 V rotary hammers on amazon.co.uk sound like the same tool. Some are green UniversalHammer bodies, some are blue GBH bodies, and only two boxes contain a battery and a charger.

Our top picks

Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body

Best overall

Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body
8.3/10about £97.92
View offer
Bosch GBH 18V-22 with L-BOXX

Rank 2

Bosch GBH 18V-22 with L-BOXX
8.5/10about £180.99
View offer
Bosch UniversalHammer 18V with 2.5 Ah

Alternative

Bosch UniversalHammer 18V with 2.5 Ah
7.7/10about £132.60
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Match the battery you already own
  2. 2.Read joules and the optimum hole, not the watt cell
  3. 3.Body, case, or batteries in the box
  4. 4.SDS plus or ONECHUCK

Match the battery you already own

POWER FOR ALL packs, the PBA 18V line, run the green UniversalHammer. GBA 18V, ProCORE18V and AMPShare packs run the blue GBH models. Bosch states the two systems will not be unified, so a green pack does not click into a GBH and a blue pack does not run a UniversalHammer. The body at about £97.92 is only cheap if a PBA pack is already charged. The GBH 18V-18 at about £122.95 and the GBH 18V-18 X at about £116.95 are only cheap if a GBA or ProCORE pack is already on the shelf. A first buyer who owns neither system should buy one kit and stay on that platform. Colour inside each platform is on Bosch green or blue 18V SDS.

Read joules and the optimum hole, not the watt cell

Impact energy on the matching Bosch page is the blow. Amazon’s watt and newton-metre lines in this set disagree with those pages, so leave them. The GBH 18V-18 and 18 X are 1.5 J, optimum about 4–18 mm. The GBH 18V-22 is 1.9 J, about 4–22 mm. The 22 X is 2 J, about 4–22 mm. The UniversalHammer is 2.0 J, with concrete listed to 16 mm. That 2.0 J figure is the green hammer, not every blue body. Bosch’s split is stricter than the 16 mm headline: 4–8 mm concrete on a 2.5 Ah pack, and 16 mm plus tile chiselling above 4.0 Ah. A daily diet of larger concrete points at the GBH 18V-26, at 2.6 J, which is outside this ASIN list.
Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body

Testsieger

Bosch UniversalHammer 18V body
8.3/10about £97.92
View offer

Body, case, or batteries in the box

Seven of these nine listings are bodies: a handle, a depth stop and sometimes a carton. The green kit at about £132.60 has one 2.5 Ah PBA pack, an AL 18V-20 and a case. The blue kit at about £319.20 has two GBA 5.0 Ah packs, a GAL 18V-40 and an L-BOXX. About £97.92 is the green body, 4.7 from 332 reviews, with no battery. About £180.99 is the GBH 18V-22 in an L-BOXX, 4.6 from 523 reviews in the saved listing. A live view that day showed £150 and 265 ratings, so this guide keeps the raw line. The 2.5 Ah kit is a complete starter only for the holes Bosch ties to that pack.

SDS plus or ONECHUCK

Every hammer here is SDS plus. ONECHUCK, on the GBH 18V-18 X and the 22 X, also clamps round and hex shanks up to 10 mm. That is a short cylindrical bit, not a 16 mm hole. The green adapter at about £126.79 uses a separate keyed chuck. Reviews describe it sticking in the sleeve and, after about five uses, wearing so the rod stays locked. If your bits are SDS plus, the plain green body does not ask you to fight that chuck. If you need round shanks often, ONECHUCK on a blue body you can already power is the cleaner route.

Common questions

What joule rating do I actually need for plug holes?
For ordinary brick plugs, the 1.5 J GBH 18V-18 sits inside Bosch’s optimum of about 4–18 mm, and the UniversalHammer’s 2.0 J listing is in that everyday range. Harder brick or a long run is where the 1.9 J GBH 18V-22 or the 2 J 22 X is the nearer step.
Is a 2.5 Ah pack enough for a 16 mm hole in concrete?
Bosch puts 4–8 mm concrete on a 2.5 Ah pack, and 16 mm plus tile chiselling on packs above 4.0 Ah. The green kit includes the 2.5 Ah pack, so a 16 mm hole is outside the use Bosch prints for that battery.
Why is the cheapest hammer a body only?
The about £97.92 UniversalHammer is a depth stop, an auxiliary handle and a carton, with no battery in the title. It looks cheapest only if you already own a POWER FOR ALL pack and a charger.
Should I choose ONECHUCK or a plain SDS holder?
Choose ONECHUCK on the GBH 18V-18 X or the 22 X if you want round or hex shanks up to 10 mm in the same holder. Choose a plain SDS plus holder if your bits are already SDS plus. The keyed adapter at about £126.79 has reports of a chuck that will not release.
Which listing includes a charger?
The green kit at about £132.60 includes an AL 18V-20. The blue kit at about £319.20 includes a GAL 18V-40. The other seven listings do not. The two chargers are not interchangeable.
Can I trust the Amazon watt and newton-metre lines?
No. Use the Bosch UK page that matches the order number. In this set Amazon prints a 50 mm chuck and 80 Nm on the compact GBH 18V-18, and 40 Nm on the GBH 18V-22. Those cells fight the SDS pages.

Related pages

SDS drill vs combi drill

Best Bosch cordless rotary hammer

Bosch cordless rotary hammer

Bosch green or blue 18V SDS and the packs that fit

How to use an SDS rotary hammer in brick and concrete

Sources

Maker pages, UK regulations and the amazon.co.uk listings stored for this comparison, read on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are those saved listings. A live view of one ASIN the same day had already moved.

  1. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-22 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-18 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-18 X (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GB, GBH 18V-22 X (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Bosch DIY GB, UniversalHammer 18V (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE, Construction dust: silica (CN3) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Bosch Professional GB, AMPShare (retrieved 19 October 2026)