Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Bosch Professional 12V or 18V drill

Updated: 22 October 2026

Two blue Bosch drills are not a size step. Take the 12 V set for overhead or cabinet work, and accept packs that will never run an 18 V GSB. Stay on 18 V if you already own those batteries, or if the hole is larger than the 10 mm class Bosch states for the GSB 12V-15. Prices are on the [Bosch professional cordless combi drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/bosch-professional-cordless-combi-drill). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Bare versus kit on 18 V is the [buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/bosch-professional-cordless-combi-drill/sub/bosch-professional-cordless-combi-drill-buying-guide).

Two blue Bosch drills are not a size step. Take the 12 V set for overhead or cabinet work, and accept packs that will never run an 18 V GSB.

Our top picks

Bosch Professional Bosch GSB 18V-110 C in L-BOXX

Best overall

Bosch Professional Bosch GSB 18V-110 C in L-BOXX
9.4/10about £186.00
View offer
Bosch Professional Bosch 12V set: GSB 12V-15 and GDR 12V-105

Alternative

Bosch Professional Bosch 12V set: GSB 12V-15 and GDR 12V-105
8.8/10about £239.99
View offer
Bosch Professional Bosch GSB 18V-65 body in an L-BOXX

Best value

Bosch Professional Bosch GSB 18V-65 body in an L-BOXX
8.4/10about £84.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two battery families
  2. 2.What the £239.99 set is for
  3. 3.What you gain by staying on 18 V
  4. 4.Read the 12 V specification row carefully

Two battery families

Bosch’s 12 V packs fit Professional 12 V and 10.8 V tools made since 2005. They do not run an 18 V GSB, and an 18 V pack will not slide onto the GSB 12V-15. AMPShare is the 18 V alliance. Green POWER FOR ALL packs fit neither family. A GAL 12V-40 does not charge a GBA 18 V pack. Buying B07ZKXYKVB does not start an 18 V kit. The 65 at £84.99 and the 110 C at £149.99 or £186.00 still need their own battery. Open the 12 V set, if you already own 18 V packs, only for a lighter cabinet drill and a second charger.

What the £239.99 set is for

The £239.99 set is the GSB 12V-15, the GDR 12V-105, two 2.0 Ah batteries, a GAL 12V-40 and a bag, at 4.7 from 305 reviews. Reviewers prefer it when an 18 V drill feels heavy. Bosch states 30 Nm hard and 15 Nm soft, a 1–10 mm chuck and 10 mm in masonry. The GDR is an impact driver, not a second hammer drill. The same reviews include a bag that fell apart, a charger that did not work, and about 0.75 mm of chuck run-out. Test both tools on arrival. Brick means the 10 mm class. Collar positions are on the how to use page.
Bosch Professional Bosch GSB 18V-110 C in L-BOXX

Testsieger

Bosch Professional Bosch GSB 18V-110 C in L-BOXX
9.4/10about £186.00
View offer

What you gain by staying on 18 V

The GSB 18V-65 is the short body: a 175 mm head, about 1.1 kg, brushless. The bare tool is £84.99 with no battery, 4.7 from 35 reviews. The GSB 18V-110 C is the capacity step: 110 Nm, masonry to 16 mm, about 1.9 kg without a battery, plus 82 mm in wood on the amazon row. The L-BOXX body is £186.00, 4.7 from 795 reviews. The cardboard body is £149.99, 4.6 from 222, and that is the listing with the chuck complaints. Stay on 18 V when the hole is beyond 10 mm or you already own the packs. Neither voltage replaces an SDS on a concrete lintel.

Read the 12 V specification row carefully

The amazon row for B07ZKXYKVB prints 120 Nm and 2.6 rpm. Neither describes the GSB 12V-15. Bosch’s 30 Nm hard and 15 Nm soft are the figures for that combi. A no-load speed of 2.6 rpm would not drill a hole. Buy the £239.99 set for overhead or cabinet work if you do not already own 18 V packs. Buy an 18 V GSB if you do, or if you need the 16 mm masonry class. The best picks page names who should take each 18 V body.

Common questions

Can one charger run both?
No. The GAL 12V-40 charges Professional 12 V and 10.8 V packs. An 18 V GSB needs an 18 V charger, such as the GAL 18V-40 on the 25 and 65 kits. One charger cannot feed both slides.
Is the 12 V set better because it costs £239.99 and includes two tools?
Only for the job those two tools do. You get a combi, an impact driver and two small packs, at 4.7 from 305 reviews, for tight spaces. You do not get the 110 C’s 16 mm masonry or 82 mm wood.
Will a 12 V drill cope with brick?
Ordinary plug holes, yes, inside the 10 mm line Bosch states for the GSB 12V-15. Reviewers say it will drill brick and that it is not for the heaviest work. Engineering brick or a concrete lintel is an SDS job.
I already own 18 V packs. Is there any reason to buy the 12 V set?
Only for a second, lighter kit for overhead work in this set, with its own charger. The 18 V packs will not run the GSB 12V-15 or the GDR. Most owners should buy a 65 or a 110 C body instead.
Why does the listing say 120 Nm if Bosch says 30 Nm for the combi?
The amazon cell prints one torque for two tools and does not say which. Bosch states 30 Nm hard and 15 Nm soft for the GSB 12V-15. The 120 Nm line is a conflict, beside a speed of 2.6 rpm.
Are old 10.8 V Professional batteries usable?
Yes, on the 12 V tools. Bosch says 12 V packs fit Professional 12 V and 10.8 V tools since 2005. They do not fit the 18 V GSB models here. Check the voltage on the pack before you force the slide.
Is 12 V enough for a kitchen fit?
For hinges, brackets and a few plugs in ordinary brick, UK reviews say yes. Some reviewers found the impact driver weak on long screws and used the combi. It is not the tool for large joist holes or masonry beyond 10 mm.

Related pages

Bosch combi drill vs SDS

Bosch professional cordless combi drill

Best Bosch Professional cordless combi for the job

Bosch Professional cordless combi drill buying guide

How to use a Bosch Professional cordless combi drill

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for this set.

  1. Bosch Professional GB: GSB 18V-110 C (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GB: GSB 18V-65 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional: GSB 18V-25 manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GB: GSB 12V-15 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. AMPShare UK (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. HSE RR1182: noise and vibration of power tools (retrieved 19 October 2026)