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

110V vs 240V SDS drill in the UK

Updated: 22 October 2026

A yellow plug on a Bosch GBH 2-21 will not go into a UK 13 A socket, and a site will often refuse the black plug on a 230 V hammer. Match the tool to the supply you will actually be given, and do not swap the plug. In this set the domestic tool is the 230 V GBH 2-21. The site-shaped listing is a second GBH 2-21 whose title says 110 V. UK mains are nominally 230 V, and listings often print 240 V for that same domestic supply. 110 V centre-tapped to earth is a different system. The pair was checked on 19 October 2026 against the [Bosch professional SDS drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/bosch-professional-sds-drill) and HSE construction guidance. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A yellow plug on a Bosch GBH 2-21 will not go into a UK 13 A socket, and a site will often refuse the black plug on a 230 V hammer. Match the tool to the supply you will actually be given, and do not swap the plug.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 2-21 (110 V)

Best overall

Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 2-21 (110 V)
5.7/10about £134.99
View offer
Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 18V-18

Best value

Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 18V-18
7.5/10about £122.95
View offer
Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 2-21 (230 V)

Rank 3

Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 2-21 (230 V)
9.4/10about £120.15
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What sites expect
  2. 2.The two GBH 2-21 listings
  3. 3.Using 110 V in a house
  4. 4.When cordless is the third option

What sites expect

The Health and Safety Executive says portable tools on construction sites should be cordless, or 110 V centre-tapped to earth, so the voltage to earth does not exceed 55 V. HSG141 says extra RCD care is needed if 230 V portable tools are the only option. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require you to prevent danger. They do not say 110 V only. The IET treats 110 V centre-tapped to earth as good practice. Sites still turn a 230 V lead away. A domestic garage with an RCD is not a temporary construction system. A block of flats under fit-out usually is. Inspection intervals differ for 110 V and 230 V. Joules stay on the buying guide. Both GBH 2-21 listings state 2.0 J.

The two GBH 2-21 listings

The home listing is order 06112A6071, ASIN B094K3NRJD, at about £120.15. The title and the table both say 230 V. The bullets state 2.0 J, with three modes, a case and 6, 8 and 10 mm bits. Across 122 ratings it sits at 4.6. Plug it into a BS 1363 socket through an RCD. The other listing is order 06112A6061, ASIN B094K13J5P, titled as 110 V at about £134.99. amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 3 ratings. The table says 220 V and 14 A, the weight is 2.93 kg against 2.3 kg on the 230 V twin, and the image URL matches. Do not treat that table as the motor. Confirm the live page is still order 06112A6061 before you pay.
Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 2-21 (110 V)

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch Professional GBH 2-21 (110 V)
5.7/10about £134.99
View offer

Using 110 V in a house

A 110 V motor does not run from a 230 V wall socket, and the yellow plug does not fit a BS 1363 outlet. Forcing a 13 A plug onto that lead puts mains voltage onto a tool wound for 110 V. At home, buy the 230 V kit, order 06112A6071, and use an RCD. Or keep the 110 V tool and power it from a 110 V centre-tapped transformer. Hire notes for small tools suggest a 3 kVA transformer and a lower continuous rating than the badge. That is not a Bosch nameplate. With no transformer, the 230 V kit is the buy for a house. The first hole is the same on either voltage, on the how to use page.

When cordless is the third option

HSE’s construction line is cordless or 110 V, not 110 V alone. A GBH 18V-22 or GBH 18V-18 on a Bosch Professional 18 V or AMPShare pack walks onto a site without a yellow lead or a transformer. The battery is not in the box. The GBH 18V-18 is about £122.95 and 1.5 J, with no published chisel mode. The GBH 18V-22 is about £180.99 and 1.9 J, and it does describe chiselling. Reviewers still say it is not a 110 V site SDS for hard, continuous work, and it does not copy the 3.2 J of the GBH 2-28. Take the 110 V GBH 2-21 if the site supply is already centre-tapped and the listing checks out. Take the 230 V GBH 2-21 for a 13 A socket at home. Take a cordless body if the pack is already yours. The price against a corded kit is the corded versus cordless page. Do not change the plug.

Common questions

Do I legally need 110 V on a UK site?
You need to prevent danger under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. HSE says site tools should be cordless or 110 V centre-tapped to earth. The IET calls that good practice. A house is a different supply.
Can I plug a 110 V GBH into a house socket?
No. The yellow plug does not fit a BS 1363 socket, and the motor is not wound for 230 V. Putting a 13 A plug on the lead is not a fix. Use a 110 V centre-tapped transformer, or buy the 230 V GBH 2-21, order 06112A6071, at about £120.15.
What transformer do I need at home?
A 110 V centre-tapped transformer. Hire notes for small tools suggest 3 kVA, with a lower continuous rating than the badge. That is not a Bosch figure. With no transformer, buy the 230 V kit.
Will a 230 V GBH be turned away on site?
Often, on a site that follows cordless or 110 V centre-tapped tools. HSG141 still allows 230 V with extra RCD care if it is the only option. Ask the site. At home, the 230 V GBH 2-21 is the listing whose table agrees with the title.
Is the Amazon 110 V listing really 110 V?
The title says 110 V and the order number is 06112A6061, at about £134.99. The table says 220 V and 14 A, the weight does not match the 230 V twin, and the image URL is the same file. Three ratings at 5.0 do not resolve that. Treat 220 V and 14 A as unusable.
Is cordless the simpler site tool?
When you already have a Bosch Professional 18 V or AMPShare pack. It is the wrong shortcut if the battery is still to buy, or if the work needs the 3.2 J GBH 2-28.
How often are site tools inspected?
HSE distinguishes 110 V and 230 V portable equipment on construction, and the interval is not the same for both. Do not apply one interval to the yellow-plug GBH and the 230 V GBH.

Related pages

Best Bosch professional SDS drill

Bosch professional SDS drill

Bosch Professional SDS drill: joules, then the box

Corded vs cordless Bosch SDS drill, with the battery

How to use a Bosch Professional SDS-plus hammer safely

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. Bosch UK, GBH 2-21, 0 611 2A6 071 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bosch UK, GBH 2-28, 0 611 267 571 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Bosch UK, GBH 18V-18, 0 611 927 000 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bosch UK, GBH 18V-22 and GBH 18V-22 X (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE, hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE, construction dust sheet CN3 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. HSE, electrical systems on construction sites (retrieved 19 October 2026)