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How to use a Parkside cordless drill

Updated: October 2026

The collar has numbers, a slide changes gear, and the chuck only looks tight. This page is how to use a Parkside cordless drill for screws and for holes in timber: which control, in which order, and when to stop. It is a method, not a ranking of the eight listings in the [Parkside cordless drill comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/parkside-cordless-drill), captured on 15 October 2026. We did not test them in a workshop. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. If the box has no battery, or the plug is not a UK three-pin, start with the [Parkside cordless drill buying guide](/hub/screws-and-accessories/parkside-cordless-drill/sub/parkside-cordless-drill-buying-guide).

The collar has numbers, a slide changes gear, and the chuck only looks tight. This page is how to use a Parkside cordless drill for screws and for holes in timber: which control, in which order, and when to stop.

Our top picks

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V

Best overall

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V
8.4/10about £39.00
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Parkside Parkside PBSA 12 X12V

Rank 2

Parkside Parkside PBSA 12 X12V
7.8/10about £49.99
View offer
Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li C3

Rank 3

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li C3
5.8/10about £59.27
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On this page
  1. 1.Three controls, used when the drill is stopped
  2. 2.Driving a screw without stripping it
  3. 3.The chuck has to be tight
  4. 4.Charging, and when to stop

Three controls, used when the drill is stopped

Change direction, the torque ring and the gear only when the drill has stopped. That rule is from a ManualsLib guide for a later PABS 20-Li G8, which is not one of these eight listings. Sliding the gear while the motor turns wears the plastic dogs. On that guide the collar runs from 1 to 25, and a drill symbol is for holes. A transcription for the bare PABS 20-Li X20V also describes 25 steps, with gears at 0–400 rpm and 0–1,400 rpm. Do not copy that collar onto a PBSA 12. A low number slips sooner. The drill symbol takes the clutch out. As a rule of thumb, gear 1 is for screws and gear 2 is for holes. The rasp is the clutch reaching the number you set.

Driving a screw without stripping it

Take the battery off before you fit the bit, and wear eye protection. Electrical Safety First says both. A Phillips bit in a Pozidriv recess cams out even when the clutch is right. That slip is covered in how to stop cam-out. For a first screw in timber: battery off, bit in, chuck tight, battery on, direction forward, gear 1, collar on a low number. Let the clutch rasp when the head is flush. If the screw stays proud, move up one or two numbers. Use the drill symbol only for a hole, then return to a numbered collar. A stuck trigger on the bare PBSA 12, reported after two uses, is a fault: stop and take the battery off. Brick is Parkside drill for brick.
Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V

Testsieger

Parkside Parkside PABS 20-Li X20V
8.4/10about £39.00
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The chuck has to be tight

On the PABS 20-Li C3, a UK reviewer had to tighten the keyless chuck very hard or the bits spun. Open the jaws, push the bit fully home, turn the sleeve until it bites, then one firm extra turn. If you can pull the bit out, it is not tight. A magnetic holder that will not keep a driver bit, reported on the PBSA 12 C2, means the bit goes straight into the chuck. A 10 mm or 13 mm figure does not grip the shank for you. If the chuck clicks and the screw stops while the motor runs, that is usually the clutch. If you smell burning, stop.

Charging, and when to stop

Charge an X 20 V pack only on an X 20 V Team charger. A PAP 20 B3 manual says so. Do not put a 12 V pack on a 20 V charger, and do not use another brand's battery or adapter. Leave the pack where you can see it. A two-pin plug on a loose adaptor is not a way to charge overnight. UK reviewers reported a non-UK plug on the C3 and a two-pin plug on the bare PBSA 12 and the C2. Stop if the pack swells, smells or smokes. A C3 reviewer reported smoke on a 4 × 30 mm wood screw after two years. Take the battery off and do not open the housing. Get a professional when you cannot say where a cable runs, when the fixing is structural, or when the pack is swollen. HSE CN3 is for work exposure, so a long run of holes is a reason to stop.

Common questions

Which gear do I use for screws on a Parkside drill?
Use gear 1 for screws and gear 2 for a hole. That split is from a ManualsLib guide for a later PABS 20-Li G8, not one of these eight listings. Treat it as a rule of thumb: gear 1 has more turning force, gear 2 is faster. Change gear only when the drill has stopped, then start the screw slowly.
Why does the chuck click and the screw stop?
That rasp is usually the clutch letting go once the set number is reached. If the head is flush, leave the collar. If the screw is still proud and the bit is tight, stop and raise the number. If the bit itself is spinning in the jaws, the click is not the clutch. Tighten the sleeve. A UK reviewer had to do that very hard on the PABS 20-Li C3.
When do I take the battery off?
Take it off before you change a bit, before you move the chuck, and when you put the drill down. Electrical Safety First gives that as basic practice, with eye protection while you work. Also take it off if the trigger sticks, which one PBSA 12 reviewer reported after two uses, or if you smell burning. A stuck trigger is a fault.
How should I charge a Parkside battery overnight?
Use the charger for that battery family, and leave the pack where you can see it. A PAP 20 B3 manual limits that pack to X 20 V Team chargers. Do not charge a 12 V pack on a 20 V charger, and do not use a loose two-pin adaptor. UK reviewers reported non-UK plugs on the C3, the bare PBSA 12 and the C2. Stop if the pack swells, smells or smokes.
The motor smoked. Do I keep using it?
No. A UK reviewer of the PABS 20-Li C3 reported smoke on a 4 × 30 mm wood screw, after which only the LED worked. Take the battery off, do not drive another screw, and do not open the housing. That is one report after two years, not a rate for every Parkside drill. The same stop applies to a swollen pack or a blind hole beside a cable.

Related pages

Screws and accessories

Parkside cordless drill

Best Parkside cordless drill for an X 20 V battery

Parkside cordless drill buying guide for box and plug

Parkside drill for brick, and when a driver is wrong

Parkside 20V or 12V drill and which battery to buy

Sources

Listing prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for this comparison on 15 October 2026. Public UK sources cover the plug, product-safety alerts, workplace dust and vibration, and faulty goods. Prices move. The alerts cited are not Parkside recalls.

  1. amazon.co.uk, Parkside drill listings, 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First, Drills (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. OPSS, PSD 2511-0084 lithium-ion drill charger (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. OPSS, PSD 2609-0230 cordless drill (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. HSE, CN3 drilling dust (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. HSE, Construction vibration FAQ (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Which?, Faulty goods (retrieved 15 October 2026)