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How to use a Bosch impact driver

Updated: 22 October 2026

The battery is off, the screw is in the timber, and you want the head to seat without the bit skating out or the screw disappearing into the wood. This is how to use a Bosch impact driver in that order: fit an impact-rated hex bit, choose the mode or the trigger, keep the tool square, and stop when the head meets the surface. The five bodies and their prices are on the [Bosch cordless impact driver comparison](/hub/tools/bosch-cordless-impact-driver). The Products Compared editorial team used Bosch's manuals and the amazon.co.uk review notes saved on 20 October 2026. We did not run a driving test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The battery is off, the screw is in the timber, and you want the head to seat without the bit skating out or the screw disappearing into the wood.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch UniversalImpactDrive 18V-210

Best overall

Bosch Bosch UniversalImpactDrive 18V-210
8.3/10about £78.90
View offer
Bosch Professional Bosch GDR 18V-200

Rank 2

Bosch Professional Bosch GDR 18V-200
8.6/10about £114.00
View offer
Bosch Professional Bosch GDR 18V-215

Best value

Bosch Professional Bosch GDR 18V-215
8.4/10about £77.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Bit, holder, and the battery off
  2. 2.Modes on the 215, trigger on the 200
  3. 3.Drive straight, then stop
  4. 4.When a professional should take over

Bit, holder, and the battery off

Take the pack off before you change the bit. A Bosch GDR and the green UniversalImpactDrive use a 1/4 inch hex holder. Use impact-rated hex stock with a torsion zone. Seat the bit until the holder keeps it. On the green 18V-210, UK notes describe a deep holder that wants an extended bit. A short bit disappears into that collet. On the GDR 18V-215 the listing's single-push holder is the release. If it drops out under its own weight, it was never seated.

Modes on the 215, trigger on the 200

On the GDR 18V-215 the function button moves between two auto modes. Wood is a slow-down once impacting starts. Metal is a shut-off. Bosch's manual asks for the trigger fully down, and the modes work in forward. They do not apply in reverse. Short wood screws under 50 mm may never start the slow-down, so a 40 mm chipboard screw can still bury if you treat the mode as a clutch. The GDR 18V-200 has no dial. A UK reviewer said control is trigger pressure alone. Start with a light squeeze so the bit stays in the recess, then add pressure as the thread bites. A full trigger will send a screw through the timber. There is no auto stop.
Bosch Bosch UniversalImpactDrive 18V-210

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch UniversalImpactDrive 18V-210
8.3/10about £78.90
View offer

Drive straight, then stop

Put the bit in the screw head and keep the body of the tool in line with the screw. Cam-out is the bit leaving the recess because the angle is off or the bit is worn. An impact driver will keep hitting after the bit has started to walk, which chews the head. If the bit walks on the first turns, stop, reseat, and start again with less trigger. Stop when the head reaches the surface you wanted. On a hinge or a worktop screw, that is flush or a fraction under, not a crater. A specified bolt still needs a torque wrench after the driver has snugged it. The printed maximum is not the torque on that bolt.

When a professional should take over

Hand the job over when the fixing has a torque written on a drawing, when the bolt is structural, or when you cannot see what is behind the board. An impact driver is the wrong tool to feel a critical joint. If the tool smokes or the housing cracks, that repair belongs with someone who works on the cells. At work, tingling, numbness, or white fingers are a reason to stop. HSE's action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8) and the limit is 5.0 m/s² A(8). A householder is not an employer. PUWER 1998 still applies when you provide the tool for paid work.

Common questions

Which bits go in a Bosch hex driver?
Use 1/4 inch hex bits that are rated for impact tools, with a torsion zone if Bosch's Professional bit range is what you are buying. Fit them with the battery off and tug the bit once so you know the holder has locked. A round drill bit does not belong in the collet. On the green 18V-210 a short bit can sit too deep, so an extended bit is the practical fix when the holder swallows the shank.
How do I set wood versus metal on the 215?
The function button toggles wood slow-down and metal shut-off. Pull the trigger fully, and use the mode in forward. Reverse does not get the same auto behaviour. Try one screw under 50 mm in scrap first. If the tool does not ease off, the screw may be too short for the slow-down, and you stop with the trigger instead.
The 200 has no dial. How do I start a screw?
Squeeze the trigger lightly until the thread has started, with the bit square in the head, then increase pressure. There is no speed switch and no auto stop. A full trigger from the first moment will drive the screw through the timber. Practise that pressure on an offcut of the same board before you move to a visible face.
How long should I keep impacting?
Stop when the head seats. Bosch's manual puts the printed maximum at about 6 to 10 seconds of impacting, after which extra time adds little torque. A small wood screw does not need that long. If you are still hammering after the head is home, you are damaging the recess or the timber, not improving the joint.
Why did the bit walk out of the head?
The usual causes are a worn bit, a bit that is the wrong size for the recess, or a tool that is not in line with the screw. Stop as soon as it walks. Reseat the bit and start again with less trigger. Carrying on with the impact running rounds the head, and a fresh bit is cheaper than a filled hole.
When do I stop and use a torque wrench?
Use a torque wrench on any bolt that has a specified torque, and on structural or safety-critical fixings, after the impact driver has brought the joint up. The driver's printed newton-metre figure is a maximum under Bosch's test conditions. It is not the torque on your bolt. The wrench is the check the manual asks for.

Related pages

Bosch cordless impact driver buying guide

Impact driver vs impact wrench

Best Bosch cordless impact driver

Bosch cordless impact driver

Bosch 18V or 12V impact driver for kitchen carcasses

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the saved amazon.co.uk listings for these five ASINs. Vibration figures are manufacturer emissions, not a dose for your job. HSE vibration limits and PUWER apply at work.

  1. Bosch Professional GB, GDR 18V-200 (retrieved October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GB, GDR 18V-215 (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional GB, GDX 18V-285 (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Bosch DIY GB, UniversalImpactDrive 18V-210 (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GB, GDR 12V-105 (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Bosch Professional GB, AMPShare (retrieved October 2026)
  7. HSE, vibration regulations (retrieved October 2026)
  8. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved October 2026)