Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18 review: light makes light work
For a great sense of approachability and top-drawer build quality, I was impressed with the 18V Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18. It’s both lightweight and capable of tacking jobs, which would normally require a tad more elbow grease. I reckon it would make a great essential to your home car tool kit.
It’s pleasantly quiet, comfortable to hold, and easy to control the power as you perform your automotive tasks. It sits in quite a competitive field of cordless impact drivers which includes the likes of Dewalt, Makita, Ryobi, and Draper. This is the cordless 1/4 inch impact driver segment that tends to sit below and slightly above the £100 mark with torque capabilities ranging between 130-250Nm and a maximum spin of around 3,500rpm. The Bosch unit sits on the less powerful end of that spectrum, and this is reflected in its lower price point (base) than the competition.
The unit itself develops 130Nm of torque and has a maximum rotational speed of 2,600rpm. But for many customers, the path to purchase often lies in what brand of 18V batteries they already own and pick the tool accordingly – and for those with Bosch batteries, the AdvancedImpactDrive 18 is perfect.
For those without other cordless tools on the go and mainly rely on hand tools, Bosch have managed to make something that represents a nice entry-point into the world of power tools. It’s not intimidating to use, nor as heavy – which is important for beginners.
The Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18 was tested by Aaron Hussain. He tried out the tool to do a few small tasks to his Mercedes. This included taking the screws out of the front valance that’s in need of replacement. He was also curious to see how well it could double up as a cordless power drill. He performed the latter while opening up the chassis of a model car needing some restoration.
Verdict: A great entry-level impact driver for beginner’s tasks that’s quiet, comfortable, and dependable. If only it had a few more attachments included.
Verdict score: 4/5
Pros
- A lightweight item that's really easy to handle
- Provides enough power for basic D.I.Y tasks on metal and wood
- An ideal impact driver for beginners
Cons
- Drilling isn't quite as effective as the screwing abilities
- There isn't a battery life indicator on the machine or battery itself, which increases charge anxiety
| Power | 18V |
| Type | Cordless |
| Attachments | 1 |
| Battery included | No |
| Weight | 1.1kg |
| Torque | 130Nm |
| Rotational speed | 2,600rpm |
Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18 – The Good
The aspect that impressed me the most was just how approachable the Impact Driver was. It never felt intimidating or a burden to pick up and start doing jobs with. It’s very easy to operate and only requires you to attach the 18V battery and unlock the safety switch before proceeding.
It’s quite lightweight for a start; I felt like I could really handle it in all sorts of positions without getting tired. And it feels very easy to control, thanks to its variable trigger. The amount of power when drilling is suitable for the job as well. It doesn’t feel like it’s lacking on punch, and with enough pressure, you can easily craft a hole without feeling intimidated.
So, how does it feel while taking out the screw of the car’s valance? Truth be told, very stable. At no point did neither it or I struggle with the operation, and the screw was easily taken out and reassembled back in again. This is the impact driver’s primary use; to make stiff screws in metal or wood easier to work with, and I feel I can trust it throughout a number of jobs, if I had the means to. The two ends of the screw bit itself (that comes with the set) also fitted into most other screw slots throughout the car, including the seat bases, door trim, and more.
Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18 – The Okay
The battery life is adequate and the impact driver didn’t run out of charge in the middle of the different parts of the test. However, a light-based indicator wouldn’t have gone a miss. I’m not the kind of person to try and guess what I can do with an impact driver before the battery runs flat. The only way of knowing how much charge is left is by taking off the battery and hooking it up to the charging cable, and that isn’t ideal when you’re outside in the middle of a job.
On the flip side however, the 18V battery can be shared with a large array of Bosch cordless machines. This means you can buy an item or battery once and then save some cash by purchasing the bare tools of different tools that you might want thereafter.
You can choose to have the impact driver as the bare unit, but for an extra £13, you can have a battery and charger thrown in. However, it’s only a piddly 1.5Ah unit. You can buy larger ones such as a 2.5Ah, but those are around £80, so it only adds an immense cost to the initial purchase.
Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18 – The bad
My main gripe with the UniversalImpact18 is that you have to purchase your own impact-rated drill bits if you want to use the machine as a cordless drill. Because they’re hexagonal and are designed to cope with the torque of an impact driver, they’re often more expensive than standard drill bits for good quality sets.
It would’ve been nice to have one or two included with the Bosch driver along with the double-sided screw. But luckily, I had a few on hand already. I had noticed that when drilling through the rivets of a model car I set about restoring, that the impact (pun not intended) wasn’t quite as great as taking screws in and out. It took a bit more time than I thought before the drill ploughed through to the bottom of the car’s chassis and I could finally take it apart.
Other items to consider
Best mid-range impact driver
Unfortunately however, there is the same issue as the Bosch impact driver, and that's the lack of a battery. Unless you have a Dewalt unit of your own, and a 4.0Ah one will set you back around £50.
Pros
- Has 60 more Nm of torque than the Bosch, increasing its power
- A 4.0Ah Dewalt battery is better value for money than the equivalent Bosch battery
- Lightweight item at just 1kg (without battery attached)
Cons
- The battery is a separate purchase to the tool
| Power | 18V |
| Type | Cordless |
| Attachments | No |
| Battery included | No |
| Weight | 1kg |
| Torque | 130Nm |
| Rotational speed | 2,000rpm |
The best quality impact driver
However, there are three different modes where you can control the amount of power you want, as well as what Makita call a T-Mode. This is an electronic controller that helps reduce the rotational speed before putting the screw into its place. However, despite the cost increase, a battery still isn't included, and a Makita 5.0Ah unit costs around £65.
Pros
- Three speed modes to control and limit the amount of power
- Great build quality and materials throughout
- Great amount of capability at 175Nm of torque and up to 3,600rpm
Cons
- The battery is a separate purchase to the tool
| Power | 18V |
| Type | Cordless |
| Attachments | No |
| Battery included | No |
| Weight | 900g |
| Torque | 175Nm |
| Rotational speed | 3,600rpm |
The best impact driver for torque
It's slightly heavier as well at 1.2kg (without battery attached). However, it does produce notably more torque at nearly 250Nm of it. As ever though, a battery isn't included, and a 4.0Ah unit costs an extra £80 or so.
Pros
- Very capable with nearly 250Nm of torque and 2,900rpm
- Has brushless motor like the others, which improves efficiency
- Relatively good value for money with the unit and charger included
Cons
- Battery has to be purchased separately
| Power | 18V |
| Type | Cordless |
| Attachments | No |
| Battery included | No |
| Weight | 1.2kg |
| Torque | 248Nm |
| Rotational speed | 2,900rpm |
How was the Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18 tested?
The impact driver was tested by experimenting how easily the screws would come off on a bit of trim that needs to be restored, the impact driver was used here to test its ability of removing the screws of the front valance of my Mercedes. It needs replacing, and I wanted to find out how easily the impact driver could do the task when I get round to painting and preparing the replacement panel. Like a torque wrench, it’s a more sizeable investment than most tools, so it had to be put through its paces.
To test the versatility of the impact driver, I also attached a coupe of drill bits and had a go at taking apart a model car that I’m set to restore. It was held in by rivets, which invalidates the need for a basic screwdriver set and instead requires a drill. So, testing the impact driver for those purposes was worth a try. For more information, check out our dedicated how we test products page here.
Who tested the Bosch AdvancedImpactDrive 18?
The impact driver was tested by Aaron Hussain. As a relative newcomer to the world of power tools, he was keen to try out the machine to improve his skills and confidence in automotive DIY. His specialisms as a Commercial Content Writer for Parkers extend to car detailing, tech, and mainly fun stuff., so tools is the next thing to gain some experience in.
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.
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