In our recent best cordless hammer drill shootout, the Bosch GSB18V-755CN hammer drill placed second in our medium-duty class. This drill belongs to the Bosch Brute Tough line, representing the very best the company has to offer. The 755 in-lbs of max torque places this drill into our “medium-duty” class. Overall, we found this tool to provide ample power. The ergonomics, fit, and finish made the Bosch GSB18V-755CN feel like a smaller drill, even when its performance did not.
Standout Features
The tool has a twin in the Bosch GSR18V-755CN drill driver which only lacks the hammer drill function. Other than that, the tools have equal torque, equal speed, and the same chuck and gearbox.
Kickback Control remains of the more impressive features Bosch offers in these tools. An accelerometer on the tool monitors for sudden rotational movement and stops the drill before it can damage a wrist or arm. With how much torque these new drills put out, this feature seems less and less optional. We first saw this demonstrated on the DDH182 Brute Tough Drill Driver during a 2014 Bosch Tools Media Event at World of Concrete.
This tool also features a spot on the handle which accepts an optional Bosch Connected Module. This $35 option lets you enable Bluetooth connectivity and connect the tool to your smartphone. We love that Bosch doesn’t include this feature by default—it keeps the price of the tool lower, letting the consumer decide if he or she truly needs those features.
The free Bosch Toolbox app (available on iOS and Android) lets you customize tool settings like soft-start or LED brightness. It can also get alerts for events like a battery overload or the tool overheating. Finally, it provides basic inventory management including tool usage, hours of operation, warranty and registration status, and battery charge feedback.
Testing & Performance
Our soft torque test rig showed the Bosch GSB18V-755CN was the second most powerful medium-duty hammer drill, with over 523 in-lbs measured. Considering it weighs less than its peers, that power-to-weight performance really impressed us.
The Bosch GSB18V-755CN drove our 2-9/16 in. Milwaukee SwitchBlade Self-Feed Bit at 318 RPM under load with a 70% efficiency rating. That means it retained 70% of its no-load speed when driving the bit under load. It performed mid-pack in our 1-inch Bosch Daredevil High-Speed Auger Bit test, coming in with 1361 RPM under load. It only trailed the leader by 120 RPM and had a 73% efficiency rating.
As you’d expect, Bosch did better in the concrete drilling test. It placed third and took just 6.6 seconds to drill a 3-inch hole in 4000 PSI concrete using a 1/4″ Bosch Daredevil Multi-Purpose Bit.
Conclusion
This drill feels good to use. The ergonomic size and weight make the performance all the more impressive. With excellent torque and decent speed and efficiency, the Bosch GSB18V-755CN makes for a solid choice for professionals who need a versatile tool to tackle multiple tasks. Kickback control and the optional Bluetooth connectivity make it all that much more appealing.
For more information on this drill and to see its individual results, please check out our Best Cordless Hammer Drill head to head review.
