Bosch GXL12V-220B22 12V Max two-tool drill and impact driver kit review

Verdict: a small drill with a separate fastening tool

The Bosch GXL12V-220B22 is a two-tool 12V Max package built around Bosch’s GSR12V-300 3/8-in drill/driver, with a separate PS42 1/4-in hex impact driver. The written U.S. kit list also names two 2.0Ah batteries, one 12V Max charger, a four-tip bit holder, four Impact Tough bits, two belt clips and a carrying bag. It is not simply a GSR12V-300 drill kit with a different name: the included PS42 is a second power tool and changes the package’s purpose and storage tradeoff.

This is a desk-research assessment of Bosch’s exact U.S. product page, its written package list and the GSR12V-300 operating instructions linked from that page. I did not use or test the drill. Published torque, weight and speed statements are manufacturer specifications, not measurements from this review.

The included drill is the GSR12V-300

Bosch identifies the drill as the brushless GSR12V-300 with a three-jaw, 3/8-in chuck. The exact kit page states a 6.0-in head length and a 1.6-lb tool-only weight, excluding the battery. It also publishes 300 in-lb maximum torque, a two-speed transmission with no-load ranges of 0–460 and 0–1,750 rpm, and 20+1 clutch settings. These are Bosch’s claims for the drill body, not a ranking against other drills. The linked manual describes a slower, higher-torque low gear for heavier work and screwdriving, a faster high gear for lighter drilling, and a separate drill position that bypasses the adjustable clutch.

The 6.0-in head statement is exactly on the finder’s inclusive “6 in or less” boundary. It does not describe total working clearance. A battery, bit, hand, nearby surface and the angle needed to approach the work all consume space; a product-page head dimension cannot guarantee that the tool will reach a particular recess. Likewise, the 1.6-lb value is explicitly tool-only, not a weight for the drill with pack and bit installed.

Chuck fit and material limits are different questions

A 3/8-in chuck accepts shanks only within that opening; it falls short of a 1/2-in chuck requirement. The PS42’s 1/4-in hex quick-change holder is not an alternate drill chuck, so the kit cannot be treated as having a half-inch drilling interface just because it includes a second driver. Chuck size describes bit-shank fit, not the diameter of a hole the drill can bore in every material.

The GSR12V-300 manual linked on this kit page lists a 3/8-in maximum for mild metal, 3/4 in for wood and a 9/32-in screw size. Those are manufacturer reference capacities rather than independent performance results. A later Bosch GSR12V-300 family-manual revision gives different wood and screw maxima—1-1/4 in and 5/16 in—while both versions list 3/8-in mild metal. Because the two manual references disagree, this review leaves the wood and screw maximum fields unresolved instead of selecting the more attractive figure. Check the current instructions for the precise tool and bit, and do not treat any published maximum as a universal job guarantee.

The PS42 is not hammer mode

The drill’s manual documents ordinary drilling and screwdriving, not a hammer-drilling setting. The package does include the PS42 impact driver, but that is a distinct fastening tool with a 1/4-in hex holder. Impact driving and drill-hammer action are different mechanisms; the second tool does not convert the GSR drill into a hammer drill. If a planned masonry task requires an integrated hammer-drill mode, choose a specifically documented hammer-drill configuration and check its own manual for the material, bit and hole limits. The GSR manual supplies no masonry capacity for this drill.

Read the written kit list, not just the picture

Bosch lists two 12V Max lithium-ion batteries, each rated 2.0Ah, plus a charger. Neither battery model nor charger model is named in the exact Includes list. That detail matters if the buyer is matching the box to an existing battery or charger; verify the pack label and Bosch’s applicable compatibility instructions rather than assuming every 12V Max component is interchangeable. The original product-page image shows the drill, separate impact driver, charger and bag, but no battery packs are clearly visible. The written list—not image counting—supports the included-battery statement.

The package also includes two belt clips and a bit holder with four listed impact bits. A carrying bag is not the same as a rigid case. Confirm the exact GXL12V-220B22 suffix and the delivered list rather than transferring contents from another Bosch kit. The GSR12V-300B22 is a helpful package comparison because it is also built around a GSR12V-300 drill and lists two 2.0Ah batteries and a charger, but the GXL12V-220B22 adds the separate PS42 impact driver and two clips. The tool-only GSR12V-300N is a different purchase choice that excludes battery and charger; none of these suffixes should inherit another package’s accessories.

Who should keep looking?

This GXL package is most relevant for someone who can use both a compact 3/8-in drill/driver and a 1/4-in hex impact driver, wants Bosch 12V Max batteries supplied, and values a maker-stated 6.0-in drill head. It is a poor fit for a required half-inch shank, a required hammer mode, or a buyer who needs specifically identified battery and charger models before purchase. The manual conflict also means I would not use the disputed wood and screw maxima as a deciding specification. Measure the actual working space and check the current tool instructions, exact package label and compatible accessories before choosing.

Primary sources and limits

Primary references are Bosch’s GXL12V-220B22 U.S. product page, the exact-page-linked GSR12V-300 Operating/Safety Instructions, the saved later GSR12V-300 family-manual revision, and Bosch’s linked 12V Max battery and charger list. These sources do not establish retailer inventory, price, seller quality, the condition of a particular box, or a universal result in any material.