bosch 12volt cordless tools

larry merlau

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Delton, Michigan
does anyone have the drill or the impact version of these and what are your thoughts? is there a need or use for both or is one sufficient.. glenn how is your new one working that you won for the bench idea?
 
Larry, I picked up a set of the Porter Cable here awhile back. For the money, I am very happy. Got both for around $130. I did a quick check and Lowes has the Bosch on sale for $159 for drill and impact.
 
Dunno about the Bosch, but I have the Milwaukee 12v drill and impact driver. I love the drill (which I've used primarily to drive screws), and the impact driver is also good for its size. It is a bit underpowered when driving long lag bolts into a dried turning blank though, so in those cases I've grabbed my 14v Hitachi impact instead.

The drill was what I carried on my tool belt and used every day when I was hanging pictures. I really liked the light weight of the drill, and the battery life with the lithium batteries.
 
I have the 12 volt bosch lith ion drill/driver and the impact. Each has their uses. I use the impact for long screws and the drill/driver for anything less than an inch long. To me the batteries don't seem to last as long as I think they should but I don't use them everyday so that might have something to do with it.

Steve I'm glad you had some good luck with the porter cable version cause I returned 2 sets trying to get one that the switch wouldn't smoke when it was used. It's a shame cause I wanted that set due to the fact that the drill had an actual chuck instead of a 1/4" hex attachment.:(
 
well the rest of the story goes i had the ps20 drill and it done well till i lost it this week....:( not sure where it vanished either i burnt it or put it in the trash with some other junk by accident..:dunno: so i have a charger and a battery that will work for the next one... the newer ones seem to have more torque according to the specs the ps21 vrs the ps20..so i am not sure about the impact never had one but am looking at the combo pack..
 
I've got the drill, impact, right angle driver and two of the regular drivers, one of which came free with the drill on a rebate deal. I use the impact and drivers all the time and the right angle driver is great when needed. Nothing wrong with the drill but I tend to grab a full size one first. All mine are first generation. Battery life is good but being lithium ion, when they die they die--no limping that last screw into place.
 
I've got a Milwaukee 12v combo set drill and and impact driver. I really prefer the impact driver for driving screws, as I seen to have less 'torque out' problems using the impact driver than a drill. But the really nice thing is the size and the weight. Very light and handy with the lithium batteries.
 
Well Larry quiet some time ago Rennie was very kind enough to help me secure a deal where i got two for one.

First was the bosch drill/driver i wanted which is the PSA 31 with the light and batt condition status (very handy features) and my freebie was a bosch driver PS 20

Love them both and have hammered them hard in my workshop making them work outside on construction work. They took it and came back for more.

They saved me buying a battery for my Panasonic Drill which was my go to drill till the batteries gave up the ghost.

I like the fact that the batteries have no memory and charge quiet quickly and that the setup comes with two batteries.

I am not a big fan of the quick release chucks on the driver PSA 20 type and prefer my normal keyless chuck on the PS31. It certainly packs a punch for a little unit. Nice and light weight too.

I would like a Milwaukee as well i have tried them in Home Depot when they had a demo going but in Canada they just want more than i am prepared to pay for them.

My pricing is CPO us pricing. If i dont get that i dont buy period. Not concerned with any border nonsense or any other story. They set the bar not me. :)
 
I have a Makita impact and I hardly ever use it. Last time was on my deck about 4 years ago. I don't find any use for it building furniture :dunno:

I bought a HF 12v LI drill about 4 months ago and it works as well as any drill I've owned. Cost was $39.00
 
glenn how is your new one working that you won for the bench idea?

It does what it is designed to do. I can't see a lot of use for it in the woodworking shop as there is no clutch and the hammering is triggered automatically so it is unpredictable for situations where control or finesse are required. I tried it for drawer glides and it was quick. The job ended up looking like so many of the installs we see by "professionals" though; quick and dirty but little style ;-). For basic 2x4 construction, slamming some rough cabinetry onto the wall or other rough-n-ready work it is great. Just for grins I took a 3-1/2" #8 screw and drove it into a stud without a pilot hole; no problem at all :thumb:. If you are after something for rough and tumble 'git 'er done' type of work it is compact, lightweight and powerful. As Bob mentions; a deck install would be a perfect fit for this little guy. I wouldn't have found anything to use it on for something like your Hoosier piece but, framing in a base for a water heater or hanging some pre-fab wall cabinets? Absolutely.
 
It does what it is designed to do. I can't see a lot of use for it in the woodworking shop as there is no clutch and the hammering is triggered automatically so it is unpredictable for situations where control or finesse are required. I tried it for drawer glides and it was quick. The job ended up looking like so many of the installs we see by "professionals" though; quick and dirty but little style ;-). For basic 2x4 construction, slamming some rough cabinetry onto the wall or other rough-n-ready work it is great. Just for grins I took a 3-1/2" #8 screw and drove it into a stud without a pilot hole; no problem at all :thumb:. If you are after something for rough and tumble 'git 'er done' type of work it is compact, lightweight and powerful. As Bob mentions; a deck install would be a perfect fit for this little guy. I wouldn't have found anything to use it on for something like your Hoosier piece but, framing in a base for a water heater or hanging some pre-fab wall cabinets? Absolutely.

Agree on the use. I've used my impact for putting the siding up on my shed and other 'rough' uses...

The drill with the clutch is much more useful for controlled purposes.
 
well that sums it up for me on the impact part:) thanks glenn,, now back to those with the ps20 and the ps31 i need to know the length from nose to tail.. i like a chuck but also like the small length to get in tight.. so what are the numbers on the lenghts guys?
 
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