Bosch or Makita?

[Calpol]

The boss man at work recommends I should get a couple of 12v Makita drills because they are cheap and cheerful and that's what they use, but looking at the new 10.8V lithium jobbies they have nearly the same power and weigh a bit less so I might look into them...

Anyway I know the Makita ones do very well in reviews and whatnot but the Bosch ones have really caught my eye now, they are slightly more powerful but a tad heavier. Also they do a cordless multi tool thing and an angle driver (might be pants though...)

 

[Chris_belgium]

I have that bosh set and can only say good things about it, very powerfull, battery charges fast and keeps it charge a long time. The impact driver is indeed a bit heavier than the drill but still is very light.

Only negative point is the position of the led light on the drill, it's located in a bad position and doesn't really lights the position of the screw.

 

[OPJ]

British Woodworking (in the most recent/current issue) did a comparison test including these two sets of drills and, to put it simply, the Makita drivers came out on top.

 

[seanybaby]

I have that bosh set...

Only negative point is the position of the led light on the drill, it's located in a bad position and doesn't really lights the position of the screw.

It's exactly the same on the Makita!

I have had the Makita set since December and use it almost everyday. It's great Can't fault it.

 

[xy mosian]

Personally I can't compare the two. I have been a Makita man myself for some time. Partly because I have a Makita service agent working quite close to home. Now I have only needed to use his service twice in 20 odd years for repairs, but it is comforting to know how close he is.

Just in case it sways your judgement.

xy

 

[ndbrown]

A vote for Bosch I'm afraid. I have all the Bosch 10.8v range except the Multimaster copy (I have a Fein Multimaster already). They all perform well, the drill is a bit bigger than I would have liked but still much smaller than a "normal" full size one. Batteries are quick to recharge as well. To be fair, I also have a Makita 18v Lion Drill/Impact set and a number of other Makita tools that have also been excellent. For me the deciding factor was the good range of Bosch 10.8v tool options (bare tools are cheap to add from e-bay etc). The angle drill has been really useful on a few occasions, but I would by it as a naked tool add on rather than pay for the set.
Also Bosch stand behind their range with a 3 year warranty in the UK. Makita have a 3 year warranty for professional use in the USA but not here, where it's only a year? I have not had a problem with Bosch or Makita that has needed anything anyway!
Realise that other people might not have the same needs as me and I am sure that either Bosch or Makita will prove to be good.
Regards
Nigel

 

[FatFreddysCat]

I have the Bosch mk2 drill/driver, 2-speed drill with chuck, impact driver and LED inspection light. They're great for bench work and useful when fitting on-site because they'll slip into a pocket. I'm underwhelmed by the impact driver mainly because it doesn't have enough "grunt" in my opinion as compared with even a conventional Makita 12 volt impact driver. The Bosch drill/driver and chucked driver are both excellent tools and have replaced my larger stuff for all but the heaviest tasks, although personally I'd avoid the Bosch mk1 drill/driver which some places are still offfering because it doesn't have a brake so is not good for getting that last 1/8 turn of a screw. The LED lamp is a really useful addition as is fits in a pocket unlike conventional tools.

The only "bad" thing about these new drills is that they won't stand-up on the bench like my 12 and 18 volt kit. Battery life seems to be around 15 to 18 months hard trade use, which I think is acceptable (NiCds didn't last me much longer than that) and the compact size and light weight is a real boon. A work colleague has the angle driver which is good, but I'm not getting one yet because I still have a rarely used Makita angle driver although the multi saw may be a future purchase seeing as how someone nicked my Fein a few months back

A lot of guys I know in the shop fitting trade have bought these small Bosches over the last couple of years which I think speaks well of the product

 

[Calpol]

Thanks for the replies a'body

Seems the Bosch impact driver doesn't do very well in tests, doesn't do badly either but less than expected... I've heard it's very noisy too?

It has more torque than the Makita 12s though FatFreddysCat, is it just the way it delivers it that doesn't impress? It's only going to be for carcass construction anyway so probably 2" max screws, I think I could live with that :?

Gutted they don't stand on a bench, was trying to find out if they did or not

 

[markwuzere]

i have the bosch as well ,had the screwdriver from it first came out then bought the angled then the impact, perfect for bench work, kitchen fitting ect all batteries and chargers still work fine. cant comment on the makita as ive never used them but they are a quality tool company so would have thought they would be ok

 

[OPJ]

Seems the Bosch impact driver doesn't do very well in tests, doesn't do badly either but less than expected... I've heard it's very noisy too?

If you're referring to the BWW review then, you should probably note that they were driving coach screws in without a pilot hole. With ordinary wood screws and drilling 25mm holes though, it was a different story! They've got one of the white Makita drills at college and I'd say it's noisy compared to older cordless drill/drivers.

The Milwaukee C12D also came out very well in the BWW test, as the most 'versatile' with the two Makitas.

 

[seanybaby]

The impact drivers are a bit noisy, does my bosses head in. However you can wander round pretending you've got a machine gun :lol:

 

[Degas]

Whilst searching for a router table, I saw this and wondered whether it might interest you:

http://www.toolbox.co.uk/bosch-108vpowe ... 0000-84111

David

 

[zambezi]

Whilst searching for a router table, I saw this and wondered whether it might interest you:

http://www.toolbox.co.uk/bosch-108vpowe ... 0000-84111

David

I have seen similar offers where you get the Fien Multimaster look-e-like-e with the set rather than the angle drill. It seem the cheapest way of buying them, if you want all the tools, rather than buying them individually.
I am a Makita fan, I have had the 18V LXT six piece combo since they first came out in the States a few years ago. Great tools so I am tempted by the Makita 10.8v kit but the idea of having the option to add the angle drill etc makes the Bosch a better bet, unless Makita are planning on expanding the range.
From the research I did a while back there did not seem to be much difference between them. Have a look on YouTube there are a few people showing them off and you can get an idea of what they can do and how much noise an impact driver makes.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

It has more torque than the Makita 12s though FatFreddysCat, is it just the way it delivers it that doesn't impress?

The difference between 100Nm (Bosch 10.8v) and 125Nm (Makita 12v) is what allows the Makita to drive 4.5 x 70s into solid beech whilst the Bosch runs out of puff and struggles at the end of the operation. To me as a tradesman it is significant. On the other hand the big 18 volt Li-Ion impacts look and sound the part but aren't that much faster than the 12 volt tools but having 145Nm means they can snap off a sticking screw like a carrot.

For carcassing I almost always use a conventional drill/driver because the driving is far more gradual and controlled with less chance of a screw shearing which can be a bit messy to sort out on a half-finished counter or bar.

 

[big soft moose]

We've got a bosch , a makita and a dewalt drill drivers at work and of them all i like the dewalt best for power and quick recharge - but that aside there isnt a lot to chose between the bosch and the makita (assuming you dont already have bateries to fit one or the other).

we've also got two "sacraficial" ryobis which get taken out on the wet and nasty jobs when we dont want to screw up the decent tools and they are suprisingly good for the money - though dont hold their charge as long and are slower to recharge than the expensive kit

 

[head clansman]

Hi

Just to confuse you a bit more


I bought a heavy duty makita router & heavy duty 10" circular saw back in 1988 both are still going strong , shorty after i bought the makita 7.2 v battery drill one battery is now duff the other getting that way the third battery and drill are still working fine , I have had a bosh electric drill and sander both are long dead and gone having said that I also have two other bosh battery drills both working fine had these two some 15 yrs so which is best :?: your choice.hc

 

[Russ]

I have quite a few Makita tools but personally feel that the build quality could be better.

Last year I invested in a Makita BO6040 sander that has been sent back for repair on numerous occasions due to an inherent problem with the cog that drives the power sanding function, when it works it works very well but its always going to need fixing every couple of months. Will bin it and buy a Festool RO sander.

Makita 3612c router, thought they were playing a joke when they sent me the invoice for the repair, 205 euros + duck island tax to replace the controller. They weren't, but in my books it's a big joke.

Makita cordless drill, a friend used it in drill mode for fixing a screw, whole body split open like a plastic toy as he never set it in torque mode.

The list goes on and on......

Makita work boots, good for kicking badly engineered tools around the workshop floor.

Hope this helps

Russ

 

[FatFreddysCat]

Makita 3612c router, thought they were playing a joke when they sent me the invoice for the repair, 205 euros + duck island tax to replace the controller.

That's because the controller is ridiculously expensive against the deWalt DW625. At least you can get spare parts for them - try getting spares for a Freud sometime