Now I need a new cordless drill/driver.

[artie]

This evening while screwing up some cupboards in the new workshop, and I admit , making my bosch blue cordless drill work hard, it suddenly decided to just spin around as if not in gear. It has enough power that I can't , by hand hold it back. but doesn't have enough to drive a screw into soft wood.

I don't suppose it's worth trying to fix.

So recommendations for a replacement please. 18v

Unfortunately I have to buy this myself.

 

[Beau]

Why not try to get it fixed? Had a few repairs done over the years on small machines and they have all proved good value by comparison with replacement. Presuming the blue Bosch didn't come cheap.

 

[Nick Laguna UK]

Not teaching to suck eggs, but worth just double checking you didn't just temp slip out of gear and ended up neither 1 & 2 speed - seen it happen before - Have you made double sure the speed lever is selected & fully in position - planetary gears don't like any middle setting.

If it still has enough power that you can't hold it then it should surely be able to drive screws into soft wood?

 

[Steve Maskery]

I have a Festool that cost hundreds, a Bosch, which I can't remember what it cost, and a Lidaldi which cost next to nothing.
Honestly, I can't tell the difference in performance.
The Fessy has a magnetic strip that is useful for holding screws and bits. The Bosch has a light for screwing in dark corners. More useful that I first thought, actually.
The Lidaldi has neither but is powerful and much, much cheaper than either.
I'm very happy with all of them.

 

[Nick Laguna UK]

I have a Festool that cost hundreds, a Bosch, which I can't remember what it cost, and a Lidaldi which cost next to nothing.
Honestly, I can't tell the difference in performance.
The Fessy has a magnetic strip that is useful for holding screws and bits. The Bosch has a light for screwing in dark corners. More useful that I first thought, actually.
The Lidaldi has neither but is powerful and much, much cheaper than either.
I'm very happy with all of them.

Hi Steve - agreed - the buying power/quality of 'Lidaldi' is probably under-estimated by most due to them being budget brands, but they have shaken up the market without a doubt & their massive volume orders combined with a buying team who seem to be switched on to get the required quality of production vs price has produced some pretty amazing machines.

 

[Eric The Viking]

As I understand it, Bosch's "blue" range are supposed to be pro/commercial quality and there is a repair network for them. Our local Festool agent here in NW Bristol also sells Bosch (amongst other decent brands), and takes in the blue range to be sent away for repair. Presently I have no idea of OOW costs though.

I have a Bosch blue 10.8V (AKA 12V) drill/driver, which is being "reluctant" to start. I think it's wear on the trigger potentiometer, or crud in it. The drill itself doesn't lack power when it does start, but unless the battery is close to full charge it's intermittent. The white LED always lights, but the drill won't always turn. Might be the reversing switch...

Anyway, I'll thus probably be checking out Bosch's service system soon, although I intend to strip it down myself first (to establish exactly what's wrong), as I'm skeptical of service departments in general - they usually get measured by throughput, rather than accurate root cause analysis - and I want to understand why it's failed.

Given a replacement, with new 2AH battery and charger is around 80 quid, it might not be worth paying for a repair. Depressing, given our effect on the planet, but true.

BTW, I thought Bosch's latest tools were rather cheapened compared to their older stuff, until I looked at some big brands in Home Depot in the USA recently: shockingly poor quality. I'd previously thought they were better off for quality tools "over there" than here, but certainly that doesn't seem true over-the-counter, although they have a better range mail order. It wasn't just HD, but Sears and Harbour Freight also - all cater for the DIYer, but the first two used to sell reasonably good kit. Now it's Chinesium of the worst order. And yes, I know Sears are not long for this world - their socket sets were still good, but that was about it.

E.

PS: If you had a meaningful location in your profle (rather than "UK"), somebody might recommend a local repairer... we have a good one here (Infix) but they're not especially cheap. They are good though, and will, however, repair old kit that would otherwise have to be thrown away. For example, I"m hoping I can persuade them to do the gearbox on my Makita SDS+ drill, as the grease seals have gone and it sprays black gunge around if you're not careful using it.

 

[Noel]

I have a Festool that cost hundreds, a Bosch, which I can't remember what it cost, and a Lidaldi which cost next to nothing.
Honestly, I can't tell the difference in performance.
The Fessy has a magnetic strip that is useful for holding screws and bits. The Bosch has a light for screwing in dark corners. More useful that I first thought, actually.
The Lidaldi has neither but is powerful and much, much cheaper than either.
I'm very happy with all of them.

Hi Steve - agreed - the buying power/quality of 'Lidaldi' is probably under-estimated by most due to them being budget brands, but they have shaken up the market without a doubt & their massive volume orders combined with a buying team who seem to be switched on to get the required quality of production vs price has produced some pretty amazing machines.

Yes Nick, couldn't agree more, there's a good range of various tools that are perfectly adequate for little money. I use mostly Panasonic drill/drivers/impact drivers but bought one of these last year, although I see it's gone up a quid : ) :

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/6161400

And it's proven very useful. Lightweight but that's has it's advantages. 12v is all that's needed on many jobs, charges straight from the battery so no need for a charger, has a light and the charge lasts for ages. Only downside is that it's difficult to fully tighten the chuck but as there usually isn't much more than a 6/7 mm bit or driver bit in it it's not a big deal. Great for pilot holes and driving home smaller fixings.

 

[woodywoodwood]

Hi Noel
I have read your post, and note that you have stipulated 18v. Please forgive me posting this if it offends anyone - I know how uppity some people can get. I think I am safe with you!

I have Festool, DeWalt and ,until a recent break in, Hilti. And I have some of the 12v(10.8v too!) Bosch blue stuff. The statistics , from my poor memory, state the power (Nm rating) as being 40nm, or thereabouts I think. For the drill driver. The impact driver is 108nm I believe. My point is that 10 years ago 40nm was about what an 18v Makita, DeWalt et al were pushing out. The 12v is limited by a 10mm chuck, but IME not by its power. I sub to a well known department store fitting their bedroom stuff. The bosch 10.8/12v stuff has been amazingly good. Small enough to get on top of the wardrobes to allow the cornice to be screwed down, but powerful enough to fix to masonry. I now no longer leave the 18v stuff on the van, it just never gets used.

It may be useful to look at the range if you are unfamiliar with it. I dare say the other brands stuff is good too, at that voltage, but I do not know. I only know how good the BlueBosch stuff has proven to be. And I have CLATTERED it too. Seems not to mind the occasional drop etc.

Hope this helps. First post for a while - go easy on me! :?

All the best folks. Back to my rip out.

Www

 

[Sideways]

Some random thoughts based on my own use and preferences:
If you have the budget and espcially if you might need their cordless multi tool too so that you can share the batteries and charger, look at Fein.
Great quality stuff and their newly released ASCM18QSW is a lovely tool. It's a compact version of their big 18V drill driver but manages to squeeze in the 4 speed gearbox. Super comfortable in the hand and the extra high speed compared to just about everyone else's drills is excellent when you are drilling pilot holes with small diameter bits. It's on my wish list.
The panasonic 18V drill drivers are super comfortable in the hand, great batteries and were top of my list until I had the chance to get a Fein.
I find the little bosch 10.8 series very handy but the chucks are not high quality and they have a thumb operated safety on many tools that is so awkward to use that I refuse to buy any other tools in the range. I'm very impressed with their little 18v impact with the hex socket / 1/2" drive and their top end drill drivers are comfortable.
Milwaukee (12v model before the brushless ones came out) are tough but not very refined. Lots of tradesmen choose Milwaukee 18v.
Metabo in my view make great tools and their impuls mode is excellent for difficult jobs. Current production all leave too sharp a seam up the back of the tool where the two halves meet. I have an old nicad model that is still going strong but I've handled several current models and they all skin the top knuckle joint of my thumb - they're off the list until they listen to feedback and change their mouldings.

 

[woodywoodwood]

HI Sideways
I have heard some of the lads bemoan the chuck on the bosch 10.8v, so I guess there must be something to it. Mine is fine. I have a few of their 10.8/12v stuff, including the crazy little circular saw. Hmm, not sure I could honestly recommend the saw. Maybe its Ok with the 4ah battery, but it doesnt do much with the 2ah I have.
Still love the drill. I guess its size is the main thing for me!

 

[woodywoodwood]

I do have a couple of corded feins, which are great. A word of warning - there is a lot of trouble with the Bosch blue 10.8/12v multi tool which seems to kill batteries off. So I don't have one! Lots of info online.

 

[MikeJhn]

Bought these: https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Dew ... r-Twin-Kit a few months ago and have used them extensively, I don't like the impact driver much, too noisy, seems to be a "look at me I'm working" tool, but has its uses, mainly with sockets, main benefit of both is the lightweight with the 2ah battery.

Mike

 

[Rhyolith]

I have a Festool that cost hundreds, a Bosch, which I can't remember what it cost, and a Lidaldi which cost next to nothing.
Honestly, I can't tell the difference in performance.
The Fessy has a magnetic strip that is useful for holding screws and bits. The Bosch has a light for screwing in dark corners. More useful that I first thought, actually.
The Lidaldi has neither but is powerful and much, much cheaper than either.
I'm very happy with all of them.

I have noticed this too. To be honest I think the biggest difference between expensive and cheap drill drivers is life expectancy (and possibly subtly better control and egonomics too). I have had the same 18v festool for the last 6 years and it still works like new (though certainly does no look new).

 

[Hlsmith]

Whenever i see this question asked everyone either seems to recommend a single brand or tool or point out that most these modern tools are very similar
But what seems to get forgten is the most expensive thing is the battery platform so what i would suggest to anyone without a battery platform is look at each manafactures entire list of tools and make sure the manafactures have everything you may one day look for
When i was looking i choose makita as it had the most all round line up for the most reasonable money
Milwaukee is great for mechanics but lacks woodworking tools in its lineup
Metabo have lots of speacialty metal working gear but little woodworking
Dewalt has a good all round set up
Bosch dont do gardening tools
Fein has no mechanics tools same with festool lidl ldi einhell and so on have a very limited range
And all manafactures have something the others dont
So dont think of it as buying the tool
Look at the whole system even down to whether you want systainers tstaks makpaks and so on

 

[MikeJhn]

Counterpoint is where did I last use the battery, very frustrating looking for it when it's needed, plus the more often a battery is used the faster it will fail, having batteries dedicated to a tool is less stressful, having one battery for multiple tools would drive me mad looking for it.

Mike

 

[Eric The Viking]

Counterpoint is where did I last use the battery, very frustrating looking for it when it's needed, plus the more often a battery is used the faster it will fail, having batteries dedicated to a tool is less stressful, having one battery for multiple tools would drive me mad looking for it.

Your mileage obviously varies from mine.

I have a steadily growing collection of Bosch 10.8V (AKA "12V") tools, currently:

- drill/driver
- impact driver
- multi-tool
- jigsaw

The last one is recently new, and a bit thirsty, as is the multi-tool. I only buy something when I need to, so they have all been based on use. The jigsaw is not ideal but it is very convenient.

It is extremely handy to have two or three batteries on the go simultaneously, either to keep one tool running most of the day, or several together (drill and impact driver, for example). Three batteries (1.4AH or 2AH) are enough to cover multi-tool sanding all day. It would be ridiculous to do this for just one tool - uneconomic and I'd have to lug two or more chargers around.

I paint numbers on my batteries, so I can quickly know if one dying, and having them in regular use means I don't get caught out.

In contrast, I have a right-angled drill with a (to me) unique 18V battery and it's a bloomin' nuisance - hardly ever used but vital when needed (e.g. under kitchen units), although at that point the NiCd battery has usually self-discharged. I will probably get a 10.8V one instead.

I don't carry a torch for Bosch, especially as their blue stuff seems to have cheapened over time, but the idea of such a system is excellent, and I've found it very useful.

The exception to this, however, is their quite absurd "L-Boxx" containers - every bit as stupid as the name suggests and a waste of the planet's scarce resources IMHO. Systainers wouldn't have killed them, just hurt their pride...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wish they would go one way or the other with cases, and 1/ use ones with decent indestrucible catches and 2/ give the option of buying the kit in a cardboard box. I keep my sds drill in its case because I have twice the value of the drill in bits and pieces stored with it, and my biscuit joiner in its box because it's not often used and it's comparatively delicate. Every other thing that's come in a box has never been put back in it. First jobs with a new tool - throw the case away and take any safety guards off so you can actually see what you are doing. (he ducks, and runs for cover ......... :lol: )

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Of course, when choosing tools it makes sense to think how they are to be used - if you never work anywhere other than your workshop battery gear isn't so important. I had an acquaintance a few years ago who used virtually exclusively Power Devil stuff. I questioned his taste one day and he said look, I either get the stuff nicked or I drop it thirty or forty feet off a scaffold- if it lasts a week I'm lucky. Why would I buy decent gear?

 

[Hlsmith]

Counterpoint is where did I last use the battery, very frustrating looking for it when it's needed, plus the more often a battery is used the faster it will fail, having batteries dedicated to a tool is less stressful, having one battery for multiple tools would drive me mad looking for it.

Mike

I cant understand the logic in that i have 3 batteries and 7 tools
Makita batteries for example can be between 20 and 50 percent of the price of the tool so its a massive saving
I dont need 6 tools running at once maybe a drill and an impact and a battery on charge
With just one battery per tool when you run out of charge its tools down
And i can't see loosing baterries or tools whether on site or in a workshop there should be a charging station set up batteries are either on the charger or connected to a tool tools not in use are in there cases or shelf
With a single brand the interlocking cases are then a large bonus as everything is neatly kept together
Although i think the makpak system is comparable to the above lbox statment the dewalt tstak and festool systainer systems are brilliant and have cases just for accessories or screws and dewalts new radio is now the shape of there tstak which makita really missed a trick with
All this makes for an easier working system saving time energy and money

 

[MikeJhn]

The comment was to the previous post where it was suggested that one battery for multiple tools was the way to go. :roll: