It’s not often to hear about new corded tools these days, as most brands have placed R&D emphasis on cordless power tools. But, lo and behold, earlier today I was welcomed with a Bosch press release about their new HD18-2 corded hammer drill.
The new Bosch HD18-2 hammer drill has an 8.5A motor and 2-speed gearbox that covers both high-torque and high-speed applications.
Advertisement
This looks to be a descendant of my much-loved Bosch 1199VSR hammer drill, which was – and still is – a darned good model. My 1199VSR, if my memory is correct, was made in Switzerland. It’s unclear as to where the newest 8.5A model is manufactured. Update: It’s made in Malaysia.
I do like Bosch’s new hammer drill model numbering system. There’s also a 9.2A HD21-2 model. Maybe 18 and 21 part of the model numbers refer to the maximum size hole, in mm, that the drills can handle. That kind of meshes well with the HD18-2’s max concrete and masonry-drilling capacity of 3/4″.
Anyway, enough reminiscing. The new HD18-2 features a 1/2″ keyed chuck, metal gear housing, and auxiliary handle. It has a “rotating brush plate” that provides equal power in reverse as in forward direction, which Bosch says comes in handy when backing out bits that might have bound up in a hole.
Bosch says that the new corded hammer drill is targeted towards general contractors, installers, electrical and plumbing trades, MRO professionals, and facilities managers. In other words, pretty much everyone except for those who need a rotary hammer instead.
Specs
- 8.5A motor
- 0-1,200, 0-3,200 RPM
- 0-19,200, 0-51,200 BPM
- Drilling capacity: 3/4″ masonry, 1/2″ metal, 1-9/16″ wood
- Dual mode selector: rotary-only and rotary + hammer modes
- Integral slip clutch disengages torque transmission if bit binding occurs
- Weighs 5.8 lbs
The drill comes with a chuck key, 360° auxiliary handle, depth gauge, and carrying case. It’s made in Malaysia.
MSRP: $129
Street Price: $119
Advertisement
Buy Now(via Home Depot) – listed as not yet available, which means it’s coming soon
What’s New? After the post went up I asked Bosch for some more information about how this model compares to previous generation 8.5A (or similar class) hammer drills. They said:
The main feature is absolutely the amount of power this tool packs in a lighter weight package. The 8.5 Amp motor makes the tool only 5.8 pounds. It also features a new innovative rotating brush plate. This allows you to easily back out bound-up bits. That’s not to mention that the entire tool is designed to outlast its competition.
First Thoughts
Who cares about a corded hammer drill, am I right? If you can’t tell, that’s a little tongue in cheek. As mentioned, I’ve got the older generation of this model, and wrote 2 posts in support of corded tools: 5 Reasons to Keep Your Corded Drill, and Reader Question: Corded vs. Cordless – is Now a Good Time to Switch Over?.
When I bought my Bosch 1199VSR so long ago – maybe it’s been a decade by now – I did so for a couple of reasons. At the time, I didn’t have a need for masonry drilling, although I’ve used it to drill holes in block and concrete since then. I needed a heavy duty drill, and I needed one that was fast.
I don’t use my Bosch hammer drill so much these days, thanks to the power, performance, and easier mobility of today’s cordless drills and rotary hammers. But it still comes in handy on occasion, such as when my cordless drill strains to finish a tough hole.
Bosch says that this is a good choice for users who don’t have enough concrete drilling requirements to justify the need for a rotary hammer, and that all contractors need to do some drilling into masonry, concrete, wood, and metal.
It’s hard to know what to say about a tool like this, given how great cordless drills have become. Still, one thing that could be said is that the new Bosch HD18-2 hammer drill is surely more powerful and longer-lasting than any of the cordless hammer drills that you can buy for the same money.
How does this differ from the previous model? That’s something I’m still trying to find out.
fred
Just another option.
As we’ve all noticed – corded tools in this “size-range” seem to be appearing less and less on jobsites. I was first thinking that if you are drilling that many holes to need a corded tool – why not go the small SDS-rotohammer route? But then I thought that where hammer drills have a place is when you want to use a Multi-Material bit – to drill through wood into the brick or masonry that is behind it. So I guess if your doing something like securing a lot of furring strips to a concrete wall and you want to use Tapcons or concrete screws instead of using a PAT or pneumatic concrete nail gun – then this might be the ticket.
Kris
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this tool for months, and Home Depot and Lowes have been teasing my HD18-2 search results since June. I was literally about to shoot you an email asking if you had heard of anything.
Toolfreak
It’s probably made in China, like just about all their other power tools.
I’m not a contractor and do very little masonry drilling, not even enough to need a hammer drill, but this kind is pretty useful for those who do need a more-powerful-than-a-cordless-drill at a jobsite. My understanding was, for the price, a hammer drill is a one-corded-drill-to-rule-them-all tool, so you can keep ONE corded drill in the box or truck and use it for whatever comes up that the cordless drills won’t handle. Just keep a set of masonry bits with it and you’re good to go.
Personally, I’d like to see Bosch come out with a hammer drill in the 12V Max line. The times I’ve drilled concrete, I don’t think they’ve ever been holes more than 3/8″ in diameter. A regular drill does okay, but if I were drilling small holes in concrete on the job, I’d want a small cordless hammer drill, not a bigger, heavier 18V, and certainly not something this big.
Glad to see the Bosch coverage after all the Milwaukee posts, too.
Peter
Most of Bosch power tools are not made in China as far as I know,
mainly Malaysia, few in western nations and some of course China.
Toolfreak
Every Bosch power tool I own and have looked at in stores, and the batteries and chargers for the cordless ones, are made in China.
I think the older ones were made in Malaysia.
Peter
I just checked the 18V right angle drill I just bought and it is made in Taiwan but how knows, maybe I just got lucky.
But yes on the chargers made in china, never checked the batteries thou, off to the garage I go. 😉
Tjorven
Why a corded tool, is a easy question to ask in our part of the world.
But as an Bosch employee in northen europe I know all about what Bosch are aming for with such products(surely not just this hammerdrill, but also in all other divisions of the company)
: Emerging markets.
About 60% of the worlds population live in such countries, and the big masses of people(companies) living there, dont have the purchasing power to buy a hi-tec brushless power drill, a fridge that give you a call when it’s out of milk, etc etc.
That’s why out R&D dont just look for better capasity cordless tools, but also getting the price down for tools to the end user in such countries. They might not have the same requiremets to ergonomics and sound etc etc, but the demands to the reliability of the tool, is the same as ours.
Remember, the developed market that can afford an M18 Fuel, or a Bosch FC2 Click drill with 6,0AH( we’ve had it for 5 months in europe now) isn’t that big world wide, so just focusing on such areas, would surely be a downfall for the companies.
Tjorven
Forgot to say thats this is just a new modell of our best seller hammer drill that we call GSB 2-21 RE here in europe. Or, at least i think so, as I’m not that good in the american maschine specs 🙂
Stuart
Not quite. The GSB 2-21 RE seems to be the same or similar to the HD21-2, which has a 9.2A motor. Maybe the GSB 19-2 RE is comparable to this one?
Grady
I prefer my corded tools! I work in my shop with extension cord reels mounted on the ceiling. I never have to charge batteries. Cordless is not always the answer!
Robert
My father in law has the older version too. He trashes every thing around their horse barn. This drill is still kicking 10 years later. He would be the target market. Uses once a month, can’t keep up with batteries and chargers, or at least keep them together and charged, and usually it is not an easy task he needs completed.