This here is Bosch’s CLPK232A-181 18V cordless drill and impact driver combo kit, which is currently on sale at Amazon for $129, and it’s eligible for $20 off $100+ savings, lowering the price to $109 at checkout.
So, for $109 plus tax, you get a Bosch 18V cordless drill/driver, impact driver, (2) 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and carrying bag.
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The drill is model DDS181A, and the impact driver is the Bosch 25618.
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This drill has been refreshed a couple of years ago, but both tools are somewhat older models.
I own an older Bosch 18V cordless combo kit that came with both tools, and although I have more compact, more powerful, newer, and better-featured drills and drivers at my disposal, I still can’t bring myself to part with them.
These tools are reasonably powerful, and they’ve also been reliable over the years. I have a soft spot for them.
Spec-wise, the drill can deliver up to 600 in-lbs max torque and has 0-500 and 0-1900 speed ranges. The impact driver can deliver up to 1500 in-lbs max torque and operates at up to 2800 RPM.
(Bosch says the drill torque is 600 in-lbs, Amazon’s listing says 560 in-lbs.)
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Someone at Bosch is likely going to object to my opinion, but if you ask me, I’d take these tools over some of Bosch’s newer kits that seem to have been designed to hit lower price points.
For example, Bosch has an 18V drill kit for $79 – and with two batteries – and there’s a similar impact driver kit as well, also at $79. Both also look to be eligible for the same $20 off $100+ promo.
Compared to the newer drill and impact driver featured in those special buy kits, the DDS181A and 25618 are better spec’ed. They’re larger and bulkier, but I can live with that. If you want the most compact tools you could buy, you should step up to brushless anyway.
As far as brushed motor drills and impact drivers go, this is the set I would want to buy, and $109 after discount seems like a very fair price.
This time of year, Ryobi and Craftsman have 18V One+ and 20V Max cordless drill and impact driver combo kits for $99. I’ve used the tools at different times, but from what I can tell, these Bosch tools are more than just a little better. A $10 upgrade compared to those special buys gets you a class-upgrade from DIY to Pro.
I think this is the BEST 18V-class cordless drill and impact driver combo kit deal for Black Friday 2019 and the Holiday shopping season in general. This deal is valid NOW, and in my opinion it BEATS any doorbuster or Black Friday deals we have learned about thus far.
That’s my opinion, but I really want to hear your thoughts.
I know some of you pish-posh the thought of anyone buying brushed-motor drills or impact drivers these days, especially with all the $99 single-tool kits and $149-$179 combo kits that are on store and warehouse shelves right now. But for a lot of users, saving money, and not just a couple of dollars either, is more important than having the latest and most compact cordless power tool tech.
Personally, I think this is a HOT deal for the reasons stated. Let’s discuss.
If you don’t think this is a hot deal, which 18V-class cordless drill and impact driver kit would you recommend to others shopping with a ~$99 to $129 budget?
Price: $109 at checkout
$20 off $100+ Bosch coupon expires at 11:59 pm (PT) 12/31/2019.
We have a lot more Black Friday and Holiday 2019 tool deal discussions and roundups for you to check out:
Jared
FYI Canadians, Amazon.ca has this kit for $180… and a clickable $60 coupon! I already have three drills and two impact drivers and I was still tempted.
Patrick
I was fortunate enough to grab the new tool connect ready kit (GXL18V-238B25) for CDN $160 from a local supplier. Bosch deals, when they come around, can be amazing.
Tradesman Essentials
This is a super interesting pick, especially given the circumstance. With literally a new combo kit manifesting every minute and the letters B-R-U-S-H-L-E-S-S tattooed to our collective tool buying psyche, it is refreshing to me to see someone explore a more tried and true combo. One that is not only proven, affordable and a entry way into one of the nicest battery platforms available but also a combo kit that just simply works. No need for for BS WiFi capable digitally controlled hybrid 60v quadruple hammer robot laser. Nope. Just a bare bones drill and impact that will do exactly what you want it to.
Nils
I was of the same mind. I had the Dewalt 885 impact which is fine and awesome.
I got the 887 thrown in with a flex volt promo and laughed thinking the minor improvements weren’t worth it…
In fact 887 is rad. Three power settings on the base means I can use it to drive #6 x 1/2” wood screws without stripping.
Upgraded LED lighting is a plus too.
The newest 888 has Bluetooth connectivity for more customization but I’m not sure that level of control is necessary. Like you I don’t want to really do anything but pick it up and use it. Maybe in a corporate environment the tracking would make it worthwhile.
Drew M
” 600 in*lb ”
That drill is really weak for an 18v tool. The Makita subcompact has more torque.
Stuart
That Makita set is double the price.
Clifford Alloway
That is not weak imo.
Stuart
You are also mistaken.
Makita.com gives the following as specs for the sub-compact drill:
0-500/0-1700 RPM
350 in-lbs max torque
How is 350 in-lbs more torque than 600 in-lbs?
Drew M
@Stuart – Measurement error? Negligence? outright lying? I honestly don’t know and it really doesn’t matter. In the end, these are just numbers on a website that no one independently tests or verifies.
I’ve used both and the Makita has more torque. In fact, my M12 Fuel has far more torque than the Bosch.
Vards Uzvards
Hitachi / Metabo-HPT calls their DS18DBFL2S model a “high torque” drill, and it provides 620 in-lbs, same as the DV18DBFL2S hammer drill. Thus the 600 figure doesn’t look like a weak one.
Brandon
For nearly a decade I used a Craftsman hammer-drill that *only* had 410 in-lbs of torque with the old Ni-Cad batteries and never have I felt that was under powered. I finally upgraded to the Li-ion batteries a few years later and noticed a bump in power. The thought that 600 in-lbs as being weak is a bit unrealistic when most people who own a cordless drill own one that averages out to 300-350 in-lbs of power.
On the flip-side I can make the statement that my five-year old Craftsman brushless drill makes 600 in-lbs of torque so why aren’t numbers higher now?!?
If I needed a pro-level drill and driver I would seriously take a look at this set based on the price but I would probably be deterred by the lack of ancillary tools and accessories that Bosch offers on their battery platform. For now I will rock out my C3 platform until something catastrophic occurs.
Tim E.
I agree, if you’re looking for just core power tools, like probably 70% of people, this is likely your best bet value wise. Great drills, solidly built, comfortable to use, not overly heavy but still decently powerful, … Definitely a step up from Ryobi or similar, even considering their latest brushless offerings (heavy and a bit bulky), the Bosch just feel better and behave better, on top of the performance gains. It definitely feels like a pro level daily use tool rather than a homeowner occasional use tool. The only drawback I could see is if you were using these as “gateway tools” to an 18V platform, depending on how deep you plan on going, Bosch may leave you wanting. Even the homeowner that just wants a good drill, and doesn’t expect needs beyond that, may suddenly realize Ryobi has a cordless glue gun, or outdoor power tools on 18V, and that would add value to getting a Ryobi set, despite the drill IMO not being as good. (Side shout out to the Bosch gluey, my favorite hot glue tool for your 80% of smaller size usages before you step up to a professional flow rate glue gun, and small enough to be in an EDC bag. Get glue sticks in the right diameter and chop them down yourself to save some money). If getting a solid, dependable, drill that works and feels better than Ryobi is the important consideration (which it should be for a lot of people, corded glue guns are cheap), this set beats just about anything else this season for value. I feel like craftsman gets beaten too much in power to justify the value proposition of $99 over this kit for $10 more. Skil’s new tools come in at $10 more, and I haven’t tried them to be able to give a firsthand relative power assessment.
What puts this over even the brushless $99 drill kits though? A slightly worse drill but add an impact driver for not a lot of money more? A lot of people looking for just a core kit / drill only don’t realize they need or want an impact driver until they have one, so that does add significant value to the kit. I was raised in a house where even 4” screws into pressure treated for a retaining wall were driven in with the trusty old Makita 9.6V 6012. I had the same mentality for a long time, especially with the T25 screw heads, what point is there in an impact over a drill, I so far had been able to sink any screw I needed into whatever I needed. Why do companies make a 12V drill with a hex shank and call it a screwdriver if I’m not supposed to drive screws with it… Finally used an impact when I was setting some large lag bolts into studs for one of those articulating monitor arms (they’re some beefy bolts to stand up to the extra leverage of the monitor weight being 2 feet out from the wall instead of hugging it like a typical TV mount). I was running some regular screws in for a shelf at the same time, used the impact because it was there, what a difference! If you are where you’re considering getting a nicer pro level drill like this one over a $30 black and decker, your usage probably includes tasks that would benefit or be made easier by using an impact driver. Some of the tasks you might hire out, like hanging a TV or shelf because it uses big bolts or big screws (or goes into masonry so you need such rated screws) suddenly become easy DIY jobs with a quick YouTube watch and an impact driver. I use an oil-pulse impact for most of my screw driving tasks now since they excel at that kind of medium duty could-maybe-be-done-with-a-drill-instead tasks.
The 12V class kit question is potentially more interesting (though this article specifies against 18V kits). You can still step up to a pro brand over ryobi or similar, what about like Makita’s CXT kit with drill and impact for $99? Milwaukee’s M12 kit? There you’re getting a pro brand with a similar, if limited (but expanding, just like Bosch, or not as limited, in the case of Milwaukee) platform. The brushed 12V tools will definitely have less power than these 18V ones. But they’re smaller, and in my opinion, more convenient. What about Skil’s new brushless 12V kit, which also hits the $99 sweet spot? If you’re shopping for a first set of tools, there’s arguments on both sides: get a more powerful 18V kit so you aren’t left wanting for power or disappointed, or maybe you aren’t the type of user that needs that kind of power, so getting smaller lighter tools makes sense for those kinds of users. Makita’s CXT tools are my favorite “everyday” around the house tools. If I were a lighter user / not an avid tool user, and just wanted them to build shelves or fix deck planks now and again, or stuff like that, CXT or M12 brushed would probably suit me fine as my only set of tools. I can appreciate wanting to get a nicer drill than a ryobi even for lighter around the house work, but do I really need to stay with 18V in that case? Ryobi’s brushless drills are quite powerful, if you just want power. I have to assume people are moving beyond ryobi in this case for better fit and finish, better durability, better size, etc., not just power. So depending on how far you factor that, it could be that an 18V combo kit may be good but a tiny bit overkill for some people.
Robert Casey
This is more than ” a step up ” from Ryobi. This brushed kit from Bosch is a bit older but still one of the best kits under $200 you can buy period.
Creighton Taylor
Removing the Pro job title from myself, I would consider this to be the best value for a home owner and starting carpenter. Bosch makes good stuff, period. Not the best out there in spec’s but I’d call their build quality 2nd to only Hilti.
Jim Felt
And in my experience Bosch has every bit as good of service after the sale as Hilti except not as many factory stores. Okay. None.
Wayne R.
I want to grab this but that $20 coupon seems non-existent.
Wayne R.
Few days later, it’s there & works,
Erene
Been eyeing this since Thanksgiving and the price is still $249, am I doing something wrong?
Stuart
Looks like it sold out earlier.
Robert Casey
I bought this combo kit in 2016 on sale for $179 and I still use it to this day. Ive just recently changed the brushes on the impact driver and it runs like new. This is a great kit for contractors or home.