Bosch sponsored some of our projects, with a focus on their 12V Max cordless power tools. I’ve been a little slow on the projects (or rather I keep changing my mind about every small detail), but I’ve been working on a lot of different things in the meantime, and those Bosch tools are often front and center.
I already wrote a love note to the Bosch PS32 drill/driver, but Bosch’s 12V-class tools keep impressing me.
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For the past few years, I’ve bounced around a lot, when it comes to drill and driver use. Sure, I’d test new tools with spade bits, standard twist drill bits, small fasteners, large fasteners, hole saws, and other standard accessories, to give me a good feeling about how they perform.
But when it comes to project use, I sometimes use my personal tools (Bosch 18V), but most often I pick up another tool that needs a little more natural-use testing.
I’m fitting some cabinets with new drawers. It’s not a terribly big project. I fitted 6 drawers, something came up, and then I did 12 more. I have another 12 to do.
For the undermount drawer slides I’m using, it involves screwing “locking devices” to the drawers, which then clip in to the slides.
I took a “staging” photo for Instagram, because everyone tells me I need to be more active on social media, and then got things done. The Bosch PS32 brushless drill worked perfectly.
I used the Bosch drill for the first 6. I drilled all my holes first, and then drove in the 24 screws for the 12 locking devices. I dialed in the clutch to where I liked it, and everything went smoothly.
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The pilot holes require a 2.5mm drill bit (sometimes I use 3/32″), and the screws are #6 x 5/8″ self-drilling Spax screws.
Then came the second batch of drawers. The Bosch drill had been moved upstairs, and I had another 12V-class drill nearby. I figured it would work just the same, after all 12V compact and brushless is 12V compact and brushless, right? Wrong.
With that other drill/driver, I over-drove a couple of screws, stripping out the wood a little. Sometimes. Other times, the clutch triggered. I thought it was me, as I realized that I was being too easy on the trigger. The clutch worked as expected when I was heavier on the trigger, working at faster speeds. That’s counter-intuitive. I didn’t want to drive these tiny screws so fast – I needed control more than I did speed. Dialing the clutch to a lower torque setting didn’t help either. There was just that one setting that worked best, but only if I worked fast.
Back to the Bosch for the final few, I sunk the screws to perfect depth, and without stripping out the holes. When I wrapped up and had to hang another wall cabinet, I took a break to retrieve the Bosch drill and impact.
The Bosch simply provided the more satisfying experience, with respect to actually using the tool, and the quality of the work.
In some regard, my less than optimal work with the other drill was partly my fault. But it was also the drill a little too… rough?
The Bosch simply had more finesse to it.
As soon as I’m done with the drawer fronts, which tools do you think I’ll use to install them, and then the 40 handle pulls? It’ll either be the Bosch PS32 drill/driver or Flexiclick modular drill system, both provided by Bosch for the sponsored projects. If I didn’t have that Flexiclick, I’d be tempted to pick up a PS22 brushless screwdriver, currently on sale.
Expect to see some more well-deserved praise for these tools – I’ll be spending all afternoon clearing out my workspace to make better progress on a few projects. Just when I thought I knew the drill well, it showed me another way of how good and perfectly tuned it is.
Buy Now(Bosch 12V Max drills and drivers via Amazon)
P.S. Yes, I know – maybe if I had managed to build my Ultimate Bosch 12V compact cordless power tool station already, I wouldn’t have misplaced my PS32 drill and been too lazy to retrieve it.
Tom
Great write up. I too used 12v tools to build cabinets and have never had an issue.
I would really like to read a test of these wherein you look for their limits. I’ve used 12v class tools to drive lag bolts into 2x4s without trouble. So what do we really need 18v tools for?
Patrick
It really surprises me that Bosch doesn’t do a combo kit with the 42 and 32 or any of their brushless items. You can find their old stuff in combos all day long at every hardware store. The 21 41 kit many, many years ago was what got me started. That was 2011 though. I don’t think their newish 3 ah batteries show up in any combo kits.
While mine still work perfectly and I added on a couple other 12v items (and 18v items), I would absolutely get a second pair just so I don’t have to figure out where I left the other ones. A second mini impact (that’s the one I’m constantly using) and then a drill with an adjustable chuck would be fantastic. Having two more chargers and 4 more 2010/2011 era batteries just doesn’t appeal and the bare tool prices aren’t really much cheaper than the individual (with charger and batteries) kits.
I think a brushless combo kit with two of the 3 ah batteries would really appeal to a different crowd than the long-in-the-tooth combo kits. Yes, it would cost a little more but I feel like they have really gotten their mileage out of the older combo kits. Are those 3 ah batteries needed in that application? Not really, but I think it would give them a nice marketing edge. Their main 12 v competitor (in my eyes) in the USA has all sorts of combo kits and they currently have their newest drill and driver with a mega battery for a pretty decent price. If Bosch could do their newest two drill and driver, two newer batteries, a charger and a bag at $199, that would be fantastic. Keeping them competitive with red and maybe throw in that super cool Hackzall around the holidays. I think they would really grow that 12 v market…….if they were interested in the USA 10.8/12 v market. I think we have had a few posts about topic already.
The yeti
Love Bosch 12v
RKA
That’s a great observation you don’t find anywhere in the specs! Trigger control and consistency in the clutch settings can make cabinet building or repetitive assembly work a breeze or a royal pain in the rear. I’ve got 4 cordless drills and the only one that nails it in those two areas also happens to be the only brushed drill with a mechanical clutch.
D
I have a PS32 and it’s the only tool I still have in the Bosch 12V lineup. The clutch is great and it’s super compact.
Mine is faulty however. Sometimes it just simply stops working; no lights, no battery indicator, nothing. Other times it might show the battery indicator but nothing else. It’s a completely random occurrence as well. I’m not sure if it’s a bad connection with the battery or something else. I’m considering buying another one as I like it that much (but $140 for a skin!). This was bought from South Korea so no warranty available. I’m disappointed it’s faulty because I was really hyped to finally get one.
Easily in my top 5 power tools.
Jim Felt
Bosch will happily repair (or replace) it for free if you registered it within their 3 year from purchase date. And pay the shipping both ways. I know from personal experience.
Otherwise…
satch
Bought the PS32 when it was on sale. I really like it. Perfect ratio of size to power. And the grip is perfect for me. I have used it for putting up modular shelving, installing electrical devises and a couple of other tasks. One of the bestmpurchases I have made.
Redcastle
My very first purchase and it was a long time ago in this area I.e. 10.8/12v tools was this combination which led on to eventually the entire range except for the planer, router and OMT. While originally I bought them because they were effective and comfortable to use I continued to add to it it because the tools worked well. Bosch’s habit of effectively giving the screwdriver away as part of a “kit” means I have three of them and they all work very well. I bought the Milwaukee 12v SDS drill largely as Bosch do not make one which has proved useful enough that I wish they did.
Only gripe I have is that all my Bosch 12v tools are in L-boxxes and I would prefer Systainer (but not so much that I will spend £600 rehousing them), the original pair came in a Bosch tool bag as there were no L-boxxes then which I did replace with an L-boxx as soon as they were available, for me when it comes to power tools the bag v box argument was won by boxes a long time ago when it comes to hand tools it went the other way.
The impact driver rarely leaves the box as the circumstances where I need to use an impact driver e.g. loosen nuts etc or drive very long screws are rare and my Bosch drivers including the Multi Clix easily handle all screwdriving tasks especially on projects such as furniture assembly but it is nice to have.
I gave my oldest son the Metabo equivalent (which does come in a Systainer box and has an additional right angle head which was unique at the time) when he was going off to university because it also came with a radio however the tools are superior to the Bosch equivalent but that is pretty much the extent of their range well there was also a torch which I threw in the box.
satch
Redcastle, I am right there with you on hard cases for the power tools. Regarding L-Boxx Sortimo products vs Systainer, why domyou prefer the one over the other? I ask because we have really poor distribution of both here in the States.
Bosch does some fitting to the L-Boxxes but with the little 10.8/12v items they seem to offer a moulded inser for an L-Boxx with a bare tool but not together with the Boxx. It may bencatalogued but you never see it.
Also, if you go to Sortimo’s European web site they offer the Boxxes in many different box/latch/handle colour combinations which are customisable by the purchaser. Fat chance of that here. It would make identifying tools by brand very easy. Is the availalbilty of Boxxes and Systainers more convenient for the end consumer in the UK and Europe?
Redcastle
Satch
Part of the reason I would have preferred my Bosch tools to be in Systainer boxes is that my Metabo, Mirka and Fein tools are already in the relevant colour coded boxes, this is not me being pedantic, it means all the tools you need for a job can be clipped together. Panasonic have recently started to offer at least part of their range in Systainer cases however I do not want to start with a new range although their cross platform batteries are nice, they are what SAAB used to be in cars for power tools. My Milwaukee tools are in hard sided Milwaukee boxes which I have never seen listed anywhere I bargain with their sales people at trade shows when I see them.
Here might be some good news for yo Vantainer a firm which specialises in Systainer systems and which will arrange for whatever box and handle colour combination you want are talking about opening up in the USA. I met their MD (he and most of their management team are ex DeWalt) at a trade show a few months ago and he was awaiting delivery of boxes in a shade of red which would be very familiar to most people in the USA and you will be able to have black handles and also in a particular shade of dark blue with red handles so it is not just me. It was the trade show at which Milwaukee launched their pack out product line and there were a lot of comments regarding how how high it was priced for something that was not Systainer compatible.
One of our very specialist suppliers had an entire wall of Festool Systainers with pretty much the entire Festool range and his hand tools in those plywood sections Festool sell which while impressive at one level would to my mind make for too much head scratching I would at least have used different coloured handles so I could spotvmore quickly what I needed I am also not convinced that Festool is always the answer.
Metabo’s tools now come in Metaloc II boxes which have a metal clip however in what I consider a smart move on their part they are fully compatible with the Systainer cases they replaced.
Satch
Thanks Redcastle. Great information.
satch
Oh, I agree with you completely about the pricing. 600 quid for any set of plastic boxes is significant. I baulk at the pricing for the new Milwaukee PackOut containers as well. Still, the tool fitment inserts for Systainer and Sortimo are quite nice.
chad Brink
I have the 12v drill and impact but not the brushless. I’m getting a heavy ozone smell lately which I suspect is the brushes wearing of the surface film due to little use. While I love the little drills I don’t think I will replace them with brushless quite yet.
One thing I love the impact for is tightening the screws on electrical devices. Since most devices now come with screws that fit square drive you can hold the outlet or switch and the impact in the other and quickly tighten the screw. Once the driver goes into hammer mode its easy to stop before over tightening and the hammer mode keeps the driver from torquing out of the screw.
Scar
Was the “other” drill/driver the 2nd gen m12 fuel? I have had similar trouble w/ the electronic clutch.
I realize going electronic allowed them to make it shorter, and I’m certainly no Luddite, but I don’t think it was ready for primetime when compared to a traditional mechanical clutch.
mikeakafazzman
Love my Bosch 12v tools. Have most of the ones offered here in the US.
ktash
Stuart, I’d be curious about how you’d compare the Flexiclick system to the brushless PS32’s. I have the older brushed 12v drill and driver and think they are great, curious how they compare to the new brushless ones.
Ray
I purchased at lowes a Bosch drill/driver and impact kit, and it is great, not brushless but realistically I will never kill it. My friend bought a Milwaukee 12v system and ergonomically it is superior, I have to admit. One last note the best tool I have purchased in the past few years is the Bosch 12v Flexiclick drill with the offset head and right angle bits etc. Wow that is a superb tool, Festool offers an offset head too, at a much higher price, the Flexiclick was recently on sale for 119.00 I think on Prime day. I paid more, but love it and will relentlessly recommend it.
Mark Wales
I just bought the Bosch Flexiclick drill combo and I love it.
The best part is the offset chuck for screws near a wall or panel.
The second best part is the 90deg adapter, which works with the other heads.
Julian Tracy
Perfect is a huge stretch. Fat grips, no belt clip, no way to hang off a tool belt clip and batteries that are awkward to remove.
I have their flexiclick which is a decent replacement for my aging Festool nicad C12, but even that has some issues: the flexiclick connection comes loose unexpectantly – it’s way too easy for the ring to turn andcthe chuck will just fall off and the keyless still chuck is crap – cannot torque it tight enough not to slip on a bit.
glenn
Agree, the grip isn’t that good. Pick up a Makita CXT or a Dewalt 12v and you will realize how ordinary the grip is on the Bosch and also on the M12 Milwaukee for that matter.
Stuart
Yes, but the overall size of the tools approach that of compact 18V tools.
There are pros and cons to both styles.
glenn
True that some of the Makita brushed drills are near the size of compact 18v tools but my main go to drill is the brushless 1/4 hex drill and it really is small.
https://www.makita.com.au/products/power-tools/categories/drilling-fastening/driver-drills/df032dz-12v-max-mobile-brushless-1-4-hex-chuck-driver-drill
Stuart
The brushless tools DO come with belt clips – I opted not to attach them yet.
There are downsides to the insertable battery pack, but there are downsides to slide packs too. I tend to prefer slender drill grips, but I’ve never been disappointed by Bosch’s.
Hang Fire
This is correct. I have both deWalt and Bosch 12V systems. The deWalt slide-on battery pack sometimes interferes with the workpiece, while the smaller Bosch battery stays out of the way.
TonyT
That’s one reason I didn’t go with CXT slide on – I want to use my 12V driver in tight spaces
Julian Tracy
So why the heck did Bosch choose not to include the option of belt clip on their (very recent release!) flexiclick?!? Stupid call on their part, lessens the usability factor x 10 for me.
Julian Tracy
Forgot – for whatever reason, the Bosch 12max batteries take forever to charge too. The 2.0 bstts easily take 40-50 min to get to green.
My Makita 18volts are faster; so much for a “pro” system…
Redcastle
Not going to get embroiled in the “pro” debate however Bosch have never to my knowledge claimed that 12v tools are in direct competition with 18v they exist to fill a different need where heavy duty power and heavy weight are not necessary. I also notice as with my Fein OMT before such tools became ubiquitous that everyday users would initially sneer and then after trying them out use them every chance they had.
With regard to the battery charging time I have every generation of 10.8/12v charger they have produced and even the oldest ones will charge a 2.0 hour battery in thirty minutes however the UK like Germany and most of Northern Europe runs on 240v so that may make a difference also there have been comments on this website that the newer chargers are better.
Makita’s 10.8v system never followed from the success of their 18v system and when I asked some of the Makita users I know why not? The response was unexpected they said that the case the original pair of tools came in looked like something a hairdresser would carry, little things make a big difference. The construction industry in the UK is not a bastion of political correctness even now.
Hang Fire
There was a “fast” 30 minute charger for the Bosch 12V system, the BC430A. It was discontinued for regulatory reasons, but there’s no reason they couldn’t come up with a compliant model… except… “Bosch”.
Discussion here:
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/amazons-bosch-12v-max-bundle-savings-suck-do-this-instead-122016/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Redcastle
I do not believe that there are any such restrictions in Europe, Bosch tools are part of the gigantic Robert Bosch group which has the ear of many people in the political and regulatory arenas as those trying to enforce a blanket ban of 240v tools on site found out. Nothing sinister they just act in their own interests.
MARCELO IANNINI
I have the 2010 PS31 and PS41 brushed models. They are my most used tools. I had to replace drill chuck because I used it too much/often/hard.
I say that when (or if?) they die, then I’ll have motivation to buy another one, as these Bosch are awesome and I see no need to replace them.