Blue Bosch drill driver reliability???

[ian maybury]

Just wondering what the experience has been with these in the US.

I bought a near end of the line NiCad/NiMh(?) GSR18V3 18V drill driver (a UK model: http://tiny.cc/l7ipcw) in late 2009, and despite it's only having seen light duty since early last year it's just failed.

It started making a whirring noise and lost drive to the chuck half way into an 8mm dia x40 hole in birch ply using a brad point bit.

It's still looks new, and has most certainly not been abused - it's predecessor was an old 14V green consumer model bought back in the late 1990s which apart from failing batteries (to be expected) is still working fine. Against that a 10.8V Li ion drill bought around the same time failed in a very similar way about six months ago - with equally few miles on the clock.

I'd always regarded blue Bosch as top industrial quality stuff, but i guess I'm wondering if I've missed something.

ian

[Greg R Bradley]

I have no experience with that specific drill but I bought 3 of the 24v NiCad version for commercial use about 7-8 years ago. They have been in daily use with zero problems. Because they are heavy compared to the current LiIon units, they are reserved for the entry level employees who are far more abusive with tools.

For commercial and personal use, I have bought around 30 of the Bosch 10.8/12v units, 2 36v Hammer Drill, 2 36v Rotary Hammers, and about 10 Rotary Hammers from 7/8" to their 30 pound 1 /3/4" beast. I had ONE of the 12v tools fail before the first battery was drained with a switch or speed control problem. Other than that, it has mostly been maintenance for the heavily used tools - such as brushes and cleaning for heavily used concrete tools.

Bosch is trying to cut costs like most other tool companies but I would say that they are definitely commercial grade tools in general.

[Greg R Bradley]

Just in case anyone is considering buying the Bosch 18v LiIon tools, this should be attractive:

http://www.boschbestbuilt.com/rebate/pdf/drtv0412rebateform.pdf

[Robert Chapman]

I've used the Bosch 10.8/12V tools since they came out with no problems at all. However, I am a hobby user not in a production shop.

[ian maybury]

Thank you guys. It looks like my problem may be to do with the speed selection switch, although I'm not sure exactly how. Bosch UK have undertaken to strip and check it out FOC, which sounds promising...

ian

[Michael W. Clark]

Ian,
We had the 18V at work and it was a very good drill. We put it throuhg a lot drilling stainless, laying in dust on the floor of a manlift, hot environments, etc. We finally replaced it because the batteries wouldn't hold a charge.

I have the 10.8v driver and impactor at home I use for woodworking and have had not problems with them.
Mike