Wife wants a baby...driver, that is...

[Bruce Barker]

So my wife wants one of these new “cute” subcompact li-ion drivers for house restoration work. Which would you recommend I get her, the Bosch PS20-2A, the Milwaukee 2401-22, the Makita DF030DW or possibly the unreleased Bosch PS30-2A? (Or something similar?)

Or are they so similar I should let her choose based on COLOR?? Chances are very high that she would be perfectly content using hexed driver & drill bits only, so a chuck is not really necessary…we have other driver and drill options with chucks.

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2401-22-Li-ion-Sub-Compact-Driver/dp/B000WI9CIG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1225074198&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS20-2A-Lithium-Ion-Pocket-Batteries/dp/B000PI5EBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1225074162&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DN6K3O?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=msnshop-tools-20&linkCode=asn

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS30-2A-12-Volt-8-Inch-Driver/dp/B001E281E0

Do we know country of origin on any of these tools?

[Lee Hingle]

I have the Bosch PS20 and love it.

[Steve Vaughn]

Milwaukee. 5 year warranty. I just bought a Milwaukee router and am very pleased with the quality.


Steve

[Peter Quadarella]

I plan on sticking with the Bosch line. They have a copy of the Fein Multimaster available using the same battery and they are bound to come out with more stuff for that line. BTW, I saw the PS30 in Lowe's today, so it is available in some places. If she is going to be drilling with it I guess that would be a good choice, otherwise the PS20.

[Bruce Barker]

I forgot to be specific about what she'll use it for:

Mostly drilling wood and and occasionally plaster/stucco (probably not metal), screwing small to medium screws (often drywall or wood screws), spinning the occasional nut, and mixing (paint, drywall patch, etc). We have hefty corded 1/2" chuck Milwaukee wrist-breaker drills to handle the high power stuff; a drill press for stationary, a 2000-vintage Makita 12v NiMH driver and right-angle drill for bigger cordless chores. So we're looking to add a little guy to the line, but not TOO little; my wife is no weakling. I would not want to go down as far as the glorified electric screwdriver. My wife has good tool skills and can handle a midsized driver although she finds the Makita 12V NiMH a little tiring for long use.

Thanks for the recommendations so far, would appreciate to hear additional advice...

[Joe Jensen]

For what you describe, one with a regular chuck would be more versitile. Bosch PS30 has a chuck as well as some others.

[glenn bradley]

I'll chime in on the regular chuck theory. Or a hex to chuck adapter (http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/PROD/dremel-polish-rubber-bullet/BAN06)could do the trick.

[Ed Labadie]

The PS30 is in stock at Lowes. No deals though.

IMO pretty much a toss up between the Bosch & the Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee has a slightly larger grip, batteries come out a little hard on mine, reversing switch is a easy to hit if your not carefull.
The original PS20 is slower & weaker than the Milwaukee.

Can't go wrong with either. PS30 would probably be the best if you only buy one tool.

None of them are made here.

Ed

[jason lambert]

I have the ps20 and love it. Can't say enought good things about it however it is a hex chuck so drill bit you need a hex set. The Ridge is nice at HD and has a real chuck if you need a real chuck but the bosh is much better. I think I also like the malwalki but I have not used one I can't seem to kill my bosh I think both are pretty close. The bosh is more popular but has also been on the market longer.

[Curt Harms]

I have the PS20, got it as a freebee when I bought the PS40. The PS20 is a good driver but turns 400RPM which is slow for drilling with small bits. The PS40 turns quite a bit faster but if I push on the bit at all the impact feature kicks in-doubt that's too good for small twist drill bits:eek:. It'd be nice if there were a way to get more RPM's out the PS20 for drilling. The PS40 works well for its intended purpose-driving & removing screws.

[Joe Vincent]

Seems to me the Bosch PS30, or the Makita 10.8 drill, or the upcoming Milwaukee 12v drill would be the most versatile. I have the Milwaukee 2401, which has been great for small driving jobs and I do use it for low speed drilling at times, but I wish their 12v drill had been available at the time and I probably would have bought that instead.

[Don Bergren]

I recently picked up the new Bosch PS30 while at Lowes and I'm very happy with the purchase. I need lightweight tools due to strength limitations, and this drill/driver is almost one pound lighter than the Dewalt 9.6v drill/driver model that I've used for years.

I'm already an owner of the previous Bosch lightweight tool offerings so it made sense for me to add another that uses the same batteries. It has plenty of power to do the tasks you list, and is comfortable to hold due to good balance of the tool. The "real" chuck was the thing that separated it from the similar drivers you listed.

I really like my Bosch PS20 for driving screws, but it isn't great at drilling due to the slow speed. This is where the PS30 really shines. And when it comes to driving screws it beats the PS20 hand down.

For a compact drill driver that has a keyless chuck the Bosch PS30 can't be beat. It gives a user the best of both worlds in a compact package.

[Bruce Barker]

And Lowe's has them???

[Bill Huber]

I had a Bosch and loved it, then I got a really good deal on the Milwaukee and sold the Bosch.

The 2 are just about alike as far as use, they both had a lot of power and very easy to use.

What made me stick with the Milwaukee was the chuck, it has the say hex chuck as the Bosch but there is one BIG difference. With the Milwaukee when you pull out on the sleeve it stays out until you put another bit and then it snaps closed. The Bosch has to be held out to change bits.

With this type of a chuck you can change bits with one hand and that is really nice.

[Kris Freyermuth]

I bought the Bosch PS10 when I had to drill & drive in tight spaces. I really like this and got it reconditioned off Amazon for $80. I don't have large hands and it fits mine very well. My Milwaukee and 18 volt Ryobi are jealous. ;)

[Ed Labadie]

And Lowe's has them???

Yup. ;)

Ed

[Clifford Mescher]

I'll chime in on the regular chuck theory. Or a hex to chuck adapter (http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/PROD/dremel-polish-rubber-bullet/BAN06)could do the trick.
I wonder how a 5 dollar chuck would run. Clifford

[Alan Schwabacher]

My Bosch PS-20 is the one my wife always borrows. The lack of a chuck is an advantage to her, as it works well and keeps the weight down. A set of hex-shanked drill bits to go with the driver bits is all you need. It has enough torque that she doesn't use my other drivers.

[Bruce Barker]

Update, I took my wife to Lowe's today to check out the new Bosch PS-30, and she was enamored of the... Hitachi (http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-DB10DL-Li-Ion-Micro-Driver/dp/B0013DN4NI/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1225332363&sr=8-4) 10.8V...didn't even know they made one. She likes the small grip (the battery is below the grip, as in most full-sized cordless drills).

Anybody heard of / experienced a Hitachi DB10DL? 88 foot pounds, doesn't that put it on the low end between the Bosch PS20 and the Milwaukee?

[Bruce Barker]

Looks like they just got a new combo deal on these Hitachi Li Ion mini tools at Lowe's. Generally the recip saw alone goes for $180. The driver around $130. The light...? Might be a $330 deal (approx) if bought individually. Also Lowe's is pretty liberal with their 10% coupons, so that brings the kit to $180 or so. Not quite a 50% deal, but getting close.

PS: They're China made, as are the competing 10.8/12V Li Ion Makitas & Milwaukees & Ridgid. The Bosch are made in Mexico(?) or Malaysia(?). I've not been able to find any Japanese or American or German (or other) made tools in this caliber.

[Joe Vincent]

I guess the question is whether the light and the recip saw will really be used, or whether you're better off just getting the drill/driver alone eventhough the combo is a better value per tool.