I purchased this drill along with a Makita BDF452 and gave both a workout in my garage. My test used 2"x6" pressure treated lumber. My goal was to test power, battery endurance and comfort of use. With both drills, I drilled qty (10) 1" spade bit holes, qty (20) 3/8" bit holes and sunk qty (75) 2" drywall screws. My hand and arm were tired so I quit, but suffice it to say, neither drill quit, so I called battery endurance test a tie. I believe the Bosch had slightly more power and speed, but the Makita had plenty of both for my needs. Both drills gave your arm a good twist when the spade bit would catch and hold. In a close race, I declared the Bosch the winner in power category. The Makita was clearly a more comfortable drill to use. It fit my hand well and the trigger was easy to use. The Bosch handle is configured at a bit of an angle and while using the spade bit the back of the drill seemed to press into my hand. Also, during use my finger naturally moved to the bottom of the trigger and it became a bit uncomfortable. Both drills are very well built and neither got hot during my tests. At the end of the day I preferred the Makita because it was slightly smaller (about 3/4" shorter) and clearly had a more comfortable grip position during use. Bosch 36618-02 18-Volt 1/2-Inch Compact-Tough Litheon Drill/Driver with 2 Slim Batteries
Great drill! I am Contractor and currently own the 36v Bosch litheon drill (Dewalt XRP before that), but I got tired of using it for smaller projects like hanging doors and installing cabinets due to it's bulky size and weight. I now find myself using this drill for everything. It has an excellent power to weight ratio and is very smooth/refined. I have the slim pack batteries and they hold a good charge. I will still keep the 36V around but it may end up collecting dust. I have only owned the 18v for two weeks now so I can't comment on it's long term reliability, but I have used it for sinking numerous 3" deckmates into framing lumber, speedbores, small holesaws, backerboard screws, and other fasteners. I can't comment on it's mixing ability (mortar and other cement mixtures), but that's what electric corded drills are for. As an every day user, I am very happy with this purchase.
Used it to build 4 picnic tables from Rockler plans in a college class. Four work crews, 3 days, hundred of screws in green treated lumber, one charge. Amazing torque, did not need to recharge. Students are Construction management majors and future shop teachers. They were impressed, as was I. Preschoolers came and helped assemble the tables (donated to their preschool) and the clutch worked well to allow the screw to be driven to the correct depth. I love this drill. Oh, and the light is sweet when working in dim areas.
Super tool! I usually don't brand-buy, but my garage seems to be collecting a lot of blue-green and red tools. I have a Bosch RO sander and jigsaw now, and I think they are both top notch. This cordless drill fits right in with the other quality tools. Background: I use this tool for light to heavy work (fine woodworking, drywall, rough carpentry, make holes in 4x4 joists with spade bits to run electrical cable).
The drill is very slender compared to my old (got it three years ago) cordless Craftsman. I can drill in tighter spaces now without having to use my 90 degree attachment. The size reduction also means a lighter tool, which is very deceptive; this drill has some serious power. Nothing like a corded drill but still... The power of the 18 volt is impressive to say the least. I love the 30-minute charge time for the baterries. I fully anticipate solely using this drill thoughout an entire day-long project.
The ratcheting lock it GREAT! I put in a bit and tighten it down with a ratchet lock. This feature has given me the utmost confidence that a bit will never again slip again.
The price is kind of up there compared to competitors, but you get a whole lot of quality with this purchase. Highly recommend!
I purchased the Bosch to replace another 18v that stopped working. I was impressed with the balance, lightweight (compaired to a NiCa) and the exceptional sensitivity of the variable speed contol. I also like the led light under the A good quality product. Negative features are a poorly designed bit holder (it doesn't work!) and no belt hook. Other than that a great quality tool
Recently I needed to purchase a new drill for work, and chose this one for several reasons. First and foremost, I own several Bosch tools and I already know that when I buy Bosch I won't be disappointed. The craftsmanship and functionality of their tools is top notch, and this one is no exception. The second reason I chose this drill was due to the Lithium Ion battery pack. If you can get the same juice out of a smaller and lighter package, why not? With this drill in my hand I felt like I was holding an older 12v model, but with the power of an 18v. I'll never use Ni-MH again. What surprised me more than anything else though, is the way the battery holds power. With older drills, as the battery loses power, so does the drill. This drill works at full power until the battery is drained, allowing you to work at full capacity until its time to change batteries. The final reason I chose this drill was for the torque rating. Simply put, I like power, and its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. At this price point and combination of features, this was the most powerful drill available when I made my purchase. I find myself actually using the different torque and speed settings based on the job I am doing instead of just putting it on the highest setting and hoping I've got enough power. I'm probably going to get one of these for the house really soon even though I've got a perfectly fine cordless drill already. I like it that much.
Bought this drill after returning the 14.4V Black and Decker. My first thought was to spend about $70-$80 for a drill. I quickly learned while constructing a wooden swing set that the Black and Deck was not a very good tool and went back and spent an extra $60 bucks to get this tool. The difference was amazing, this drill just feels stronger and better made (the BD felt like it was made of plastic and this one felt like it was made of metal). Grat power and torque, nice size, quick bit changes--plus the chuck locks with a "click" so you know its locked (the BD chuck couldn't even keep the drill bits in place). All in all I was very happy with this purchase, its the type of tool you just hold and know its a quality tool. BUY this drill!! - Cordless Drill - 18 Volt - Cordless Drills - Lithium-ion'
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