Bosch PSB 18 LI-2 Cordless 18 Volt Hammer Drill, 1 x Li-Ion Battery

I gave this drill to my husband (who is a plumber/electrician), so the review that follows is based on his opinion. The drill he normally uses is a Makita, very heavy duty and capable of drilling pretty well anything, BUT considerably more expensive, as you might expect.

He has used this drill for a lot of jobs that don't need the power of his Makita drill, from choice, because this drill is lighter and therefore lot easier to use, particularly in tight spaces. Like the Makita, it has a light which also comes in handy when drilling in dark corners. One other minor plus point over the Makita is that it has a battery indicator that tells you how much charge is left - preventing those annoying situations where your drill packs up halfway through a job! Charging doesn't take long, so he felt the battery indicator to some extent offset the need for the second battery he has for the Makita, particularly if the drill is for home use only. More expensive trade aimed drills usually give you a second battery - but you'll always pay considerably more for a drill with two batteries.

My husband felt this would be a good choice of drill for a competent DIYer, or as a second, more lightweight drill for anyone in a trade. It's fine for lightweight masonry jobs, but wouldn't cope with a blue brick or lots of concrete. But for the price, and the market it appeared to be aimed at, he felt it was good value, and easy to use.

I agonised over the choice between this and Bosch PSR 18 LI 2 Cordless Lithium Ion Drill/Driver. The fact is that most of the time I want a screwdriver and now and then a drill. Clearly the screwdriver will drill too etc, but I wanted hammer action. Anyway, I went for the Hammer Drill.

I needn't have worried. The Hammer Drill allows very precise action when used in screwdriver mode, loads of torque, and nice torque control. You won't stall this baby. What you point it at, it will drive!

The drill is good too and the hammer action does all it should. In the past I have always felt that cordless drills were a bit feeble; this one is not.

The lithium ion battery is very good. You can get NiCads cheaper, but I really would recommend the extra expenditure. I have a very nice Ryobi cordless screwdriver, now rendered almost useless by its totally floppy NiCads.

I would mention one negative. When you take your finger off the trigger, the action stops very suddenly. I guess it has a brake. This very sudden arrest does have the effect, on mine, of loosening the keyless chuck, and after a few times the bit can fall out. Don't know how general this problem is. I thought about deducting a star, but love this gadget just a little too much to do that.

>> Updated 25 March 2011 << Still love this gadget; I work it hard almost daily and it's ready for more. But the problem of the keyless chuck coming loose is still with me. I've got used to it, but can't kid myself that it's not a nuisance.

First impressions of this cordless drill were more to do with the case to be honest. Such a large plastic case for what is actually a fairly physically small drill and lots of wasted space to boot. Maybe the Bosch packaging designers need to have a rethink as it does seem to swamp the product itself and just seems a bit OTT.
The instructions seemed reasonably clear and concise. No real issues there to be honest, other than do we really need another manual for the battery charger base? Especially as the drill instructions were so concise.
The charger base was wide and supportive of the battery pack, however it seemed light and flimsy and I am unsure how robust it will prove to be. In addition it was a bit of a fiddle trying to get the battery mounted properly, there does seem to be a bit of a knack to it, although I have no doubt that practice will make perfect. On the plus side, the charging cycle wasn't excessive in duration and the LED indicator was bright and clear, giving no doubt as to how the charging cycle was progressing. I have had cordless drills that were so much easier to place onto the charger base, but you couldn't clearly see the charging display. Bit of a trade off I suppose.
The drill had a screwdriver bit already in place. It seemed to be of reasonable quality but most manufacturers provide a small selection of bits. Just supplying one was a bit (no pun intended) mean.
Ok, onto the drill itself. Visually it appeared reasonably small and compact. It feels stable in the hand and initially seemed very well put together using quality plastics, etc. Closer inspection and subsequent use caused me to rethink that in a couple of areas. The keyless chuck (or tool holder) was light to use and felt secure in operation, however, the actual material used in construction felt brittle, not overly durable and a bit cheap to be honest. Setting the torque requirement and operating mode was a doddle, but the actual material again felt cheap and a bit nasty. This was even more evident on the mechanical switch for the gear selection. Nice idea without a doubt and easy'ish to adjust, but the push/slide switch, felt flimsy and gave me concern as to how durable it would be. I didn't envisage it lasting too long if the drill/switch is to be subjected to moderate to heavy use.
The operation of the drill couldn't have been easier. It is certainly very powerful, easily adjustable, with a wide variety of torque settings, etc. The soft start is a very useful facility and worked really well. Top marks there! I also loved the work light mounted into the base of the drill, it's not just a gimmick it really did make a difference. Nice touch indeed. The battery condition indicator lights are another useful function.
In use, the drill performed very well indeed, its lightness and ergonomic design made a refreshing change, it was comfy to use, didn't weigh a ton and didn't feel clumsy at all. It performed totally without fault throughout all of the tasks demanded of it and the motor seems plenty powerful for most domestic uses.
A great drill in my opinion and I'd give it an overall 4 ½ stars.
It would have been a genuine 5 stars if it hadn't been for the overly spacious case, a flimsy and brittle feel to the plastics used in the switches, etc and possible concerns as to how robust that gear selection switch will prove to be in particular. See beyond these issues though and you will have an excellent bit of kit.