Customer Reviews

Bosch CLPK21-120 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Combo Kit

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I ordered the Bosch CLPK21-120 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Combo Kit from Amazon. The Kit included a PS40-2A Impact Driver and a PS-20-2a Pocket Driver, two batteries, plus charger and zip-up carrying case.

The product was delivered in about 5 days and the impact Driver drove 2 & ½ inch screws into Oak posts, with minimum effort, that my 18 volt drill failed to drive. The Pocket Driver has an adjustable low torque clutch which makes it easy to drive small delicate screws and bolts.

The Bosch 12 volt battery appears to be identical to the Bosch 10.8 volt battery and has the same identifying number. I successfully charged my 12 volt battery with my son's 10.8 volt Bosch charger.

The Impact Driver runs fast enough to quickly drill holes, however the impact feature causes the drill bit to stall, therefore it does not drill as well as a conventional drill. The Pocket Driver runs too slow to quickly drill holes if productivity is important.

Both the Impact Driver and Pocket Driver are well built and drive screws and bolts extremely well.

Updated review: Bosch CLPK21-120 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Combo Kit

I am a retired engineer from the National Defense and Telecommunications industry always searching for the perfect tool. I perform a product selection study before every major purchase to identify the best cost item. After evaluating all battery operated impact drivers on the market, The Bosch Impact Driver is probably the best tool in its class.

Since my review of the PS-40-2A Impact Driver I drove more than 50 screws rebuilding a privacy fence and more than 500 screws hanging cement board and drywall while remodeling my master bath. I also performed extensive repairs to my automobiles and lawnmower.

Continuous operation of the Impact Driver drained the battery in about 30 minutes, the same time required to recharge the battery.

I found the PS-20-2A Pocket Driver well suited for rebuilding small engines, installing electrical receptacles and wall switches. The adjustable clutch provides fine control and allows the user to avoid stripping delicate screws and bolts.

I attempted to mix thinset (cement mix for setting ceramic tile) and paint with both the Impact Driver and the Pocket Driver. The Impact Driver was unable to turn the submerged mixing paddle because the impact feature activated allowing the paddle to stall.

The Pocket Driver turned the paddle at full speed; however 400 RPMs was too slow to properly mix thinset or paint.

Conclusion:
The PS-40-2A Impact Driver is the perfect tool for driving screws and bolts. It is fast, powerful, and light. It requires very low pressure to the screw head to drive screws.
The disadvantage: It is ineffective for drilling holes and mixing paint.

The PS-20-2A Pocket Driver drives delicate screws and bolts very well.
The disadvantage: It drills holes and mixes paint too slowly to be efficient.

A variable speed drill is a better choice for drilling and mixing.

To tell you the truth, I bought this product partially by mistake. Whether I didn't read enough of the details, or what, I don't know. First of all, I wanted the impact driver. Second, I wanted a fast compact drill. So, when I saw this twin-pack kit I thought "Great! I can get both the drill and the impact driver for a great price!" Except... the drill isn't the one I thought I was getting. What I got is the pocket driver. It uses the quick-change bits and accessories. That's good. But, it's a slow turner...too slow, in my opinion, for small bits, 500 RPM max. It takes a while for small bits to bore through. On the other hand, the slow speed means it has more torque and I found it works great when I want to turn things slow, like larger screws, bolts & nuts. I have more control, and because of its small size I can get into tight places. I'm glad I got it! Great for working on the car or truck, too.

About the impact driver, My construction friends have been telling me for a long time that I need to get an impact driver because it turns in philips-head screws so much more efficiently. After the millionth time of stripping out the screw head or the philips bit, I relented and finally got the driver I've been drooling over. I work with security systems, so I am up and down ladders a lot and sometimes work in tight places. After having it out on several jobs I don't understand why I didn't get one sooner. It's true, it doesn't strip out the heads or the bits. The screw just goes in with no hassle. This tool runs smooth and quiet, and is MUCH lighter than my 18v NiCad drill, (so my pants don't fall off when the drill is hanging from my belt). Oh, and did I say it has a light for working in dark places? Bottom line... I love it!

I'm hooked on Bosch tools and plan to eventually get the drill with the regular chuck (PS30-2A). I also have an indispensable angle driver, PS10-2A, which I also bought from Amazon last year.

The price difference between the ps40 alone and this combo was only $20 which makes it a no brainier as far as value. This kit comes with two batteries an AC charger, the PS20 drill, PS40 impactor and two 1/4" hex drivers. The batteries arrived charged, installed in the tools and ready to go. The soft case these tools came with is not noteworthy and will just end up being thrown away in my case.

The king of this combo is the PS40, couple this driver with the Bosch CC2130 1/4 quick change kit and you have a fantastic light weight tool at your disposal. I purchased this set to replace the daily use of my DeWalt 18vtools they are awfully heavy to be dragging around all day when a small 12v tool will accomplish 99% of my daily task at work. Now this combo WILL NOT be an adequate substitute for 18v as they are faster, stronger and last longer. This combo will take the place of small task that an 18v drill/driver is complete overkill for. This set fits nicely into my tool bag without the extra weight, or space consumption of my 18v tools. The PS20 is also a great tool, the only time I see it necessary is for when I need to set the torque clutch specifically (ie cranking down electrical face plates without cracking them), other then that the ps40 gets all the use. Even when it comes to drilling I much prefer the ps40

To address the noise concern that others have mentioned in the individual tool reviews, the impact is by no means loud, nor are ear plugs even remotely needed.The impactor is slightly louder then your normal drill but it's performance more then makes up for it. These tools are super easy and simple to use, even my wife was able to easily driver in a 3" screw in an unpiloted hole using both tools without stripping the screws.

If Bosch is reading these reviews a perfect combo would be the ps40 with the ps30 and two batteries as I feel the substitution of the ps30 to be a much more practical combo for professionals.Overall a fantastic purchase which I hope to report back on the reliability and longevity.

The charger that was shipped with my driver kit did not work properly, but Bosch promptly sent a new one. The drivers have been a great addition to my shop. The power and battery life have also been great.

I purchased this set for myself after borrowing an impact driver (much heavier but felt a little more sturdy - dewalt driver). Yes the batteries may kick out after almost exactly 30 minutes, but after purchasing a few Bosch tools, I have a nice rotation of batteries. So on my list of issues, batteries are not one of them. After using both the driver (for some lovely Ikea work) and the impact driver for some heavier backerboard laying (for setting floor tiles). My dad fell in love with these tools. The quick release bit can be a little bit of a pain to get the proper quick release bits. Once you have what you need, you can fly between switching through bits. The driver itself has a good amount of power for it's size and I LOVE the impact driver. Dad's loving both as well. Highly recommended, even better to buy in a one bag set. Even higher points as a gift as one person would get 2 great tools in one set.

I decided to supliment my Craftsman 19.2 volt drill/driver with these two. I am not disappointed. My first job was putting together two window frames made out of 2x4 purpleheart. The impact driver sent home 2 1/2 inch drywall screws with ease. I was truly amazed at the power of these small batteries. Attaching the frames to concrete walls with tapcon screws was also a cinch. I havn't really used the drill yet, but I don't expect it to disappoint.

Light, easy to use, powerful, long-life battery, great quality. I never had cordless drill before. This one is perfect for a woman due to its light weight.

I bought this combo pack a couple of years ago, and for the most part it's excellent. The impact driver has been indispensable in my cabinet shop, I drive a lot of screws, mostly smaller than #8. A #10 x 3" screw in soft wood (as in hanging a cabinet) is a bit of a struggle but it will get there. What do you want from something that fits in your pocket?

As long as you keep cycling the batteries on the charger, it will keep you going all day. With a 30-min. charge time, it takes longer to use the battery than charge it.

My complaint is with the driver/drill. It does a fine job of driving screws, but that task is redundant to the impact driver. I use it primarily as a pre-drill, but it only has one gear which is S-L-O-W. Looks like Bosch has a new kit with a 2-speed drill, I would guess that it solves this problem.

Also, the quick-release chuck is fine for a driver bit, but it's a poor way to hold a drill bit. It allows a lot of slop compared to a standard adjustable chuck.

This combo set is perfect for basically anything you would need to do around your house with a drill or driver. The impact driver has driven 3" screws for me into pine without a hitch, and the drill may take a little longer than my previous 18v Dewalt drill, but the difference in weight and ease of use is worth it (remember, "patience is a virtue"), especially with the same end result. So far this set is amazing. Oh yeah, and when they say 30 minute charging they mean it, full charge sometimes within 15-20 minutes, that last a good bit longer than my previously mentioned drill.

My husband and I purchased this kit about 2 years ago. I figured it would suit my needs as an avid do it yourselfer. When we hired a pro to help install siding on our house he kinda laughed when he saw it. By the end of the project he was leaving his cordless drill in his truck and using ours.