Customer Reviews

Bosch PS10-2A 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Driver Kit

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I couldn't get my drill into a very tight spot, so I ordered the new Bosch 12 Volt PS10-2A Impact Driver. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. The drill fit into the tight spot and had plenty of power to drill the holes through some pretty tough laminate flooring material and on into the plywood subfloor. I own a Bosch portable table saw and a Bosch sander, and I am also very happy with their performance.

I bought this driver over 6 months ago as an "elegant", or so I thought, replacement for my aging Black & Decker Versa Pack driver. I REALLY tried to like this Bosch driver since I bought it, but just can't get there.

PROS:
Multi-angle head
Quick change chuck
Gets in tight places
Uses Li-Ion batteries with fast charge cycles
Comes with 2 batteries so you can keep going
Good balance
Has (effectively) 2 speeds
Has multi torque electronic "clutch" settings

CONS:
Has 2 speeds: fast & too fast
Has 2 torque settings: too much and WAY too much!

After owning other Bosch tools, I bought this with some confidence it would work well. The first one had one speed/torque setting (despite the dial settings): HIGH. I exchanged it for another which had multiple settings as (apparently) designed. These proved to be:

SPEED: The first 10% of the trigger travel immediately invokes the next to highest speed and the other 90% invokes the highest speed - hardly suitable for delicate or precise work. My 20 year old Black and Decker is more sensitive.

TORQUE: The slide switch has 7 settings plus a "drill" setting (max. torque?). Setting these at any setting apparently invokes random torque settings - anything from "strip the screw out of the hole" to "rip the head of the screw off". Once or twice the driver did stop when it approached a certain set point - albeit different than what I had in mind about where it should stop.

At first I thought Bosch didn't understand what "variable speed" and "torque control" settings meant. But then I thought "they MUST understand that - they're in the tool business...".
I just bought a Bosh combo kit of a 12v Max (and THAT'S another subject - 12vMax) driver and impactor. They both have a variable speed control that APPARENTLY works - really slow speed at first, then gradually increasing. Now, I haven't tried them in real use yet, but initial observation seems to refute the fact that Bosch doesn't know how a variable speed system should work. And I can't yet comment on the torque clutch on the driver until I actually use it.

So, you gotta' wonder. If Bosch can get it right in their other tools, what happened here? Was this particular (electronic control) design contracted out to a design firm in Lower Slobovia with limited design resources? Having worked for a major German manufacturing company in an earlier life, I find it hard to believe there was no design review prior to production release. So, how was such a product released?

UPDATE 1/3/10: After sending a brief version of this review to Bosch, here's their response:

"The PS10 clutch is electronic so there's no ratcheting & the lowest setting is still pretty heavy, but won't activate on some low torque applications like drywall and we're finding on some small screw applications where they either snap off the head or drive INTO wood. If it appears that the lowest clutch setting on the PS10 is not low enough to clutch out. It is not broken it is just not triggered by the resistance of the sheet rock or the small screw size into wood. Just to verify it is not broken, drive a 3 inch screw into a piece of wood at the lowest setting and see you get a clutch reaction. If you do, then it verifies that the lowest clutch setting is not low enough for the application. If it is not low enough, then we would recommend using the PS20 as others who do not feel the PS10 is low enough are reporting that the PS20 does work for them."

Anyway, bottom line (still) is that this is a really cool piece of gear re versatility in terms of fitting in tight places, battery life, etc. BUT, if you need a true variable speed, variable torque driver, look elsewhere. I wouldn't buy this again.

To me what says a lot is that when Bosch first introduced this line of sub-compact tools, they correctly labeled them as 10.8 volt. When their competitors saw what success Bosch was having with the line, they copied them, and came out with their own versions. The competition called them 12 volt, which as I've learned is not the rms voltage, but is a marketing gimick. I understand why Bosch relabeled their line the same way, and I guess you're being pretty successful when your competitors copy your products.

I've had this particular model for 2 years and have come to really like it. The shape with the rotating head is, or was unique until others started copying that too. 600 rpm is fast for a 1 speed and it really has good power for the size. The trigger took a little getting used to being that it turns on an instant after you hit it, but it's not a 1/2 second as another reviewer said, and it varies the speed quite well unlike said reviewer found. He may have gotten a defective unit.

I really like the clutch, an electronic rather than mechanical one. I find it very accurate and easy to work with and find that I rarely use it in the "drill' position. But on a recent occasion I did, and this drill saved me from having to go out and find a 5 foot flexible bit, which would have cost me $40+.

I was in a basement needing to drill a hole through the top plate into a wall so I could install a thermostat. It was double plated(2 2x6) and my cordless drill wouldn't fit in the space between the floor jousts, so my only other option was get a flexible bit and drill up from the hole I'd cut in the drywall. Then I thought of the PS10 with a spade bit. I used a 1/2 inch bit and it took a while but the drill performed well, though I didn't let it heat up. Yet another handy application.

Though excellent, it's not perfect. I would still prefer a 2 speed gear box, but other than that, it's pretty trick.

I'm a professional SAT TV installer and I use this tool everyday for driving/screwing applications. I bought it so I could stop carrying my 18V drill on my tool bet all day, here's my review after 3 months

The GOOD:
It's powerfull enough to handle most driving applications and even some light drilling with an adapter, it has allowed me to reduce the amount of time I carry my full size drill by about 70%, my knees are thanking me it.

Roughly half the weight of my 18V drill (RIDGID X3)

The 5 position head is versatile and make a lot of tasks easier or at least more comfortable.

The batteries last a long time and charge quickly.

Quick change chuck upside is it allows for very fast and simple bit change, using it with a set of magnetic nutdrivers saves a lot of time and effort!



The BAD:
Quick change chuck downside is that the bits have some play in the chuck, althougth they cant fall out, they are not not held firmly in the tool

The play in the chuck makes drilling unstable and imprecise, it cannot remplace a drill at all for making holes bigger than 1/4inch.

The driver only starts turning after you have pressed through the first 1/4inch of travel of the trigger, which makes using the variable speed a bit akward at first and requires some getting used to, but it's quite precise once you get the hang of it. You may strip out screw holes EASILY if you try to learn this while driving screws in soft materials like cabinets.

The useless hanging pin keeps getting in the way, I removed it on the second day. thankfully it is not permenantly attached to the tool



Overall I accomplished my goal of reducing the weight of my tool belt, this tool is not perfect but still VERY, VERY usefull.

This is a good tool and will get you out of a jam, but it is not my new go-to tool. Speed control is poor. It basically runs either fast or very fast. You can't use a slow turn to position the bit, and the high speed licks to chew-up screw heads. The clutch positions don't provide enough range, driving a 3 inch screw into a 2x4 requires setting it on the drill position to get enough torque to recess the screw. I am also not happy about spending the extra bucks for a "12V" tool, only to discover it is really the same as the 10.8V tool. (The Ridgid X3 impact driver has the top spot in my tool box.)

I'm giving this a five because it's a quality product that does what it is expected to do very well.

I actually think it would have been better with a chuck because quick-lock drill bits are not as common as quick-lock drivers, and I would only use this device (over my other Bosch drill and drivers) when I need it for its ability to fit into tight areas. And when I need that ability, I often need to both drill and then drive. A chuck probably would've added length, however.

This makes fantastic company for the 12vMax drill/impact driver set, FYI. And if you get the drill/impact driver/light set (or similar) with two batteries, the two batteries with this give you a battery for each device. Also, you can have one charger in your shop and one in the bag for the road.

I find the torque switch does function right. It doesn't noticably reduce speed, which is probably what some people are expecting, but you'll see it works if you try to drill in wood or tighten down a fastener. You can reduce speed by pressing the switch lighter.

I like this line of tools for my daily drilling/driving needs, but I'd start with the drill/impact driver set; those are also very small and will fit in tight spaces. Then you just need a big corded hammer drill and this to handle anything that needs crazy power or to fit in a tiny space, respectively.

I really like my PS10. Others speak of the lack of speed control and I agree. The trigger rests under your fingers and a tight squeeze on the tool will result in a faster drive speed. It is a bit awkward, and control is somewhat difficult, but can be overcome. It is smooth, powerful, and gets in places where other tools have a problem. My only gripe with the tool is the chuck. Insert a quick release shanked bit, release the collar, and the bit will move in and out about 1/8". I also own a Bosch PS20, and it grips the bit very tightly with no movement. The loose bit is not what I expected from Bosch quality, and I was surprised when they told me that this is the way the tool is designed and there is nothing wrong with it! I know they can design a better chuck...they've already done it on other tools! This doesn't affect the way the tool operates, but it is disconcerting to place the bit on the screw and it moves into the chuck a very noticeable amount. Otherwise, I love this and all of my other Bosch tools.

After reading the other reviews, I felt compelled to chime in.

Some of the folks here are saying that the variable speed doesn't work, but I think that is a matter of hand size- I've been a machinist by trade and home woodworker for over 17 years, and have some giant gorilla paws at this point. My hand fits around the tool comfortably, but I would imagine that many weekend warriors would have a tough time gripping this monster with much control. I found that the variable speed is more than adequate- nothing special, but it works just fine from 0 to full speed if you depress the trigger carefully. I use this thing to ream precision holes and create chamfers in (mostly) medical grade stainless steel, and it's perfect for the application- if it was all or nothing, as some claim, it would not work at all for what I am doing, but does the job extremely capably.

For a "compact" tool, I was surprised at how big it actually is- I was expecting something more akin to the Milwalkee cordless screwdrivers when I ordered it, but it feels more like a drill in the hand, with a grip similar to my DeWalt 18v cordless. And, it's got some weight to it. Both of these things are good for me, but your results may vary.

Fit and finish are superb, and it is everything I've come to expect from Bosch products. Only downside is that I wish I had bought it here, instead of letting the purchasing agent at work buy it from Enco without checking for myself. (The price tag is about $50 lower on Amazon.)

Firstly, the Bosch PS10 works competently and without surprise. It is solidly constructed too. I like it, but it is most certainly a special purpose tool for me because I already own (and love) a Bosch PS20-2A . If the PS20 won't fit, then I'll use the PS10. However, because of the relative sizes of the tools, the PS20 is what will most likely be at hand.

So, why only four stars? I think the tool head could be smaller to fit into even tighter spaces. After all, this thing's special purpose is fitting into places other drivers can't. Why not go all in and engineer with that idea in mind?

My PS10 is a refurb, so the price was rather comfortable. It came with a recharger and two batteries that also fit my PS20 and my PS40. That, I really like.

I purchased this driver because I needed something lighter and more compact than my 18V DeWalt Drill. The compact size and the angle adjusting head were icing on the cake. I have used the daylights out of this thing for everything from motorcycle repair to installing drawer slides and find it a very "go to" tool when threaded fasteners are involved. Battery life is excellent and they run full steam right up until they just run out of juice. Charging is quick and I have yet to drain the second battery before the first has rechaged. While it's no surprise it doesn't have the overall power the 18v drill has, I'm impressed with torque it does provide.

There are a couple of suggestions I'd make and they're why I'm not giving this a 5. First I'd like to see a feature for on-tool bit storage. It shouldn't be too difficult to have a place to snap one or two bits so they're easily available. The other thing I'd like to see is a speed control off the trigger. This is a pet peeve of mine with a lot of tools especially drills. It's hard to throttle the speed when you're trying to put some weight behind driving in a wood screw, I tend to want to squeeze the trigger real hard too, but don't always want the associated speed increase that brings. It would be nice to be able to set a max speed that a full trigger pull gives.

All in all I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone. Definitely a good tool investment.