Customer Reviews

Bosch PS20-2 Litheon 10.8-Volt Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver with 2 Batteries

5 star:		(157)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I just purchased this driver beacuse of it's size. I alway carry a 5 in 1 screwdriver in my tool belt and find myself reaching for it often. I've often wished there was a quality made small cordless driver that I could carry in my tool belt as even a 12v cordless is to big and heavy to carry in your tool belt just to have handy. I've tried some of the small cordless screwdrivers on the market but found them to be junk. Not this one. It fits easily into a pouch and doesn't weigh much. So far I've used it to remove & install screws on switch plates & outlets, drive #10 x 2" screws, drill 3/4" holes with a spade bit through 2 x 4's, and ran Tek screws into sheetmetal. I have yet to run out a battery so I can't say how long the charge lasts. While these are not very demanding uses, it sure was nice to have a small capable tool to do the job I would have done with either a regular screwdriver or a larger 18v cordless. I would highly recommend this tool as 2nd drill to back-up your larger cordless. I'll be buying the other swivel head driver in this series when it becomes available.

Update: Just had a replacement window job come up where the customer wanted to install a larger window than what was currently installed. In addition to the usual work associated with a replacement window job, I had to enlarge the opening height by 6". To make a long story short, I used this driver to reach in between the 2 x 3, (yes 2 x 3) wall cavity and scab cripples onto the original cripple and jack studs with 3" deck screws and reinstalled the sill in 2 pieces into the newly installed cripples. The original sill was toenailed to the jacks and I didn't want to put it back together that way. The small size of the driver made this possible and enabled me to do this job very quickly without any sheetrock work or damage.

The Pocket Driver works almost exactly as advertised and makes many jobs around the home much easier. I've already been able to frame in windows (with 3" screws, no pre-drilling) easier with this than with anything else imaginable. I love the control over the range of speed, very precise. Low rpms means it takes a little longer to drive screws in, but no more STRIP OUTS! Plenty of power to sink screw heads flush too. (once not paying attention i put one screw all the way through a softer stud) May not do 100 screws on a charge if you reverse or set your screws extra deep, but the batteries do charge as fast as they say and i can't imagine ever draining a battery so fast the second one hasn't charged. I'm putting a new steel roof on my house next week, i'll really put this thing to the test. Oh. AND IT IS MADE IN SWITZERLAND! Not Chinese rubbish! Highly recommended.

UPDATE - I've now owned this drill for over 4 months and have never been happier i bought it. I finished putting down the roof on my house and this drill was a champ. My roof is a 12/12 pitch and i did want to fall off. This drill was so small, light, balanced and has just enough power to make one hand operation a breeze, leaving me a hand to hang on. During the job I easily drove over 2,000 screws (3" galvies in the strapping, and 1.5" roofing through the tin). I used it in the rain. I used it at night (i though the light was a stupid little gimmick at first, but I swear when working in walls, under cabinets under sinks, etc. or at night, it makes life SO much easier). And I love the chuck.

I'll admit one thing, other reviewers are right about its inability to drill holes. But I have my $20 corded drill to do that.

This driver represents the future of cordless tools. Great power, long run-time, light weight and compact. Unlike other similar drivers that retail under $40, this is a serious tool designed for real work.

Start with the downside: the case is not worthy of the driver. I have already stored mine in a foam-lined case designed for pistols. Bosch could and should do better here.

Upside: Everything about the driver itself is great. It clearly is more than powerful enough...you might even be tempted to start using it as a drill. No, it is not a substitute for an impact driver, but for a screw or nut driver, it is great. I have used it to drive 3 1/2" lag screws, all kinds of small screws and an assortment of 1/4" and 3/8" nuts. It is smooth running, and if you use the clutch, you will not strip any more small screws.

The batteries charge in about 30 min and run at full strength for a long time. The surface of the tool is soft and grippy so it is easy to hold and use. Even the #%&#* light is useful!

If Bosch came to me for advise I would only suggest a real case with some space for a bit kit. I would leave everything else just as it is. If you are a serious DIY type, you will like this driver. If you earn your living using tools, this is a great, lightweight addition to your bag of tricks.

You will not be disappointed!

November 2006 Update

I continue to love this tool. It shows NO sign of long-term battery trouble or mechanical trouble. The case is still the weak link, but the driver is GREAT.

I own five of these -no, I'm not (just) a tool-crazed homeowner, I run the largest custom art framing company in New England (Providence Picture Frame). Three are used all day (seven days a week) for production assembly related to custom framing. The other two are reserved for my installation crews- used for installing artwork in every type of residential and commercial walls (from horse hair plaster, to wooden stud, to metal stud construction). Trust me, I did the research...I bought two, and sent them out with our installation crews for testing (I worked with them on several jobs). The power, torque settings, long use per charge, quick recharge, handy light, and size (you can stuff it in your pocket when you're on a ladder) impressed me and my crews so much, that I bought three more for our production dept.

Since the PS-20 has a max speed of 400 RPM and only takes quick-lock style tools, obviously it does not replace every drill we have. However, it comfortably handles 95% of our drilling/driving needs and is small enough to always be in our tool kits (less schlepping back out to the truck to lug an 18-36v mega drill). This means we ALWAYS have the right tool for 95% of the jobs 100% of the time. The 5% it can't do? ...Drilling though multiple metal studs (higher RPM is better) and drilling into masonry (reserved for our commercial rotary hammer drills); but, honestly, nobody could fault the PS-20 for not handling those specialized uses. A side note: we managed to damage one drill (chuck would not release the bit -no matter what). After a quick call to Bosch's "Pro-Vantage" line (their warranty dept.), they 2-day aired a new PS-20 to my location and paid for the return shipping on the damaged tool. -EXCELLENT SERVICE!

Bottom line: If you're a homeowner, hobbyist or professional installer, you simply can't own a better drill/driver than the PS-20 or have it backed by a more committed company than Bosch. With the wide variety of quick-lock styled tools available everywhere -not having a standard chuck is no problem at all (and is probably far more convenient for most users). Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed.

I build cabinets and furniture mostly using 'pocket hole' joinery which requires a lot of screws. I usually use a 16.8 or 19.2 drill/driver which works good but gets heavy after a while.
This little Bosch is about 1/3 the weight and size and has plenty of power. I used it to assemble a set of kitchen cabinets made of Red Oak and driving about 1500 screws, it never looked back. The ad said it could drive 300 2 inch screws on one charge...I got about 150 1 1/4 inch screws into oak, which I think is great. The charger is called a 1 hour charger, but it completed a charge in about 35 minutes. I would highly recommend this tool.

This is a sweet little drill, but it doesn't work well in the cold. I am not sure if this is an isolated incident with my drill or a problem with lithium batteries. One contractor I talked to said his 18v Makita Lithium set doesn't work when it gets really cold.

It has been about 14 to 37 degrees for the past two weeks and I have been working outside most of the time. This drill only works when it is warmed up. As an example, I used it this morning inside to do a small conduit run and it worked fine. This afternoon I tried to use it outside in 30 degree weather and when I pull the trigger the battery acts like it is dead. It has done this consistently in the cold even with freshly charged batteries.

I do like this drill and as an electrician I look forward to using it in a lot of places I use my 15.6 Panasonic drill, but if the cold weather is a lithium problem I would stay away from it. It does have a lot of power and the light is nice. I wish I could be using it more, but I guess I will have to wait until the weather warms up.

Short version: If you want a cordless drill driver that is small, powerful, well-designed and constructed, look no further. Would have been 5 stars but for the chuck.

NEW: See the update at the end.

EVEN NEWER: As of August 2008 or so, (I don't know the exact date) I noticed Bosch must have had a focus group that decided "10.8 Volts" was not manly enough, and now this Litheon line of tools has been re-branded "12 Volt". I thought it was pretty funny. The battery and chargers are the same, they just used decided to use the peak voltage instead of the nominal running.

Other than that, the new PS20 has a new collet chuck, a different design on the nose-end clutch, but seems to be petty much the same. I must have missed the memo.

Back to our review. Here's the verbose version:

It seems the time had come to replace my trusty old Makita 9.6 cordless drill, the charger was failing and replacement batteries are close to forty bucks. The drill has been as dependable as a hammer, and I have watched as the new models arrive every year and have not been tempted- it seems cordless tools follow the American formula of "no substitute for cubic inches" and batteries swelled to 12, 14, 18 and 32 volts, making the tools as much fun to use as parallel parking a Hummer. I am sure they are powerful and dependable, just too much so. And all the batteries are mutually exclusive, it would be like joining a team forever being bound to a proprietary battery size. A look at the clearance table at any Big Box will show what the end result of that usually is.

I first learned of the new Bosch Litheon 10.8 tools a few month ago in a magazine and thought- now, this is worth a look. All the specs made sense, the size was so much more practical, and the cost? A few new Makita batteries. I was more intrigued by the I-Driver, but checked out the Pocket anyway, as it was the only model found in stores at the time. The demo I looked at had no battery, nor was there one to be found so I was less than impressed with the feel and balance and decided to wait.

I finally purchased the I-Driver a few weeks ago (see my review) and was impressed, not only by the driver, but by the battery. Now, we're talking, this is the start of the future in the palm of your hand. (Check out teslamotors dot com.)

It has not been disappointing. I still do not care for the quick release chuck or the inherent play found there, and having a drill without a conventional chuck can be inconvenient. But I primarily use these tools for screws, and the Makita is still hanging in there for backup. I was looking for a Jacobs style chuck with a hex shank, but I found a really cheap one (not keyed)at Harbor Freight that will work for now. The exact same part is also sold under a brand name for more at other vendors.

The drill does not disappoint, but seriously, how much can you say about a drill? It has enough power to run a ½ auger bit through a 2X4, which can be handy. I have yet to need to change batteries during a single work session. The charger is fast and compact. The case Bosch provides seems a bit over the top any would make a nice lunchbox, but I can't imagine anyone actually taking one out on a job. There is an LED under the chuck which was annoying when I first saw it (and wrote this review) but now after building some cabinets out of black melamine, I really appreciate it. Indispensible, I will never make fun of anything that helps the old eyes.

The direction switch is a bit odd but seems logical. The clutch is mechanical, unlike the I-Driver's electronic one, and appears to be adequate. The unit seems to have been designed for a slightly larger hand than mine, but I believe over time I will become used to it, and only time will tell if I will be writing a review 20 years from now about its replacement.

As far as the chuck non-issue goes, I was able to resolve it by cutting a small coil spring to about 3/4" and securing it in the chuck with a dot of super glue. Sounds hokey, but now the play in the chuck is removed, and one-handed bit changing is effortless. Bosch should note this field mod and incorporate it in future models.

This is by far the best tool purchase I've made in a long time. I recently started having trouble with my right hand, making using my 18 volt drill very hard, especially when all I'm doing is driving screw after screw...
This driver is very light, extremely powerful, and the battery lasts seemingly forever, then you have the second battery to keep going! The charger is extremely fast, making a fully dead battery ready to go long before the backup dies.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is the case. Bosch really dropped the ball on that one. The case is flimsy, doesn't fit the driver if you have a mag head attached, and the charger's spot is not a good enough fit to keep it from falling out.
I moved all the pieces into a small soft-sided tool bag I had laying around and am happy with that.

You won't regret buying this driver, even if you already have a power screwdriver, this one will blow it out of the water. and if you have a drill, you'll find youself reserving it for bigger drilling jobs, and using the PS20 for everything else...

I've owned this driver for 2 months now and am very disappointed with it's overall performance. It works 'ok' at best. I'm a locksmith and have used several drivers over the years. At only 80lbs of torque it replaces a manual screwdriver at best. In the cold weather, (forget about it), the lithium-ion battery completely shuts down until you warm it up in your pocket. Overall it looks and feels great but should you buy a tool because it looks cool or because it can perform the jobs you ask (and i'm not asking much of it either).

I have found it has plenty of torque and a very handy size to use and the led light is also a plus. If someone from Bosch/Skil (or any other manufacturer)is reading this PLEASE STOP THE TREND OF SOFT SIDED CASES! This great little tool is certainly worth the money but I would have gladly paid an extra $ 10.00 for a real case that will hold up more than 2 weeks.