Customer Reviews

Bosch PS20-2A 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver with 2 Batteries

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this as a gift for my Dad for Christmas. I already own (and love) its main competitor, Milwaukee's 12v driver so I decided to do a quick side-by-side comparison. In terms of look, size, and performance, the two tools are about as equal as can be. The Milwaukee did seem to drive the 3" screws slightly faster but it was a very small difference. Overall, the two were basically equal in everything except one factor - the mechanism for changing bits. On the Bosch, you pull the chuck straight out to release the bit, but you need to continue holding it out to insert the new bit (basically need two hands). On the Milwaukee, you pull out the chuck and it locks into the open position, then you insert the new bit and it locks into place (only need one hand to do a bit change). For this reason alone, I would rate the Milwaukee just ahead of the Bosch. In any case, I would be thrilled with either.

As everyone else has noted, this is a really wonderful tool: light, powerful, and well balanced. This single tool now replaces BOTH my heavyweight DeWalt for big jobs, AND a nimble little Skil 2336-02 iXO 3.6-Volt for tight spaces. [The latter duo have gone to a vacation home.]

That said, the Bosch comes with an annoyingly cheesy cloth case, with an equally annoying Velcro strap inside to secure the driver. But most annoying of all is that it comes with essentially NO BITS.

I naturally looked for a companion set of Bosch bits and rapidly discovered from the valuable Amazon reviews [for which this review is karmic payback] that the quick-change chuck in the "Bosch CC2130 Clic-Change 27-Piece Drilling and Driving Set" DOES NOT FIT the PS20 series!

SOLUTION: For one third the price of the Bosch set, I eventually found the Titan 16048 Quick-Disconnect 48 Piece Drilling and Driving Set in Plastic Case which DOES fit and works very well, and also has about double the number of bits as the Bosch set. I now leave the Titan quick-change chuck permanently installed, and can then pop bits in and out with one hand.

This Titan set really is the perfect (and remarkably cheap) companion to the PS20-2A.

Just bought the 12v drill/driver made by Bosch. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't buy it from Amazon because I found it cheaper on E... Only reason is I'm such a tightwad I make every penny squeek when I'm buying tools. That's why I don't buy cheap tools and this certainly ain't cheap.

I've been using it since I got it and it's a dream tool. I drill with #55 size bits and all my other drills were so heavy I'd break a bit every 7th or 8th hole. Still on the same bit since I switched to the PS20-2A.

The batteries, (you get 2 with the PS20-2A), charge in about 30 minutes and seem to last forever. I tried wearing one down in the first 3 hours of intermittent drilling and couldn't do it.

The only thing I'd comment negatively about is that stupid little super-brite LED they put on the drill. I guess it's supposed to illuminate the drill tip at the point of contact but it only lights up the area below the actual area you need lighted. I sent a note to Bosch about this flaw so maybe they'll fix it. Well, I can dream can't I?

Finally, If you need a great little Drill/driver that'll become a star of your toolbox or belt this is the one. I don't gush unless it's very special but this tool is super special. Best Regards

I purchased this product to replace a compact B&D compact drill driver. The manufacturer's literature says this will drive 100 3 inch screws on one battery so since I was in the process of building a deck, I decided to put this claim to the test. Before attempting to drive a 2 3/4" deck screw, I pre-drilled through the deck board and into the joist. After attempting to drive one screw at the highest torque setting, I put this tool away. It was very ineffective for this purpose, unable to drive the screw all the way. For comparison, I used an old DeWalt 12v driver, which did drive the deck screw all the way. At another point, while replacing damaged drywall, I again tried to use the Bosch. While somewhat more effective, it still labored to drive the screw into the stud, but did manage to sink the head. It appears that the best use for the Bosch is for light duty in close quarters where a full size drill would be unable to reach. Given the price of $99, it would appear there are better options out there. Anyone looking to buy this as their primary drill should look elsewhere.

Bosh advertises this as a driver and that's how I primarily use it, but I have used it as a drill as well.
Since this is a cordless driver, it is relatively slow in the RPM department, I think it maxes out at 300RPM but the control you have over the speed is very, very fine. At the slightest trigger pull the front light comes on, a little more and the chuck creeps around, maybe 5 RPM. Pull the trigger fully and the motor spins up almost instantly to full speed.
But the neat part is the brake... from any speed, let go of the trigger completely and the chuck comes to a complete stop, so quickly that there is a recoil from full speed. When you're driving a screw and the clutch slips, and you release the trigger, the chuck just stops spinning, no extra force is put in to the screw.
I've used this driver for several years as my daily driver while working on computers. I've also used it for automotive and house work as well as tear-down and rebuilding of horse stalls.
Don't let the small size of the driver fool you, this a primary tool! At the lower clutch settings you can safely drive metal screws in to plastic, or plastic screws in to anything. At the MAX setting, you can drive long screws in to hardwood.
Will other drivers out-drive it? Yes. But this tool comes with two batteries, they charge faster than you can drain them and you can literally use it all day without more than a few seconds downtime per battery change every few hours.
Is it tough? My driver has been in the heat, cold, damp, dust and dropped I can't tell you how many times and it still works like new.
I do wish the LED was angled a little bit toward the chuck, in the straight-ahead alignment it has the light falls just below the work point.

If you want an electric driver and part time drill, this should be at the top of your list. If you want a high-speed drill, look elsewhere this isn't your tool. I hope mine doesn't break any time soon, but when it does I'll replace it with another PS20.

This drill will probably not work as your only drill.
Now that we got that out of the way I hardly ever use my big drill. This drill is so light and convenient I always reach for it first. It will do well with pretty near any bit that will fit in the hex chuck. Very easy to hold and balance. This makes it much easier to drill straight holes at high and otherwise odd angles. It's even comfortable to hang on my belt or in a nail pouch for climbing ladders or moving around a lot. Even my six year old can use this one. The battery has great life too. This one also fits in my standard size tool box. Let's see your 18V do that.
I also love the Impact Driver that matches this and uses the same batteries. I got both in a set.

I had been looking for a strong and controllable driver for my many woodworking projects and general use. The Bosch PS20-2A more than fills the bill. It is powerful, but the variable torque settings keep you from over doing it. It came with 2 batteries (charge one while using the other - recharges in about 1/2 hr.) plus a basic array of bits in a functional carrying case. The Bosch PS20-2A is compact, solid and strong - now a favorite tool on my workbench.
M. Bollin

I like everything *except* the new chuck.
It does not hold the bits I use.
I have several, older, 10.8V Pocket Drivers I have been using with no problems. I had high hopes for the two, new, 12V Pocket Drivers I just purchased, but would not buy another until this problem is fixed.

This has more torque than my I Driver and works very well as a medium driver/drill. The light isn't great as it is limited by the body of the PS20 but its handy. Battery life is fine and overall I would like to give it 5 stars. A couple nits though.
First will it be your only drill? Well it depends. If you look at the Titan set of bits in the review below or the Bosch CC2130 Clic-Change 27-Piece Drilling and Driving Set with Clic-Change Chuck they use an adapter to get the drill bit to fit into the hex chuck. Several folks make these including Snappy but if you are going to work with many bits it gets pretty expensive. The Bosch set has a chuck that converts a standard drill to a hex driver, the rest of the parts in the kit work fine. But I haven't yet found an adapter that converts a hex chuck to a regular drill. So if you are doing wood working and need maybe a half dozen or so bits and counter sinks fine; but if you are doing metal work and are looking at an index with 30 or 50 bits--no way! BTW if you use the Snappy drill bits they are held to an adapter by a set screw so that they can drill an off size or even elliptical hole--but if you need precision you should be using a drill press! Still not a big drawback.
The case is nice with a fancy lining and a clear plastic pocket in the top. But no storage for bits and its quite difficult to get the PS20 to stay in place.
Overall not quite perfect but with a drill body designed to let the light work, some sort of accessory to use drill bits more effectively, and improvements to the case it would be a definite 5 star. More compact than the I Driver and my Sears drill. About 2x the torque of the I-Driver, but not a replacement for the Bosch 17618-01 18-Volt 1/2-Inch Brute Tough Litheon Hammer Drill/Driver with 2 Fat Batterieswhih is great for heavy work (drilling concrete, steel, stone,etc.) is overkill for most household projects.

I am an enthusiastic model airplane builder and flyer, but 65 years of age and hands that aren't as nimble as in years past. The Bosch PS20-2A makes the job a lot more enjoyable handling small drill bits, screws, and other tasks that I am defining as I go. Also, I purchased it at an extremely reasonable price from amazon.com.

Don Tye