Customer Reviews

Bosch PS40-2A 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Impact Driver

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Within 10 minutes this awesome little tool became my absolute favorite item in the shop. I do a lot of quick and dirty assembly of things out of 2x4s and 3" drywall screws. Before I had this driver, I used a drill to drive those screws. Every time I did, by the time I was done my wrist would be killing me. Why? Because to drive a long phillips head screw through 2 2x4s you have to push really hard on the drill to keep it engaged with the head of the screw. And even then, it would often strip the screw head and/or fail to sink the screw all the way.

Now enter the ps40-2a. With this thing I can drive 3" drywall screws all day long, and I can hold the tool with two fingertips when I do it. I'm not kidding. 2 fingertips and no pressure is all that's required to hold this tool in place while it pounds your screws through the wood effortlessly.

It surprised me at first that this thing is slower than a drill. It is also quite loud when the hammer action engages (I use ear protection with it). But neither of those things is enough to dampen my 5 star rating. If you ever have to drive long screws into wood and know what I'm talking about with hurt wrists from pushing on your regular drill, then order this thing today. You'll be so glad you did.

This is the smallest & yet the most powerful driver I've ever used. It jams 'em right in.

I'm just a DIYer but some recent big projects needed lots of screwing into 2x4s. Floor fixes & bathtub support replacement! Bang! Bang! Bang! When that impacter hits - it's noisy! And the screws go in FAST! Interestingly they come OUT even faster, shockingly fast, like a 2 1/2 inch screw comes out in a second. Cool!

THIS is the tool they warn you about with the "torque settings" (which I never had a problem with set on MAX) adjustments on other tools. A light touch does most jobs fine. It will drive screws THROUGH whatever, and thin soft wood cracks & splinters like candy! Oopsy!

Pro's may want to go with the Makita BTD142HW 18V for a job site, but this is 2/3 the strength (more that enough), 2/3 the weight, and can be found for 2/3 the price(or less). Nicely rounded out specs.

I bought this for work, not just light weekend duty. I'm a bit disappointed with its lack of speed, power, and the amount of noise it makes. It has so little power that you can grip a normal bit driver chuck in your hand and it will begin to ratchet the impact drive. It won't drive a 3" screw fully into pressure treated framing lumber, at least not within a time span I was willing to wait. Plus, it's not much lighter than a normal lithium ion makita 18v or panasonic 14.4v impact driver. With either of those a 3" screw can usually be driven ~3/4 of the way in before it even starts to impact drive, and at probably twice the speed.

Another annoyance is the trigger, which binds up a bit if your finger is not square to it and if you don't put pressure on it perfectly straight back. If your finger is just on the lower edge the trigger will twist a bit and bind up, not wanting to push in. This is particularly annoying when driving screws above your head or any odd angle where you're not easily able to hold the driver with your hand/arm straight back. Also, the trigger/driver is not as sensitive as some other drivers I've used, especially panasonic's. The trigger lightly depressed will turn on the LED lighting, but there's no super slow speed which makes rotating your screwdriver bit to line up with a screw (especially slotted screws) a real pain.

Not to say this is a bad product, as overall it's a nice little set. The size is nice and the battery life is pretty good and fast charging, plus the soft carrying case is small and handy. It's also about half the cost as other drivers I've used. I just wish there had been a review where someone had compared this driver to a more serious product.

I picked PS40-2A up because I thought I'd like it better than a friend's Bosch PS20-2A. It turns out that I like the PS20-2A better because it has an adjustable clutch and fits in my pocket nicely. That isn't to say that the PS40-2A isn't good, it's that it isn't the tool that will be sitting in my pocket when I need it. I have since acquired a PS20-2A and love it.

I have used the additional power and impact driving of the PS40-2A quite a few more times than I care to admit. For example, those pieces of sheet metal that didn't quite line up anymore and isn't this a self tapping screw? Yup. Buzzzz. That ain't moving.

Over all, this is a very solid little beastie that has done some impressively impactful driving. It isn't an air tool, but I tend not to have air tools on the roof, in the attic, etc.

Summary: if you don't already have a cordless driver, go for the Bosch PS20-2A . If you're a tool junkie and like the good stuff, then the Bosch PS40-2A will make your day.

I've had this tool for a couple years and I really like it. Provided you understand what it can do, you'll probably be happy with it too.

I've used this to run a variety of screws, 1 inch to 3 inch, into studs and 2X4s and PTL. It has driven them all without a hitch. That said, I almost always drill a pilot hole and this driver works noticeably slower than my big Craftsman impact driver. Using the Bosch I can drive a 3 inch screw in about 4 or 5 seconds. The Craftsman can do it in 2. That might not sound like a big deal, but if you're really trying to hustle, you do begin to notice that things take longer with the Bosch. The screws go in, but it takes longer. I imagine if I was building decks for a living, this might be a deal breaker.

I do love the LED light. You might not think it's that big a deal, but it really does help you see what you're doing. It's a great feature.

One big plus of this tool is its remarkably small size. You really can stick it in your pocket when climbing a ladder, and it doesn't cause your tool belt to sag down. It's not super light, but much lighter than a full size driver.

The second big plus of this tool is the Li-on battery. It charges very quickly, about 15-20 minutes, doesn't lag as the charge wears down, and when fully charged will stay charged for quite some time. This is nice in that when you find yourself suddenly needing to run a couple screws, the driver is usually ready to go or can be ready to go in just a bit. I've charged up the batteries, have come back a month later, plugged them into the charger, and they're ready in under 5 minutes, totally charged. That's cool.

I would strongly suggest getting the accompanying drill that goes with this unit. The drill is a dream, very light and precise and plenty strong. I actually like it more than the driver. I can drop both the drill and driver into my tool belt and zip around, where doing so with my full size tools is a pain.

Finally, the 10.8 batteries and the 12 batteries are the same darn thing. Bosch marketed this as a 10.8 tool, but then Ridgid and Milwaukee brought out 12v compact tools, and Bosch decided to change the boxes to keep up in the arms race. If you've got the old 10.8 batteries or charger they work just fine.

Finally finally, Bosch often does promotions. I bought this impact driver and then mailed in the UPC to get a free driver. That really made things cool. I actually don't use the little driver much, but I would encourage you to monitor Bosch's site for such deals. They come up a couple times a year.

What I really liked about the driver, was not only it's small light weight size, but the control it gave over the counter sinking of screw heads. After over-driving hundreds of deck screws with a drill, I found the PS-40 to be a real pleasure on the arm and precise in setting screw head depth. Further, the speed of the bit is easily controlled with trigger pressure. If you are looking for that all around tool for your tool shop, this is it. Additionally, it uses the same batteries as the Bosch PS-50-2B Multi-X Vibrating Cutter/Sander.

have used for weekend projects around the house. excellent tool for fastening. works well at slow speeds (reducing stripping of screw heads), has good power for driving, and the light is perfect for my middle-aged eyes! the 1/4" has a good selection of accessories for various uses. batteries charge quickly and hold power. purchased at amazon as a lightning deal for a good price. highly recommended.

The driver has met my expectations in my workshop. It is being used for the many jobs that does not requires the larger more powerful drills.

The Bosch Impact Driver is my tool of choice for jobs around the house. Comfortable to use, the 12-volt lithium system performs extremely well and I usually opt for it over my DeWalt 18-volt monster which is quite heavy. The only extras I would suggest is a good supply of one-piece hardened square-drive and Phillips drive bits (such as can be bought from McFeeley's).

It has surprising power and what I like the best is its compact size. Battery lasts for a good long while and getting 2 at this price is a good deal. The LED light has come in handy even when not driving a screw. It definitely is not as fast as my 14.4 non-impact driver, but it cannot be beat for tight spaces and the convenience of being able to shove it into a tool belt. Wish they could have found a spot to hold an extra bit.