Bosch 10.8V Li Scredriver/Drill/Impact drivers

[Linchpin]

Does anyone else with the Bosch 10.8 GWI angle driver think that the trigger is too sensitive? Mine's only got about 1mm of travel between min and max revs - making it almost a single speed driver. The rest of the movement in the trigger doesn't do anything. I only recently got it so haven't really used it much but seems a bit sensitive when I pull the trigger.

 

[RogerS]

I didn't realise how useful an impact driver would be until I had one.

Indeed, this is probably the hardest thing to decide. I've read on here about someone using one to gently put plasterboard screws in - I don't know if that just means it can be done, but not as easily with the 10.8 non impact drivers. .....

That was me.

Here's my take. I have had for a long long time an 18v Bosch green hammer drill. It has a large chuck. Hand operated chuck that always grips the drill bit perfectly. I use it all the time as it has a lot of grunt. A bit heavy but since before this 18v one I had a 14.4v Bosch drill, I used to use that for screwing. Then my Bosch batteries started fading and at £50 a pop I was too tight to get some new ones and so I stopped using them.

Especially as my builder chum showed me his Makita impact driver sticking large screws into oak like hot butter through a knife. As I could see myself doing that a lot with an impending renovation project and the fact that Makita had an offer of impact driver and drill on offer I bought a pair.

I also bought, on the recommendation of someone on the forum, one of those tiddly Makita palm sized drivers - ideal for kitchen unit assembly etc. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the deal I bought gave me two of these. I'd be even more pleasantly surprised if I actually used them. They are both in the workshop somewhere (well, actually I do know where they are.gathering dust). I've rarely used them. Too damn fiddly.

So back to the Makita impact driver. I use it for everything. I even bought a second body in case the first one failed me (it didn't). And because the little ******* who was working for me on the renovation project nicked my first Makita Impact driver and charger, I've got extra batteries left over from the first set.

The Makita drill is OK. The chuck gripping of drill bits is poor. The max capacity is low but OK for most things. I tend to use it a fair bit as I rarely need any hammer capability these days and if I do then I'll drag out the 'thug' aka Bosch SDS. But just recently I've been needing to use two drills for speed - one (makita) with a 6.5mm bit and the second (the Bosch faithful) with an 8mm clearance bit and to be honest I'd forgotten what a chunky drill the Bosch is. Loads of torque and I think that it deserves some new batteries as i can't be ar**d to recell the old ones.

But the bottom line is that the impact driver is usually the 'tool du jour'.

 

[j]

Just to add my own experience of these bosch tools.
I've got the mk2 driver and the impact driver.

Not used the impact driver much, but when I have it has been very good.

The best use i've had was when fitting curtain rails in all of the rooms in my new house. I bought a hex drive 10mm masonary bit for drilling into plasterboard so that I could use plasterboard fixings. (Modern houses ugh)
Anyway, this setup meant I could fit stuff to the walls without getting out the mains drill and extension lead etc etc. Brilliant.

The other use I had for this was when boarding the loft. Drilling pilot holes then driving screws - no problem.

Only use the mains drill for drilling into brick now.
Great.

 

[RogerS]

.......Drilling pilot holes then driving screws - no problem.

.......

I never bother with pilot holes with my impact driver!

 

[j]

You must use proper screws.
Cheap ones tend to lose their heads

I'm now using screwfix goldscrew. only lost one head since I switched.