Bosch 18636-02 36-Volt Litheon Hammer Drill Decide Now

I use a lot of different 18 volt cordless drills from just about every manufacturer. Without a doubt the Bosch has the best chuck in terms of smooth operation and runout that is not even visible. For precision drilling the Bosch is the best drill I have come across. The power is good, neither great nor bad but average. The side handle can be tightened at any position which makes it a lot more useful than the Milwaukee and Ridgid ones that have to be at a 90 degree angle.

All the lithium ion, except the old Makita 18v, are relatively new designs and it is too early to know what the battery life will be. Some manufacturers have very fast chargers, like the DeWalt which are twice as fast as the Makita and 3x as fast as the Milwaukee, but this may reduce the number of charges before the battery fails - though too soon to tell.

Power is good but suffers from the lack of a 3-speed gearbox to match load to the power output of the motor and battery pack combo. No idea why only DeWalt, Makita, and Ridgid have cordless drills with more than two speed ranges but it makes a big difference in tuning the performance of the drill to the hole cutter being used and getting the most holes drilled or screws driven per battery charge.

One thing to be aware of is that all the drill manufacturers have overload cutout electronics in their lithium-ion battery packs to kill power to the motor when too much current draw occurs. All are very sensitive and it can greatly reduce the real power you can get from any given drill in actual use. The Bosch is more sensitive in this aspect than the DeWalt drills but a lot less troublesome than the Makita and Hitachi drills we use which are the worst in terms of power cutting out repeatedly while drilling.

The hand grip of the Bosch is the best I have found and it makes you want to smile when you pick it up and feel it in your hand. It is better than the new Milwaukee 18 volt drills and those from Makita and miles ahead of the DeWalt in this regard. But when it comes right down to it when I am boring large holes in timbers I go for my Blue Boar TCT hole cutters and the DeWalt DCD970 drill.

For light to medium duty the Bosch along with the Milwaukee 2611 drills are my current favorites. The Bosch has the perfect chuck and great feel and the excellent side handle, while the Milwaukee has the better charger, carry case, and clutch. A bit like comparing a BMW to a Toyota. For brute power though buy the DeWalt DCD970.

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