Bosch Power Tools – Handy Things For Use at home
With the costs of workmanship getting higher by the day, more people nowadays are learning to fix items around the house on their own, rather than call the repairman. In addition, ever since Ikea came into town, families are buying kit furniture to take home and assemble. Assembly can be fun, but the tedious part, other than having to study the instructions, is putting in all the screws, bolts and nuts.
This is where the power tools from Bosch will come in handy. The most used tool is probably the screw driver, and Bosch has a tool that will make furniture assembly even more fun – the cordless drill/driver – by far the most popular portable power tool of all time.
The cordless drill is extremely versatile – powered by a rechargeable battery, the Bosch cordless drill is light, can be carried anywhere, and can be put to use to drill holes in metal or wood, and can be used to turn screws in and out. For contractors doing set-ups for events, plumbers and electricians, the cordless drill/driver is a boon, as it speeds up work. For the do-it yourself enthusiasts, the cordless drill/driver is probably the most desired tool to have at hand.
The current crop of cordless appliances are adopting lithium-ion batteries – these are ‘charge-anytime’ batteries that have no memory effect, light in weight, and are more durable.
Although at first glance, a cordless drill appears to be simple, the handyman has certain needs, and the tool company that best serves these needs gets the bulk of the sales. Firstly, the tool must be reliable, and easily serviceable. In terms of convenience, the handyman requires the speed to be variable so that delicate work can be performed. Thirdly, the tool must be of a handy size, and is easy to hold and operate. Bosch tools qualify in all respects, which explains why you are more likely to see people using Bosch than any other brand.
Whilst the cordless drill/driver is popular, there is another tool that is likely to replace it – the impact driver. That’s got the DIYers everywhere asking questions: What’s the difference between a drill/driver and an impact driver? How does an impact driver work? And if I own a drill/driver, why would I need an impact driver?
A cordless drill/driver is a versatile tool that’s designed to drill holes and drive screws. Its keyless chuck accepts a wide variety of round- and hex-shank drill bits and screw-driving bits, as well as hole saws, rotary sanders, wire-wheel brushes, and other accessories. All cordless drill/drivers are also equipped with a slip clutch that allows you to adjust the amount of torque for precise, consistent screw-driving.
An impact driver looks similar to a drill/driver but for one noticeable distinction—instead of a keyless chuck, it has a collet that accepts hex-shanked driver bits. This tool is specially engineered to do one job: drive screws, which it does faster and easier than any other tool. Impact drivers can drive long, large fasteners—including fat lag screws—that would stall the very best drill/driver.
The impact driver uses both bit rotation and concussive blows to power-drive screws through the thickest, densest woods. The result of this combo is raw, unadulterated power. In fact, impact drivers typically deliver two to three times more turning force (torque) than the average drill/driver.
The Bosch range offers both cordless drills and impact drivers – if you do very minor maintenance jobs in and around the house, or if you do assembly of items that involve putting screws into pre-drilled holes, then a cordless drill/driver is what you need. However, if you need to do heavier stuff such as drill hols in wood, or metal, or use self-tapping screws, then an impact drover is probably what you need. Of course, the cordless drill/driver is cheaper to purchase.
Mind you, the cordless drill/driver and impact drivers do have their limitations, and if you have really heavy stuff to do, then you can consider the tools that can be plugged into electrical sockets – these deliver many times more power, and are more for industrial use. For applications around the home, such as putting up picture frames, curtain rails, and other stuff around the house, a cordless tool would serve you just fine.
The cordless drills come in three models, the GSR1080, the GSR1440 or the GSR 1800 – named after the voltage of their respective power packs. The 1080 denotes a drill with a 10.8 volt battery pack, while the 1440 comes with a 14.4 volt battery. The GSR 1800 is the latest addition to the range and is equipped with an 18 volt battery pack. Each unit comes with a spare battery pack.
Similarly, the impact drivers are available as GDR 1040 or GDR 1440 – I expect that later there will be a GDR 1800, if it is not already available. The good news is that all the battery packs are of the same size and construction, and are therefore interchangeable.
I do dabble a little in automotive-related stuff – doing small repairs and fixing my car – one of the things I like is auto detailing. Inevitably, I do get scratches in my paintwork, and it is possible to ‘fix’ light scratches using a rubbing compound and polish. The work can be tedious, and having a buffing machine is a great boon. What I used to be able to do in two hours by hand now takes just a few minutes, using the Bosch GPO 12CE polishing machine. I have tried others, but the Bosch appears to be the best. Why is it the best? Firstly, it has variable speed control that allows me to vary the speed of the machine to suit my purpose, and is very useful for fine work. Secondly, the handles that come with the machine make handling very easy, and when I have to put it aside, the handle acts as a stand to put the buffing pad upside down, so that it does not get any dirt on it. I have tried another brand, and because it had no variable speed, I had problems. In addition, I had to make a special stand to prop the machine up when I needed to put it down so that the buffing pad does not come into contact with the ground.
All things said and done, it tells me that although the small power tools look simple and straight-forward, there is actually a science in the design that makes one better than the other – my bet is on Bosch.
