Folks close to Pelham, Alabama can visit the Bosch Impact Tour today through Saturday.  We haven’t seen the event in person, but it looks pretty sweet.  Not only does Bosch cart out and let you play with all their new gear, they also perform demos throughout the day — like actually tossing their jobsite radio 15′ onto concrete.  You know, general tool mayhem.   (Wow, that sounds a lot like the Toolmonger shop.)

(more…)

Tool Barn is currently offering the Bosch PS10-2 I-Driver for just $130 — a far cry from the $271 MSRP and even a bit lower than the normal $150 to $175 we see it at retail.  It’s been my experience that the PS10 is a love it or hate it tool.  I love it, for example, while Sean hates it.  One thing’s certain, though: its unusual form factor makes it unique among drivers.

Bosch PS10-2 I-Driver [ToolBarn]
Hands-On: The Bosch Litheon I-Driver [Toolmonger, of course]

When you purchase $250, $500, or $750 of qualifying Bosch tools from Amazon right now, you get a free tool.  $250 lands you the Bosch 1297DK 2A 1/4-sheet sander, $500 gets you the Bosch PS20-2 Lithium 10.8V Pocket Driver, and dropping a fat $750 scores a Bosch PB10-CD job site radio with CD Player. So if you’re ready to buy that new mitre saw, now might be the time.

Qualifying Tools [What’s this?]
Promotion Details [What’s this?]

Egon and the Ghostbusters II crew might have made it into the underworld before NYPD’s finest busted ‘em if they’d been outfitted with Bosch’s 35-pound breaker hammer.  Heck, at that weight, Janine and Slimer could’ve gotten in on the destruction, too. 

(more…)

Ever want to tell Bosch what new tools you’d like?  Here’s your chance.  One of our friends over at Bosch called us up and asked us to pass on a question to you, and since we have a lot to say about the matter — and know you do, too — we decided to oblige.  The question: What would you like to see in the Bosch 10.8V Litheon line?  Remember, Big Brother Bob (Bosch) is listening.

(more…)

If you’ve been waiting for pricing on Bosch’s PS20 “Pocket Driver” to hit bottom, your wait may now be at an end.  This morning we discovered the PS20-2 kit for $107.35 at Toolup.com.  (It shows $113 — also a good deal — but discounts to the lower price when you add it to your cart.)

With 80 in-lbs of torque and enough run time to drive 100+ 3″ screws in a single charge, the PS20 re-defined the small-driver category when Bosch introduced it last year.  We selected it as a winner in Popular Science’s Best of What’s New 2006, and we loved it when we got our hands on one here at TM. 

And hey, if you’re too cheap to spend $108 on one — and we totally respect that — Amazon has factory-reconditioned models for $100.

PS20-2 Pocket Driver [Toolup.com]
Reconditioned Via Amazon [What’s this?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

It seems like we’ve been making a lot of hardwood trim in the Toolmonger shop recently, so we’re looking for a quality router table.  This Bosch model came up in discussion recently, and we’d love to hear your thoughts about it.  As much as it looks like a floor-standing unit, it’s actually a bench-top model.  The top is 25″ x 15-1/2″ and the holes you see in the base allow you to bolt it to your bench. 

(more…)

According to most Toolmonger readers, Festool’s dust collection system is unmatched.  And while a standard shop vacuum with a $25 power-tool-controlled-switch is a lot cheaper, I can’t help but wonder if Bosch’s $475 Airsweep, with its power tool activation, Pulse-Clean electromagnetic filter cleaning system, and adjustable motor load isn’t a realistic competitor.
(more…)

I recently tested four modern cordless screwdrivers for Wired, and I’m happy to report that (as many Toolmongers have discovered) these once-wimpy tools have finally exited the dark ages.  Three of the four screwdrivers tested were quite usable, and two of them were obviously pro-level tools that I’d be proud to own.

I’ve linked to the individual reviews below, but if you get the chance, check out the full test coverage on page 108 of the current (June, 15.08) issue.

The Bosch PS10 I-Driver [Wired.com]
The Hitachi DB3DL [Wired.com]
The Black & Decker 3.6V Firestorm [Wired.com]
The Craftsman 4.0V [Wired.com]

I thought it worth mentioning that when I was checking Amazon pricing for the last post I came across some pretty good deals on the Bosch PS-20 Pocket Driver.  If you’re in the market for one, Amazon has them for $118 new, and factory reconditioned models run just $100 — about $10 off the new price and $25 off for reconditioned.

(more…)

I’ve heard about Snap-on’s new 7.2V cordless screwdriver (model CTS561) from a number of sources, and when I saw their email campaign today offering free shipping it goaded me into actually taking a close look at the specs.  Snap-on wants $130 for the CTS561 — almost exactly what Bosch is asking for the PS-20 “Pocket Driver,” which makes them an obvious comparison. 

After the jump we pit these two mini-drivers against one another in a “battle of the spec sheets.”

(more…)

When a job is too detailed for a recip saw and the wrong shape for your jigsaw, you’re not always out of luck.  Bosch’s Finecut power handsaw (at least partially) fills the gap.  Its variable-speed motor oscillates the attached sawblade between 2,000 and 2,800 RPM to make fine and/or flush cuts in wood or plastics.

(more…)

Bosch claims that due to their unique design, these new blades cut 30% faster and last longer, too.  The design consists of two main components: a wave-shaped abrasive application — designed to reduce surface contact and clear material and dust faster, like the flutes on a twist drill bit – and a cooling disc, which draws in cool air to keep the blade’s core cooler, reducing metal fatigue.

(more…)

Clueless — a name we don’t self-apply down here in Texas — posted this comment on our Hands-On with Bosch’s 10.8V Litheon Impactor:

“I got to play around with the PS40 this weekend at a sidewalk sale.  The Bosch rep told me that it was $179.95.  Impressive power for its size.  I think that it would be great for removing panels.  I hope they are going to sell it in a “tool only” option because I already have the PS20.  Now if they made a Litheon 10.8V small recip saw that uses jigsaw blades like the old B4050 and 3294EVS inline jigsaw I would buy one in an instant!  I’m still looking for an inline jigsaw with no success.”

First of all, this — plus the fact that we came across a PS40 Impactor display at Lowe’s yesterday — indicates that these great tools are finally available in stores.  They’re selling for $199 most everywhere else, though, including Amazon.  Anyway, if you’ve been waiting to pick up one, now’s the time.

And we totally concur with this reader’s request to Bosch that they continue to expand the 10.8V Litheon line.  Any number of tools could benefit from this line’s high power-to-weight ratio, and we’d love to see them.  As far as an inline jigsaw goes, the only one we’ve seen is the Black & Decker Handisaw.  It’s not variable speed and the battery is permanently mounted, but then again it sells for around $40. 

PS40 Street Pricing [Google Product Search]
Via Amazon [What’s this?]

As fans of the other two tools in Bosch’s still-relatively-new 10.8V line, we’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of the PS40 10.8V Litheon Impactor.  So as you might imagine, we were pretty excited when we received one of the first marketing samples of from Bosch.  After playing around with it a bit, though, we found ourselves in a quandary.  How could we show you the crazy-mad power this little sucker puts out? 

We decided the best way was to stack it up against a totally unfair opponent: Bosch’s classic 14.4V Impactor – the PS40’s ”older brother” that hangs out with the in-crowd and spends too much time at the gym.

Read on past the jump for the results of the showdown plus lots and lots of pictures and video.

(more…)

While none of this Bosch miter saw’s features are new or revolutionary, one stands out: it’s got every cool feature we’ve seen in the last year.  Lasers, full adjustment, extensions – it’s got ‘em all.  It also doesn’t hurt that if the Terminator was Googling his family tree, the 4410L might be his great grandmother.  Yeah, it’s that cool.

(more…)

Here’s Stuey again with a winner: “As part of Amazon’s ‘weekend sale,’ they’ve got the Bosch 1587AVSK top-handle jig saw for $85 shipped.  Don’t forget that $150 or more of tools from Amazon directly will get you a free B&D screwgun.  The weekend sales last until Monday, so you’ve got some time to think it over.”

We’re pretty big fans of Bosch’s hand-held power tools, and we’ve been thinking about picking up one of their jigsaws.  This might be the time.

Also, you’ll find a link on the jigsaw’s page to the entire weekend sale — lots of other items.

Jig Saw, Model 1587AVSK [Bosch]
Buy It Now from Amazon [What’s this?]