Bosch Professional GSB 18V-1330CN Drill Test and Review (GSB 18V-150C)

[@robertrada4783]

I’ve owned plenty of drills from Metabo, Makita (LXT and XGT), Hilti, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Fein, Festool and so on. This Bosch is a drilling machine. The motor is huge.

[@GrantBurton]

Hi Robert, thanks for your feedback, thats good to hear that it stacks up to the rest.

[@robertrada4783]

@@GrantBurton They really missed a trick though. Bosch has a very good hybrid mechanical and electronic clutch on their compact drills. This drill doesn’t have one, however, and the mechanical clutch is easily defeated. A shame because it’s got a lot of driving power. A 12v could do 99% of my screw-driving needs, but it’s nice to use something that doesn’t need to put in effort to work. The other Bosch tools loaned to you I know to be lackluster to poor. I do use that rotary hammer on sensitive materials though. Other smaller, faster and more powerful ones I have are too powerful. 😅 Its ramp up to 70% is quite useful on textured (not flat) brick facade, poorly plastered lcement and whatnot and so on.

[@TheJensss]

As a carpenter my Bosch drill of choice is the GSR 18V-90 C, because it is just powerful enough and is fairly light. I have the one in the video as backup, but it is to heavy for regular use. The hammer drill function is irrelevant because most people that have tools in that price range have a dedicated hammer drill also. For me the most important feature on a drill is torque in second gear. Low gear takes to long and most drills struggle to drive 140x6mm and larger fastners in second gear.

[@GrantBurton]

Hi Jens, thanks for the info. and feedback... much appreciated. Agreed... for everyday general use, when you don't need the extra power, it's a bit on the heavy side... but when you do need some extra kick, it sure does pack a good punch. Do you also run it on ProCore batteries or the standard batteries?

[@TheJensss]

@@GrantBurton All the new batteries are ProCore batteries, but we still use the older batteries for lighter tasks. The last couple of years we have also started to build our own batteries out of kits, so we can customize some batteries for runtime and some for max performance. The price of DIY batteries are about half the price of buying new so if you have the skills it is a simple way to save some money. We have also upgraded some of the older well used batteries with new and better lithium cells.

[@GrantBurton]

Are you using old battery shells and the BMS circuit and installing new cells, or is it a completely new kit that you put together?

[@engineer_alv]

thanks for the in-depth review. I own the GSB18V-110CN drill and was thinking if it was a good idea to upgrade but I think I'll stick to my tool and I already have the D-Handle 18V rotary Hammer when I need to get through concrete. I only use the drill with 8mm and smaller concrete bits.

[@GrantBurton]

You’re welcome 😊

[@VadymGoncharenko-j4i]

Thanks ! Great content

[@GrantBurton]

@@VadymGoncharenko-j4i You’re welcome and thank you

[@jernejloknar8011]

Never use the impact function on a ordinary drill, it will always disappoint and is just a common thing to fail on these drills. I'm a DIY-er and i have lidl's copy of this bosch variant drill. it stays in box unless a hole thru kitchen counter is needed or for paint mixing. I have another brushless drill that is lighter - under 1kg total for everything else and another more serious impact sds drill. It is not possible to have a all-in-one drill, it just is how it is, some will be heavy and unsuitable for one jobs and others will cover other types of jobs.

[@GrantBurton]

Hi Jernej, thanks for your comment and information... for small holes in 'softer' masonry (below 10mm), these hammer drills seem to do ok, but for anything bigger, I always reach for my rotary hammer SDS. I think for anybody doing professional / contractor type work... having somewhat specialised tools dedicated to a job/task works out better in the long run (example - Rotary hammer, combi-drill, impact driver, angle drill/driver, etc...).

[@westwing8615]

good comment

[@LightsnRoses]

I was looking to buy one of this but I'm an hobbyist, would you suggest something better than this one?

[@mrbigberd]

I have a 12v flexiclick with 6ah battery and this drill (plus some older brushed stuff). The only time I've wanted something in-between is when doing lots of 3/8 (9.5mm) dowel holes which are on the outer limit of the 12v, but leave the big drill feeling pretty heavy. Overall, if I could have just two drills, this and the flexiclick are an amazing combo of power and weight/consciousness. As to concrete drilling, I used to use hammer drills all day for tapcons and they are very reasonable for these smaller bits. A rotary hammer with a non-hammer mode ( eg, Bosch Bulldog) is slightly better for this, but the difference generally doesn't justify toting around the hammer drill and your regular drill all day.

[@GrantBurton]

It does sound like a good combination of drills 👍 Thanks for all the info. Personally I mostly use a mid size drill for normal tasks and a rotary hammer for drilling anything brickwork or concrete related (unless I'm in a pinch, then I'll try my luck with the normal hammer drill in brickwork/concrete).

[@cloudy4872]

Does this have a mechanical or electrical clutch?

[@firebladex8586]

mechanical

[@robertrada4783]

Unfortunately they chose to skip an electronic clutch to save money….while spending money on stupid gimmicks like the level and blue tooth.

[@plunder1956]

I did like the long brace handle. Until you unveiled the problems with it. How about the Makita bracing arm supplied with some models?

[@GrantBurton]

The long auxiliary handle is pretty sturdy and provides a lot of support when correctly tightened, and I think if the handle is completely loosened off (so the teeth are completely free from the gearbox) each and every time it is adjusted, removed or installed... or as long as the teeth are fully indexed into the gearbox and the handle properly tightened when the drill is being used, the teeth are unlikely to slip, ratchet, or skip teeth, and likely won't wear out or shear off over time... BUT in reality, in a work environment where the tool is being regularly used and it's configuration changed, it's highly likely that the handle won't always be completely loosened, or possibly even properly tightened each and every time (because realistically speaking, these types of things happen), in which case, the teeth are more prone to skipping and damage. This is just my opinion and I may be wrong (I'm no expert). I haven't physically seen the Makita brace arm and how it indexes / fastens onto its gearbox so can't really comment on that.

[@bent1208]

I’ve used this tool for over a year and the ratcheting mechanism is just fine. I’ve used it loose to move it around it tight areas. It’s metal on metal there isn’t going to be any wear, maybe the strap will stretch over time but that isn’t any issue.

[@johnmacpherson2562]

Thank you for the informative video, nice to see reviews in the SA market. If I may make an observation/suggestion. You are only triggering the soft torque of the drill since wood is soft substrate hence the 81Nm and Bosch claim 84Nm as the "soft torque" rating for the drill. To achieve the 150Nm "hard torque" claim fastening into a hard substrate would need to be used - large bolts fastening metal to metal perhaps? I purchased the 150C specifically for the kickback control as I already have an existing wrist injury. Personally I find it more comfortable and balanced than the Makita/Dewalt which have similar specs minus the anti-kickback. I stand under correction but besides Hikoki I don't believe any of the other brands offer any sort of anti-kickback mechanism in the SA market currently in this class?

[@GrantBurton]

Hi John, thanks for your comment. As I understand it, the soft and hard torque values are only applicable when using the drill in screwdriving mode, in which case, Bosch claim it will give a soft torque of 84nm and a hard torque of 100nm. When it's being used in drilling mode, the tool should provide the maximum torque it's capable of making. I'm not sure about the other Brands... haven't really looked if they have the kickback control (both international and local models). It's definitely a nice feature to have with such a powerful drill.

[@user-jw3ef1fh7n]

Can u give me 1 chordless powerfull Bosch drill machine plzzz

[@firebladex8586]

That 12Ah battery is YUGE. Maybe pouch cells could make a more compact version.

[@GrantBurton]

Yip, it is rather large for the drill, but fits pretty well on their new string trimmer... I'm guess in the not too distant future (if not already out... I'm not sure), they will start making packs using pouch cells. I think Stihl uses pouch cells in their new AP500S battery (same physical size as the AP300S pack but higher capacity and power).

[@robertrada4783]

@@firebladex8586 Bosch and LXT are the smallest batteries on the market, afaik. Certainly the smallest 12ah I’ve seen. Metabo has a 10ah the size of their 5.5 ah though. Anyway, here in the states, we’ve got all sorts of large pouch cell based packs. The Bosch 12ah is smaller than all of them.

[@mrbigberd]

I don't think anyone has a 12ah pouch battery. The issue is cooling. You build up heat in the middle and it has nowhere to go. Usually pouch batteries are spread out thinly in electronics to prevent this. The round batteries with space between and metal exteriors provide more area to dissipate the heat. Bosch went tabless for their next-gen batteries, but no packs. Milwakuee 12ah batteries were recently announced and they aren't pouches either.

[@GrantBurton]

​@@mrbigberd Guess we'll have to keep a lookout for pouch vs cylindrical cells and how their performance compares in all these 'next-gen' batteries.

[@jerromedrakejr9332]

Based on what has been shown, I don't see any reason why I wouldn't buy this drill... If you're going into concrete with a one-handed drill, you're on the wrong track to begin with, two-handed slow drills are the real and only tool for concrete!

[@ProxyFinal]

my issue with this hammer drill is the size.

[@GrantBurton]

@@ProxyFinal Yeah, for small tasks it is pretty big and heavy, but when you need loads of power, it seems to be a nice and powerful option to be able to reach for.

[@jkd7799Yann]

you are doing it wrong. When drilling into concrete, do not put pressure

[@GrantBurton]

Thanks for the info... I did also try that but none of these types of 'hammer action / impact' combi drills can deliver as much force / pounding energy as effectively as a rotary hammer... so it's still better to use a rotary hammer drill, especially in old hard concrete.

[@georgedavall9449]

You are wrong, skippy

[@GrantBurton]

Wrong? skippy peanut butter? 😂😂😂

[@georgedavall9449]

@@GrantBurton I was merely letting that ‘person’ know they were off base, as I saw nothing wrong with the way You were drilling. That person probably hasn’t ever worked in the trades, or even handled a tool, who knows? 🙄 😂

[@GrantBurton]

Haha 😂😂 thought you were replying to me 😂😂. In certain cases with certain masonry / concrete bits, too much pressure isn't the best way to go, but most of the time, a decent amount of pressure is needed else as we know, we get nowhere. Thanks for the comments, keep them coming 👍

[@georgedavall9449]

Rubbish Drill

[@GrantBurton]

Hi George, why do you think it's rubbish?

[@georgedavall9449]

@@GrantBurton hey Grant, well, it’s heavy unbalanced, big, but the pluses are the anti kickback, and the fact Bosch has some of the best batteries in the business. The lighter drills are good, and the latest one, is especially so. Just my take on it. Peace

[@GrantBurton]

I suppose it depends what battery it's being used with... seems pretty well balanced with a 8Ah battery, but of course pretty heavy at the same time (Only for tasks when extra power is needed). Not well balanced with the 12Ah or 4Ah battery. Either way, irrespective of brand, generally the more powerful the drill, the larger and heavier it needs to be (until technology advances of course - remember drills of many many years ago, their power to weight ratio wasn't great). Thanks for your thoughts though, always interesting to hear and learn from others.

[@georgedavall9449]

@@GrantBurton Very good points taken, Grant; My thoughts are Bosch seems to have ‘lost their way’ of late. They have always been good solid products, but their presence in North American market seems to have taken a back seat. They have not been releasing new products, or have shown any innovation as in the past. Take care

[@GrantBurton]

I recon Bosch are going to have a hard time to easily gain market share against Dewalt, Milwaukee, Snap on, Makita, Rigid, Craftsman, etc. in North America, but maybe their popularity will grow over time. They have a couple new products from what I've seen on some of the UK live streams, a few of which were in the woodworking line. I've actually just picked up their first string trimmer in the 18v Professional range, been out less than a year I think, still testing but seems ok so far.