On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 18:28:43 GMT, (Lurch)
wrote:

On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 18:20:06 -0000, in uk.d-i-y "IMM"
strung together this:

I have had appalling experiences with Bosch tools, to the point that I don't
buy expensive rip-off tools anymore.

The problem there is Bosch are overpriced DIY tools so don't fall into
the pro category other than on price.

snip

Can't agree. We have quite a few blue Bosch cordless drills and they
give very little trouble. They are worked hard, which encompasses the
full panoply of abuse, dropped, kicked, walked on, left to rattle
around in the back of a van and they survive fine. The only complaint
we have is that if a long double ended posi drive bit is used without
a bit holder it can un-screw the chuck. We have a local service agent
but have never needed him

Previously we ran Elu and they were fairly bullet proof also.

We have Makita also and service is easily obtained. They last the
course also and batteries last and last.

A small Hitachi, 9.6v, is also a favourite due to its small size and
light weight, but only used realy as a screw driver. The batteries
don't last as long.

My personal favourite is Panasonic. Loads of power and endurance.

Having said all of that one of our fitters bought a spurious Makita
24v from a rogue trader. Its a big hulking brute of a thing but I
picked it up recently to run a Hettich hinge sinker jig and it made
short work of drilling the 35mm hole despite a bluntish bit.

Who knows how long it will last.

All this talk about cordless drills and no-one is mentioning the
ergonomics of the things. The weight, balance, feel of a drill etc.
are all important if it is going to be used regularly. IMHO of all of
the above the Panasonic wins on all counts. The Bosch are a bit tipsy
if set down up-right on their battery and inserting the batteries into
tyem can be a bit finicky. The Makitas we use are the older type with
the long thin battery. These work well when held in a choke grip
around the back of the head rather than by the handle but that doesn't
always suit.

Yonks ago I had a little Black and Decker 9.6v driver. It was a
delight to use for driving screws being so small and light.
Unfortunately the batteries were rubbish.


Paul Mc Cann