Review on Bosch GXL18V 26B22 Compact Driver Kit with 2 Power Tools by Carlos Phillips

Bau has been our family business since 1970, so over the years we have used tools from all major brands. The batteries in our DeWalt are no longer holding much charge. And unfortunately, with the exception of the Kobalt, buying a brand new drill bit (a set of drill bits in this case) is cheaper than replacing two batteries. Milwaukee, Ridgid, Makita, Porter Cable and Bosch have always been our most trusted brands. We mainly used DeWalt because we won it in the builder raffle. Bosch had the product features we were looking for and one of the top two offerings coming up for Father's Day. What I've heard about Kobalt and battery prices still hasn't convinced me to give up a brand that has proven to be reliable for us over the years. I also liked the design better, especially the ergonomics and the placement of the LEDs. I didn't like the idea of storing tools in a canvas bag instead of a hard case. And after using the bag, I like it even less. But the properties of the drill and even the external processing quality are top. The battery life is commendable and I like being able to quickly check how strong the charge is, although it seems to drop off quickly once it starts falling so I'm not sure how accurate it can be. But what worries me is the perforator. I haven't used it more than a dozen times as we need the standard drill that comes with it the most. But on our first use, there was one instance where I pulled the trigger, the light came on, but the hammer motor didn't seem to turn on. I let go and hit again and it worked immediately. But since then it has happened at least two more times in a few months with infrequent use. And since we don't need a stamp that much, I'm concerned that we might not use it often enough during the warranty period to uncover a bigger problem than the previously rare, temporary failures. Otherwise I like the set. The motor in no drill has the torque of our latest Milwaukee drill, which had a hammer drill setting, rather than using an entirely different drill for that function. But it's at least as good if not better than our previous DeWalt, which lasted longer than I expected, was never dropped from a ladder, scaffolding or roof, and I doubt it would have survived. I'm not sure if it's Bosch either, but the outer case at least seems more solid. Another potential issue that we haven't fully investigated is that the stamped connector only works with relatively small bits. Even most of our smaller masonry bits require a 3/8 chuck adapter. So unless they make a much smaller adapter for 1/2" masonry bits than they used to, this hammer drill isn't going to fill that need. Overall, I like Bosch for its features and ergonomics. But I'm not sure I would buy it again, unfortunately.