EDIT

IT would apear from the reply to this that the New 12v works with the Old 10.8. So pretty much this whole thing is point less. Read if if you like as I do NOT like to delete posts.

I would like to say that this was at least as much my issue as Boschs and they only problem with the Battery is that they did not make it clear to peaple selling them that the new works with the old. And that thier rep did not point this out at all.

So I guess the last Strike would be a Ball, and the second strick would be at least a double as the upgraded to a newer better battery and still made it work with the old one. (it would have been a home run, if anyone I talked to had known that they did this, or if they had a spot on the web site making it obvious for peaple like me)

Doug M

END EDIT

 

 

OK, I have a few Bosch tools, from the Trim router to the Jig Saw, to the little 10.4 volt (I think) driver, and I have always liked them. In fact I looked forward to buying more.  However…… Let me tell you a story.

A year and a half or so ago I was at a show in Michigan and a Bosch rep (from the company) was standing behind the table showing off the relatively new little tiny driver they had. I was familiar with it from reviews, and it looked interesting. So I played with it for a bit. Still I was not sure I wanted to buy it. But the old Dewalt 14.4 drills were getting old and the batteries were dieing. So I was tempted. The Bosch rep sensing my weakness pressed on, about how the new LI batteries were much better, and that their were other tools available that worked with this one (used the same battery) and that more were on the way.  So I figured what the heck at least I was buying a good tool from a good company and I could always pick up other tools in the same line and share batteries and chargers and such.

Then a little while latter (around Christmas, a year ago) I picked up a bunch of Bosch bits for said little driver. Only issue is, frankly they sucked. I could break them off with out any issue at all. The old junk Dewalt Bits were much better, and while you could strip them (or what ever you call rounding over the Phillips bit). They did not break in the middle of putting in a screw into soft pine!.  Now we fast forward to this past fall, and I am back at the same show. And once again Bosch is at the show with a rep. He is once again trying to talk me into getting another tool. I point out that I have several Bosch tools already but being a good Rep he talks up the new tools.  I counter with pointing out that while the tools are nice (and I rattle of a few I own) the bits for the driver are not so hot as I have wiped out about 5 or 6 in fast order while screwing in pine into a pre drilled whole once even!. His reply “oh to bad, but that happens”  I would have been happy if he even acted surprised, and I think he should have offered to get me at least one free bit if he really wanted to maintain good customer relations. Of course I will bet that Bosch being a big company he had no authority to do anything to actually make a customer happy. (Kind of like most M.O.D. at the big retail stores, really have no authority to do anything).

So strike one against Bosch and away I go money in my pocket and the Right angle drive Bosch still sitting on the table. (Yes I would have bought it if the guy had been willing to do anything for me about my issue with his bits)

So flash to the weekend after Christmas, and I am putting in screws into joists and getting into problems with not enough space for the Driver, my hand and the screw due to pipes and such. So I am thinking man I really could use that right angled driver I did not buy the other month.  So being as I happen to be in Lowes (Needed some more screws) I stop and look at the right angle driver. Kind of neat, not a bad price and I deserve a nice Christmas present. So what the heck. This will add two more batteries and another charger, and I do have a deck to build next spring.  So I pick it up and notice “odd it says 12 volt” I am almost positive I have a 10.4 or some such. So i put it back down and go home. Sure enough it says 10.4 (IIRC) on the batteries for mine.  Opps Strike Two for Bosch.   They have designed a new version of the tool For use with a bigger battery great. So much for my getting a complete family of tools all using the same Battery.

So onwards I go. This time I have given up on the new Bosch Li Tools, but I am thinking that maybe I should get a new battery or two for what I have before it goes the way of the Dodo Bird.  Onto Boschs web site. Sure enough no smaller LI tools listed just the 12 volt job.  One to the outside, and the count is now 1 ball, and 2 strikes. 

So I go an look for batteries for my driver.  Guess what? Right no batteries listed on the web page as far as I can see. Strike THREE! they ump shouts.

Not looking real good here for Bosch. I will NOT take a tool that cost what the driver did (I want to say about $125 or so?) and just pitch it out the window because they want to try a new Battery size. Add in that I can not get new tools that use the battery (contrary to what the rep sad I would be able to do) and then we have the insult of not being able to even get the batteries for it?  This is not a good thing.  Maybe I am missing it, or maybe I have something wrong here, but as far as I can tell they changed the size of the batter from something like 10.4 to 12 volt, and they appear to no longer even be supporting the old version. This is not what I would expect from a company, and it is sure not what I would expect from a company that makes as nice of tools as Bosch.

And to think that little saw/sander was looking real good to me.  So they are out the price of the Right angle, and the new tool they are bring out. And frankly when it became time to built the deck I would have most likely picked up the impact driver as well. So poof, three sales gone, and that is not counting the fact that I am not sure I would buy any of their other tools in the future either, after this.

I will try to give them a chance to do something about this, but I really doubt they will. I mean I had issues with a buck bit and the rep did not care, so I have a hunch that my driver is a lost cause.  But I will try as soon as I find someone to talk to about it. The web site was not making it obvious who to email, so I will have to look into this in the next few day.

Anyone else have any issues with them like this? Or any suggestions?

I hate to write them off, but if I do not get a fix for this I think I will end up doing so.  Sad as, if you had asked me two weeks ago I would have been very happy to tell you how great they are, and that I am slowly getting more and more of their tools (minus the bit issue, and what I figured was one useless rep) Today not so much.

As a side issue here, What is the point of having a “Rep” at a show if they do not do anything about minor issues?  And no I did not go to the Rep to bitch about the bits. I stopped to look at the tools, and he was trying to get me to buy one, I pointed out the issue with the bits as my end of the “You should really buy this because, No I should not buy this because” game.  Then when the rep pulled out the well it was only a bit and that happens to bad card, that was when I got the attitude.

Oh well, another good company shooting itself in the foot.

Doug M. (sigh and I really liked that little driver).

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Edited 1/6/2009 2:56 pm ET by DougMeyer