Offering users far more control and usability, Kelly Vincent of Kelly Electrics tries out Bosch’s selection of ‘connected’ tools.
The word ‘professional’ does get bandied about a bit too regularly for my liking, however when Bosch decided to christen it’s range of power tools with the same name, the company wasn’t lying – ‘professional’ they are!
Having fallen upon the same fate as my colleague Elly where the majority of our tools were stolen, we decided to replace our previous units with some other brand names – including Bosch.
I’ve not been a historic user of Bosch products, but after being supplied with a GSB 18 V-60 C Professional Combi Hammer Drill and the GCL 2-50 C Professional Combi Laser (both of which benefit from Bosch’s ‘connected’ technology) I have to say that the brand has exceeded our expectations.
Last year Bosch released a set of tools for the ‘Millennitool’ generation, owners of these ‘connected’ tools in combination with the free Bosch Toolbox app can access personalised settings for the tools, fault alerts, condition and usage reports, and remote control.
It’s a handy little app, where I can adapt my settings and it also notifies me when the tool is starting to run low on juice. This means I never unexpectedly run out of battery on a job, and I don’t have to keep a spare battery on board, saving me space and money. After all, we all know how expensive batteries can be!
GSB 18V-60C Professional (Combi Hammer Drill)
To be fair, over the months that I’ve been using this drill I can count the number of times I’ve had to recharge the battery on one hand.
It’s a super-efficient 5.0ah lithium battery with a charge level indicator that means I can check when a battery charge is due. It features a brushless motor and electronic cell protection to protect the battery against overload and overheating, and with the electronic motor protection against overload I feel confident it will outlast my other drills.
We’ve been making really good use of the tool’s compact design with a short head length, which allows access in tight spaces. Its LED light is really powerful and allows me to drill accurately, even during dark winter evenings.
The LED light is also adjustable via the smartphone app so I can dim/brighten it as the seasons change and when I want to reserve its power.
Overall, this is a smooth and tidy little drill, holding up under pressure when used on solid brickwork.
It’s slow, steady and precise when drilling into tiles or delicate surfaces and I love the fact that I don’t have to charge it frequently, without the worry of unexpectedly running out of charge on an important job.
GCL 2-50 C Professional (Combi Laser)
We tested out this laser level on a set of new sockets that we installed above a kitchen worktop and for some ceiling lights above a breakfast bar.
The level was easy to set-up with a tripod I had laying around at home, and its rotating mount with markers allows a smooth 360 degree rotation for accuracy so we were able to get the line spot on to where it was needed.
This level has a 0.3mm accuracy range either way, and ‘auto levelling’ in the event of vibrations or positional changes so that it doesn’t lose accuracy when you shift it around.
We tested it with numerous levels and it was perfect every time! The laser flashes if the surface is more than 4 degrees from the horizontal plane which is great because it’s so rare that the floor surface is actually a straight one.
And, once you have it perfectly positioned, you can then use the app to turn the lines on and off without losing your accuracy.
The red laser on the unit is bright and impossible to miss (even at a distance of 23m it was still easy to see) and it has a rating of IP54 to allow for outside use. Bosch has additionally released a green laser technology model that has maximum visibility, even in the sun, so that version may be a better option if you’re doing a lot of work outdoors.
In conclusion
For more information about the range of ‘connected’ tools available from Bosch visit: www.bosch-professional.co.uk
