Professional Electrician’s Product Tester, Kelly Vincent, gives her expert view on the Bosch Professional GSB 18v-Li with Wireless Charging.
I have to admit, I felt a bit special when I unpacked the new Bosch Professional GSB 18v-Li with Wireless Charging. This is one powerful drill – and it looks the part too. If anything, I just wanted to play around with it for a bit before I started working with it on site. That’s how I know it drills perfectly and precisely through masonry, wood and steel.
The charger alone is reason to invest in this piece of kit. No need to carry around extra bulky batteries. When you’re not using the drill, just put it on the charger for a full charge. At first it did take me a while to remember to put the drill on the charger when I wasn’t using it. But now that I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks, I’m not sure how I managed without it. I also really like the professional carry case. It features a handy stacking system with other Bosch tools; and comes in a nice blue and red so won’t get lost on site.
According to the manufacturer, only one battery is ever needed for the drill, so no need to buy, charge, store, seek or swap spare batteries. And I have to agree; the drill lasted all day on a single charge. The charger works via inductive charging, the same technology as charging stations for electronic toothbrushes and mobile phones. The technology is based on contactless energy; however, the energy transferred is 66 times greater than what is used for an electric toothbrush charger.
My only slight quibble is that the charging base still needs to be plugged into a working socket outlet. That means no power equals no charger. However, because there’s no external connection, it means that the drill is protected against dust and water – which is exactly what you need when the angle grinders are out!
“The technology is based on contactless energy; however, the energy transferred is 66 times greater than what is used for an electric toothbrush charger.”
When I use a tool so much throughout the day, I want something that I can rely on. This is definitely the case with this drill and wireless charger. There’s never a time when I have to stop a job, find a battery and load it. I also like how light in weight the drill is. It makes overhead jobs easy and fits into my hand really well for when I have to climb through tight spaces. So, yes, I do think you should invest in this drill and wireless charger. If anything, heads will turn when everyone else sees it.
