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by Peter Brett - July 2005
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Pistol Shaped Compact Punch
The first thing I noticed about the Bosch GSR 10.8V was its compact size. It is clearly a step away from the very powerful 18 and 24 volt drivers that are good, but are big and weigh a lot. This is a specialized niche tool that is intended for use in tight spaces by the likes of kitchen fitters, car repairers and perhaps a larger number of trades than Bosch thought about when they designed it. I had quite a few general builders and carpenters interested in it because the handiness of a specialized, but powerful screwdriver, that you can literally fit in your pocket has definite appeal for them. At about 165mm long and 165mm deep the Bosch GSR is about pistol sized. It had perfect balance in the hand and the rubberized grips (front and back of the handle) are beautifully contoured to fit the hand. It just invites use! It goes without saying that this Swiss produced tool is of the highest quality that Bosch is famous for. Everything fits and works perfectly, the ABS moulded body is strong and rigid, even under load.
Of course the body is Professional Bosch Blue in colour with the switches in bright red. A progressive trigger controls the speed range from 0 to 400 rpm, and the standard push through switch above the trigger controls forward and reverse mode. An intense blue-white light above the trigger lights automatically when the trigger is pulled - very handy when the user is deep in a kitchen cabinet base where mains electricity may be unavailable or unusable. A collar on the front of the driver controls the ten torque settings with a simple clicked twist. There is also an eleventh “Maximum” setting for those tough, long thick screws and removing the ones you have driven in too hard already.
The specifications say that a torque range of 7 to 18Nm is available for screwdriving. Without naming names, this range is bigger than on some cordless drill drivers with nearly double the battery voltage. Despite its small size it is not a toy. Using the maximum specified size of 6mm diameter screws into softwood I had no trouble making the Bosch GSR 10.8 perform. It needs to be said that both screws and driver bit need to be of good quality to achieve this, but then quality is what this is all about. I should add that the motor does not whine or complain, but remains smooth and quiet with the power delivery pretty effortless as befits a professional tool. I also managed to use the driver as a drill by fitting bits with a standard 6mm hex. In softwood I was able to drill up to 8mm diameter holes easily.
When you consider the torque and power available for screwdriving, the size of the batteries is surprising. Literally no bigger than a couple of decent size disposable cigarette lighters taped together, and weighing not very much, they are very compact. The difference is that they are Lithium Ion cells, a technology developed from mobile phones. They can be charged fully in half an hour, so expect no downtime on the job. The charger itself is a so called “intellligent charger”. It will not only charge, but also recondition the battery whilst charging. And it will not damage the batteries if they are left in the charger. Try that with some of the simpler chargers and baking the battery is almost assured.
The packaging of a product shouldn’t matter, but in fact it often does. Bosch have not gone down the road of the custom fitted plastic case. Instead the tool is held in a padded nylon soft case. This is not only light but also extremely compact. It zips open to reveal a the Bosch GSR in a holster, with the spare battery and charger held in loops to stop them moving in transit. The holster is removable, being held to the case with Velcro. The holster has a belt loop so that the user can keep it on his person. Another Velcro strap holds the tool securely in its holster. The lid of the case has a transparent pocket that will hold driver bits and drills, and a full length flap will hold documents and other bits.
In keeping with the general compactness of the Bosch GSR 10.8, the whole driver with a battery weighs only 800 grams. Indeed the whole kit, with spare battery and charger in its case is probably short of 2 Kgs.
By now I think you would have gathered that I like the Bosch GSR 10.8 very much. Not only is it a smart idea, but it has also been well designed and realized. Its compact size will ensure its popularity with users who work in confined spaces, but I suspect that other users will love its portability, power and ease of use. It is not a standard cordless drill driver. It extends the concept of cordless drivers to a more sophisticated and specialized level allowing end users a chance to enhance their working practices and make life more convenient for them. Long live thoughtful design &Mac246; the difference between also-ran tools and cutting edge.
Independent Review by Peter Brett
Airstream Communications