  Diane and Blair Gilbert own Gilbert's Hardware in St. Clair Shores, MI; family owned since 1949. Mrs. Hardware assists women homeowners with DIY home repair answers and maintenance advice to fix problems and provide solutions, and is backed by a 6,000 square foot hardware store full of experience, parts and tools. |
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Review of the Skil and Bosch 10.8 volt Lithium cordless drill/driversWe tested the differences in design and ergonomics. They both have comparable specifications. Bosch of Germany owns both these tools, Skil and Bosch.
SkilThe Skil #2410 has an internal, non-removable battery, charger, comes with 4 drill bits and 8 screw, and case. Its performs at 400 rpm, charge time 5 hours, 1/4" keyless quick-release chuck hex-shank, wood drilling 3/8", screw size 1/4", variable speed without brake stop, 10 speed clutch, work light beam, forward and reverse button, forward and reverse direction light, fast-charge in 30 minutes, remaining-charge indicators on handle, battery lasts 30 minutes at continuous running or 100 screws, lightweight, but feels top-heavy in hand, 85 in. lbs. of torque, self-standing base.The charger holds bits, but takes 3 hours to quick-charge. Skil has more bits, stands-up, stores better and costs $40. But the small handle with the battery in the flat base is designed wrong. The Skil fits small hands but lacks balance, and feels less centered with the built-in battery in the handle.
BoschThe Bosch #PS20-2 costs $120 and comes with 2 external batteries, faster quick-charger, 2 screw bits, belt holster, and case. Its performance is 400 rpm, charge time 30 minutes, 1/4" keyless quick-release chuck hex-shank, wood drilling 1/2", screw size 1/4", variable speed with brake stop, 10 speed clutch, work light beam, forward and reverse button, fast-charge in 30 minutes, battery lasts 30 minutes of continuous running or 100 screws, compact and balanced in a woman's hand, 80 in. lbs. of torque, has a good warranty.The Bosch feels powerful, and solid in the hand. A design flaw is it must be laid down as it doesn't stand-up. Bosch has a brake to stop the drill when I released the trigger, but the Skil slowly keeps turning after I released the trigger so I had to wait to load another screw.
Tests1) Battery life was tested by attaching a clamp to the triggers of the drills. They both ran under no load for the same amount of time of 30 minutes. The Bosch drill got warm. Bosch has a second battery to keep going while the first recharged, but the Skil was recharging for 3 hours.2) Torque was tested by driving 4-inch wood screws into a 4x4. The Skil drove it down flush, but the Bosch was short a couple of rotations. The Skil had a little more torque, though the trigger had to be pressed repeatedly to get the screwhead flush. The Bosch has a brake that I liked because I could load another screw quickly. 3) Drilling was tested with 1/4 inch drill bit. The speeds seemed the same and drilled holes at the same rate in wood. The 10 clutch adjustments on both drivers worked as tested for drilling and driving.
ResultsIt's simple. The designs are the Skil is for the home site and the Bosch is for job site.I'd buy the Skil for myself for the house because it does everything the Bosch does for $40, it's light and has bits included. I can hang shelving, drill holes in studs and drive screws. Bosch would be for a commercial business, or as a quality, useful house warming gift to last years. It fits the hand well and could pay for itself in one day at $120. |