Bosch 17618-01 Drill Review

Bosch 17618-01 Drill Overview

If you have read our review of the Bosch combo kit, then you know how much we like Bosch power tools.  We feel they are some of the best professional grade power tools around.  That’s why we are excited to give you a review of the Bosch hammer Drill model number 17618, which is a Brute Tough Hammer drill.  If you compare this hammer to some of the other models around, you can see how much more power it has and how well it is built.

This light weight 18V Lithium Ion drill puts out an astonishing 650 in-lbs. of torque, which is pretty incredible.  Compare that to some other brands that have a higher Volt rating with less torque.  Now if you’re not impressed by the amount of torque this puts out maybe the BPM of 30,750 will catch your eye.  Oh yeah, the RPM is 2,050 just in case you were wondering.  As with most brands this utilizes a 1/2″  metal chuck.  The high strength metal collar helps protect the chuck if dropped straight on the chuck.  One nice option is the 25 position clutch setting, which gives you 5 more settings than the average drill.  Again the drill, as with most, has a variable speed trigger.

One item to mention is Bosch’s ECP or Electronic Cell Protection which is a propriety technology only Bosch has.  The ECP guarantees optimal performance of the batteries even under tough working conditions.  One high point of the ECP is the battery runs cooler, which means a longer life.  These batteries can be charged in 30 minutes and will have 85%  capacity in 15 minutes, so you will never have any real down time, except for lunch and the occasional water breaks.  The Bosch hammer drill utilizes the Fat Pack Bat318, which is a 2.6Ah.

Bosch 17618-01 Drill Review

The first thing you will notice is the balance of the drill.  While it is very light, the balance is exceptional and the weight is distributed evenly along the power tool.  With a drill, and most types of power tools, balance is the key, and we put a lot of weight on this since it is a power tool that is the most used by any professional.  Durability is another aspect we take very seriously with any power tool review.  Since we are limited on the time we can test a tool, we have to look at three things.  First is the reputation and we know Bosch has one of the best reputations around.  Second is the design of the tool.  This hammer drill has two things going for it.  First is the battery which uses ECP, which keeps the battery much cooler.  We all know heat is the number one killer of any battery, so we have to give Bosch a thumbs up on this part of the review.  Second is the new design power train and gears of this drill which increase the life of this drill.  Bosch has many people on the streets that hit the jobs sites, so we get a chance to speak with some of the reps.  They gave us a demonstration of the new design.  While yes it is designed as a sales pitch and to sell more tools, when you see the design you can really understand how it is beneficial and can expand the life of this tool.  The third item used for durability is user’s comments.  We look to the trade world and our readers for feedback about their experience.  There have been times where we have received numerous complaints about a tool and we will take the time to go back to a review and update the power tool review with the new information about the longevity.

What we did is throw some 3″ screws into a 2×4 that was laying on a landscape timber.  Not that most drills can not do this, well actually we have seen two drills not  able to do this, but they were no name drills.  Our point was really to show you the drill in action and how easy it will drill a 3″ inch screw.  And it should, since it has 650 in-lbs of torque.  We actually had another video of the drill mixing up some concrete, but when we let big Al show off his stuff on the video is was more or less a disaster, which we will put on a blooper highlight reel.  When he first started the drill he had the mixer all the way in the bottom of the mixing bucket because he was to busy showing off.  As you can guess the drill ripped basically out of his hand and the bucket spilled all over the floor.  We tried to recover most of the concrete, but it wasn’t enough to be impressive for a review.  The main point of this drill and what we like the best is the balance, with the weight and the power.  This Bosch drill has the best ration we have seen out of any hammer drill.

Final Thoughts on the Bosch 17618-01 Drill

Overall, this is a great drill for the price.  Now this drill does come in the Bosch combo kit, but you can also buy this drill separately.  If you are looking for just a hammer drill without all the other tools, we think you will hit  bull’s eyes with this drill.  The balance is great and the power is incredible.  Bosch makes some of the best professional power tools on the market and this drill is no different.