If you have been following our feed, yes this event happened just a day after the Milwaukee Tool event which launched all their new products, see previous post. This was a great opportunity to compare how two of the most dominate players in the Power Tool industry looked to innovate in the next 6-12 months. It was also surprising how different the two company’s focuses are really becoming. Bosch was focused on several main areas of products Concrete, Woodworking, General Construction & Measuring Tools with some very exciting products in each category. Of course our first borns are all on the line to not speak of certain new Bosch products to launch at a later date so look forward to some interesting follow up posts in the near future. See all 101 pictures in this Facebook Album.
Bosch Concrete Tools
Bosch has always been very focused on their core of concrete Tools and Accessories and 2012 is no exception. Probably the biggest launch will be the Bosch Brute Turbo BH2770VC which will have 30% more force with same weight vs the Bosch Brute 2, launched just last year with huge leaps over the competitor’s models. Additionally we will see a new larger in-line demolition hammer DH1020VC which distributes the weight over the length of the tool and also provides the best-in-class power to weight. Finally a new 1-3/4” SDS-Max rotary that will replace the 11263EVS with more impact force and vibration control.
On the concrete accessories side we are seeing a wide range of new innovative products in the Bosch SDS-Plus area. With the new nomenclature of “Bulldog” for standard grade bits and “Bulldog Extreme” for the high performance bits, where we are seeing full head carbide and new longer life hammer chisels. The world’s most popular hammer drill bit, Blue Granite, is also getting an upgrade to Blue Granite Turbo which should be hitting the shelves soon with longer life, faster material removal and Power Grip to stay in place.
Bosch Woodworking Tools
There were several new Bosch core woodworking products that we had the opportunity to demo at this Bosch event including a new Bosch Pin Nailer FNS138-23 which looked to outperform the more pricy top of the line pinners currently available. The new plunge base router for the Colt Palm Router is now available PR20EVSPK (kit w/router) or PR011 (base only) which was said to be the most requested Bosch woodworking tool in the last year. It also has some very nice features that made it stand out in the compact router category. The final items were the top of the line Bosch Jig Saws JS572EL & barrel grip JS572EBL which will sit at the very high end units of the Bosch line up. These jig saws are designed exclusively for the high end users and have many features customized for finish work.
Bosch General Construction Tools
Several of the new tools we got to test drive in the General Construction we had already seen in the 2012/2013 Bosch catalog or posted on briefly before but will follow up with some more in-depth coverage soon. These would include the new Wet Tile Saw TC10, Cordless 18v Die Grinder, cordless 18v planer, cordless 18v right angle drill, new jig saw blades, 7” polisher and screw guns. This was our first look at the Compact 12” Miter Saw CM12 ($369, Ohio Power Tool) which is easy to carry with several handle positions and only 40 lbs total tool weight. A new compact 18v impact driver IDS181 which is about the exact size of the 12V Impact was also launched and interestingly limits output to only 130 in lbs of torque. With the longer runtime and low torque this would be an ideal tool for cabinet installers looking for all day performance with more precise fastening applications.
The L-Boxx storage system was also a large topic of focus several times during the event along with its tie to service vehicle organization systems. We think this will be a big push for Bosch in the next year with many of their tools moving to an L-Boxx carry case. There will definitely be more to come for sure on the “Click & Go” front.
Rotozip
This was the first time we have seen the Rotozip Team (under the Robert Bosch Umbrella) at this event and we were happy to get some more information on their future plans. The team has actually shrunk the tool offerings to 3 core products Rotosaw, Rotosaw+ and Zipsaw however these tools now have increased functionality to adapt to a wider range of accessories for more specialized tasks.
CST Berger & Bosch Measuring Tools
Another new brand that made an appearance at this year’s event was CST Berger which is Bosch’s premium line of exterior measuring products. The CST brand showcased several new products including a pair of rotary lasers as well as a 360 degree line laser LL20 which is very similar to the Bosch GLL2-80 & GLL3-80 but built for outdoor use, toughness and packaged with a LD3 detector essential for use in high sunlight.
Probably the most innovative new product we had the opportunity to see at the event was the Bosch GSL2 surface level. We feel this could very much change the way flooring projects are done, new or remodeling. Verifying level surfaces have been a constant feud between concrete and finish flooring guys for a long time. If both parties had one of these units and could agree in seconds on the flatness of a surface it is quite possible the feuds would end and peace and harmony might take over the jobsite. While it is one of the simplest products to use it is a little hard to explain so look forward to a follow up soon!
