If you’ve used Bosch tools before, you’ll know they come in two different levels. There are the blue Professional-level tools and the green DIY tools. The PSB 1800 fits into the DIY level, which means it’s a capable drill but not designed for heavy everyday use. One of the big power tool brands, especially in the UK, Bosch have a decent slice of the market with their two broad levels of equipment. Their “blue” professional tools and “green” DIY tools vary massively in their capabilities as well as cost. I think it’s fair to say that the PSB 1800 fits squarely in the green DIY camp.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You get a decent case and two batteries to play with. These two Power Alliance batteries can fuel a range of tools by different brands, which is remarkable in the age of proprietary systems. It’s a good place to start as long as you don’t expect this cordless drill to perform like one of Bosch’s Professional level tools. As always with Bosch the warranty that comes with the product is 2 years which once activated online becomes 3 years, this really does finish the product off nicely. Bosch PSB 1800 Accessory Set There’s plenty of control when it comes to torque settings on this cordless drill. Bosch have called it ScrewControl, but it’s the same principle. You get 20 different settings that control how much power you can put into a screw, to help save the surface of delicate materials you’re working on. The grip shape is fine, but it’s not as refined compared to the ones on the Ryobi R18PD3 or the DeWalt DCD796. Bosch have been a bit stingy on the rubberised sections as well, as the tips of my fingers are trying to grip on to hard plastic during use. It’s just not as comfortable as some of the other cordless drills on my list. This PSB 1800 LI-2 cordless drill battery replacement is guaranteed to meet or exceed original specifications.To avoid the "memory effect" you should perform a "full recharge cycle", Run the device under the battery's power until it shuts down or until you get a low battery warning. Then recharge the battery as instructed in the user's manual. The same battery and charger set you get with this cordless drill will work in a range of cordless tools from trusted tool brands including Flymo and Gardena. It’s something I’d like to see more tool brands get involved with, in my opinion.

The PSB 1800 LI-2 lithium-ion two-speed combi from Bosch is suitable for drilling in wood (3 cm diameter), metal (1 cm diameter) and masonry (1 cm diameter) and can also be used as a screwdriver on these materials. It is conveniently cordless and always ready to use thanks to the lithium-ion technology and a 60 minute battery life. As the appliance is compact and weighs a light 1.3 kg, it is comfortable to use and won't cause your arm to ache after a few minutes. The softgrip also plays a part in making sure the drill is convenient to use. Ni-Cad batteries cannot be fully discharged (voltage below 1 V per cell). This damages the battery. If anything, the grip is a little on the small side. I’ve got large hands, and the bottom of my palm started rubbing on the battery release button surround almost immediately. I don’t know how comfortable this will be over time, and I don’t think it would be great to use with gloves on. The Bosch PSB 1800 comes with 2x 1.5Ah Lithium-ION batteries and a charger capable of recharging them within an hour. You would be hard pushed to be completing a task that didn’t allow for you to work continuously rotating the batteries as they need charging with this Bosch Combi Drill.It’s great that Bosch have included a charge level indicator on the base of this drill. It takes the guesswork out of knowing how much juice is left. It’s something that Ryobi could take on board. Right in front of the indicator is the LED work light. It’s reasonably powerful but turns off as soon as you let go of the trigger. You can, just about, run the light without turning the drill on as well, which is nice.