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First, the good. One final gripe, and that's the plastic case. The attachments have a drawback however, and that leads me into the downsides of this too. This drill flat out works. They allow me to use one tool rather than two or three in particular situations with very little compromise, making them well worth the investment. Just keep in mind that stepping up also means giving up the dedicated drill-only setting.
There are drills out there with the motor at a 90 degree angle to the housing rather than in-line like the 11224. I love the accessories available for this drill. The selector switch functions easily and I like the solid "click" for each position on the dial that lets me know the drill is fully engaged. Bosch upgraded the depth gauge somewhere along the line between my two purchases, and the newer version works with no fuss, making it much more functional, rather than an inconvenience. Light pressure is all it takes to keep the bit in contact with the work and the drill does the rest, allowing me to focus on keeping my holes straight and true. The length was nice because I could reach the work and still keep my hands and arms close in and keep my balance easily (nice when you are working off a ladder). If you have to do a lot of chipping and hammering, I would reccommend a larger tool. I recently had to do a lot of overhead work, and found myself doing a lot of juggling.
For most of the work I do though, I would stick with the 11224, no doubt. If you are like me and purchasing a second drill, having one of each style might be the way to go. I found myself at times wishing that I had one of those, thinking that it would make life much easier (and my arms and shoulders more thankful) Having worked with these type drills before, I know they have this advantage, but they also can be bulkier in close spaces, so there is a definite trade-off. The only plus with a plastic case is that it's a little less noisy moving it around, but I'll trade some noise for better functionality any day.
The metal case holds bits and accessories much better and definitely holds up to rough use on a daily basis. This was where the length and D-handle design were both curse and blessing. What I found interesting is that my recent work actually revealed one weakness in the tool's design that I would have to think hard about for any future purchase (more on this later). The D handle design is a great benefit when drilling as it places your hand and arm in line with the drill bit for easy alignment and effortless work.
My recent purchase of this drill for the workplace makes two of these that I have bought and I haven't been disappointed with either one. This is pretty much the smallest class of drill available with a dedicated hammer-only setting and if you need to do occasional chipping, this is a great tool to have. Bosch definitely made a mistake switching from metal to plastic. Even the largest bits that I load into this drill get the job done as easily as the smallest ones. The big downside here is when you are working with one hand holding a piece of work in place, and trying to muscle the drill into place.
There is no lack of power for any job I have tackled with this drill, and it shows no signs of slowing down after years of use. I have the 1/2" keyed chuck and the right angle attachment and have found both to be indespensible. The attachments add to the already considerable length of this tool and place a great deal of extra weight out on the business end, making it unwieldy at times. Length can definitely be an issue at times.
i work construction and have used bosch products for years.I bought this one for home use and it works great so far.Only tackled 2 minor projects so far using mainly 1/4" tapcons and 1/2" sds bit with concrete anchors. Highly recommend this to any home owner My purchase was a reconditioned tool for about $110.00 with amazon savings was a excellent value.
I have been using this hammer drill for over 6 years and it has never let me down. Has the attachment to use as a chisel, this works great for small jobs.
Bought this at the local Big Orange Retail Giant, cuz I needed it tonight. Putting in new windows and eventually going to cut a weep screed opening across a 75 ft expanse so I wanted a tool that was fast enough and yet not too heavy for use on a ladder. It chews up 35 yr old stucco very nicely, and much faster than a bricklayers hammer.
For a couple hours, it worked fantastic on the hammer function. It's totally useless for the hammer function now (which was what I bought it for), and I've gotten only about two hours worth of use out of it. After moving it around at different angles and letting it run, it would occasionally start hammering again, but not for long, and it's back in the mild vibration mode. I bought this tool to remove tile in my shower. But then it just stopped hammering. I'll return it tomorrow, and I'll probably upgrade to the next model up in hopes that it lasts a bit longer. The chisel would vibrate mildly, but not enough to do any good.
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