Recently both Bosch and Milwaukee came out with new 18 volt lithium ion tools. Milwaukee Tools first 18v lithium line was one of the first to market with the V18 tools however after these tools were release other brands had a chance to copy their designs. Bosch Tools on the other hand stuck with the 18v NiCd tools and focused on thier 10.8v and 36v lithium tools. Both these new lines of 18v tools put them head and shoulders above the competition but which of the two is on top?
Today we are just looking at the 18v Cordless Hammer Drills, in this comparison specifically the Milwaukee M18 2611-24 and the Bosch 17618-01. Each product was laboratory tested against the other competition available at the time (a few months ago) so both tools are making the same claims of best in class torque, battery life and construction. Unfortunately I don’t have a lab in the back to redo all these tests comparing the two against each other but hopefully I can provide a little more insight.
Both units have 650 in/lbs torque (above any other brand on the market) although the Bosch unit has 2050 RPM rating vs. Milwaukee at 1700 RPM. Both units also have free battery mail-in rebate offers until the end of the year however Milwaukee is giving away the larger XC battery while Bosch is giving away their smaller Slim Pack battery. Both have a two battery system but on the M18 tools the smaller battery will not fit on the hammer drill or saws. On price, overall the Bosch 17618-01 is cheaper at $305 while the Milwaukee 2611-24 is $349. Milwaukee is including a free impact driver 2650-20 ($179) with the hammer drill, for a limited time, so big points there. Warranties are also pretty similar with 2 year battery replacement on each.
In size comparison the Milwaukee is slightly smaller which you can see in the pictures. The weight for the M18 is also lighter at 5.55 lbs vs Bosch at 5.75. If weight is a big factor the Bosch can use the slim pack batteries which will reduce the weight below the Milwaukee but battery life will be half. Both units feature a LED light but Bosch has the light on the base which illuminates the work surface a little better.
The biggest problem I discovered in looking at these two drills side by side was with the Bosch. There is no power gauge on their batteries. I’m not sure why this was left off, perhaps it makes the battery smaller but it is an extremely useful feature I can’t believe was left off. Bosch has the feature on their 36v tools so I am really baffled why they would leave it off the 18v. The charger is a 30 minute charge which works with 14.4v as well but even the charger only gives a simple charging or full indication not a power level.
For my money I am buying the Milwaukee M18 with free Impact and mail-in rebate for a 3rd XC battery. The deal is right and I just can’t see not having a power gauge on my lithium ion tools. If you have 3 batteries and 1 charger how are you going to keep track of which battery has power and which doesn’t? I really like the Bosch as well, it still has more power and longer run time than any other competitor but when they are so close like that a free M18 Impact Driver will make all the difference.
