This article Reprinted from Western Roofing magazine, January/February 2007, Volume 30, number 1

 

 

Flexible Power

The Bosch Hammer Drill 18636 with Flexible Power System

by Marcus Dodson, associate editor

 

Cordless power tools just keep getting better and better. Recently Bosch upped the ante with the introduction of their new Hammer Drill 18636 with their Flexible Power System. The 18636 operates on Bosch’s new 36-volt SlimPack and FatPack batteries. Bosch states that the new 36-volt batteries offer torque and power previously unavailable with 18-volt tools.

                  We had an opportunity to take the 18636 out to a jobsite for a test drive. We first tried the SlimPack. This battery weighs less than a comparable size 14.4-volt battery. Lighter weight on the jobsite translates into less worker fatigue and more production.

                  The SlimPack operated the 18636 with an amazing amount of power. Bosch states that the SlimPack delivers up to 15% faster speed and 15% longer runtime than an 18-volt battery while weighing less. After trying it out, we believe it. We put the 18636 though its paces, drilling through concrete and wood for about an hour with no noticeable loss of power.

                  We then switched batteries to the FatPack and went through the same routine. If the SlimPack was a lion in the field then the FatPack is Godzilla. This puppy has an astounding amount of power. Bosch states that the FatPack delivers up to 40% faster speed and 40% longer runtime than an 18-volt battery. Sure, this battery weighs more than the SlimPack, but it has the torque, reserve power, and battery life to keep production moving.

                  The 18636 hammer drill/driver by itself is an outstanding tool. Dubbed part of the Brute Tough (TM) line, the 18636 lives up to its name. In addition to the normal features you would expect, its construction consists of a unibody powertrain, metal-reinforced collar, and Durashield (TM) housing. As we do with most power tools we test, we dropped the 18636 from shoulder height with no ill effects. This, apparently, is not much of a test for the 18636 as Bosch claims it can survive a one-story drop. We’ll take their word for it. With the power, features, and solid construction of the 18636, we have no intention of dropping a tool this great off of the roof. •••