The.Handyman Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Very nice. I love it!I might tackle that myself soon. I already have both drills. Any tips or pointers?Super easy, just take apart and switch front assembly. Slips right off and on the motor drive gear.Easy peasy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khariV Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 1 hour ago, The.Handyman said: I absolutely love my Bosch 12v tools. The ergonomics are spot on. Size is small and light. I have the new M12 FUEL tools and the drill is bulky, albeit powerful. The impact is much better, more Bosch sized. I went one step ahead and created the ultimate Bosch 12v FlexiClick out of a Ps32. Forgive the ignorance, but why would you do this? What makes the PS32 body better than the flexi click? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The.Handyman Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Forgive the ignorance, but why would you do this? What makes the PS32 body better than the flexi click?Better: brushless motor, more runtime, smaller & shorter body (~5mm), belt clip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D W Posted February 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Thanks @The.Handyman thats a great idea. Nicely done. You've created the ultimate 12V tool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousJoe Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 I plan on getting the new m12 drill here shortly but I can’t help but notice how they uglied up these drills and changed the rubber over mold on the back of the drill. Maybe it looks better in person but from here it’s ugly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMack37 Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 That is an awesome conversion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D W Posted February 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 The ps22 has arrived already. Wow, I can't believe how light it is! Seriously surprised me. The brushed 12V drill felt a lot heavier than this (from memory). It is a bit top heavy which I expected, and the LED kinda sucks. It's been a while since I've held a Bosch 12V so I have to get used to the fat grip again. This thing is impressive though. The usual Bosch high quality feel and smooth running. Definitely the lightest power tool I own now. I'd really like to know what the Makita 12V hex driver is like. If you remove the chuck from the subcompact, that's how short it is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTsallaD Posted February 10, 2018 Report Share Posted February 10, 2018 On 2/8/2018 at 11:59 PM, D W said: The ps22 has arrived already. Wow, I can't believe how light it is! Seriously surprised me. The brushed 12V drill felt a lot heavier than this (from memory). It is a bit top heavy which I expected, and the LED kinda sucks. It's been a while since I've held a Bosch 12V so I have to get used to the fat grip again. This thing is impressive though. The usual Bosch high quality feel and smooth running. Definitely the lightest power tool I own now. I'd really like to know what the Makita 12V hex driver is like. If you remove the chuck from the subcompact, that's how short it is. I’d buy into the Mak 12v line just for this tool if it is ever offered in North America Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTsallaD Posted February 10, 2018 Report Share Posted February 10, 2018 On 2/8/2018 at 9:24 AM, The.Handyman said: I absolutely love my Bosch 12v tools. The ergonomics are spot on. Size is small and light. I have the new M12 FUEL tools and the drill is bulky, albeit powerful. The impact is much better, more Bosch sized. I went one step ahead and created the ultimate Bosch 12v FlexiClick out of a Ps32. This is amazing! Well done! I’d happily void my warranty to do this without a second thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTsallaD Posted February 10, 2018 Report Share Posted February 10, 2018 On 2/8/2018 at 9:59 AM, The.Handyman said: Super easy, just take apart and switch front assembly. Slips right off and on the motor drive gear. Easy peasy I’ve been curious about installing a hex chuck onto the gen2 m12 fuel drill. Do you happen to know a solution for that?? I’m realizing that the gen2 12v fuel head size, although very compact is’n really more compact than my 18v bosch dds183 drill. Maybe a couple mm shorter if that. I only have a pic of the 18v with bosch’s 12v as my gen2 m12 is out on a job. The head sizes of the bosch 18v and the gen2 m12 are almost identical and of course the bosch is faster and has more torque. I also think the bosch electronic clutch is far better and the anti-kickback feature on the bosch is great. It is a little heavier than the gen2 m12 and far more bulky at the 18v battery area. For all day extended use the super ergonomic handle and performance of the bosch dds183 is preferable for me, even with the extra weight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D W Posted February 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2018 On my 7 hour trip across to Sydney today I popped in to a Mitre 10 store and was able to see the Makita 12V in person for the first time. They look to be very good tools! I thought the grips might have been smaller than the 18V subcompact but they seem identical. Very comfortable. They were fixed to the shelf so I didn't have a chance to assess the weight. The hex driver is very compact but feels larger than the Bosch because it's so tall. Perhaps Makita will become the best 12V line if they produce enough tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTsallaD Posted February 14, 2018 Report Share Posted February 14, 2018 Here are some size comparisons with the gen2 m12 tools. The drill with the Bosch dds183 and the impact with the Makita xdt14. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D W Posted February 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2018 That DDS183 is compact! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTsallaD Posted February 15, 2018 Report Share Posted February 15, 2018 The respective websites for Milwaukee and Bosch state the weights of the tools with the bare Bosch and Bosch with 2.0 slim pack as heavier than the m12. I wish I had a scale that I don’t have to plug into my wife’s computer to use. I’ll weigh them some day but to me the 18v Bosch actually feels a bit lighter. I know balance has a lot to do with it but if I close my eyes and pick them up by the top, m12 feels obviously heavier. I really like both and am surprised at the size, speed and power from both the dds183 and the m12. dds183 has antikickback tech, and for good reason, in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D W Posted February 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 I had a good look at some of the M12 range in person today and I definitely won't be buying into the line-up anymore. They're just not compact. The grips in particular are huge compared to the Bosch 12V. I was really hoping I'd like them; on paper the M12 line up looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToolBane Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 There are exactly 2 things I want on the M12 lineup: the new soldering iron the shameless dremel knockoff Both are items I’m hard-pressed to see Makita offering competition for now that they’ve moved away from pod-style batteries. I don’t see anyone else doing it either. Same time there are a number of complaints about the sturdiness of the M12 “Dremel” and the soldering iron is annoying trying to get ahold of. It’s *just* irritating enough that I keep falling just shy of pulling the trigger. After that though I agree with you. M12 is solid in absolute terms, frequently much stronger than other 12V from competitors, but it gets to the point where it’s too similar to Milwaukee’s own 18V line, in which case just get the 18V which are just better with a much broader product base to boot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D W Posted February 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 2 hours ago, ToolBane said: things I want on the M12 lineup: the new soldering iron the shameless dremel knockoff I feel the same way, both would be great 12V tools. I wanted that soldering iron. I'm also looking for a rotary tool but I've always had Bosch 12V in mind for that. I would have liked the M12 caulking gun as well. Here's some photos from an ebay auction. Look at the size of that grip! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousJoe Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 thats the gen 1 drill. I heard somewhere that the gen 2 is a little thicker in the handle too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToolBane Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 The thick handles are almost obligatory with the pod-style batteries, and they feel cumbersome and awkward in comparison to the slick ergonomics of slide-pack batteries whether 12 or 18 volt. Makita’s older 12V that used pods have that same nuisance form-factor...looks cute in pictures but then you hold it in your hand. Makita ditching the pod-style batteries will probably prove to be the right choice for almost all the 12V tools they decide to make going forward. Pod-style is perfect for Milwaukee’s Dremel clone and soldering iron though. I guess I’ll probably get them whenever Home Despot finally has them both available for in-store pickup. They sure seem to want to avoid giving me what I want though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggie Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 A tools grip can be a pretty subjective thing because everybody has different sized hands along with different applications. I personally found the very first brushed m12 tools to have fat grips but their new stuff fits my hand almost perfectly. Now I would say I have slightly larger than average hands but the way grip tappers behind the trigger makes it sit in my hand nice and tight. Yes the bottom of the handle is bigger but its still much more compact than a slide type battery (not talking about the m12 larger xc batteries). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTsallaD Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 3 hours ago, Biggie said: A tools grip can be a pretty subjective thing because everybody has different sized hands along with different applications. I personally found the very first brushed m12 tools to have fat grips but their new stuff fits my hand almost perfectly. Now I would say I have slightly larger than average hands but the way grip tappers behind the trigger makes it sit in my hand nice and tight. Yes the bottom of the handle is bigger but its still much more compact than a slide type battery (not talking about the m12 larger xc batteries). True, for me I preferred the grip on the gen1 fuel m12. The gen2 is wider at the top between thumb and index. The gen1 felt decent in my hand but the drill was too large overall. I also feel like, if going slide pack, go 18v. For 12v the fatter handles are worth it for overall compactness. I can fit a fat handled 12v tool in a backpack kit far easier than an 18v tool and I can perform 95% of the work I may do in a high rise and I don’t have to wait on the service elevator. I can also fly easier with the same compact kit using 12v. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D W Posted February 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 I've always had a bit of a problem with the Bosch 12V grips. It's not the thickness, it's the trigger sitting too low. When the back of my hand is tucked right up into the back of the grip (as it should be), my index finger naturally ends up over the LED light (with middle finger ending up over the trigger), so I have to either try and reach down to the trigger with my index finger, use my middle finger for the trigger, or try not to hold the drill at the very top of the grip. 42 minutes ago, XTsallaD said: if going slide pack, go 18v. For 12v the fatter handles are worth it for overall compactness. I can fit a fat handled 12v tool in a backpack kit far easier than an 18v tool I feel the same way. The Makita 18V subcompact line is compact, but nothing like the Bosch 12V. Seeing them side-by-side in the photos I posted above actually makes the subcompact look big (and not many tools would do that)! The entire footprint of the tools are so much smaller without the slide packs hanging off them. The new 12V Makita do feel compact, but also nothing like Bosch 12V. I'm pretty sure the tools are identical to the 18V subcompacts, so you only save on the size and weight of two 18650 cells. Great that we have the option of both. I wish I could have picked them up in the store the other day, I think they will be perfectly balanced tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousJoe Posted February 17, 2018 Report Share Posted February 17, 2018 I’d like to see jimbo do up a video on these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousJoe Posted February 17, 2018 Report Share Posted February 17, 2018 Well Finally found a HD that has the new m12 in stock, contrary to what the internet says, and in the hood of all places. Picked up the combo kit. I’ll take back my ugly comment from earlier, these are good looking tools and I was a bit skeptical at first about the grip but once I held them they actually feel real good in the hand. These are my first 12 volt tools so ill post more after I get a chance to play around with them. Anyone know if the torque settings on the m12 drill translates directly to the same torque settings on the m18 fuel drill? example: I frequently use the #2 torque setting on my m18 drill, but since the m12 has less power will I have to up the torque setting to say #5 or 6? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTsallaD Posted February 19, 2018 Report Share Posted February 19, 2018 On 2/17/2018 at 4:13 PM, AnonymousJoe said: Well Finally found a HD that has the new m12 in stock, contrary to what the internet says, and in the hood of all places. Picked up the combo kit. I’ll take back my ugly comment from earlier, these are good looking tools and I was a bit skeptical at first about the grip but once I held them they actually feel real good in the hand. These are my first 12 volt tools so ill post more after I get a chance to play around with them. Anyone know if the torque settings on the m12 drill translates directly to the same torque settings on the m18 fuel drill? example: I frequently use the #2 torque setting on my m18 drill, but since the m12 has less power will I have to up the torque setting to say #5 or 6? Congrats, They’re great tools and I really enjoy the kit I bought recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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