Over at Amazon, we spotted this new Bosch DDS182 brushless drill combo, which comes with the drill, a compact wireless battery, inductive charger, and bonus 4.0Ah battery.
The price for the combo is the same as for the drill kit, which means you’re getting that 4.0Ah battery for free.
The combo is on sale for $199. Alternatively, you could get a more traditional kit with plug-in charger, 2 compact 2.0Ah Li-ion batteries, and an L-Boxx, for $190.
While this seems like a tempting deal, I was on the fence about posting about it, until seeing this in the product description for the 4.0Ah battery:
The Bosch WCBAT620 18-Volt Wireless Charging 4.0Ah battery delivers 50-percent more runtime than the 2.0Ah wireless charging battery, which is especially important for power users who are difference makers on the jobsite.
Oh, okay, this is for difference makers. So if you’re not a “difference maker” on the jobsite, it’s less important for you to have more runtime? Who comes up with this stuff?
It’s rare for me to have any reason to poke fun at Bosch, but their marketing language for their wireless tech doesn’t make a lot of sense.
That same page also says:
Bosch Wireless Charging System charges tools on the go.
Umm… doesn’t that completely contradict the goal of the wireless product family? Yes, you can install drill charging holsters or the L-Boxx charging bay in a truck, van, or other mobile environment. But the point of these chargers and batteries is to use the tools and charge them when idle, or or less in place.
So where does the “charging tools on the go?” part come from? You can’t use the wireless charging tech “on the go” any more or less than traditional charging tech.
You can charge your mobile phone on the go, with a portable charger. You can listen to music on the go with headphones. How do you charge these batteries “on the go?” The inductive charger is no different than any charger when used “on the go,” in how it can’t do anything without being anchored to an AC outlet with a power cord.
Then, for the combo, there’s this part:
New wireless charging batteries charge anytime and anywhere without ever having to remove from your tool.
Well, yes. But one could also say that old boring charging technology can be used anytime and anywhere. With wireless tech, you can’t use the tool when charging, with a spare battery you won’t have to put your tool down or pause your work.
And that without ever having to remove from your tool part, that’s only true for drills and drivers. If you have tools where the battery doesn’t sit flat on the battery, there’s no way to charge the battery while it’s still on the tool.
Anyway, with that all said, I do think it’s worth taking a look at this kit. You get a brushless drill, a wireless charger, and 2 wireless charging batteries. It doesn’t come with the charging holster dock, but you can buy one later if you want.
Hands-on: The Good and Bad About Bosch’s Wireless Charging System
The free bonus 4,0Ah battery has a retail value of $119.
Sale Price: $199
Buy Now(Bosch DDS182WC Special Bundle)
See Also(Bosch DDS182 Kit)