This is the Bosch Flexi-Click, the new 12V version. I previously wrote about the Bosch 18V Flexi-click modular drill/driver system 2 whole years ago.
It’s a 5-in-1 drill/driver that comes with modular tool head attachments.
Before we talk about the tool in detail, know this – it IS coming to the USA. Expect to see it hit stores around May 2017, for about $199. It’ll also be sold in Canada, for $269 CAD.
The new Bosch 12V Flexi-Click, model GSR12V-15, has a number of attractive features, even before we start talking about the benefits of modular drilling and driving tool heads.
To start it comes with a 1/2″ drill chuck. Most other 12V-class drills feature 3/8″ chucks, with Milwaukee’s M12 Fuel brushless drill being the only exception that comes to mind.
Bosch describes this as the shortest 12V cordless drill/driver in the market with 4 adapters. There aren’t too many multi-head drill/drivers, let alone 12V-class multi-head drills that are available in the USA.
That said, it looks a compact drill and driver that should compete with many brands’ one-piece offerings.
The right angle adapter can be combined with any of the other adapters. This makes the tool even more flexible.
The Bosch 12V Flex-Click drill driver comes with 4 attachment heads:
- Right angle adapter
- Drill chuck
- Offset driver adapter
- 1/4″ hex bit driver
You could also use it without any attachments to create the shortest drill/driver in its class.
Max torque is said to be 30 Nm in hard screwdriving applications, and 15 Nm in soft screwdriving applications. That translates to 265.52 in-lbs, max.
Specifications
- 266 in-lbs max torque (converted from international specs)
- 0-400, 0-1300 RPM (no load)
- 5.2″ length without attachments
- 7″ with attachments
- Weighs 800 grams without attachments (~1.76 lbs)
With No Attachments: The 12V Flex-Click still has a magnetic bit holder without any attachments.
Bit Holder: With the locking bit holder, the Bosch Flexi-Click is still said to be the shortest model in the market. Why use this bit holder? To ensure you don’t lose drill bits or screwdriver bits, which is possible when no attachments are used.
Drill Chuck: The 1/2″ chuck has an auto-lock function. In drilling mode, the Bosch 12V Flexi-Click can handle drill bits of up to 19mm (~3/4″) when drilling into wood, and 10mm (~0.394″, or a little more than 3/8″) when drilling into steel.
Offset Adapter: Who hasn’t gotten into a bind, where a tool just couldn’t fit close enough to an obstruction or non-movable surface?
Right Angle Adapter: Need a right angle screwdriver? Maybe a right angle drill? A right angle and offset driver to fit into really right and awkward spaces? No problem. Bosch says this is the shortest angle adapter in its class, and can lock in at 16 different positions.
Price: $199 (US), presumably for a kit
ETA: May 2017
First Thoughts
YES!
Milwaukee came out with a 4-in-1 M12 drill driver in Europe around 2014, and there’s something similar by AEG. Neither have ever been sale in the USA. Neither has the Bosch 18V Flexi-Click drill/driver been available in the USA, but that’s changing now with the 12V model.
I’m fairly certain that the Milwaukee M12 4-in-1 drill also has combinable adapters, where you can attach the drill chuck onto the right angle adapter. Maybe you can attach the offset adapter as well?
Also, you might find this interesting. In the Bosch USA press release, as well as the international one, Bosch seems to have dropped “12V Max” branding, and simply describes the battery system as 10.8V and 12V. They do mention that the max voltage is 12V. Sounds good to me. Maybe it was an oversight.
It’s impossible to tell just from a photo, but the new Bosch Flexi-Click does look to have very short adapters (a good thing), and their attachment mechanism looks easy to use. You connect the adapter and turn it clockwise until a control indicator and audible click confirm that everything is secure.
Compared to the Bosch 18V Flexiclick system, the 12V Flex-Click seems to have been redesigned from the ground up. The adapters aren’t just smaller to suit the 12V base handle, the locking mechanism does look all new, and definitely more compact.
The stackable right angle adapter has me thinking. Is it better to have a right angle adapter that you can attach the other attachments to, or would a single-piece right angle drill chuck have been better? A single right angle drill chuck would have been shorter, at least probably, but the functionality would have been reduced. No, I think that Bosch went the right way with their right angle adapter.
Part of me wonders if the locking bit holder was just included so that they could call this a 5-in-1 tool, instead of 4-in-1, but I can see the appeal of a locking bit holder vs. a magnetic one. I’ve had screwdriver bits pull out of magnetic bit holders before, but never out of my locking bit holders or impact drivers with locking chucks.
Good call, Bosch.
It’s a rare occasion for Bosch to release a new cordless power tool in the USA around the same time as internationally. Not that I’m complaining!
Price-wise, $199 might seem steep, until you consider all the functionality that the Bosch Flexi-Click system offers. It’s unclear as to what the US kit will include.
There are 2 international options, a kit that comes with the tool, all 4 adapters, a quick charger, (2) 2.0Ah battery packs, and an L-Boxx, for €219 (~$231), and a kit that comes with the drill, a drill chuck adapter, a quick charger, and (2) 2.0Ah battery packs, for €175 (~$185).
Until I learn otherwise, I’m going to assume that USA kit will be the tool, all 4 adapters, a charger, (2) 2.0Ah batteries, and a tool bag.
Internationally, the adapters will all be available separately.
Who else is excited about the Bosch 12V Flexi-Click?