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- Lithium-ion batteries
- Compact and lightweight
- 30-minute charger
- Less power than some competitors
- Very poor performance in cold weather
- Limited drilling capability
- One-year warranty
The Bosch Pocket Driver was the first subcompact Li-ion driver, leading the competition among cordless screwdrivers for the first two years or so. Now many other brands make subcompact Li-ion drivers, and 2009 comparison tests rank both the original 10.8-volt Bosch PS20-2 and its replacement, the slightly heavier 12-volt PS20-2A, below several new competitors for drilling and driving performance. This is partly because comparison tests confirm what owners have reported -- that the Bosch batteries don't perform well in when it's below freezing. Reviewers still find the Bosch Pocket Driver reasonably comfortable and convenient, but the top-ranked Milwaukee 2401-22 (*Est. $100) provides more power and better features, plus a five-year warranty.
Bosch is ranked as a brand in surveys at J.D. Power and Associates, as well as at Builder magazine. As a specific tool, the Bosch Pocket Driver has attracted so much interest that we found excellent comparison tests in six different publications, as well as many more single-product reviews. The most recent tests, at Wood magazine, the Journal of Light Construction and Tools of the Trade include the Bosch PS20-2A. Earlier tests at GetWoodworking.com and Fine Woodworking compare the Bosch Pocket Driver with other cordless screwdrivers and mini drivers. The single-product report at ConsumerReports.org is to the point and based on experience testing small cordless drivers, and the reviews by Tom Hintz at NewWoodworker.com compare the older and newer Bosch models, with a video and ample illustrations and details.
| Bosch PS20-2A 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver with 2 Batteries | |
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Our Sources
The Bosch PS20-2A ties for first place with two other cordless drivers in this 10-tool test. It's "second-best in power and third-best in run time."
Review: Shop Tested: Cordless Micro-drivers, Bob Hunter and Doug Ley, July 2010
In this Tools of the Trade review, the Bosch PS20-2A Pocket Driver ranks third among nine subcompact drill/drivers in the 10.8-volt to 12-volt range. Compared with the earlier PS20-2, the newer Bosch Pocket Driver has a magnet to make the chuck easier to load, but it weighs a bit more at 1.8 pounds.
Review: Tool Test: Compact & Subcompact Drill/Drivers, David Getts, Feb. 2009
3. Journal of Light Construction
The Bosch PS20-2A, the latest version of the Pocket Driver, trails the pack in this comparison review of six subcompact drill/drivers at the Journal of Light Construction. The Bosch is the least powerful and fails to perform after being stored overnight at 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Review: Tool Test: Subcompact Drill/Drivers, Dave Northup, Feb. 2009
4. GetWoodworking.com
This article in the U.K.'s Practical Woodworking magazine compares eight cordless screwdrivers, testing them by driving 2-inch No. 10 screws into soft wood without pilot holes. The Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver, called the Bosch GSR in the U.K., shares top ranking as the best screwdriver with the Metabo Powermaxx.
Review: Cordless Screwdrivers Reviewed, Editors of Practical Woodworking, Feb. 9, 2007
This older review in Fine Woodworking compares two cordless screwdrivers, the Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver 10.8-volt Li-ion and the Ridgid R81030 9.6-volt Ni-Cd, based on objective tests. The Ridgid is the favorite for big construction jobs because of its superior power and ability to work in tight spaces, but the Bosch Pocket Driver is so much lighter that editors give it top ranking for workshop use.
Review: Cordless Screwdrivers Do One Thing Very Well, Asa Christiana and John White, July 2006
6. ConsumerReports.org
The Bosch PS20-2 isn't tested in the most recent roundup review at ConsumerReports.org, but editors do give it a single-product review here, complete with a video showing the Pocket Driver in action.
Review: First Looks: Bosch Pocket Driver PS20-2, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, July 2006
7. American Woodworker
This article in American Woodworker on Li-ion tools recommends the Bosch Pocket Driver, mentioning testing but without documenting the procedures. However, the publication itself has earned a lot of credibility for past comparison tests of power tools.
Review: Lithium-Ion for the Woodworker, Bill Szydlo, July 2007
Woodworker Tom Hintz provides a video review of the Bosch PS20-2A at NewWoodworker.com as well as a detailed, well-illustrated text review with ample comparisons with the earlier Bosch PS20-2, also reviewed here. The newer Bosch PS20-2A provides more torque along with a magnetic chuck, but the video doesn't show the LED light as very well directed.
Review: Bosch PS20-2A Pocket Driver: Very Cool, Well Made and Just as Handy, Tom Hintz, Aug. 5, 2008
Reviewer Chuck Cage notes that the Bosch PS20 Pocket Driver weighs just 1.8 pounds, yet it is designed to handle 80 percent of the tasks for which people usually use a much heavier drill. It's also small enough to be carried in the pocket of a tool belt.
Review: Hands-On: The Bosch Litheon Pocket Driver, Chuck Cage and contributors, July 13, 2006
10. Toolbarn.com
This blogger praises the Bosch Pocket Driver for its ergonomics and size, noting that most cordless drills are overkill and cumbersome for many tasks, but the Pocket Driver is just right. The reviewer also likes the 30-minute charger.
Review: Hands on with the Bosch Pocket Driver, Editors of ToolBarn.com, Aug. 3, 2006
Bosch ranks second only to Milwaukee among 13 cordless drill brands, in this third annual J.D. Power and Associates' customer-satisfaction survey. The rankings are based on six factors, with drill performance most important, followed by ease of use, battery performance, price, versatility of battery system and warranty.
Review: 2010 Cordless Drill/Driver Satisfaction Study, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, June 2, 2010
This 2007 survey of 3,428 builders and contractors ranks Bosch third out of 15 brands that make cordless drills -- right below Milwaukee and DeWalt.
Review: 2008 Builder Brand Study, Hanley Wood, 2008
13. Amazon.com
More than 90 owners give the Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver a high average rating in their reviews at Amazon.com. However, a few owners report battery problems, and some say they are annoyed that it doesn't come with any bits.
Review: Bosch PS20-2A 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver with 2 Batteries, Contributors to Amazon.com
14. Lowes.com
More than 30 owners reviewing the Bosch PS20-2A at Lowes.com give it very high average ratings and mostly rave reviews, but a few report quality control problems: early breakdown or a unit with a trigger that didn't work well.
Review: Bosch 12-Volt ¼ " Hex Cordless Pocket Driver with Case, Contributors to Lowes.com