When you’re doing home construction or renovation, being able to drill properly and quickly is a great help–thus, The Bosch HDH181X-01 Review

Holes for sinking in supports, nails or more are essential for a rather large variety of construction projects. However, it can be hard to do this with the wide variety of materials that need to be drill through or the locations for the holes, which is what makes having a hammer drill so imperative.

Way back on June 6th, 1979, the Russians unleashed their response upon the US–in the form of drilling. Up until that time, the US had held the world depth record but a determined set of Russian guys put a huge hole in that record, as well as the earth, with the Kola Superdeep Borehole. What they found out, however, was that drilling into the earth is much easier said or theorized than done. In short, they were able to attain the world record with their effort but learned just how inadequate their technology was for anything more than this record attempt.

For the rest of us, with the right drill, you’d be able to handle most home repair and constructions. It can be hard to make a choice though with all of the drills out there. One of the better choices that’s been out there for a while is the Bosh HDH181X-01, which has consistently been at the top of the list.

Features

• Active Response System. This feature is the main reason why you would want to buy this product. This system automatically locks up your motor when it hits a certain speed threshold. This stops your drill from going too far and ensures that you have complete control over the drill. Considering how many household accidents happen because of construction projects, having this safety net available is a good thing for you. This is especially so considering the power of the motor inside this drill.
• 4-Pole motor. The motor housed inside this drill is fairly powerful considering its 18 volt power source. With four poles running at full, you can expect around 752 pounds of torque, which should be enough to drill through most materials, whether it is metal or wood. It also has a 25+1 clutch setting which allows for an accurate level of drilling for your job. You can actually use it for screwing in heavy bolts at its lowest RPM of 440, while you can drill with the highest setting of 1,850 RPM.
• Long Side Handle. To even better control this cordless drill, Bosch included a longer side handle for times when you needed maximum steadiness. All you need to do is connect it to the side of your cordless drill and you have another point of contact for your hands. You can actually move it around in 23 different positions without even having to remove it. It even has an LED light to ensure that you can see while in darkened areas. Overall, this is an essential part of the kit for this product.

Pros

• The cordless nature of this drill makes it a good choice for carrying around on various work sites. It also allows you to bring it into tight places like underneath a sink or something similar.
• You have an impressive level of control over this cordless drill. This is important because it has a lot of power to deal with. This is both thanks to the Active Response system which you can use to limit it the motor to certain speeds. It will automatically lock out the motor when it hits a threshold. It also helps that the drill has two grips: it has a pistol grip and a side grips which allows you to keep it steady despite how much feedback the motor produces.
• Easy battery change and charging makes it very easy to keep this drill running. The battery is inserted underneath the pistol grip. What’s great about it is that it is a flexible system. You can use lithium-ion batteries from other Bosch products to keep this drill charged. Combined with the two fat-pack batteries that come with it, you can keep on working for a longer time.

Cons

• It does not come with any bits. When you’re drilling, the most important part of the entire process is to have a drill bit to do the drilling. That this product comes with no drill bit is a major disappointment. A lot of people are going to expect to get one though, so they need to be more clear about the lack of the drill bit. Still it will allow you to get a specific set of drill bits best fit for your needs.
• It can be confusing to use at first. The manual included with the product can be a bit confusing at times. You may want to go over it a few times to be sure that you are doing things right.

Verdict

As a cordless demolition hammer drill, the Bosch HDH181X-01 meets all of the requirements you might have and even exceeds them. The drill manages to deliver a lot of power that you can put to good use. The 752 pounds of torque is more than enough to handle everything from wood to metal. Even with all that power though, there is no need for concern since the Active Response system allows you to have full control over the drill. Overall, it is a good move to invest in this drill if you plan to do a lot of construction work in the future.