Bosch Reviews

I have the original Roto-Zip plus this model also. There have been alot of times this tool was the only one that would fit in the tight places or able to do what this tool does that no other can do. Since Bosch came out with the new X- bits; bit breakage should be alot less. Usually the regular bits break when pushed too hard while cutting through wood. I have cut wood, plexi-glass, sewer tile, removed cement grout with the carbide bit, cut out drywall electrical sockets, cut locks into, & grinded bolts, & sharpened mower blades with the original. The RZ-10 just can't use the sanding, grinding & polishing discs with the cut off attachment until Bosch does a little more homework.
They have improved alot on the Roto-Zip tools since the original model came out. (A rubber, tacky grip; a dust sealed switch; a keyless chuck; an adjustable RPM motor; more accesories; and they fixed the problem with the cooling fins from slipping.
Not all tools are perfect since they are man made; but it is a handy dandy tool to have when needed! Bosch also makes one of the finest jigsaws I have ever used!
UPDATE: Bosch has come out with the new attachment to use with this model of Roto-Zip saws as a sander, polisher & a grinder.

I used this to replace a shower valve - cut out some tiles, some drywall, it was an absolute dream, couldn't imagine how fast it was at work I was dreading. The bits are a big problem. I have gone through 4 tile cutting bits now (at about 6 clams a pop) - about one per foot of cutting, and I am someone with a gentle touch with tools - I have never broken a jig saw blade or drill bit.

I've had this tool for quite a while, and use it all the time. Easiest way to make clean cuts in metal, brick (with diamond cutoff blade), drywall, etc. Also, the only tool I've found for doing blind cuts into a corner, like when replacing a single hardwood floor board.

I haven't had the bit-life problems another reviewer mentioned; it might be they need a carbide tip. The only significant problem I've run into is getting into tight spaces; taking the base off helps, but the body is still a little wider than I'd like.

Using it to break through 6 feet of rock.... did ok but the handle feels cheap like its going to fall off and the darn thing just doesnt have the power i would like

I highly recommend this hammer. It's tough and has never let me down, works like a steel horse!

This ahmmer is really a life saver. I used it to crush a 30' x 30' slab 4" thich and it only took 2 days. The only downfall is that its taller than pueumatic demolition hammers and im not that tall so it was a little hard to pull iy back up when crushing the concrete. I still highly recomend it

If you intend to use this system with other attachments - make sure they are the fine dust generating type. The hose causes too much vacuum loss and won't pull larger chips away and it will plug up. The hose is very flexible and doesn't crush but it can't be shorten because of the molded in fittings. It's small diameter and flexibility componds the vacuum loss when you use it.

This system can NOT be used successfully with a router or circular saw dust collection attachment. It probably will work ok with a jig saw, palm sander or belt sander.

You won't get "hosed" with this acessory. I like it to attach the sander to the shop vac and it keeps dust to a minimum in the shop. This is a must have if you do alot of sanding!

I have had one of these hoses for the last 6 years. It has performed very well, it really doesn't crush, simply folds over and then opens right back up. It is ideal for use with a shop vac and sander for keeping the shop dust level down. It's light weight makes it easy to use.

I bought this thing about 6 months ago and
didn't like it much right from the beginning, that's since I turned it on the very first time. In short, I got slight electric shock. But I tried to forget about the incident, hoping that money spent on the brand vacuum cleaner would do the best... And I was wrong.
Well, first of all, the so called snap connector that connects ergoplus handle with the telescopic tube has broken just a couple of days ago. Without any reason. Actually, there was one reason: it was designed probably by some stupid guys that
made it so thin that the accident was pretty much obvious.
A couple of more thing that I don't like in this cleaner. When you disconnect power cord it will be rolled back with such huge strength and speed that you got to be really careful not to heard some one around you. Integral accessory holder is also kind of funny thing, cause you will not enjoy using it. Believe me. It was also designed weirdly.
It's difficult to hold the cleaner while you are using it. I also don't like the brush itself. Especially, when you clean carpets. So, I spend a week doing my research in buying the vacuum cleaner and the purchase was way not the best.

Timur

As expected from a product made in Germany and with a name like Bosch, the quality seems to be very good. The suction is great, the telescopic handle is conveinient. One thing I didn't expect for a vacuum with a retail price of 699 was the cord for the powerhead that uses plastic snap on rings to attach it to the hose. I've seen 599 simplicity's that have the cord built into the hose, but then again, I only paid 225 shipped on sale. You'd have to be an idiot to get electrocuted by touching the connector for the powerhead when the vacuum is on. The variable power is nice eacuse the powerhead can be hard to move on area rugs with full suction.

I bought my first Bosch vacuum about a year and a half ago. By far, it picked up more dirt than the Dyson or any other vacuum I have ever owned. It lasted through the last 8 months of a remodel to my home and my contractors using it on all sorts of dust and rubble! I just bought a second one to keep on the first floor! It definitly gets a THUMBS UP by me!

This part is not really worth it. I was using a Bosch orbital jigsaw that that I got for our pergo kitchen floor. I started out using the inserts, but after a while I just couldn't see the line I needed to cut so I took it off. When I did I really didn't notice a difference with it off. If you use a sharp fine tooth blade you can achieve the same results and see where you are trying to cut. In my opinion this is just alot of fluff. Invest in a bunch of good blades, its worth it.

I thought that since they were clear plastic, they would do the job, and not get in the way of being able to see the line. Wrong! They fog up with wood dust on the underside, right away, and the line is impossible to see. When I wanted to see where my marks were at the end of the cut, I had to guess.
In terms of getting a straight aim, Bosch put a V groove on the leading edge. If you were making a completely through cut, then the splintering inserts are a good thing to have. But when I tried to see where my cut would stop, it was buried under the insert, and couldn't see my mark. So I guessed. The net result is an inaccurate cut. When I took the insert off, I could make the cut, and come to an exact mark.
The insert blocks the blower from being able to get to the wood, so it is only cleaning off the top. Having used it both ways, it is nowhere near as good as eyeballing the blade.
I know they are inexpensive, so I shouldn't get so excited. The reason why I feel bad is that one came with the jigsaw, and instead of using it, I went ahead and bought a five pack of them.
I used a finer tooth blade, made my cuts into 3/4" oak with the splintering inserts installed. It made a very smooth cut without splintering. I removed the inserts, and used the same finer tooth blade, made my cuts, and it also made a very smooth cut without splintering.
End of story, just use a good finer tooth blade. The Bosch blades are Swiss made, and they are so sharp they are almost scary. They fly through the material, and don't create any splinters, just clean smooth edges.
My advice, put the money toward a new pack of fine tooth blades.

I prefer reverse tooth or fine blades when I don't want splinters. That way I can keep a close eye on the cut which is harder with these. If you are using a straight edge I suppose they would be more useful. For a truly clean cut I make a rough cut about 1/8" larger and then use a router and a straight edge for the final clean up. I would spend my money on good blades rather than these.

First, the sound: not that great. Hardly any bass. By default (every time you power it up) "Bosch Sound" is selected, you have to press a button to turn it off. "Bosch Sound" is some kind of distortion adding feature that makes all music sound like you are overtaxing the amplifier. It's really awful and makes the speakers sound like they are blown. Fortunately it can be turned off with a single button press but you must do so every time you turn it on. Regarding CD playback, this device is more sensitive to scratches and skipping than any other CD player I've seen. Regarding charging your Bosch batteries, it is slower than the standard Bosch charger, and takes multiple hours for a full charge. Regarding the loudness, it's not that loud, certainly not loud enough to be heard over a power saw. It can be heard over a dust collector though. This has lots of features, but doesn't perform any of them all that well. I don't feel it is worth the price, even as a reconditioned item. Really they should pay more attention to the sound, that's the primary function of the device, and a $25 boom box is just as good.

I received my reconditioned Bosch PB10-CD today and I am very pleased with my purchase. I haven't used all the features yet but the radio and CD player sounds great. The product is in like new condition and is a great bargain for the price.

I bought this radio after reading reviews for the new item in which most people liked it but some complained about its ability to pick up radio signals. My reconditioned radio came with a corded antennae. I haven't even unwrapped the antennae but I get all the radio stations I could think of in my area. Everything else about it has worked as promised. The ability to charge an extra battery or to run off of it has been very nice. The extra GFCI circuits has also been very helpful as we remodel our house. The radio came from CPO Bosch and everything worked as new. I wouldn't think twice about ordering one of their reconditioned items.

I like Milwaulkee quality, but both jigsaws have a seperate speed control on the end. It is difficult to turn on and off and it's also impossible to change the speed while cutting. Sometimes you need to start out with a slow speed and increase the speed after you are into your cut. I returned mine for a jigsaw with the on/off and speed control in the switch. It's also rather large and heavy.

This a great saw. It's powerful, durable, and the quick-change blade release is the best I've seen.

The only reason I gave this saw four stars instead of five is because of the price, but if you make a living with your tools it's definitely worth it.

This tool is a piece of art and definitely worth the money if your cuts need to be accurate. This is the first barrel grip I've used, you won't believe what a difference this grip makes in control and lack of effort required, I'll never go back to a top handle. Vibration is non-existant, cuts true, straight and fast.
The side mounted slide switch is the only good/bad part. Good part = no effort needed to run saw (no finger fatigue no matter how long or curved the cut). Possible bad part = be VERY aware of switch position and saw location when plugging into power source.
This saw makes using this type of tool a pleasure, actually look forward to cutting with it.

I purchased the Bosch 1617EVSPK router kit and the Bench Dog P-PC200 phenolic plate at the same time. I need the plate for a special jig. Bench Dog claims the P-PC200 plate is predrilled to fit all Bosch 1617/18 routers. I spent at least 1 hour trying to fit the plate onto the plunge base and was unsuccessful. The hole pattern on the plunge base matched a set of holes on the paper template included with the plate, but the plate was not predrilled with those holes. I called Bench Dog twice, and they kept telling me it should fit. Fortunately, Tool Crib was kind enough to let me ship the plate back at their expense.

The quality of the plate appears fine, but I am rating the plate only 3 stars because of Bench Dog's package claims and the technical support I received from them.

I use this ProPlate in my Bench Dog cast iron router table wing. So far the only router I have mounted to it is the DeWalt DW618 fixed base model.

Though it took some head scratching and studying of the paper template provided, I eventually figured out which holes to use to mount the plate to my router. My belief is that if Bench Dog says this plate will fit your router (with the predrilled holes), then it will fit. My main confusion was that my router's clear base mounts with four screws but the ProPlate only uses three screws to mount to my router. Once I realized this, putting this plate into use was a snap!

I highly recommend this product for its quality, performance, and decent price.

I have used the Internet extensively for information on tankless water heaters and this 250SX model in particular, so I wanted to fully detail my experiences accurately for others. In short, these things aren't for everyone, it depends on your usage and tolerance, your handyman ability, and the quality of plumbing in your home particularly water pressure. That being said, I am personally very happy with my 250SX set up, but I had to make some adjustments.

Usage: I only use hot water at the kitchen faucet, dishwasher, and clothes washer about once a week. I take a 10 or 15 minute shower every morning. About once a month I fill my 75 gallon jacuzzi. Rarely do I use hot water in the bathroom sinks for other uses, I often wash my hands in cold water. Other than the jacuzzi water and shower, I use very little hot water. Having a hot water tank of 75 gallons, or even 40 gallons, just does not make sense. The 250SX needs 0.8 gallon flow to activate the heating element. I take fairly hot showers and I keep the 250SX at 124 degrees. Because an extra 0.8 gallon flows through the pipes before the 250SX activates, some complain that it takes too long to get hot water, but I think it is no big deal. A bigger problem for some: when you turn off the hot water then turn it on again, your hot water that was in the pipe comes first, then the 0.8 cold water, then it gradually gets hot again. That is a little annoying. Imagine your wife turning the hot water on and off to wash dishes. A hot water tank would just keep the hot water flowing ready for on/off use, but not a tankless unit. It wasn't too big of a deal, but in the end I decided to solve the problem by adding a 6 gallon hot water tank (Ariston GL6+) in series after the 250SX. The 250SX has 3/4 inch NPT water threads, to keep the pressure constant make sure you get a small holding tank that also has 3/4 inch NPT water threads. The hot water always flows through the hot water tank last and the outward source recieves hot water from the small holding tank first. Also, the 0.8 gallon of cold water flows into the small tank first where it is mixed with 6 gallons tanked hot water. Set the small tank at about 4 degrees higher than the 250SX and you won't even know the difference in temperature; problem solved. One guy told me that his wife insists that the hot water must be 140 degrees in the dishwasher, but she also likes luke-warm showers. The problem here is that the 250SX does not get the 0.8 gallon of flow when she is in the shower. Add the fact that she messes with the shower's water controls and the unit goes from on (hot) to off (cold) while she is in the shower. Apparently, that really pisses her off. The small holding tank helps with this too, but there are several ways to solve this problem: 1) get a new wife, 2) use Bosch's remote temperature control (about $120 extra) at the shower to turn down the temperature, 3) turn on a bathroom faucet while she showers (wasting a lot of hot water) 4) my new dishwasher (this recently went out too) has an option to superheat the water it uses (it must have a separate water heater). Some people complain that the unit causes less hot water pressure, but that is not my experience at all. It helps to have good water pressure to begin with (mine is 70 psi) but maybe the hard piping to keep 3/4 of water flowing without bottlenecks helps too. Some people complain that the unit makes a high pitched noise, but that is not my experience either. I will say this: for a short time I had it connected to the previous tanks 1/2 inch gas line. It did make this noise a little when two hot water appliances worked at the same time; probably has to do with needing more gas than available in the 1/2 inch line. In that case, that problem is solved by hard piping a 3/4 inch gas pipe to the 250SX. It seems to me all these problems are related to particular usage or to improper installation; READ THE INSTALLATION MANUAL.

Installation: The venting exhaust must be on its own line, NOT combined with say your furnace exhaust. Also, be sure you incline the exhaut pipe upward if venting horizontally as the manufacturer requires. Incidentally, the model's installation instructions are available on the Internet, READ THE INSTALLATION MANUAL. The 250SX drinks in 175,000 BTU when it is working hard, that might mean you will need to upgrade your gas line. In my case, I was replacing my furnace as well as the water heater. The guy that installed the furnace, used the previous 3/4 inch gas line for the 250 SX, then ran another gas line for the new furnace. Since it was part of the bid, I have no way of knowing the cost, but I would guess the cost at $75 of the furnace bid. To insure that the 250SX gets sufficient gas, the installation manual strongly suggests that the gas line be hard piped to the unit which is what the furnace guy did for me. Another guy told me to hard pipe the water lines to unsure that there are no bottle necks in the water pressure. Apparently, a 3/4 inch flex line is actually 5/8 inch in the middle. I sweated the 3/4 inch copper pipe from the cold water source to the 250SX, then to the 6 gallon holding tank, then to the hot water line; all water runs through 3/4 inch copper pipe with unions for quick uninstall if either the 250SX or the holding tank needs to be replaced someday. You will need an outlet for the 250SX pilotless ignition, but I think it takes very little power. If you install the Ariston tank, it requires a 20 amp circuit hardwired to the unit. So, you've got to know a little about electrical, plumbing for copper pipe, and basic handyman skills for everything else. I found it to be a fun little installation project. You can also contract out the installation but it is rather expensive.

Costs: I bought mine at a local hardware store for $899 + tax. The expenses don't stop there, if properly installed this model MUST HAVE a special sealed 3 inch stainless steel pipe for hot gas (carbon monoxide) exhaust, plus a wall thimble and a termination hood. I needed 13.5 feet of exhaust venting (AL29 type) which I bought on the Internet (Cinnabar) for $292. The optional small holding tank (Ariston GL6+) cost me $174 (from Ace hardware on the Internet, have them send it to one of their stores). There is another $150 to $200 in other materials, including a 20 amp circuit plus 12 gauge wire for the small holding tank which needs to be hard wired, copper pipe, etc. The 250SX itself needs an outlet for pilotless ignition. You are supposed to have both on separate curcuits, but I felt this was not necessary, so I put them on the same circuit, outlet and hardwire to the small tank. In total, everything cost me about $1650 with the small tank and installing everything myself. Figure more if you need to increase your gas line as these things suck 175,000 BTUs when loaded, plus $800 to $1500 more if you have someone else install it for you. I got a quote for about $800 for the install not including the small holding tank or the extra for the increased gas line.

Analysis: I figure a quality large water heater, big enough for my Jacuzzi, would be about $800 installed. I will get $300 back in a Federal Tax credit, so the tankless unit setup is $550 in extra expenses that have to be made up in savings ($1650 - $800 -$300 = $550). I figure I save $8 a month in energy costs when I subtract the $2.50 a month to operate the small 6 gallon water tank. It depends on how much hot water you use, others claim they save $20 a month. That means it will take me about 6 years to break even. The warranty is 12 years on the 250SX and 6 years on the GL+6. Keep in mind that tankless units are expected to give twice the service of a water tank. That make sense since most water tanks rust out trying to hold all that water. I have used the 250SX for 2 months now. I'm tickled pink by the unit, but NOT because of my marginal energy savings. With the small tank in series, it acts a lot like the tank I replaced, except the hot water is endless, great for the Jacuzzi, and a lot of room is freed up in my garage. Bottom line: If you 1) have good water pressure (a must), 2) are able to install it yourself, 3) have other reasons besides energy savings to install, then I highly recommend it. If you are lacking on these 3 points then do yourself a favor and just replace your old hot water tank with another.

Tankless water heaters are the wave of the future if you ask me. They're using them all over western europe already, because they can't afford to waste energy. We can't in the US either, but then we're encouraged to. Over the life of the water heater, you'll save a lot of money on your tankless water heater.

Tankless water heaters are DIFFERENT than the one you're used to. So you have to shift your expectations. The difference? Tankless water heaters don't STORE hot water, they make it as you use it. Therefore, if they can't make enough, they run cold(er). If they can make enough (like when you take a shower) they'll never run out. Their problems are different too. Their sensing circuitry is more high tech, and computer controlled. When gas pressure or water pressure fluxuates, so can the temperature. It takes very little handle adjustment to make a big change in temperature. You might also consider buying the remote temperature controller. I can see where that might make your life a bit easier when switching from the shower to the tub.

Now to the 250SX. We've been running ours in San Francisco for about 5 months. We put it in the attic to get it out of the living space. Its gas fired. It supplies a tub and a shower simultaneously (and actually works a bit better when you turn on both than it does when you use only 1). Gas and water pressure fluxuations affect the temperature of a shower, which can take some adjustment. The power bills are down as a result .. no wasted water heating when you're not using it. Turning on other appliances can affect the temperature and actually make the water run cold, depending on how much pressure you have in your house and how much it fluctuates naturally. There seems to be a good case for installing pressure regulation to use this applicance, though we didn't. We're currently considering installing a second unit just for the dishwasher and sink.

Its a nice, quiet, efficient unit. Its easy to understand. It takes some reading to install it correctly (your building department will help you do that, but you have to work with them). The space savings are great. There's a computer involved, so you have to read and understand the error codes so you can troubleshoot it if it has problems. I reccomend getting a plumber with experienced to help you plan the installation, and size the unit. It gets more technical than just about any other household installation.

That said .. might as well ride the wave of the future now, save yourself some money, the planet some hydrocarbons, and some of that valuable real estate you paid so much for.

I've really liked this vacuum -- good quality, nice features, light weight. But after just a few months the cord no longer retracts.

This is a really great value in a high quality canister vacuum. It captures all the dust in a triple layer bag which has a sliding tab to close the opening as you remove the bag so that you are never exposed to the dust. And there is never any dust inside the machine -- it ALL stays inside the well insulated bag. Changing bags is a snap, it slips right into a holder. Everything about this Bosch BSG81313UC is very well engineered. It is the quietest vacuum I ever used, and it has variable suction so that you can clean drapes or fabrics without sucking them into the nozzle. The wheels glide smoothly over all surfaces, and there are good rubber bumpers all around so that you do not nick or scratch your furniture. The handle and light weight make it easy to carry. This excellent German product sells for a fraction of the other major German vacuum cleaner: Miele. I cannot imagine how those more expensive ones could possibly be any better. You WILL love this one and have HUNDREDS of dollars left over to celebrate your good choice!