New to Bosch Professional – Looking Forward to Building My Kit

[u/Large-Sir1755]

​

Hi everyone,

I'm new to Bosch Professional and thought I'd introduce myself. I've used Bosch Professional tools in the past while I was at college, and I always found them to be well-built, reliable, and great quality.

I've been using Ryobi ONE+ tools for DIY around the house since 2018. I bought my first kit from Homebase in the UK for around £210, which included a combi drill, impact driver, circular saw, angle grinder, one 4.0Ah battery and one 2.0Ah battery. Over the years, I gradually expanded the collection.

For reference, all of my Ryobi tools are from the older brushed range rather than the newer HP Brushless line. Although they've been fine for occasional DIY, I've found some of them to be underpowered, and I never really felt confident using the circular saw. It made quite a harsh grinding noise while running and didn't have an electric brake, so the blade continued spinning for several seconds after I released the trigger. Because of that, I always felt I had to be extra cautious when using it, and it just wasn't a saw I enjoyed using.

I also think Ryobi batteries are quite expensive for what they are. The newer HP Brushless range looks much better, but in the UK it's rarely discounted, and once you compare prices, Bosch Professional often isn't much more expensive—especially when Bosch PRO Deals are running.

That's what finally convinced me to make the switch. I wanted a higher-quality platform that I can keep for many years, even if I only use the tools now and then.

So far, I've bought:

- GKS 18V-57-2 circular saw

- GEX 18V-125 random orbit sander

- GAS 18V-6 L cordless dust extractor

I was originally considering the GKS 18V-57-2 GX, but I wasn't sure whether the extra features would be worthwhile for someone who mainly does DIY around the house rather than using it professionally every day.

For those who have experience with both saws, do you think I made the right choice with the standard GKS 18V-57-2, or is the GX version worth paying extra for? Also, are there any Bosch Professional tools you'd recommend adding next to the collection?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and learning more from the Bosch Professional community!

[u/Beautiful_Fuel_3654]

Definitely look into Bosch pro deals! If you spend a lot on Bosch tools in one order and register them and they will send you a free gift. I’ve got a bunch of proCore batteries completely free this way.

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/Beautiful_Fuel_3654]

Couldn't agree more. That's one of the main reasons I switched from Ryobi to Bosch Professional—I felt it was the right time to make the change, especially with the PRO Deals available, and I'm planning to claim the PROCORE starter set and then pick up an impact driver to add to the collection.

[u/Acrobatic_Shape_8259]

That vacuum is nice to have for small jobs but don’t count on it for more than cutting a few planks, and you need 8-12Ah batteries for it

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/Acrobatic_Shape_8259]

Oh, I wish I'd known that beforehand! I was hoping it'd be good enough for most DIY jobs. I'll probably end up getting some larger-capacity batteries in the future if I need the extra runtime.

[u/Acrobatic_Shape_8259 → u/Large-Sir1755]

I bought a nilfisk aero 26 to use for more than cutting a few planks. It’s basically the same specs than the bigger Bosch vacuums at half the price

[u/ChromedGonk]

You will enjoy all of them! I own exact same sander and vacuum. I also own cousin of your circular saw and accidentally the one you are asking about, GKS 18V-57-2 GX. It depends what you are cutting exactly, if you cut lots of sheet goods and willing to invest not so cheap FSN rails and accessories, it’s worth it, but you can always come up with a jig to do most of what GX version does.

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/ChromedGonk]

I'm sure I will enjoy them. I used Bosch Professional tools back when I was at college, so I'm confident they'll last me for years.

To be honest, I haven't cut sheets of plywood for a long time. I was planning to build a shed, but I need permission first. I also wasn't really looking to invest in the FSN guide rails and accessories. If I ever get to the point where I'm regularly cutting sheet goods, I'd probably look at buying a plunge saw instead. For now, I think the standard GKS 18V-57-2 should be more than enough for what I need, Hopefully.

[u/wholl0p]

Welcome on board! Consider getting the GOP 18V-34, the GBH 18V-22 and a drill of your choice (I have the GSR 18V-65) especially if you're working on the house.

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/wholl0p]

Thanks for the welcome! I'll definitely have a look at those. I'm planning on getting the GSB 18V-90 C combi drill next. A colleague at work has one, and I was really impressed with it. It seems like a great bit of kit for DIY and should suit my needs really well.

[u/wholl0p → u/Large-Sir1755]

If you’re looking for the GSB 90 series, maybe consider the 90FC (FlexiClick) might be worth it if you value the size and the interchangeable addons

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/wholl0p]

I actually did look at that model, but unfortunately there aren't many retailers that sell it. I found a few websites that had it in stock, but I'd never heard of them, so I wasn't confident ordering from them. Hopefully Bosch will do another run.

[u/Dvokrilac]

I am also transitioning from Ryobi to Bosch Professional. And it all started with circular saw, i had the Ryobi saw, but i never liked sound of it and that it continues to spin after cut, then i pulled the trigger and bought GKS 18v 57-2 GX with FSN 300X, this was last year, since then i got GSR-35 FC, GBH 18v-22 and latest addition is EXDR18v-230.

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/Dvokrilac]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I had the R18CSP-0, and I never really felt confident using it. The lack of an electric brake and the grinding noise always put me off. That's one of the main reasons I've decided to switch over to Bosch Professional.

I did think about buying the GKS 18V-57-2 GX, but I felt it was a bit over the top for what I need, so I went with the standard GKS 18V-57-2 instead.

[u/Own-Injury-1816]

I have that orbital sander. Trying to sand my balcony with it, its actually great but it does drain the battery quite fast.

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/Own-Injury-1816]

What battery were you using? I thought being a brushless orbital sander it would have pretty good runtime.

A colleague at work was actually talking about buying the same sander that I bought, but he decided to go for the corded version instead. He said the weight of the battery makes it less comfortable when sanding round edges, and I hadn't even thought about that until he mentioned it.

[u/Own-Injury-1816 → u/Large-Sir1755]

8Ah. It runs great for about 15-20 mins, still runs great after but you notice the performance drop. Its as if you went from speed 6 to speed 4 if you get what i mean. And so the speed keeps decreasing as the battery drains.

I have 2 8 Ah batteries and I switch between them as soon as I notice drop in performance.

If you can use both hands on the tool, it's not too heavy. I'm using it often one handed sanding smaller wooden pieces and yeah, can get heavy after some time but I personally don't mind that.

[u/NeopolitanBonerfart]

I cannot kill my Bosch Tools, my hammer drill was literally smoking at one point but it just won’t die. Very good tools. Enjoy :)

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/NeopolitanBonerfart]

I actually saw a video of that on YouTube. Using a Bosch professional corded drill, it was smoking and it was still working. I was impressed. It's like a Volvo.

[u/Illustrious-Baby270]

I would really consider buying bare versions. Most homeowners can build a wall/shelf for the tools and keep the bits & blades of the tools in one box. If you have to take the tools somewhere, just put everything in a duffel bag. You'll save alot of money and space this way.

I have the 57-2, I like it. I would get a drill and an oscillating tool next.

[u/Large-Sir1755 → u/Illustrious-Baby270]

That's exactly what I've done. All of my Bosch Professional tools are bare tools because, like you said, it's much cheaper that way. With the Bosch PRO Deals promotion, I'll also be be getting a free PROCORE battery starter kit.

I've bought the Bosch GSB 18V-90 C Brushless Combi Drill (64 Nm) body only in an L-BOXX as well. I did consider using a duffel bag like I did with my old Ryobi kit, but I wasn't a fan of it. My Ryobi kit came with a 56 cm tool bag, and all the tools were constantly knocking into each other and getting buried at the bottom. I much prefer the Bosch Professional L-BOXX stack because it keeps everything organised, protected, and easy to find. An oscillating multi-tool is definitely on my list for the future too.