Most power tool manufacturers label their products systematically, and most of the technical characteristics can be understood from one name. And while the models of Japanese, Chinese and other manufacturers can get confusing, the marking of Bosch tools in German is systematic and transparent.
However, Bosch has so many product lines that it’s not a sin to have a cheat sheet.
Tool color
The Germans were among the first to introduce a public division into professional and home tool. Previously, and even now, most manufacturers distinguished household tools into a separate brand or identified some lines with less reliability and power.
Regarding Bosch power tools, separation in design has become a standard - and more often you can hear “green” instead of “home” and “blue” instead of professional, and not only from this manufacturer. Actually, the marking features begin with the color designation. By the way, there are more than two of them:
- P- home or personal instrument, from the German persönlich, promoted under the DIY thesis - Do It Yourself, home crafts;
- G- commercial or professional, from the German großtechnisch, “on an industrial scale”;
- A- garden accessories (including chainsaws), by the way, are also distinguished by the color of the plastic body - light green;
- B And D— measuring equipment and accessories.
Bosch tool type table
Universal structure of the tool brand:
- Tool level (1 character);
- Instrument type (2−3, less often 1 character);
- Two digits separated by a dash, indicating key features, depending on the type;
- A set of additional properties, 1 letter per property.
Table with tool types according to block II markings:
| Symbols | Tool type | Key features with example |
| _AS | Construction vacuum cleaner | 25 — tank volume in liters |
| _BH | Hammer | 2−26
26 — drilling diameter (maximum) |
| _BM | Impactless drill | 6 - maximum drilling diameter in brick |
| _BS | Belt sander | 75 — width of the tape used in mm |
| _DA | Grinder (delta) | 280 - power in Watts |
| _DB | Drill (installation) for diamond drilling | 2500 - power in Watts |
| _EX | Eccentric sander | 125 — grinding wheel diameter 125−150 - the machine is suitable for two diameters |
| _GS | Grinding machine (engraver) | 8 — maximum number rpm 8000/min |
| _HG | Technical hair dryer | 660 - maximum temperature of blown air in degrees Celsius |
| _HO | Electric planer | 15−82
15 - maximum planing depth 1.5 mm 82 — drum width (processing) |
| _KF | Edge router | 600 - power in Watts |
| _KP | Glue gun | 200 - rod length |
| _KS | Circular Saw | 190 – saw blade size |
| _MF | Multifunctional tool (or router) | 190 - power in Watts |
| _NA | Metal cutting shears | 3.5 - weight in kilograms, power proportional |
| _OF | Universal router | 1600 - power in Watts |
| _PO | Polishing machine | 14 - power 1400 Watt |
| _SA | Reciprocating saw | 1100 - power in Watts |
| _SB | Hammer drill | 10.8-voltage similar to screwdrivers, for cordless models 16 or 1600 - maximum drilling diameter in brick (the power is approximately 1 to 0.5) |
| _SC | Electric cut-out scissors | 2.8 - weight in kilograms, power proportional |
| _SH | Bumper | 16−28
28 - hexagonal socket size |
| _SM | Sharpener | 200 — maximum size grinding wheel in mm |
| _SR | Cordless drill/driver | 1440−2
1440 - battery voltage is 14.4, which correlates with power. 2 - number of batteries included For home use, “2” goes into the “2-LI” block, which describes the batteries. 1440 and 14.4 - different models, without a comma - a “simplified” GSR line, in fact - DIY. |
| _SS | Vibrating sander | 180 - weight 1.8 kg, comparable to power |
| _ST | Jigsaw | 850 - maximum cutting depth in wood 85 mm |
| _WS | Angle grinder (grinder) | 17−125
17 - power (1700 Watt) 125 - circle diameter (125 mm) With a single digit - only power. |
Measuring instruments:
Additional markings
After the basic digital parameters there is a series of letters, which sometimes greatly influence the cost and functionality of the tool. Let's give a general list of notations.
Functions
Actually, combinations of letters after the leading model definition:
- A — dust removal system (jigsaws, sanders, etc.);
- B - yoke handle, in other words - “bracket”. Usually on jigsaws, routers and other woodworking tools
- C — stabilization of speed under load;
- D - rotation blocking;
- E— electronic adjustment rotation speed;
- F - replaceable cartridge included;
- H - additional straight handle;
- I - starting current limitation, protection against accidental switching on or anti-jamming kikckback stop;
- J—starting current limitation;
- L - increased endurance or power;
- P—pendulum stroke;
- R - reverse or rotation direction switch;
- S — set of equipment included;
- T - torque adjustment;
- V - vibration protection;
- X - automatic stop (braking) of the circle.
Batteries
It is worth highlighting large volume battery tool Bosch. In this case, the marking does not include the objective power value or dimensions, but the voltage of the battery used. In this way, the 10.8, 14.4, 18 lines are formed - from simple DIY (but still blue) to industrial.
The type of batteries and their quantity in the set are indicated separately. The most common combination is 2-LI - two lithium ion battery included.
Transcription examples
The currently popular multifunctional tool Bosch PMF 250 CES (or SCE):
And a small screwdriver, which is often chosen for everyday use - Bosch PSR 1440 LI-2:
Conclusion
The lines are constantly changing and updated, and marketing demands increasingly brighter names - this is how the 1440 lines appeared in addition to the 14.4, and the MF code moved from milling cutters to multifunctional tools. However, knowing the encodings, it will be much easier to communicate with managers in stores and not miss the correspondence of the configuration to your tasks when selecting on the Internet.
Everyone has it home handyman and a qualified specialist has a set of electric tools, which may include a screwdriver, grinder, drill, hammer drill, jigsaw, etc. If you decide to add new devices to your arsenal, but don’t know which company to choose so as not to overpay and be satisfied with the performance of the tool, we recommend that you carefully read this material. We have prepared a rating for site readers the best manufacturers power tools in 2017. We immediately draw your attention to the fact that the list will be compiled according to the principle of starting from the highest quality, but expensive brands to budget ones.
For industrial purposes
Anyone who has dealt with Festool tools is unlikely to speak poorly of their reliability. We personally worked with a disk router, with which we successfully milled aluminum composite slabs for more than a year. Perfect quality work, nothing to complain about. Otherwise, power tools are prohibitively expensive, so they are only suitable for industrial purposes, construction business, where it will quickly recoup its value.
By the way, the first place along with Festul is shared by Protool, whose instrument is also expensive, but high-quality!
American manufacturer of high quality tools. The business card of this company is black and red colors. As with Festul, you will have to pay a premium for a reliable American power tool, but it’s worth it. There are quite a lot of devices in the line interesting models, which you will not find from other manufacturers.
Hilti
Hilti closes our ranking of the best manufacturers of industrial tools. Both consumables and power tools have high quality, but also at an appropriate price. Personally, we have not encountered Hilti, but judging by the reviews on the Internet, the products are completely worth the money and it only makes sense to buy it to earn money, one might say even for business.
For professionals
The first place in this class is rightly occupied by the Japanese manufacturer of power tools - the company Makita, which has been confidently leading the Russian market for quite a long time. The reason for this is excellent reliability and at the same time reasonable price. A wide range of products allows you to choose the right tool not only for professional use, but also for domestic needs (periodic repairs).
Bosch
One more is enough famous manufacturer, which specializes not only in power tools, but also in general household appliances. The Bosch company, by the way, is also one of.
Returning to the tool, I would like to note that for professional purposes you need to choose devices of blue color, which are specifically designed for long-term use. In addition, blue screwdrivers, hammer drills, etc. have higher technical characteristics. In terms of reliability and price, Bosch tools are optimal, so we recommend choosing them for the job.
The American company DeWalt was included in our rating because... In terms of reliability, power tools from this manufacturer have proven themselves to be positive side. The only reason why you won’t see yellow-and-black screwdrivers and hammer drills everywhere is because they are more high cost, although it completely justifies itself.
However, if you want to choose quality tool for work, for comparison, pick up a model from DeWalt and any other Japanese analogue. You will feel the result yourself.
A brand no less recognizable on the Russian instrument market. German quality and reasonable price (slightly above average) have won the hearts of many professional installers. Still, due to its higher cost, Metabo loses to its competitors, because technical characteristics products are not better than Bosch or Makita, but nevertheless, everyone has their own preferences.
If you get a discount good screwdriver or a Metabo hammer drill, you can buy it with confidence. The quality is guaranteed, as you can verify by reading the relevant reviews on thematic forums.
Another Japanese power tool manufacturer that should definitely be included in the ranking the best companies for professional use. Please note that in Lately There are a lot of negative reviews about the quality of Hitachi tools, as well as problems with warranty workshops from manufacturers.
We can’t say anything about this; we’ve personally been using Hitachi for several years now and have no complaints about the work. Moreover, our Hitachi DS12DVF3 screwdriver has already fallen about a dozen times and, thanks to its rubberized body, is still alive, even the handle is not cracked. That’s why we strongly recommend it to those who have decided.
Also, the best manufacturers of professional power tools include brands such as AEG and Kress, but due to the fact that they are in little demand, and we ourselves have not used them, it is difficult to say anything definite. If you have experience and opinions about these brands, you can tell us in detail about them in the comments below the post, or on ours.
For home craftsmen
Bocsh
Yes, we were not mistaken, Bosch was included in yet another rating - power tools for home use. Screwdrivers, drills, etc. green ones are much cheaper and at the same time better than alternative budget products. If you need tools for home repairs, we recommend paying a little extra and buying Bosch rather than products from others inexpensive manufacturers, which we talk about below.
Every year, the domestic manufacturer of power tools raises its quality bar by more high level. Even on the popular Yandex.Market you can find many models from Interskol with a rating of 5 out of 5, with a bunch of positive feedback not only from jacks of all trades, but also from specialists. At a relatively budget price, Interskol's quality is average, so if you don't find a suitable Bosch, you can support the Russian manufacturer.
We recommend using these two brands of semi-professional power tools for home use, because... We are confident in quality. There are also budget brands Bort, BLACK & DECKER, Ryobi, Skil and Zubr (Russia), but there are too many negative reviews about the quality of these products, so we don’t want to recommend them to you. You can, of course, come across really successful models that last for several years, but this is rather an exception, so see for yourself.
Here we have provided a list of the best power tool manufacturers in 2017. We hope you liked our rating and it helped you in choosing the right company for your own application!
Interesting
Users of the site prefer to renovate apartments and build houses themselves. In order for the repair to be of high quality, and the construction of the house not to turn into a long-term construction, it is necessary reliable assistants – different types power tools. Many companies have a line of professional and amateur tools. We will tell you what a home master needs in our material.
You will learn the answers to the following questions:
- What is the difference amateur instrument from professional;
- What features of a power tool should you know before purchasing it?
- Do home handymen need professional devices;
- At what stage of work is it necessary to switch from an amateur device to a professional one?
- Which basic set a must have for any home handyman
Main selection criteria
When thinking about purchasing a power tool, first of all, you need to decide on the scope of work. Hanging a chandelier or a picture in an apartment is one thing, but it’s a completely different matter when you have to build a cottage. If you hang a picture using conventional drill, then when building a cottage you will need a whole arsenal of mechanical assistants.
All types of power tools can be divided into battery-powered and power-operated. electrical network. It is also customary to divide it into amateur and professional.
Company specialist "AllTools" Alexander Dubov:
– Models of amateur and professional power tools differ significantly in price. The cost is affected by service life, reliability and functionality.
Two drills perform one task - drilling holes. But a professional drill is designed for long-term use throughout the entire working day. This is achieved through better cooling or the presence of overheating protection.
Such a drill may have electronic speed control, several speeds, a soft start function, and maintenance of constant speed under load.
Reliability, functionality and performance determine the class of the tool and affect its cost.
Company power tool expert BoschVasily Ivanov :
– Professional tools are designed to work on construction sites and in difficult conditions. It has increased resource and wear resistance. If it is expected frequent use, then it is better to choose a professional one. If not frequent, then amateur.
When choosing a tool, you should pay attention to the fastening of the equipment, how quickly it changes, whether additional tools to replace it. Convenient location of controls and ergonomics are important.
Master Consultant hypermarket OBI Khodynskoye Pole Evgeny Babichev:
– A professional tool, unlike an amateur one, has better cooling, dust protection, a stronger body and higher quality parts. For example, a professional angle grinder has a metal bearing, while an amateur angle grinder has a plastic bushing.
The main differences between an amateur instrument and a professional one:
1. Working time:
- professional – 200 hours/month;
- amateur – no more than 20 hours/month.
2. Operating mode:
- professional – 40 minutes of work, 10 minutes of rest; designed for use no more than eight hours a day;
- amateur – 10 minutes of work, 10 minutes of rest; Designed for use no more than five hours per week.
Evgeny Babichev:
– To understand what tool you need, first of all, you need to determine for what work and in what mode it will be used.
For example, let's take a professional and an amateur drill-driver of two different manufacturers and consider their technical characteristics.
Characteristics of a professional cordless drill/driver:
- Battery charging time – 1 hour;
- torque – 30N/m;
- The set includes two rechargeable batteries;
- can screw a self-tapping screw measuring 4.2x150 into wood without pre-drilling;
- can work non-stop.
Characteristics of an amateur cordless drill/driver:
- Battery charging time – from 3 to 5 hours;
- torque – 11N/m;
- One battery is included;
- can screw a self-tapping screw measuring 4.2x65 into wood without pre-drilling;
- You cannot work non-stop.
Therefore, amateur devices will have to be stopped more often to cool or recharge. This can significantly increase the time of repair or construction, while a professional tool will allow you to complete the same amount of work in a shorter period of time.
When to switch from a amateur device to a professional one
Buying an expensive professional tool is a responsible step for a home craftsman.
Opinion of a forum member with a nickname Roracotta:
– It all depends on personal needs and preferences. If a person is no longer satisfied with an amateur instrument, then he acquires a professional one. I know several great craftsmen who have amateur tools, and this does not affect the quality of their work. It is not profitable for a home master to immediately purchase professional devices. I recommend that you first get better at it, and as your skill and experience grow, you will understand whether it is necessary to purchase a professional instrument.
Vasily Ivanov:
– In my opinion, a professional tool is necessary if a person is professionally engaged in repair or construction.
Alexander Dubov:
– It’s difficult to define a clear line. If you use a drill every six months to drill a couple of holes in the wall to hang a shelf, then it is irrational to buy a professional tool.
In some cases, a home craftsman should purchase so-called multitools - tools that perform several operations: from grinding and cleaning surfaces to cutting workpieces. Their capabilities depend on the set of equipment. One such tool can replace at least two – a grinder and a saw.
Also, before purchasing a device, you should consider what tasks will need to be solved in a year. If over time you will need to work with the tool more often and more intensively, then it makes sense to spend a little more money Today. Then you won’t have to spend money on buying another, more functional model again.
Alexander Dubov:
– An amateur model is not as functional as a professional one and may not withstand heavy loads. If you have to use a drill to build plasterboard partitions, finishing the facade of a house with siding or in large-scale construction, and the work will be carried out every day, for several weeks in a row, then you can immediately think about buying a professional-class model.
No matter, amateur model or professional, it must be of high quality and reliable!
What should be in a home master's arsenal?
Although the home workshop can be equipped almost endlessly, there is a basic set that any DIYer should have.
Alexander Dubov:
– The home craftsman’s arsenal can vary significantly depending on the tasks he faces. This could be renovation of an apartment or construction of a private house or cottage. Many people work in a garage, where they need not only tools, but also devices for organizing the workplace and personal protective equipment.
Here is what is most in demand in everyday life:
1. Drill – necessary for drilling holes in wood, metal or plastic.
2. Cordless screwdriver– indispensable for assembly work where there are a lot of threaded connections.
Particularly convenient when there is no electricity. A cordless drill-driver can be a universal option, which can not only tighten fasteners, but also drill holes.
3. An impact drill or hammer drill is necessary for making holes in concrete and other solid substrates.
If you only need to make a few holes in concrete, then you can get by with just a hammer drill.
If you plan large-scale work on drilling brick, concrete or dismantling work (chipping tiles from walls, etc.), it is better to take a hammer drill.
4. Grinder (corner Grinder) – necessary for cutting metal and stone (concrete, brick, ceramic tiles).
You can install a peeling or grinding wheel for cleaning and polishing various surfaces.
5. Jigsaw – necessary for figure cutting wood, plywood and laminate.
You must also have a set of hand tools.
Alexander Dubov:
– To carry out work of different nature A universal kit is suitable, which may include: a hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches and many attachments.
For specific tasks there are carpentry, plumbing and automotive kits.
FORUMHOUSE contains all the information. The topic of our form contains the most complete set of professional information. Read about when working with these devices. Find the answer to the question, what kind of power tool?
IN Electric instruments have a unique classification. It is not kept silent, but sellers do not particularly advertise it, so not everyone knows about it. This means that tools produced by the same company and having the same performance characteristics may differ significantly.
The distinction implies the division of tools into professional, semi-professional and household. How significant the difference is can be judged by the cost. So you can buy Bosch rotary hammers at the best prices, choosing not a professional, but a household modification.
In this case, the difference in price can be 100 percent or more. This is easy to verify by comparing professional and household models of tools http://abo.ua/elektroinstrument/bosch/.
But is it worth paying more if there is a cheaper option? On the other hand, isn't it low price an indicator of equally low quality?
To answer these questions, you need to understand how, besides price, professional and household types of tools differ. And also where to use the first and where the second and, finally, how to distinguish one from the other.
The main differences between professional and household tools
Despite certain external differences (we'll talk about them later), the main difference between home and professional tools is their filling.
For ease of comparison, we summarize the main differences in the table:
| Professional tool | Household tool |
| Almost all power units, and sometimes even body elements, use steel | Only the gears and shafts of the mechanisms are steel; silumin is used for the power elements of the body |
| The body is made of impact-resistant plastic, often reinforced. | Regular plastic is used for the body |
| Typically, sealed ball bearings are used. | Sliding bearings are used, sometimes even plastic ones |
| The electrical part is on bolt terminals, the wires are equipped with lugs. | The wires are connected using spring terminals. |
| Bolts and nuts are used to assemble the housing | The housing is assembled with screws |
The purpose of all these design solutions can be briefly defined as a focus on long-term continuous operation of the mechanism. This is where the main difference between a professional instrument lies.
If used for a long time without a break, a household tool will fail. And not because it is bad, but because it is not designed for long-term operation.
Lubricant will leak from an overheated bearing, the housing will “behave” from prolonged dynamic influences, the contacts will oxidize and the motor brushes will burn.
But let the instrument “rest” in accordance with its passport and it will work for a long time and successfully.
Now in everyday life: at the dacha, and beyond, it has become difficult to do without power tools: jigsaws, crosscut saws, drills, screwdrivers... Eternal construction, eternal repair. If you don’t have your own tool, you beg from your neighbor, not cleverly, of course, but God forbid it breaks. And then the time comes - you decide to buy. And here - such a choice and range of prices...
Personally, I had a bad experience using a DWT jigsaw and screwdriver, although a friend has been using a hammer drill of this brand for a long time and is satisfied. I have been using various power tools for a long time, both professionally and at home, and for myself I settled on the brand makita- although their tools are already being produced by China... I also noticed for myself Interskol- hasn’t let me down yet. Was good brand Fialent- the router and jigsaw served for a long time, even after they suffered a fire and barbaric attitude, and they still work. There are a lot of companies, there are just shops that sell only household tools, and then there is a selection of Chinese crap...
In general, decide for what purpose you need this device and go ahead.
All power tools are divided into professional and household. A professional tool designed for long hours of daily work. The quality of the materials used in its assembly is much higher than that of household ones, which significantly increases its reliability. The advantage of a household tool is its low cost and light weight. Many companies focus on ergonomics, i.e. appearance, ease of use. Household tools can be used for no more than 4 hours a day, and every 15 minutes you need to take breaks for about the same time.
Power tool manufacturing companies are also trying to produce professional tools in developed countries where workers have more professional qualifications. Accordingly, the production of household tools, where the manufacturing technology is less complex, is transferred to less developed countries, because work force it's much cheaper there.
For example, the German company BOSCH manufactures all heavy equipment, including professional rotary hammers and drills, only in Germany, but delegates the production of amateur or “household” tools to China and Malaysia.
There are manufacturing companies that produce tools only for household or only professional use. But most manufacturers are focused on producing products in both directions, marking the tool with body color or letter designations. The distinctive indicators described below for the most famous companies will help you determine the purpose of the equipment.
BOSCH. The presence of blue color on the body indicates that this is a tool for professionals. Green color implies use in living conditions. You can also determine the purpose of a tool from this company by the first letter of the model. If its name begins with the letter P, then the power tool is a household tool. The letter G indicates a professional purpose.
Black&Decker, Ferm, DWT, SKIL, SPARKY, Rebir .
Companies produce tools only for household purposes, but semi-professional use is possible in various cases. construction teams or home craftsmen.
DeWALT, Hilti, Makita, AEG. Manufacturers are aimed at producing professional products.
URAGAN. The power tool is produced in three series:
- "Professional" marked with the letter R at the beginning of the model number designation. The title of the series speaks for itself:
- "Master" denoted by the letter M. This series is effective for frequent and intensive housework;
- "Amateur"- this model is intended for people who occasionally do small jobs around the house. Identified by letter N in the name of the number.
Sturm! Tools that can be classified as professional class are black in color. A different color of the case indicates use in domestic conditions.
Interskol. Brand domestic manufacturer. Does not have distinctive indicators in color or number. The direction of the equipment can only be determined by its technical characteristics.
Caliber .
Another baby Russian production. Manufactured in two series: household and semi-professional.
Semi-professional is designated in the model name by the additional word “Master”.
Energomash. Production is located in Russia, but trademark Energomash is owned by the German company Sturm! "
Hitachi. The company produces both excellent professional tools and also has an inexpensive household series.
Experts in the power tools market note fast growth specifically in the household segment. Here they have adopted their own classifications - from “no name” (made in China, low quality tool, dangerous to use, does not provide the desired end result) , to prestigious products Black&Decker, Metabo, Hitachi.
In turn, sellers of electric and pneumatic tools claim: when modern level In the development of technology, it is difficult to single out one company as a leader, and even more so it is impossible to say who produces the best quality instrument. Samples of products from leading world brands Bosch, Makita, Hitachi, DeWalt are approximately at the same level.
Of course, you can’t describe all brands, that’s not the point of this article, we just want to simplify your purchasing choice dilemma.
The main differences between professional and household tools.
The main difference is that a professional power tool has more high stability to long-term loads of the same type. More often professional power tools can be seen in the arsenal of technical and repair teams. However, some users, believing that a professional tool should “last for centuries,” purchase it for household use. Note that such a purchase does not make much sense - even if you are doing renovations in the apartment yourself, upon completion, the expensive tool will have to be “put on the shelf”, where it will remain inactive for long periods of time. Or you could get by with a household model, which costs 3 times less. In addition, if your plans include large-scale work, you can purchase a so-called semi-professional tool or “master class”, which has an increased service life.