Bosch 36V Cordless Litheon Compact SDS-plus Rotary Hammer 11536C-1

sweet

If you follow the Toolnut.com advertisement to their website = The Joe Kinder Model, which is featured on the main page of the website, is a great deal. $451 including shipping, main drill package and they send you an extra slimpack battery (so you get 2 total) and some bits for free.
Even though the previously mentioned super sale and rebate are gone this is still a worthy deal. You also get to give props to a merchant who sponsored a climber........

John L, I am hoping that was the case. Do you know anyone who has used the compact in granite or quartzite, does it handle those hard rock types? It seems most people were using the compact in limestone which tends to be a "softer" rock type.

I am using 1/2 by 2.75 bolts for most of my stuff, so I would think a dozen holes should not be to difficult to attain. Thanks for your input.

Killis Howard wrote:Anyone A/B'd the compact model versus the bigger VSR model?

Just looking at the specs, appears that the impact energy is different: 1.25 ft-lbs versus 2.2 ft-lb. Makes me think it'll hit harder (more weight isn't going to hurt there). Might drill faster?

Be interesting if someone has done a side by each comparison.

Kinda wonder if the higher impact might eat through drill bits faster, though?

Cheers.

I have been using the 36v Compact version for a couple of months now and it is exceeding my expectations. The drilling I have been doing has been in granite and quartzite and they are no challenge for this drill.

1/2" holes in granite are under a minute usually, the quartzite takes just a bit more than that.

So down the road if anyone is wondering whether to get the compact versus the big bulldog, go with the compact version.

Have been looking at this drill for a while and was thinking that it was the way to go. I actually picked one up for the first time the other day and while the weight difference is noticeable and nice in comparison
to my Hilti the big draw back to this drill is the distance between where you hold the drill and the end of the bit which is very important when drilling on the lead. My 36v Hilti has a much shorter distance and you can grab the drill by the motor housing and press the trigger with the back of your hand making the distance even shorter. Don't know how many of you guys are drilling on the lead but the size and configuration of the drill is more important than the weight when on the lead. If I were buying a new drill I would not buy the Bosch I would save my money and buy a 36v LI Hilti which is light and well designed. None of this matters if your rap bolting though. Interested to hear from some lead bolters and what setup people are using.

Lance

lance bateman wrote:If I were buying a new drill I would not buy the Bosch I would save my money and buy a 36v LI Hilti which is light and well designed. None of this matters if your rap bolting though. Interested to hear from some lead bolters and what setup people are using.

I've drilled on lead with my Hilti TE-6A by flipping it upside down, cradling it in the palm of my hand, and squeezing the trigger with my pinky. Works well for really getting a bolt high.

With the new Bosch, its so much lighter, that I feel I can actually climb with it a bit easier, but, I haven't really tried to reach super high to set a bolt. Well, I guess I tried but, felt like I couldn't hold it that well at full extension. Probably give it another shot, though.

The thing I notice about the new Li Bosch is that it drills really, really fast. For the weight, that's pretty nice. It also seems to vibrate a bit less so I don't feel like I'm gettin' hand fatigue as much just holding onto it.

Price difference? You can darn near buy 3 of the Bosch drills for what that new Li Hilti costs...

Pretty ready to sell the Hilti...but, need more miles in the new Bosch saddle to be sure.

Lance, did you get that "I only bolt on rappel" t-shirt yet? I guess not. Ha ha.

Cheers!

-Brian in SLC

Monty, why just 30 feet? That means you have to stop and move the batteries up every 30 feet. I have a 100 foot cord on my rig.

I use a Hilti TE-2A for drilling on lead, sold my Bosch Annihilator a few years ago. I agree with Lance, don't even think of using the Bosch for lead bolting. The challenge is that with such a long body you arm has to be above your head with your hand about 18 inches from the rock. Not only is this position very tiring it is also tough to get a well drilled hole as inevitably you have the drill off from perpendicular to the rock.

I am also very disappointed with the quality of tools Bosch is putting out these days, the majority of which are made in Taiwan. I have several Litheon drivers and have had batteries go out within a year. These batteries are also very susceptible to cold, which I believe is a challenge with all Lithium Ion batteries.

If you really want a quality rotary hammer I would stick with Hilti or Panasonic, who makes a great drill that is well balanced and they have the absolute best batteries in the industry. Or buy a used or reconditioned Bosch.

BTW Hilti sells a external battery adapter to let you have your battery on your harness if you don't want to modify your drill.

Kevin Stricker wrote:...don't even think of using the Bosch for lead bolting. The challenge is that with such a long body you arm has to be above your head with your hand about 18 inches from the rock.

Well, I don't have a TE-2A for comparison, but, my bet is if you measure yours, its longer than the new Li Bosch.

The Bosch, if you hold the drill straight down, is around 12" long from the tip of the nose to the end of the handle. From the nose to the end of the case above the handle its around 10.5". Rough estimates with a tape measure.

Here's how it compares to the TE-6A and the Annihilator:





Mostly a center of gravity type difference that might make it more difficult to drill with, not length, IMHO.

Speaking of "quality"...I've had the Hilti for awhile, and, its done a great job...but...out of 4 batteries, only 1 still barely works, and, my remote battery pack cord doesn't work either (and Hilti wouldn't replace it).

My Annihilator has 4 batteries, and, while they don't all take a full charge anymore, they all still work.

Time will tell how the new Li batteries will hold up. Neither my Hilti or Bosch Annihilator did that well in the cold, and, I've used them a ton in freezing temperatures. Only luck I had was taping a shake and warm to the battery pack and keeping the thing in a pack for as long as possible. I'll be interested to see how the Li batteries work in the cold.

As far as taking a charge, both the slim packs that came with mine seem to charge up just fine. I've used both to the point where they only had one light's worth of juice left, but, oddly enough, once home, they show a full three light's worth. Strange. No complaints on the number of holes.

We'll see how it goes. So far, so good.

Cheers.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Wanted to chime in and clear the air about any lemon batteries as well. We've gone thru quite a few of these since the ad broke in Rock and Ice and I haven't received one complaint or concern about batteries

Keep in mind on toolnut.com we are throwing in a free extra slimpack and we're $10 cheaper than CPO (who you only get 1 battery from).

Brian, Thanks for the comparison. I think the Bosch I was looking at was the larger one and not the compact. The compact is clearly shorter but the distance from the handle to the end of the drill is close to the same as the Hilti. I am wondering how the weight distribution feels on the Bosch compared to the Hilti? I would think that having the weight below your hand would be better than above but considering the over all
weight difference the Bosch may feel better.

I like having the option of holding onto the motor housing, there have been a few times this was really handy for getting the drill to engage which was another question I had. Some drills are harder to get the hammering mechanism to engage and if you can't keep constant pressure on the drill than you have to keep fighting to keep the drill drilling. Wondering if this is any better with the Bosch?

The weight of the Li batteries is probably the biggest reason to up grade but having used Li batteries at work I know they are a little unpredictable. and when they die that's it. The NiCd's while heavy at least you can count on them. and with the remote battery pack from hilti the weight does not matter when your drilling.

Oh, Brian, Does the t-shirt come with the Bosch? Because with the hilti you get a "My armature's bigger than yours" shirt.

Lance

We are comparing apples to oranges here...Check out this link to compare drills Hilti Drills

Check out these new Panasonic Rotary Hammers:
EY7840LN2S

EY7880LN2S

lance bateman wrote: I like having the option of holding onto the motor housing, there have been a few times this was really handy for getting the drill to engage which was another question I had. Some drills are harder to get the hammering mechanism to engage and if you can't keep constant pressure on the drill than you have to keep fighting to keep the drill drilling. Wondering if this is any better with the Bosch?

My experience was that the Bosch engaged easier than my Hilti. I too have had challenges with Li batteries at work. I do not know if it is the batteries or the technology though. Most newer Li drills have built in circuitry to keep from undercharging, that is what makes them just stop from one second to the next. This would be pretty dicy if you were run out bolting on lead.

I too have used hand warmers taped to batteries to get more life, but was warned by a tool rep that this is a bad idea. Increasing the temperature to one side of the battery can cause un-even discharging which is what generally kills batteries in the first place. I think a smarter option is to keep the drill in one of those re-usable insulated grocery bags with reflective lining with a few hand warmers or a bottle of hot tea. Break it out when you are ready to rock. It's too bad you can't get the satchels they used to make for the bulldog, for an insulating jacket could also help keep the drill and battery warmer.

Kevin Stricker wrote:We are comparing apples to oranges here...Check out this link to compare drills Hilti Drills Check out these new Panasonic Rotary Hammers: EY7840LN2S EY7880LN2S

I've sold quite a few of the 28 volt to a customer of mine who had an exclusive contract on this: sue.polinsky.com/wp-content… He loves the damn thing and I think his crew has 4 or 5 now. No complaints or issues, has had'em up and running over a year. I've never held or felt the 14 v but I would imagine it weight near the Bosch 11536c-1 but doesn't have the punch. The 28 is going to be too heavy for you guys in my opinion, it'll crush the Bosch in hitting power, but she's got some girth as well as being significantly bigger than the Bosch. It does have a hard hit mode and soft hit which is pretty cool. Helps maintain a longer battery life. If you don't need full power it's almost like upshifting in a vehicle to a gear that will lose less gas and run at a lower RPM. Pretty nifty stuff.

Lance makes a great case for staying with the Hilti. When I feel the 12 pounds from my Hilti, all that weight scares the hell out of me and makes me timid on more steep terrain. How in the hell you do those steep lines on lead befuddles me. Is the key that you can see a stance coming up and are gunning for it? Hopefully the falls are clean and maybe inspire more confidence too?

Brian, you are one of the few who are qualified to write a good comparison/review as you have used both extensively.

As far as keeping it warm, I know James Garrett has this cool holter thingy he uses with his. Its made of the tough nylon and probably has some insullative effects. As squarish as these things are it might not be hard to use some cordura and foam to make a cover.

Also, Lance and Ben use a cool pack system to stow their drills while on lead. I wonder if you keeping the drill in something like that keeps it a lot warmer? You can see the cord for the battery pack thingy poking out in the first photo:

Killis Howard wrote:Lead bolting with the new compact Bosch. Works great, good price from Toolnut, been using it for all ASCA rebolting in Calico Hills as well as ground-up new routing in parts unknown. The unit works so well, I haven't had to pull out the hooks yet. We're yo-yoing to keep it honest, and are getting 2-3 bolts in during cruxes before flaming out and turning over the lead. I couldn't be happier. Light, balanced, won't shake you off the stance, and FAST. I don't know what the other considerations might be for rap bolters, but the ones that matter to me have been two thumbs up. Thanks, Sean.

Hey Killis, thanks for the order and of course the review. We just got another 15 of these puppies back in, free batteries as well.

It's a bummer I found this forum now as my wrist just blew out on me, looks like I'm at least 1-2 months out, bummmmmmer. All this reading and great info is making me yearn for some rock.

Sean, pm sent on a drill