Bosch CLPK21-120 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Combo Kit

I ordered the Bosch CLPK21-120 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Combo Kit from Amazon. The Kit included a PS40-2A Impact Driver and a PS-20-2a Pocket Driver, two batteries, plus charger and zip-up carrying case.

The product was delivered in about 5 days and the impact Driver drove 2 & ½ inch screws into Oak posts, with minimum effort, that my 18 volt drill failed to drive. The Pocket Driver has an adjustable low torque clutch which makes it easy to drive small delicate screws and bolts.

The Bosch 12 volt battery appears to be identical to the Bosch 10.8 volt battery and has the same identifying number. I successfully charged my 12 volt battery with my son’s 10.8 volt Bosch charger.

The Impact Driver runs fast enough to quickly drill holes, however the impact feature causes the drill bit to stall, therefore it does not drill as well as a conventional drill. The Pocket Driver runs too slow to quickly drill holes if productivity is important.

Both the Impact Driver and Pocket Driver are well built and drive screws and bolts extremely well.

Updated review: Bosch CLPK21-120 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Combo Kit

I am a retired engineer from the National Defense and Telecommunications industry always searching for the perfect tool. I perform a product selection study before every major purchase to identify the best cost item. After evaluating all battery operated impact drivers on the market, The Bosch Impact Driver is probably the best tool in its class.

Since my review of the PS-40-2A Impact Driver I drove more than 50 screws rebuilding a privacy fence and more than 500 screws hanging cement board and drywall while remodeling my master bath. I also performed extensive repairs to my automobiles and lawnmower.

Continuous operation of the Impact Driver drained the battery in about 30 minutes, the same time required to recharge the battery.

I found the PS-20-2A Pocket Driver well suited for rebuilding small engines, installing electrical receptacles and wall switches. The adjustable clutch provides fine control and allows the user to avoid stripping delicate screws and bolts.

I attempted to mix thinset (cement mix for setting ceramic tile) and paint with both the Impact Driver and the Pocket Driver. The Impact Driver was unable to turn the submerged mixing paddle because the impact feature activated allowing the paddle to stall.

The Pocket Driver turned the paddle at full speed; however 400 RPMs was too slow to properly mix thinset or paint.

Conclusion:

The PS-40-2A Impact Driver is the perfect tool for driving screws and bolts. It is fast, powerful, and light. It requires very low pressure to the screw head to drive screws.

The disadvantage: It is ineffective for drilling holes and mixing paint.

The PS-20-2A Pocket Driver drives delicate screws and bolts very well.

The disadvantage: It drills holes and mixes paint too slowly to be efficient.

A variable speed drill is a better choice for drilling and mixing.

Rating: 5 / 5

To tell you the truth, I bought this product partially by mistake. Whether I didn’t read enough of the details, or what, I don’t know. First of all, I wanted the impact driver. Second, I wanted a fast compact drill. So, when I saw this twin-pack kit I thought “Great! I can get both the drill and the impact driver for a great price!” Except… the drill isn’t the one I thought I was getting. What I got is the pocket driver. It uses the quick-change bits and accessories. That’s good. But, it’s a slow turner…too slow, in my opinion, for small bits, 500 RPM max. It takes a while for small bits to bore through. On the other hand, the slow speed means it has more torque and I found it works great when I want to turn things slow, like larger screws, bolts & nuts. I have more control, and because of its small size I can get into tight places. I’m glad I got it! Great for working on the car or truck, too.

About the impact driver, My construction friends have been telling me for a long time that I need to get an impact driver because it turns in philips-head screws so much more efficiently. After the millionth time of stripping out the screw head or the philips bit, I relented and finally got the driver I’ve been drooling over. I work with security systems, so I am up and down ladders a lot and sometimes work in tight places. After having it out on several jobs I don’t understand why I didn’t get one sooner. It’s true, it doesn’t strip out the heads or the bits. The screw just goes in with no hassle. This tool runs smooth and quiet, and is MUCH lighter than my 18v NiCad drill, (so my pants don’t fall off when the drill is hanging from my belt). Oh, and did I say it has a light for working in dark places? Bottom line… I love it!

I’m hooked on Bosch tools and plan to eventually get the drill with the regular chuck (PS30-2A). I also have an indispensable angle driver, PS10-2A, which I also bought from Amazon last year.
Rating: 5 / 5

The charger that was shipped with my driver kit did not work properly, but Bosch promptly sent a new one. The drivers have been a great addition to my shop. The power and battery life have also been great.
Rating: 5 / 5

The combo kit provides versatile use for at-home projects. If you want to use the set (combo kit) for “work” settings, then you need to purchase additional batteries and you should plan to take the charger with you to the work site, to ensure continuous operations. I love the price for the quality that I received.
Rating: 5 / 5

In the month since I’ve owned this set, I’ve renovated an entire kitchen, and I relied extensively on this 12-volt kit for removing old cabinets, installing new hardwood cabinets & appliances, adding electrical boxes and fixtures, and securing new plumbing lines. The PS40-2A impact driver provides amazing driving power for its tiny size, allowing me to drive tough screws in tight areas. And it’s much smaller, lighter, and more powerful than my trusted 14.4 volt 1/2-inch drill, which makes me reach for it more often. The PS20-2A drill/driver is also very useful for everyday driving, with good speed for driving screws, and the adjustable clutch allows good control. I had been using a similarly-sized $90 cordless drill for drilling/driving before purchasing this, but I have always been disappointed in that cordless drill’s plastic clutch housing, which makes it difficult to tightly clamp drill bits within the tool, often resulting in drill bits that get stuck midway through harder woods. The quick-release hex head in both of these drivers eliminates that problem altogether.

While I like these tools for driving, I still use other tools for drilling and boring larger holes. But these tools are small and light, and changing bits is fast, so they are always within arm’s reach. Overall great battery life, easy to drive without much pressure, and very ergonomic in hand. I wish the tool case was a tiny bit larger with pockets or velcro straps to secure the drivers & charger, but that’s a small niggle for an otherwise great set.
Rating: 5 / 5