Bosch GBH 187-LI One Chuck hammer drill problem

[BikeGremlin]

As far as I know, by the time I'm writing this, no tool review website or YouTube channel has mentioned (or noticed?) this problem with the Bosch GBH 187-LI One Chuck hammer drill:

Based on the feedback from the official Serbian Bosch repair centre, even the replacement new drill (they ordered for me) has the same problem, and the central Bosch service they contacted has noticed the same problem with that model equipped with the "One Chuck" (the same model with the SDS Plus only chuck doesn't seem to have this problem).

My tool is still in the repair shop and I'm waiting to see how this gets sorted out, but there does appear to be a problem with the One Chuck Bosch GBH 187-LI hammer drills.

Relja

 

[BikeGremlin]

Well, it seems that this is "a feature, not a bug." I wrote an article about this:

Bosch Pro power tools and customer support

Relja

 

[BikeGremlin]

My full YouTube review of the Bosch GBH 187-LI platform hammer drills (both the One Chuck and the SDS Plus chuck models):

Relja

 

[BikeGremlin]

A question I got on the YouTube channel:

Need to drill down the terrace pedestals to the concrete (almost one hundred) and then attach pergola to the wall. Deciding between the 187-li and 18v-28 cf. Thanks for the review. So in the end you returned one-chuck version and got the regular one?

Yup - and the regular chuck version works perfectly fine (I tortured it quite some during the summer country house work).
Still need to carry and use an adapter when using wood drill bits though - as the chuck takes SDS-Plus bits only, of course.

For what it's worth:
The Bosch GBH 18V-28 CF was also in my sights. It's a bit more heavy and a bit more powerful. I think that when I need more than 3 Joules of impact energy, I should use the SDS-Max drill (that I only have with a cord, not cordless), but having a smaller, lighter, yet still powerful battery drill has its pros and I don't think you'd go wrong with either model (though the smaller 187-Li has held up with anything I've thrown at it so far).

Relja

 

[-pekr-]

A question I got on the YouTube channel:



Yup - and the regular chuck version works perfectly fine (I tortured it quite some during the summer country house work).
Still need to carry and use an adapter when using wood drill bits though - as the chuck takes SDS-Plus bits only, of course.

For what it's worth:
The Bosch GBH 18V-28 CF was also in my sights. It's a bit more heavy and a bit more powerful. I think that when I need more than 3 Joules of impact energy, I should use the SDS-Max drill (that I only have with a cord, not cordless), but having a smaller, lighter, yet still powerful battery drill has its pros and I don't think you'd go wrong with either model (though the smaller 187-Li has held up with anything I've thrown at it so far).

Relja

Thanks for your reply. I am a kind of guy, who spends some money because of incorrect tool selection I have started witth the 12V devices first, and very quickly realised, those will not do the heavy job. Then I moved to the opposite (almost) extreme - decided to buy a bit above the middle tier of devices - GKS 18V-68 GC saw, GWS 18V-180 grinder, and aku drill GSB 18V-150 C.

As usual, there are pros and cons - those devices are a bit more heavy, and if you need to work with them for a longer period of time, it could get tiresome. A bit slower result is not a problem with lighter devices, but its eventual inability to do the job, is. You have to buy / rent new tool, or ask someone to do it. I also prefer the newer tech.

So - my preference initially was gbh 18v-26F. First, tech wise, the unit is some 7 years old. Second - I am upset at Bosch here - they either provide a cardbox version only, or the combination with the battery or chargers I don't need nor want - I buy them separately. I can get gbh 18v-28 CF cheaper, thant the 26F version, if I want an L-boxx.

So was lately deciding between the one-chuck 187-li and 18v-28 CF. I don't mind the larger size probably, but asking myself, if cca 0.5 kg difference is an argument, and if 18v- 28 CF is not an overkill for a hobbyist doing an occassional job.

 

[BikeGremlin]

Thanks for your reply. I am a kind of guy, who spends some money because of incorrect tool selection I have started witth the 12V devices first, and very quickly realised, those will not do the heavy job. Then I moved to the opposite (almost) extreme - decided to buy a bit above the middle tier of devices - GKS 18V-68 GC saw, GWS 18V-180 grinder, and aku drill GSB 18V-150 C.

As usual, there are pros and cons - those devices are a bit more heavy, and if you need to work with them for a longer period of time, it could get tiresome. A bit slower result is not a problem with lighter devices, but its eventual inability to do the job, is. You have to buy / rent new tool, or ask someone to do it. I also prefer the newer tech.

So - my preference initially was gbh 18v-26F. First, tech wise, the unit is some 7 years old. Second - I am upset at Bosch here - they either provide a cardbox version only, or the combination with the battery or chargers I don't need nor want - I buy them separately. I can get gbh 18v-28 CF cheaper, thant the 26F version, if I want an L-boxx.

So was lately deciding between the one-chuck 187-li and 18v-28 CF. I don't mind the larger size probably, but asking myself, if cca 0.5 kg difference is an argument, and if 18v- 28 CF is not an overkill for a hobbyist doing an occassional job.

I think that I understand (and share) your dilemma.

• The Bosch GBH 18V-26F can take the dust extractor attachment - which has more cons than pros, but can help a lot in some situations (I'll make a separate video on that).
• The GBH 18V-28 CF has a replaceable hammer head (so you can get a "normal bit" holding head and swap it, as far as I know), and is a bit more powerful, and heavier.
• GBH 187-LI is the least powerful of the three (and the GBH 187-LI ONECHUCK version is not very good apparently). It can also take a dust extractor attachment (with its pros and cons).

Regarding the weight:
When I drill at shoulder height or especially above, I can feel the extra weight and it does get more tiring. However, a more powerful drill gets the job done faster (depending on the particular job). The 0.5 kg is not a huge difference when it comes to a total weight without the battery of about 3 kg, but it's not zero - and I can only say that in my experience, the ~ 3 kg 187-Li does not feel as a heavy drill, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about 0.5 kg more, i.e. where my limit is (for a stronger man, the limit may be a lot higher, of course).

I'll just briefly discuss the dust extractor:
Sometimes I do work in places that are all "set up," and there is not always another helper to hold a vacuum cleaner while I'm drilling. Only in those occassions does the dust extractor come in handy, but it makes the work slower and more difficult.

If that dust-extractor feature is not a concern for you, I would suggest going with whichever drill is cheapest - I suppose they are all decent quality drills (apart from the ONECHUCK version which kind of sucks ).

A (perhaps not very) fun fact:
I often carry tools on a bicycle or a motorcycle, and then I usually put them in bags (panniers and a backpack), instead of using the L-BOXes. Even when using a car, I often pack several tools in a tool box, instead of hauling L-BOXes (then it takes fewer trips to unload and carry stuff up stairs and similar). However, with a good trailer, elevators or similar, I suppose that L-BOXes make it more practical to carry the tools, and I can see how they can help when storing it all neatly (though I keep most of mine in drawers).

Hope this helps at least a bit.

Relja

P.S.
The 8 Ah Pro Core batteries are very good (more powerful than the 4 Ah version, and less expensive, bulky and heavy than the 12 Ah version).

P.P.S.
Bosch Pro 12 V tools are quite good. I have a few (got one for free and decided to get another one... now I'm eyeing a third one... ). If you can afford the space and the money, the smaller tools are lighter to carry and you can sometimes work faster with them, when the work is not some heavy load. Also, I can sometimes give a small 12 V drill to one man, and keep working with the 18 V hammer drill - instead of mounting the bit adapter to the 18 V drill and carrying only that one. So, as with everything in life - pros and cons (and limited resources).

 

[-pekr-]

I think that I understand (and share) your dilemma.

• The Bosch GBH 18V-26F can take the dust extractor attachment - which has more cons than pros, but can help a lot in some situations (I'll make a separate video on that).
• The GBH 18V-28 CF has a replaceable hammer head (so you can get a "normal bit" holding head and swap it, as far as I know), and is a bit more powerful, and heavier.
• GBH 187-LI is the least powerful of the three (and the GBH 187-LI ONECHUCK version is not very good apparently). It can also take a dust extractor attachment (with its pros and cons).

Regarding the weight:
When I drill at shoulder height or especially above, I can feel the extra weight and it does get more tiring. However, a more powerful drill gets the job done faster (depending on the particular job). The 0.5 kg is not a huge difference when it comes to a total weight without the battery of about 3 kg, but it's not zero - and I can only say that in my experience, the ~ 3 kg 187-Li does not feel as a heavy drill, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about 0.5 kg more, i.e. where my limit is (for a stronger man, the limit may be a lot higher, of course).

I'll just briefly discuss the dust extractor:
Sometimes I do work in places that are all "set up," and there is not always another helper to hold a vacuum cleaner while I'm drilling. Only in those occassions does the dust extractor come in handy, but it makes the work slower and more difficult.

If that dust-extractor feature is not a concern for you, I would suggest going with whichever drill is cheapest - I suppose they are all decent quality drills (apart from the ONECHUCK version which kind of sucks ).

A (perhaps not very) fun fact:
I often carry tools on a bicycle or a motorcycle, and then I usually put them in bags (panniers and a backpack), instead of using the L-BOXes. Even when using a car, I often pack several tools in a tool box, instead of hauling L-BOXes (then it takes fewer trips to unload and carry stuff up stairs and similar). However, with a good trailer, elevators or similar, I suppose that L-BOXes make it more practical to carry the tools, and I can see how they can help when storing it all neatly (though I keep most of mine in drawers).

Hope this helps at least a bit.

Relja

P.S.
The 8 Ah Pro Core batteries are very good (more powerful than the 4 Ah version, and less expensive, bulky and heavy than the 12 Ah version).

P.P.S.
Bosch Pro 12 V tools are quite good. I have a few (got one for free and decided to get another one... now I'm eyeing a third one... ). If you can afford the space and the money, the smaller tools are lighter to carry and you can sometimes work faster with them, when the work is not some heavy load. Also, I can sometimes give a small 12 V drill to one man, and keep working with the 18 V hammer drill - instead of mounting the bit adapter to the 18 V drill and carrying only that one. So, as with everything in life - pros and cons (and limited resources).

I can hear you re the toolbox. I have a bosch bag, in which I carry multiple tools sometimes, especially the 12V ones, or the smaller 18V ones. L-boxx, in my case is not for the transportation itself, but to stow the tools, once the job is done.

As for dust extractor - I don't like its design, makes the hammer look like a gun from Aliens movie The one I like is for the 18v-28V DC "bulldog" unit. Also, you can use GDE 68 with a vacuum cleaner.

Thanks for all your care, appreciated.

PS: 18V-26F has a replaceable head too. That's what "F" letter stands for in the nomenclature.