It seems like new cordless drills and drivers are coming out every week. With plenty of brands to choose from, 12V and 18V classes, compact, heavy duty, brushed, brushless, drills, hammer drills, impact drivers, and all kinds of stuff in between, weekly updates are pretty much warranted these days. One of the most recent from the boys in blue is the Bosch HDS183 Brushless Compact Hammer Drill. I teamed up with Derek Nichelson—PTR reviewer and Redeemed Carpentry carpentry guru. He tested it out on a home he’s building for his family in rural Central Florida.
We completed most of the framing. We still needed to hang all of the doors, install windows, and sink Tapcons. You can’t ask for a better time to test out the new Bosch HDS183. I’ve got the HDS183-01 version. It comes with two FatPack 4.0Ah batteries. Bosch also makes the HDS183-02 kit with two 2.0Ah batteries and a bare tool option.
You may have read about the advantages of brushless motors on Pro Tool Reviews before. Brushless motors offer longer life, weight, and size savings. They also make electronically-controlled smart tools possible. Now let’s get to work.
First Impressions
The Bosch HDS183 Brushless Compact Hammer Drill is indeed compact for a hammer drill. This is an advantage if you often have to work in tight spaces. Ergonomically, the handle is comfortable and on the slimmer side. This allows a secure grip and a feeling of control, especially in hammer mode.
The drill may seem a little bit heavy at 4 pounds with the 4.0Ah battery. It weighs 2.7 pounds bare and 3.4 with the compact battery. There will always be a trade-off here – more work between charges means you need a relatively heavier power source.
If it’s a big problem, you could slide in the 2.0Ah battery. This would certainly be fine if you’re doing more drilling/driving and less hammering. However, that 2.7-pound bare weight is one of the best in the industry for this class. The battery fuel gauge – a very popular feature among Pros – is nice to see on the FatPack.
The all-metal keyless chuck is welcome upgrade from the composite material of the previous version. The end of the chuck spins independently of main body of the chuck. At the least, this prevents cosmetic damage if it contacts material while engaged.
Bosch HDS183 1/2-Inch Brushless Compact Hammer Drill/Driver Features
- KickBack Control – reduces the risk from sudden rotational torque reaction in a bind-up scenario
- Upgraded all-metal chuck – provides great bit retention
- EC Brushless motor – efficient power that delivers 531 In.-Lbs. of torque
- Compact Tough design – short head length and light tool, but plenty of power
- Ergonomic grip zone – small diameter enables better gripping and greater comfort
- Outstanding control – variable drilling speeds for high-speed (0-1,900 rpm) and high torque (0-600 rpm)
- Masonry impact – delivers an impact rate of 0-28,500 bpm for tough masonry jobs
- Precision 20+1 clutch settings – provide accuracy for reduced fastener damage
- Electronic Motor and Cell Protection – longer life in tool and battery, protects them from overload
- Durashield housing – can stand up to tough jobsite conditions
- Built-in LED – for visibility in dark work areas
- Longer belt clip – for a more secure hold
Bosch HDS183 1/2-Inch Brushless Compact Hammer Drill/Driver Specifications
- Model: Bosch HDS183-02
- Power Source: Bosch 18V battery
- Chuck size: 1/2″
- Length: 7.25″
- No load speed: 0 – 600, 0 – 1900 RPM
- Max Torque: 531 in-lbs
- Weight: 2.7 lbs (bare), 3.4 lbs (with compact battery), 4.0 lbs (with FatPack)
- Warranty: 1 year, 3 years with ProVantage
- Price: $155 (bare tool), $269 (kit)
Hammer Time
We used the hammer mode the most and found the Bosch HDS183 to be plenty powerful enough to get the job done. The specs say it packs 531 inch-pounds of torque, two drilling speeds of 0-1,900 rpm for high speed and 0-600 rpm for high torque, and an impact rate of 28,500 bpm. Seeing is believing and this is definitely not your father’s compact hammer drill!
It did all the tough work we asked it to do. The battery run time is above average – I charged it once over the course of three weeks. This excellent run time is something we saw even with the Bosch 12V brushless drill in our recent shootout and is a big advantage to keeping productivity rolling.
If you’re trying to drive a bunch of Tapcons and use the hammer function, the job requires quite a bit of juice. Even though the FatPack 4.0Ah batteries make it a tad on the heavy side, I was able to work with the drill without getting too fatigued and it’s certainly better than the weight of the heavy-duty model.
Pro Tip: Be sure to use the proper sized bit when you’re pre-drilling for a tapcon. You don’t get a second chance on this one!
There really is a lot of power in this drill for the size and Bosch added an anti-kickback feature to it that I really like. There’s no auxiliary handle and the small size tends to make you want to use it with one hand. If you bind up your bit, the drill senses the twist and saves your wrist from getting wrenched too badly.
The Bottom Line
The Bosch HDS183 1/2-Inch Brushless Compact Hammer Drill undoubtedly has the power to do tough work all day long and the battery run time is excellent. Where Bosch really shines in this category of brushless compact hammer drills is that they packed 531 inch pounds of torque into a 2.7-pound bare tool package. The weight reduction over their competition sets this model apart and the anti-kickback control is quite welcome.
If you’re already on the Bosch battery platform, it’s a $155 addition to your collection for what’s really one of the top compact drills now available. Pricing is oriented near the top with the likes of Milwaukee and Makita, but the specs make it legitimately content there. The HDS183 is an easy recommendation for me to make for any Pro looking for a compact cordless drill solution.
