Well, surprise! Overseas, Bosch has announced a new 12V [Max?] brushless cordless edge router.
The translation is a little uncertain, but this seems to be an edge cutter. That doesn’t make me any less excited – that’s still quite the feat.
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There are several noteworthy aspects to the new GKF 12V-8 edge cutter’s design. Is it okay if I just call it a router?
To start, it’s designed for one-handed use. It has a low weight, small grip, and “ideal equilibrium point,” not to mention a unique shape.
It’s compact, and powered by a brushless motor.
There’s an attention to user-friendliness and safety, such as a large foot plate, depth adjustment, and a fall detection sensor that shuts off the tool if it falls.
The translated product description also mentions an “extra edge” for safety, which I gather is meant to help prevent finger-bit contact.
Specs
- 12V Max system
- Kitted with 3.0Ah compact battery packs
- Up to 13,000 RPM no-load
- Collet?: 6mm/8mm
- Weighs 1.1 kg (~2.43 lbs) without battery
I say “chuck?” because the translation of “Gereedschapsopname” spits out “tool shot.” That doesn’t make sense, so let’s just say it’s the collet size, unless or until we learn better.
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There’s no mention what the depth range is.
ETA: Late September 2017, in Europe
First Thoughts
Nice!
This is somewhat of a surprise, but it’s a welcome one. There’s no indication about if or when it will be released in North America. But like many of Bosch’s more innovative releases of the past few years, it probably won’t be.
It’s a one-handed edge cutter, but I’d still consider it a cordless brushless router. There’s a product image showing it being used to round-over a long board.
No dust collection?
I wonder how powerful it’ll be, and how long the battery will last.
No LED worklight? (Should we even care?)
Here’s the “wireless side cutter” in action.
Despite my excitement, I don’t think this is something I would use. There are a few 18V cordless routers on the market, and we’ll probably see a few more models in the next few years.
What kinds of tasks might this router excel at?
As an aside, Bosch’s international shift from 10.8V to 12V still has me a little on alert. Here in the USA it’s “12V Max.” But overseas, it’s just “12V” now? I prefer that over 12V Max, but dropping the “Max” can lead to problems if other brands follow suit. 18V and 20V Max could become 18V and 20V, which could cause even more confusion.
Even though this isn’t something I would add to my tool box – well except at the right price – it looks like it could be handy. I do still think that an 18V model would be more universally appealing, or at least more appealing to a much larger group of potential users.
An 18V cordless trim router or edge cutter would be more capable and more versatile, but also a lot larger and heavier.
This is indeed a unique tool.
Too bad we’re unlikely to see this sold in the USA. Maybe it will be, but I’ve learned not to hold my breath.
dominic van lievenoogen
I’ll be playing with it tomorrow !
ktash
Let us know more, then. . .
Alex Michiels
Dominic:
What is the price in Euro’s over in Europe?
I’m visiting Belgium this summer, so wouldn’t mind getting it then.
Regards,
Alex
(Miami, FL USA)
alex
Nice! I am planning to build a new house and I want to put all my outlets in the baseboard trim. I think this would be perfect for that task. Hopefully it has dust collection.
BTW there is also a new small 12v planer. We can see it in the picture in the background.
Adam
Double check to see if you will pass inspection. The townships I’ve dealt with electrical, the outlets had to be a certain minimum above the floor. 12″ on the house we just built.
fred
Yes indeed – there is a mishmash of different requirements on this. I don’t believe that the national electrical code sets a minimum height. But we dealt with 4 states, many different counties and hundreds of different towns, villages and municipalities. Some of them let you grandfather baseboard outlets if the old lath and plaster walls were remaining pretty much intact. I think many of them required moving outlets up the wall if drywall was being installed. Old floor outlets were another issue for some inspectors. Most of them would not allow homeowners to do their own electrical work and ask for an inspection – without having a licensed electrician sign off. The same was true for most plumbing work.
alex
Thanks for the hints. It’s ok where I live (Quebec, Canada). There no height requirements and you can do your own electrical work as long as it’s your own house. No inspection required but insurance companies may ask for it. Construction is a bit weird here, it is heavily regulated (too much) but your personal work doesn’t need to be inspected once you got the permit.
Ben
NOT TRUE!
No one can do electrical work in Quebec, unless he/she’s a licensed electrical contractor (not just an electrician). If you read French, read this to get the facts rights : http://www.parlonsoutils.com/travaux-delectricite-illegal-ou-non/ If you don’t read French, then look up article 49 of the Building Act (http://legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/ShowDoc/cs/B-1.1). While I do not agree with those restrictions at all, I think we should be allowed as long as your electrical work is inspected like it is in many other provinces, in Quebec, you don’t have that choice even though you can buy electrical supply anywhere.
Plumbing on the other hand is not restricted at all if you do it yourself. You still have to respect the plumbing code, but you don’t have to be a licensed plumber to work in your own house. But if you rent the apartment upstairs, you need a licensed plumber to do the work, and he must work according to the CCQ rates.
It confusing all right, but hey, it’s QUÉBEC!!!!
Alex
Ben read article 42. This law doesn’t apply to a single family home. It is targeted toward commercial work.
Electricians want you to believe you can’t do it and I taught so for a very long time but this law doesn’t apply to homeowner. Therefore you have every right to do your own electrical work in your home.
Alex
Sorry it’s point 41 not 42.
Ben
Sorry Alex, but the last paragraph of article 42 is exactly where it says that gas and electrical work is excluded of that Chapter… Just as much as I would love you to be right, as I’m DIY, you are not correct. I would suggest you to call the RBQ and get it sorted out.
By the way, according to your reasoning of the law, you would not only be able to work in your own house, but in any type of housing. It just not going to happen… Read the law carefully.
ktash
Do people from the U.S. ever buy these, say on Amazon uk? Or are the batteries not interchangeable? I know the bits would be mm, but that’s not a big deal since there are adapters. I would buy this if it looks like it would work with the batteries and a reasonable price. A lightweight trim router that is more ergonomic would be a big advantage both for your hands and the quality of work.
ktash
The guy in the picture is sitting down to route that long edge?
alex
Yes it works if you already got the charger. It’s the only way to get the 12v circular saw and grinder. The only problem is if you have any problem, you will have to send back your tool to Europe as no service center in North America will touch it.
ktash
Ah, therein lies the problem, then.
ktash
That is, “buy tools with batteries like these” since I know it’s new.
Stuart
Yes. I bought a Bosch 12V Max (10.8V) circular saw from Amazon UK. https://toolguyd.com/bosch-12v-circular-saw-jigsaw-rotary-tool/
It works just fine with my 12V Max batteries. Replacement blades should be available, but as someone else mentioned I’m probably on my own if the tool breaks down and is in need or repair or servicing.
Craig H.
I bought my Bosch 12V compact circular saw on eBay from South Korea for a reasonable price. Go to eBay and search for “Bosch circular saw GKS.” It was for the bare tool only. I am going to try and have a friend who goes home to Italy every year buy the fence and vacuum accessories for me.
I’m not worried about the saw not working. If it breaks, I’ll just buy a new one. One of the reasons I purchase a Bosch tool versus a Harbor Freight tool is that I don’t expect the Bosch tool to have a problem. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Jim Felt
I’ve bought several Bosch tools on AmazonUK and except for the delay in the delivery (v. Prime here) I’ve been very happy. One note of course you cannot ever order beyond the Bare Tool mode as the chargers can’t work in NA. The site won’t let you. Both the 12v (aka10.8v) and 18v battery using tools are otherwise totally compatible with NA use.
The site algorithms will sometimes fluctuate on exactly what they’ll ship here but keep refreshing and sometimes they vary. Weird.
Oh and I’ve had great luck with a couple of Seoul, South Korea based eBay sellers with odd Bosch tools as well.
Al
Also look out for the Bosch 12v planer coming out in Europe..
Hang Fire
So some kind of R&D is still going on at Bosch cordless tools. I guess that’s exciting. I’ll temper my excitement until it becomes available in NA.
The yeti
Lol , they sure do seem to prefer other markets to north America. I’m not sure why they don’t compete here more . In my town to buy Bosch cordless you have to go to specialty tool stores. You can not find Bosch cordless at home depot or any other big box . So I wonder if shelf space isn’t the issue here . Stanley black and Decker has a big footprint in North America. I think that keeps Bosch out to some degree
Jim Felt
FYI. Lowe’s seems to carry a modest assortment of Bosch: 12v, 18v and line.
But it’s really pathetic compared to our local commercial vendors. Heck. They’ve even got the really great Bosch boom box for like $126. Amazon (where I bought mine) is like $50 more.
HD also carrys line voltage Bosch hammer drills, breakers and some other odds and ends that the other big box brands barely make.
Chris Fyfe
Kinda like it. I already have the 12v jigsaw .
Nathan
Bosch also got slapped for their REAXX saw so from a legal and cost standpoint I’d avoid N. A. too if I was them. Sad but that seems to be the case.
Alick
The single handed form factor is neat. Use of the small battery helps this but also limits the use of what is a traditionally high power tool.
Rounding over edges seems an ideal use for this. Fairly light cuts and a job where good handling will be a real benefit.
Max speed seems a little slow to me (only 13k rpm even off load) again down to battery limitations I guess. It will be interesting to see this in use.
Jim Felt
https://toolguyd.com/bosch-12v-brushless-cut-off-tool-angle-grinder-video/
Led me to find and buy one on eBay. Great little tool and it’s actually “Made in Germany”!
Stuart
Currently, you CAN buy one from Amazon Germany (LINK), but NOT Amazon UK (LINK).
Farid
“I say “chuck?” because the translation of “Gereedschapsopname” spits out “tool shot.” That doesn’t make sense…..”
In Dutch, Gereedschapsoname = “Tools syndrome”, which is an interesting way of of saying too capacity (?)
Also, Gereedschaps Oname (separately) = “Tools uncomfortable”
and Chapsoname in Greek = “We Giggled” !!
(:-D
Stuart
Ha! Thanks!
I had to break down some sentences for proper translations. Google took some creative liberties at piecing some of the sentences together form their parts.
In one instance, they described this as a mower, as in lawn mower. Only when I broke it down did I get “edge cutter.”
Farid
I was told when vising Switzerland that German words are compound words – if they don’t have a word for it, they just keep compounding different descriptions until they get the right meaning!
A couple of years ago, I had to translate a German programming manual for a tool. Between, google, Bing, and Babel-fish, I often got three different meanings. Using the same trick you used, and some technical know-how, it worked out in the end. Boy that was no fun though.
fred
The old joke in German:
Question: was ist das barkenundbittenunsniffen ?
Answer: hund (dog)
Farid
Lol!
Here is another: Auto mechanic = Honkenbrakenscreechergudenstunkergefixer (:-)
John Blair
Your translation woe’s remind me of my favorite episode of News Radio. I make my team watch this clip every time they suggest using Google Translate to do a manual. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrlvVhL35Ws
BikerDad
want. Want. WANT. WANT!!!!!!
The beauty of this little tool, as with so many other cordless tools, is the sheer bloody convenience. Have it sitting on your shelf with an 1/8″ roundover bit chucked up in it, er, 3mm roundover. Walk over, grab it, zip the edge, put it back. Done.
No fartin’ with cords. For those folks with optimized shops, cord fartin’ isn’t much of a problem, you’ve got handy outlets everywhere. On the other end is someone like me, who has to run an extension cord every time I use any portable tool. So not only do I have to fart with the tool’s cord, but I have to mess wit da extension cord as well.
I find it interesting that the 3.0ah battery has passed without comment. First I’ve seen of it, first I’ve seen of that amperage in a “normal size” 12v battery from any maker, and I’m loving the ideer. I already have a herd of Bosch 12v tools (6 at last count, plus I’ve given 2 away), along with a bevy of batteries (1.0 ah up to 2.0 ah) and a definite overabundance of chargers. Yet I’d buy this one in the full kit in order to get a pair of those batteries into my bevy.
Redcastle
In Europe they sell a 4.0 hour battery for their 10.8/12v range. Normally recommended for the circular saw and angle grinder. I was just about to pull the trigger on the Ryobi One router which has just got to Europe but I already have most of the smaller Bosch range. I do not do much routing so this would probably be fine.
BikerDad
Well, they sell a 4.0ah here too, but it’s not the normal slim pistol pack, it’s the flat bottom pack. Milwaukee does the same thing for their extended run time 12v.
Lack
I think they came up with the 3Ah compact packs at the same time as they did the 6Ah flat packs – a couple months ago already.
Ryan
This tool seems tailor made for trimming laminate.
Toolfreak
Glad to see Bosch has obviously been reading my comments here and came out with the 12V router I wanted! But they’ll have to bring it to the U.S. for me to buy it!
Looks fantastic, with a unique, useful shape, and a feature I didn’t even know I wanted – a shoe with different edge surface widths.
Perfect for small edging jobs, which is all I need a router for.
Kinda sorta wish it wasn’t brushless cuz it’ll be way more expensive, but I guess since it’ll be a few years before this comes across the pond, maybe I’ll have 12V brushless stuff by then.
Rrich1
Bosch NA told me on Instagram it will be out in 2018 here in NA.
BikerDad
Wohooo!!! Here’s hoping that means Jan-Feb 2018, not Dec 2018
Jantop
Someone, if you managed to buy it online, please share a link.
Thanks!
Stuart
It launches in Late September in Europe. I don’t think you’ll find it for sale anywhere yet, I certainly haven’t.
Angelo
Has anyone been able to find anywhere that will ship these to north america? Been looking everywhere even tried contacting bosch with no luck so far
Jantop
Try Axminster in the UK.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/bosch
They also carry the 12V planer
Customer support, Anthony, is excellent to work with.