5 Bosch Home Improvement Tools Under $100 Worth Adding To Your Collection

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The Bosch tool company has been around for well over 100 years. It has built a reputation for performance, reliability, and durability that regularly sees it ranked among the best power tool brands available. I've been a professional carpenter and remodeler for over twenty-five years, and Bosch has long been among my favorite tool brands. I have an old corded Bosch jigsaw I bought back when I started my career, and while it's seen better days, it still works.

Bosch power tools don't only appeal to contractors but also to those DIY enthusiasts who are prepared to invest in high-quality equipment. There are always cheaper options on the market, but in my opinion, few provide the same value for the money. Although not quite in the same premium price bracket as DeWalt and Milwaukee, it is unusual for many Bosch devices to be under $100. However, I have found five home improvement tools from the brand that I believe are worth adding to your collection.

Of course, when investing in any brand of tools, batteries are a major consideration. My first pick on this list comes with an 18V battery and charger, but those are not compatible with cordless 12V tools, so keep an eye on what you'll need to separately. If you want a spare battery, I would recommend buying the highest Ah-rated battery you can afford. The bigger the number (2Ah, 4Ah, 8Ah, etc.), the more run time you get before it needs recharging. The following prices are correct at the time of writing.

A cordless drill is top of the list of must-have power tools for first-time homeowners. They are simply indispensable for dozens of home improvement jobs around the house and yard. This Bosch 18V Compact Brushless Cordless Drill Kit comes with a 2Ah battery, a charger, and a useful carry bag. It sneaks in just below the hundred buck threshold at $99.00.

Budget power tools sometimes come with older-style brush motors, but it's nice to see this one has a more efficient brushless motor that makes the most of the power available. Maximum speed is 1900 rpm, and it produces 400 inch-pounds of torque. At the same time, it's relatively compact and weighs under 2 pounds. There's a metal chuck that underlines the overall quality — cheap drills often have a lot of plastic — plus an LED work light and a useful belt clip. If you don't already own a cordless drill driver, this kit is certainly something you'll want to consider, and it's an excellent value for the price.

There are lots of home improvement jobs where a saw is necessary, and the Bosch reciprocating saw can tackle many of them with just a change of blade. A reciprocating saw is what many people might call a Sawzall, although technically speaking, that's a trademarked term by Milwaukee Tools. Often these are 18- or 20-volt tools, but the Bosch 12V Variable Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw is a lighter and more compact 12-volt model. It's designed for working in tight spaces where a full-size saw would be awkward. You can currently find it for $98.98 at Lowe's.

These are very versatile tools, with a variety of quick-change blades available that allow them to cut wood, metal, and plastic. The Bosch saw is only 11 inches long and weighs just 2.6 pounds with a battery attached. Blade speed, which is adjusted by trigger pressure, can reach up to 3,000 strokes per minute. Other key features include a rubber shield to prevent debris from getting into the motor, a useful battery fuel gauge, and an LED work light.

One of the mistakes people make when buying power tools is ignoring corded versions. While cordless models can be more convenient, choosing a power tool with a plug-in design has two advantages. First, it saves you money off the bat. Secondly, you'll never have to worry about pausing your work because the battery is flat. This Bosch 4½ Inch Angle Grinder is a fine example, available at Amazon for just $69.00.

Angle grinders are often found in the workshops of home auto enthusiasts because of their ability to cut and shape metal and for being able to tidy up welds quickly. When it comes to home improvement, they're great for cutting masonry like bricks, pavers, and cinder blocks and also for trimming tile. They can even come in handy for sharpening your mower blades. This Bosch angle grinder has a 7.5 amp motor, running at a maximum of 11,000 rpm. A spindle lock and side handle are common on angle grinders, but Bosch versions show a little more attention to detail. The spindle lock is large, so it's easier to use when changing discs. The handle can be fitted to either side, so it's comfortable for lefties too.

An orbital sander is another essential tool for home improvements. It can take the splinters off lumber, of course, but it can also sand back drywall compound ready for painting and strip old paint and varnish from furniture, doors, and window trims before refinishing. The corded Bosch Palm Sander with Vacuum Dust Collector costs $69 at Amazon, which is less than half the price of the cordless equivalent with a battery.

The Bosch sander takes widely available 5-inch hook-and-loop discs. These attach to a pad that has a built-in damping system that reduces the marks that sanding can leave. It also helps isolate the user from a lot of the vibration these tools create, which can make a big difference to your hand comfort during long work periods. There's a dial on the front to adjust speed between 7,500 and 12,000 OPM (oscillations per minute). It has a dust collector with a fine filter that's claimed to catch particles as small as ½ micron but, in my experience, these fill up quickly then spit sawdust out anyway. An adapter is included to fit a shop vac, which is a more efficient solution.

Whether you're building partition walls or hanging kitchen cabinets, it's vital that you get things perfectly upright and level. The traditional tool for marking and checking is a level, a long metal beam with a bubble inside. There's nothing wrong with these simple tools, but using them to mark over any distance is difficult, and errors can creep in. The solution is a tool like the Bosch GLL50-20 Self-Leveling Cross-Line Laser, which you can get for $69 at Amazon. Considering you might pay fifty bucks for a high-quality but standard 4-foot level, this is a bit of a bargain.

The Bosch laser projects crossed red lines up to 50 feet away. At 30 feet, accuracy is within 5/16-inch. There's an internal pendulum, so the device knows when it's level, and will alert you when it's not. This locks off during transportation so it doesn't get damaged. There's also a rubber roll cage to protect it if it gets dropped, and it meets the international IP55 standard for protection against dust and water. Two AA batteries are included, so you won't have to hunt around your garage for them before you can use it.