Questions and answers about Service

Spare parts are integral components of a power tool. They are part of its standard equipment – without them it is not possible to operate the tool. Examples of spare parts are toothed belts, bolts, brackets and carbon brush sets.

As with the Repair service, we aim to carry out the Calibration service and return the calibrated tool to the user within five working days.

You normally receive the repaired tool back after three to five working days at the latest.

Questions and answers about DIY

The Uneo has a 10.8-volt battery and an impact force of 0.5 joules. The Uneo Maxx has a 14.4-volt battery and an impact force of 0.6 joules. The Uneo has two screwdriving gears, which the Uneo Maxx does not have.

The 1200 has a changeable battery, whereas the battery of the 12 is built-in

Yes, because the measuring beam may be absorbed or partially reflected by it, which can result in incorrect measurements.

The measurements are displayed digitally.

Detection refers to seeking and locating inclusions and cavities in buildings and building materials.

With rotary lasers, the beam can rotate horizontally around the laser and so, in practice, project an omnidirectional beam

With direct measuring, the measurement value can be recorded immediately, for instance by placing a rule on top of the object.

 

With individual measurement, a fixed distance between two fixed points, for example, is measured and displayed a single time.

As it is a line laser, you cannot do this.

Our detectors have a plastic housing that picks up a static charge. If you place your free hand on the wall, this grounds the tool and then it should display the correct values. If this does not work, please send the tool in for repair.

No

No, just the 65 mm supplied 

The EasyRadio12 can be operated only using the 12-volt battery and the PRA MultiPower can be operated using the 12-volt, 14.4-volt and 18-volt batteries.

Questions and answers about Garden tools

The blade is designed to be bent at the top, allowing it to also collect the leaves from recent mowing in the grass box

The greatest cutting height for our lawnmowers is 70 mm. 

If you have left the Rotak out in the rain, you can still insert the battery as normal and start mowing

No, currently there is only the ALS 25 (wired)

No, you cannot do that. 

This trimmer cannot be converted.

  • Green and soft garden materials
  • Shrubs and wooden materials
  • All kinds of garden materials, thanks to the new "Turbine-Cut" system

In many cases, the collection box has not been correctly inserted. This is a safety function

 

Lawnmowers have carbon brushes that are permanently built into the motor. Therefore, they are not available as spare parts. An entire motor block would have to be ordered if a carbon brush were to be required

No, the chainsaw is operated by a 36 V battery

No, they are electric motors and are air-cooled.

Bosch recommends that you do not regrind the blades, as this alters the cutting behaviour.
Customers remain free to send the blades to a service that offers or performs regrinding.
 

No, it does not.

Please check that the saw blade is correctly installed.

Above the right-hand rear wheel

Questions and answers about Batteries

You should definitely read the operating instructions, as battery technology is undergoing a swift technological transformation, making a new sort of application and operation necessary under certain circumstances.

Brand-name batteries, particularly those in Bosch garden tools, are protected by a variety of safety mechanisms. An explosion is virtually impossible. Nonetheless, short circuits or mechanical damage to the battery should be avoided at all costs.

Lithium-ion batteries should generally be stored at room temperature. Storage at higher temperatures, however, reduces the service life of the battery. Lithium-ion batteries can be destroyed by temperatures above 55 °C, and can totally discharge at temperatures below -15 °C. Lithium-ion batteries should not be fully charged prior to storage. The activity in a fully-charged cell is higher than a partially-charged cell, which causes the cell to age more quickly.

Lithium-ion batteries are based on innovative technology that uses lithium as a component of the electrodes. They differ fundamentally from nickel-based batteries and, at 3.6 volts, have a cell voltage three times that of a nickel cadmium battery. You need fewer battery cells, making the power tool smaller and lighter, or more powerful if it remains the same size. In addition to a significantly lower self-discharge, lithium-ion batteries have no memory effect, in contrast with nickel cadmium batteries

You return them to the power tool dealer. The power tool dealer will collect them and pass them on to the power tool manufacturer, who will arrange professional recycling.

The memory effect occurs in NiCd batteries if they are not fully discharged. If a part of the battery is not used, the battery "remembers". The underused part of the battery is then no longer available for storing energy in the battery. In lithium-ion batteries, this type of memory effect cannot occur.

Self-discharge refers to the process by which a battery passively emits energy through storage alone. Once a certain time has elapsed, the battery has to be charged before it can operate a garden tool. The self-discharge with conventional nickel technology is approximately 25% per month, whereas with lithium-ion batteries this is less than 2%. Lithium-ion batteries are therefore ready to use even after prolonged periods of storage.

Questions and answers about Drills

No. You have to adjust the speed in line with the material properties.
The softer the material, the higher the speed. The harder the material, the lower the speed.
As materials differ significantly in terms of hardness ratings, you should always drill at a speed correctly adjusted to the material and drill bit diameter.
The technical literature has detailed application tables. The speeds specified here in our tables should be treated as simplified guidelines with which you can achieve good results when using hand-operated machines.
Different speeds may sometimes apply to specialist drills and core bits. Here, it is best to use the values specified on the packaging or in the operating instructions. If the speed of the drill being used cannot be precisely specified, then you should use the closest value.

The primary risk for the drill user are potential recoil torques. Recoil torques are caused by increased torque output from the drill, due to increasing drill bit friction in the drilled hole in the event of:

    Deep drilling
    Drilling large diameters
    The drill bit jamming in the drilled hole or when being removed from the workpiece

The drill bit – and consequently the power tool – jamming can lead to especially large, dangerous recoil torques.

The recoil torques that may result from drilling can be avoided as follows: Always use sharp drill bits that are in perfect condition. Damaged or blunt drill bits produce much more friction and tend to be jammed or blocked very easily.
If you are drilling down deep, help remove shavings by regularly retracting the drill bit. This decreases the friction of the drill bit and consequently the risk of jamming.
Select the appropriate speed and secure the workpiece when drilling holes of large diameters.
Generally, you should pre-drill when drilling holes in metal of over 6 mm in diameter. Taking this measure means that you then need less feed pressure. This is particularly advantageous when drilling thin metal plates, because you can meter the feed pressure more sensitively when removing the drill bit from the workpiece, preventing the edge of the drill bit from being hooked in. As a rule of thumb, you should select a drill bit for pre-drilling with a diameter corresponding to the width of the chisel edge of the large drill bit.
Recoil torques can be compensated for by operating the machine safely. This is why it is necessary to hold and guide the drill using both hands. If an auxiliary handle is provided for a certain drill, it must also be used.

The spindle is firmly attached to the bearings on the drill. This produces great precision concentricity. The metal drilling speed is optimised. With an impact drill, the spindle is positioned amongst the bearings such that it can move freely. Depending on the system, the precision concentricity is not as good as with simple drills. The speed is generally higher than that of simple drills, because impact drills are also used for drilling stone, for which you need a high impact rate.

Questions and answers about Routing

The hand held electric tools for routing are designated under the collective term "routers". Routers are generally located above the workpiece during operation.
Routers differ from each other in terms of purpose of use and power consumption. Standard ones are:

    Multifunctional tools
    Edge routers
    Simple routers

The main risk of injury presented by routing comes from the sharp router bit. This is the case both when the tool is operational and when it is not. Routers are designed to work at very high rotational speeds. Incorrect operation can cause machine kickbacks. Only sharp router bits that are in perfect condition may be used. The router bits must be suitable and permitted for the relevant router. Blunt or damaged router bits can lead to strong vibrations, machine kickbacks and the router bit breaking. Injuries caused by the router bit can be avoided by taking the following measures:

    Operate the machine with both hands, while holding it in the intended grip areas.
    Remove the router bit from the router once you have finished working.

When trimming edges, the feed direction must always go against the router bit's rotational direction (upcut routing). When routing in the router bit's rotational direction (downcut routing), the machine can no longer be safely operated, especially with somewhat greater chip thicknesses. If the machine swerves significantly, you can lose control over the router, making the risk of an accident extremely high. The router must always be operated firmly and securely.
The feed pressure should be selected such that the speed of the machine does not drop too much and consequently does not cause vibrations.

Wood is relatively soft and can be easily machined. If the on-site temperature is too high, however, this means that it tends towards burning, if you linger too long in one place with the router bit.
Elasticity, particularly for soft wood with a long grain, has a certain jamming effect on the router bit. This is then converted into additional frictional heat. It is particularly important to note the grain when it comes to solid wood, if you want to achieve good work results.

In general, all materials suitable for machining, particularly wooden materials, can be processed. Metals can, however, be processed only using heavy, stationary routing machines. Only thin aluminium plates can also be processed using a handheld router.

Questions and answers about Planing

What makes an electric planer dangerous is the cutter shaft ("planer cutter") rotating at high speed. Due to the oscillating weight, the planer cutter continues rotating for quite some time after the planer has been switched off. Until it has come to a complete standstill, the planer cutter must, therefore, not come into contact with the user or other objects, e.g. the work bench.
To avoid risks, you should only set down the planer once the planer cutter has come to a standstill. It is best to use a planer type that comes with a safe option for setting down (a "parking rest"). With this device, the planer cutter cannot touch the work surface. Nevertheless, you should ensure that the work surface is free of objects.

When positioning the planer, the pressing force must be on the front planer base plate, otherwise the tool will make a dent in the positioning area.

When removing the planer, the pressing force must be on the rear planer base plate, otherwise the tool will make a dent in the removal area.

All machinable materials can be planed. Handheld electric planers are used almost exclusively for processing wood and wooden materials. Plastics can be processed if the planing width is small (approx. 20–50 mm, depending on plastic type).

If possible, the planing direction should be selected such that you are not planing against the grain, as this can affect the surface quality. Positioning the planer to be slightly slanted can achieve a "pull-cut" motion, which has a beneficial effect on the surface quality (planer blade is slanted when entering the workpiece as opposed to perpendicular to the feed direction).

Questions and answers about Gluing

All materials with absorbent or porous surfaces that are also heat-resistant can be glued with a hot glue gun. Typical materials are wood, wooden materials, stone materials and fibre materials such as cloth, leather, cardboard and paper.
Any materials with smooth, non-absorbent surfaces, e.g. glass, metal and smooth or heat-sensitive plastics such as polystyrene foam, cannot be glued. If in doubt, try it out before use.

Hot glue guns are very safe in terms of electrics, but, as with all electrical and electronic equipment, should not be left unsupervised when switched on. However, due to the adhesive's high melting point of 150–180 °C, care is required during use in order to prevent burns.

Questions and answers about Measuring

The lasers used in Bosch measuring technology tools correspond to laser class 2, which is classified as not dangerous. Special protective measures are, therefore, not necessary. However, laser beams, no matter their protection class, must never be directed straight into someone's eyes.

The path from the measuring tool to the object to be measured must be free of obstacles. Any obstacles would hinder measurement.
In addition, measurements can be incorrect if smoke or dust absorbs or partially reflects the measuring beam.

A levelling tool is a measuring instrument for determining the relative heights of objects.
By projecting laser lines onto the wall, a laser levelling tool makes it easier, for example, to hang up pictures and install shelves or wall cabinets with greater precision, as well as to align them precisely with each other.

Questions and answers about Saws

With the exception of certain mineral materials and glass, almost all materials can be processed using handheld electric saws.

The main risk of injury presented by sawing using power tools comes from the saw blade. This is the case both when the tool is operational and when it is not. There is also the risk of machine kickbacks in the event of application errors. Only sharp saw blades that are in perfect condition may be used. The saw blades must be suitable and permitted for the relevant saw. Blunt or damaged saw blades can cause the machine to jam or get blocked. Injuries caused by a saw blade can be avoided by taking the following measures:

    Never remove protective guards, hold them open or otherwise manipulate them.
    Operate the machine with both hands, while holding it in the intended grip areas.
    Cover chainsaws with a protective sleeve after use.
    With all other saws (except circular saws), remove the saw blade from the saw once you have finished work.

Adjust and attach adjustable protective equipment such as the riving knife in line with regulations.
The saw must be operated firmly and securely when working. You should select the feed pressure such that the saw is not jammed or blocked. This could cause recoil torques.

Questions and answers about Sanding

You essentially begin with coarse grit and then choose finer grit with each pass. As a rule of thumb, you should choose grit that is twice as fine with each subsequent operation.

Example: Grit sequence 40 – 80 – 180 – 360 – 600 – 1200

Sanding surfaces is called surface finishing, while actually cutting materials using sanding is called abrasive cutting or deep grinding.

Keep to the range of applications designated by the manufacturer
Use only the abrasives designated by the manufacturer
Use the optimum dust extraction procedures
Wear protective goggles
Use protective masks
Use ear protectors

Almost all solid materials can be sanded. Only specific material types such as elastomers cannot be sanded or can be sanded only with considerable technical input.

Questions and answers about Screwdriving

Tightening and loosening screws can cause kickback, which can endanger the user. The causes are

Recoil torques
Bits slipping off
Noise

Almost all screwdriving applications can be ascribed to two basic forms – hard screwdriving applications and soft screwdriving applications.

Hard screwdriving applications are all applications in which there is a hard material (usually metal) directly under the screw.
Soft screwdriving applications are all applications in which there is a yielding (soft) material (usually wood) directly under the screw or it is being screwed into a yielding material.

The most common causes of bits slipping off are:

The size of the bit does not match the screw
Bit positioned on the screw at an angle
Tilts during the screwdriving process
Pressure is too low

You can easily recognise in each of these cases that there is an application error.

The effects of bits slipping off are:

Risk of injury to the user
Damage to the workpiece
Damage to the screw
Damage to the bits

So you can see that avoiding these common application errors is really worth it

In principle, you can differentiate between:

Screwdrivers with depth stop
Screwdrivers with clutch torque
Screwdrivers with rotary impact

In screwdriving technology, the term describes the screwdriving insert required for the respective screw type (slotted, cross-head, hexagon socket, Torx, etc.). The bit is secured in the machine either directly, using a hexagonal shank held in a drill chuck, or in a tool holder that is either part of the machine or an inserted accessory.

Impermissible and consequently dangerous recoil torques can be avoided by taking the following measures:

Selecting the right screwdriver bit
Correctly adjusting the screwdriver bit, e.g. the torque or depth stop, in line with manufacturer recommendations

Questions and answers about Tacking

As a rule, only wood and wooden materials can be tacked – if the wood is not too hard. Natural wood and plywood are better for tacking, because the grain exerts an additional clamping force. Other wooden materials such as chipboard can be tacked reasonably well only using resin coated staples.
Any hard materials, such as metals, stone materials, glass and hard plastics, cannot be tacked.

Tackers are extremely safe if they are used as intended. They should always be operated on the workpiece and never "shot out" freely. This is why many tackers have a safety mechanism that only allows them to be triggered once they have been positioned on the workpiece.

Questions and answers about Paint spray systems

Spraying offers you three considerable benefits:
Paint spray systems do the same work in a considerably shorter time than a brush and roller.
Thanks to how very finely the paint is dispersed, you get an even application of paint, including on textured surfaces in particular.
Spraying also allows you to reach places that are not easily accessible, such as corners and edges, without effort (e.g. spraying privacy fences).

You can use all common lacquers, varnishes and wall paints with the Bosch paint spray systems. The choice of paint depends on the area of application. Do you want to paint your walls, lacquer your furniture or protect your wooden terrace from weathering using a varnish?

Emulsions/wall paints:
Suitable for painting ceilings and walls. They adhere well to surfaces, compensate for surface irregularities, seal pores on plastered walls and concrete and are the preferred choice for painting woodchip and embossed wallpaper.

Lacquers:
Lacquers are generally opaque coating agents. When dry, they produce a high-quality matt or shiny surface. They are primarily used for painting wood, metal, plastic and mineral resources.

Varnish:
Paints with subtle, low pigmentation. They are used if you want the structure of the surface to remain visible. Varnishes protect wood against weathering, UV radiation and, in some cases, fungal and insect infestations. Varnishes make wooden surfaces even.

Before spraying:
Before spraying, anything that you do not want to be sprayed should be carefully masked or covered up.
Tip:
Cover the floor with a painting substrate instead of film, so that nothing can slip or fly up unrestrained.

Connect the spray gun to the air hose on the basic tool or motor and fill the container with the required wall paint, lacquer or varnish. Thin the wall paint, if necessary.
The right nozzle must be selected and secured, depending on the type of paint. Then set the right spray and air volumes and do a spray test on a bit of spare cardboard or something similar.

When spraying:
When spraying, select the required spray pattern: Horizontal, vertical or pencil jet spraying.
To cover the surface perfectly with the paint, you should spray from a distance of about 20 cm with a steady movement. It is recommended that you spray from side to side. Begin a second spraying process if necessary, i.e. if the paint is not yet fully covering the surface.
When spraying, always work parallel to the wall and start at the light source. (e.g. window)

After spraying:
Once you have finished the spraying process, the spray gun should be cleaned immediately, to prevent the paint drying out inside it.

If the paint is too viscous, it can be sprayed only with difficulty or not at all.
The optimum thinning always depends on the type of paint. Please comply with the information from the paint manufacturer.
In our experience, thinning the paint is advisable.
Start with thinning of 5% and try out the spray pattern on an old piece of cardboard, for example. If the result is not yet satisfactory, thin the paint by another 5% and test it again. Do not thin by more than 15–20%. Please comply with the information from the paint manufacturer.

If you have used lacquers/paints containing solvents, you will need solvents. For water-based paints, cleaning with water is sufficient.
Tip: Warm the water slightly and use washing-up liquid, as this lets the paint come off more easily. An old washing-up brush or toothbrush is the most suitable tool for removing paint residues.
A step-for-step cleaning guide (available in German only) can be found on our website under Knowledge > Application tips.