Dyno Says Everything You Were Told About Bosch FREAKs is a Lie 

Thanks for the shout-out guys! Looking forward to getting the new test rig finished so if your excited about that too, I will put up some stuff on my channel hopefully soon about it, stay tuned!

“Wow! 57 ft lbs?!? It doesn’t seem like a lot, but that’s just because, we’ll, it’s not.” You made me snort on that one. Love it.

These tests gave me Forest Whitaker eye. lol

I'd bet even material science engineers are scratching their head over the extension. Unless something is happening to hit some sort of resonance, I can't fathom why a spring (the adapter) would increase total impact force.

I bought the latest Freak as a kit on clearance for 72.00. It has impressed me greatly. It does great at hanging drywall due to a 3-way power setting which allows you to have great control over the screw. I also took the tires off my one ton work truck. Really a nice little tool.

Speculation on my part, but my guess is the 1/2" anvil is just an adapter around 1/4" hex with sloppy tolerance and causes quite a bit bounce and torque loss.

I love this channel, everything they do either highlights a good manufacturer claim of torque, but also shows us when they ridiculously claim way higher number than real world use....I am always looking forward to the video breaking down this manufacturers claims..... all manufacturers should be warn, now we got this channel that will set you straight, keep up the good Job testing all these tools, hopefully this will improve a tool brand to be more honest

Inconceivable! Been selling the Bosch Freaks for years never would have imagined the 1/2" drive could some how make less torque than an adaptor, aren't they designed to have a little give. Still somewhat handy not needing an adaptor and hopefully nobody is using it as a replacement for an actual 1/2" impact wrench. Thanks for opening our eyes, love that we'll be seeing all the impact drivers soon!

Definitely interested in seeing more impact drivers in the future. Keep up the great work.

Those new gen 2 1800b is completely different than the 1800c with 3 speed is a beast not the same as single speed my coworker bought and immediately returned because after he used my 3 speed and with 8.0 batteries it can take off lugs on my Silverado with ease

You should test the gen 3. GDX18V-1860CN. Lowe’s item number 3831105. I have one and I can tell there’s definitely more breakaway torque but Bosch claims 275 ft-lbs of breakaway torque in the manual

Nice job guys; You're doing the lords work here.

I love the freak if not just for the combination...not sure if it's patented, but would be great to see on other tool lines...looks like gen 2 is okay, love the dig on Bosch about keychain light 🤣

I've been waiting for a video on these for so long! I love this channel lol

Love to see how the milwaukee surge compares, as well as the lineup of ryobi drivers. Thanks for the tests guys👍🏻

Having been tempted by the freak and its 1/2 inch feature, i have experimented with this effect a little before returning this freak ang getting a teal one to match my collection lol. You might want to explore different adaptors as it seems that the ''sloppyer'' fits allow more hammer movement giving it more time to accelerate and impart force. It also seems to run at a lower frequency with an adaptor.

This is why this channel is great. Saves people a lot of money on tools that don’t work as advertised.

I was thinking when id see a new vid in my feed from you and just like that the popup showed up. Pleasure as always Sir

The hollowed anvil has to be the source of your reduction in power. Can you guys perform a quick test with a short 1/4 bit inserted into the anvil under the 1/2 socket (adding mass and filling the cavity). A solid 1/4 bit would probably work best. I hope you guys see this, as I would love to see the data!

And it looks like we lied too, no longer price locked at $159, the KIT is currently the best deal: amzn.to/3sdr4P8 So low and I believe we'll be updating the rank chart (222.9 points, still ranked where it is, but maybe defend its position more). At this price, can 100% recommend (Gen 2 *ONLY* )

Thanks for the video long overdue on the freak line!

I have a gen 2 bosch freak and I love it. I work in a trailer shop and it pulls its own weight plenty and you can even catch me pulling off lugnuts with it all the time

Hey TTC, I have the gen 2 freak and love it for my application. I use it building fence and think that the versatility is perfect because I can put up boards with the quarter inch then hang gates without even taking the bit off before I put on the socket. It also has worked great for me as a compact impact wrench as most of my applications don’t need more than 150 ft/lbs. The battery on Bosch tools is also very good in my opinion. Thanks for the great test!

Once again, another phenomenal video. Keep up the good work

my first wrench was a Chinese knock off Makita with a hex bit I still use it today for disk brakes and other stuck screws. I have been very tempted to swap the anvils but worried that'd end badly

I had to slap my gen 1 in the vice to get the socket off

I have been using a Gen1 since the drop. I do HVAC so Ive used the socket option a couple times. It drives tin screws better than a dewalt.

At least I now know to use my extension to hopefully get the mower blades off the spindle. VERY underwhelmed by the lack of power in my Freak in "heavy" applications. I thought it was something wrong with the battery. Glad this popped up in my feed!! Thanks.

I found with the Gen 2 work much better with small sockets, i was able to take off bolts that where torqued down to 250ft-lbs with orange lock-tight. I feel it has a smaller anvil and the blows get absorbed into the larger sockets.The sockets get noticably warmer than when i use my pneumatic (1/2" blue-point), even when the bolt are quickly removed. My guess is the 1/4" adaptor is "bouncing" the impact so it applying it smoother allowing the torque to be passed on rather than absorbing it, turning it into heat. Would be cool to see a thermal test

May I recommend you add a second or two on the timer so that you can start the timer and get both your hands on the tool. Love the tests.

Would really love to see the makita sub compact 18v line in here. I've gotten where I use mine more than the full sized version and I "believe" they punch well above their weight class. It clearly isn't as powerful as the full sized version, but it doesn't disappoint for what it does.

My best guess is, that the small anvil struggles with delivering it's power to that in comparison giant socket and bolt losing more energy in deformation and heat generation, while the little flex in the adpater helps buffer that energy and deliver it to the socket more smoothly.

I have two of the 1.5 drivers, one for work and home. I've known for a while that they were much weaker than advertised (I got 90 ft/lb out of mine) but it is great for driving/loosing screws and smaller bolts. I use it frequently with a 1/2 ratchet too on large bolts to save spinning the bolts. I have the heavy duty rigid for anything this cannot do. I may get the gen two, it sounds like it would be perfect for passenger tire lug nuts.

The square drive must be flexing like a torque stick. The adapters sit deeper into the anvil mechanism, so the geometry and material properties are a little better. That's all I've got - it's a pretty surprising result, for sure 👍

Great video 👍 👌 👍 now we know the true performance of these tools

The square taper anvil is deforming when used with a socket because the center has been drilled out for the hex. If you weld a hex bit into the anvil to fill the hole, it'll make up the difference.

In my experience with the Gen 1 Brushless on over torqued lug nuts, a dewalt socket adapter would not break them free, but socket on anvil would. I repeated the test a bunch of times by torquing them down again to like 90lbs.

I guess that explains why I was riding the struggle bus trying to drive some lags into railroad ties. I wonder if Bosch's other traditional impact drivers stack up.

Some of the Gen 2 freaks have a pin hole hog ring collet. Meant for pin retaining sockets and O rings. Interested in seeing the difference in torque between the pinned sockets and non pinned/adapter attached or hog ringed.

I noticed a little more output using the six amp hr battery on the Gen1. that being said. It will barely remove my lug nuts on Honda accord torqued to 87 lbs. I never had a problem driving screws or lags and most of the time I have it set on The lowest setting. I did finally purchased the Bosch GDS 1000 to break and axel nut loose. that worked great and that was without the special sauce batteries.

Before the gen 1 there were two models, GDX 14,4V-LI and GDX 18V-LI, both brushed with easy access brushes, so Gen 0 I guess? Gen 2 has two variants, GDX 18V-200 C (or GDX 18V-1800 C in NA), which has two buttons on the base, one for speed selection and the other a light disable button, and a bluetooth connectivity module slot in the handle. The GDX 18V-200 (resp. 1800) without the C is a cheaper version, which loses the speed selector, light disable and bluetooth module slot. Then there's the upcoming model GDX 18V-210 C already available in some EU countries (named GDX 18V-1860 C in NA), which probably isn't a whole new gen, it's in the same housing as gen 2, so Gen 2.1 I'd say. It adds the Auto Bolt Release function and slightly more claimed torque.

The early ones are probably as powerful as my 18v green 1/4 hitachi. Good for screws and stuff, but not a heavy hitter. I can hold the socket keeping it from spinning fairly comfortably.

Some of These drivers have 3 power settings and you have to turn them up! Fun fact, when i got mine and used it first time, i was so disappointed because I needed one so badly and I got it as a gift from my dad when I just started working in the auto trade. 2 weeks later i discovered i had been using it on low power the whole time and when i pressed the button to put it up, it made it a beast! I was pulling lug nuts off almost every vehicle with it on the 1/2” adapter

Great test! Thanks.

I'm so glad I bought the Gen 2 freak instead of the other two even though those were the only ones on display at my Bosch dealer. If anyone could please explain how it is even possible for these impact drivers to make more torque with the hex adapters vs 1/2 inch drive, I'd be very content!

Awesome work! Love these weirdness. I got a Gen 2.

Definitely throw in more DeWalt impact drivers (the current 887, as well as the other models), other Makita models, the Milwaukee M18 brushed, and M18 non-Fuel Brushless impact drivers, also more Ridgid, Ryobi, Metabo, Metabo HPT (Hikoki), Festool, and Hilti. Great video as always!

I have the the Bosch IDH-182, and the socket retention depends on much weaker than you let on, especially for deep inpact sockets over 7/8 inch.

Regarding low numbers for gen1. There’s a flaw in tool body that prevents button from being pushed all the way down. You can feel it by rattling the button from side to side - you should notice tool speed changing. This can easily be fixed, by removing extra material with modeling knife, the numbers should improve. Ps. Sorry for poor English. It’s not my native language.

Awesome as always. Do you plan to test the Porter Cable brushless impact driver?

Thanks for doing the drivers list. I think it's really interesting. The freak is a cool concept but clearly a fail on execution

Only thing I can think of, is the adapter adds a bit of mass, like a power socket does. Maybe the anvil is just so small in these, that even the very small amount of mass (and diameter) of the adapter is still enough to cause a pretty healthy change?

How do you guys not have more subs yet? That's what I want to know. As someone that loves to nerd out over the specs of my tools I love your channel

0:48 Also known as the GDX 18V-Li here in Europe. I have that one myself. And for my diy jobs at home, it is quite adequate. Mine runs at full speed quite a bit from fully depressed, yours must be faulty... Btw, you DID put it on its highest setting, right?

I have the GDX18V-1800C, its like the Gen2 but has adjustable torque settings and the port for the weird Bluetooth tracker thing.

Would you be able to compare an impact wrench with its stock anvil and compare with dual-use anvil that can be bought on eBay to see if it affects power? I know these are sold for the Makita XWT17Z

Man I love this channel!!!

I think the adapter advantage is in it's elasticity. It accumulates some torque on its length before releasing it to the bolt.

I have the theory regarding the adapter results. Namely it seems some machines do not have enough impacting/working mass. Such machines profit from bigger sockets and added adapters. Machines that have appropriate size and weight of working/impacting parts do not need this added mass and even can slow down while they lose power on accelerating additional mass. Might sound stupid but I have seen it that some machines profit from big heavy sockets and can loose screws with heavier sockets that they could not with small light cheap sockets. I guess margins are small but in some cases it works like that.

Can you try sticking only the tail of a broken adapter, then putting a socket on the 1/2 square drive. Just curious if the tool can sense there is a bit in the hex drive, so it pumps more juice.

most likely reason for the performance difference is the dissipation of the impact force due to the extra length of the 1/2" square relative to the 1/4" hex, the impact gun itself produces the same torque, to test this just put an extension on any driver and observe the loss.

Bosch why would you go from 2 lights by the anvil to 3 and then completely mess the 3rd one up by putting the light down on the bottom. The impact itself is an awesome tool but the placement of the light for what I need it for... That why I have Makita now.

Another great video, thanks for all the help and keep up the great work. Would like to see Kobalts newest impact driver tested.

I use a 1.5 regularly for automotive work, I expected it to rank a little lower, I wanted a lower torque impact so I don't break stuff and if I have to use a breaker bar so I don't strip things thats OK, I say this because of some of the scenarios I've used this tool in would gave never broke anything loose based on your test, i.e. lug nuts and crank bolts are both torqued higher than that. I just pulled an engine last weekend and didn't hiccup once, so I find it strange...

Love when you guys post a new content always a suprise whats gonna happen.what would be cool is if you threw an old dewalt dw056 on the old dyno with a milwaukee adapter with a lithium outfit,because who didnt get a $200 dollar 5 or 7 piece kit for xmas one year.my dw056 and old sawzall really get after it with that setup,not holding that socket that is for sure.keep on killin it.

The first European generation (GDX 18V-EC) had a design flaw. You could not pull the trigger completely because a part of the housing was in the way and prevented “full power”. Was resolved in mid 2017.

I bought a combo kit with the Gen 2, a hammer drill, 2 4AHr batteries, the charger and a bag for ~$150 about 4-5 months ago(I think?). Been great for just working on my truck. Granted, I actually use a torque wrench when I'm putting the lug nuts on, but it never really has a problem taking them off... so long as I'm on the highest mode. Made that mistake once. The batteries at least last a long time, in my use case. Still nice to see actual numbers after getting flac from my mechanic step-dad for buying Bosh, who insisted they made terrible tools.

I use my gen 1 for DIY Automotive work and it does everything that I needed to including suspension bolts and old lug nuts on aluminum rims no socket adapter

Glad I got a Gen 2! I've been using the impact driver a lot lately over my Milwaukee surge.

I have a m12 brushed Bosch driver from way back- it is weak by today's standards but....it's a tough SOB. Still works after all these years.

The extra torque with the adapter could be because of the backlash between the adapter and the socket giving the motor a little more time to accelerate to its "full power".

Personally I love the IDH182 model for it’s design, the 3 lights, and the pistol grip. It’s has worked on location better than the Milwaukee’s and DeWalts some of my crew use. Used the 2.0 Freak GDX in some was it is actually better, but I still prefer the 1st Gen design. Having extensively use the Bosch Impacts they works from fine work to heavy duty admirably. With the ratcheting ability I’ve never broken or over tightened or broken a screw. Also the CORE batteries are superior, the test be what it may I’ve used these tools and been impressed.

Makes me want to take one apart to find out why you get more power to the 1/4” rather than the 1/2”

Loving the channel guys. But I believe the first model of this tool was the Brushed GDX 18 V-LI Funnily enough Oz tool talk got the same, better results with an adapter 🤷‍♂️

I have the Gen 1 at work. We have lots of bolts that need at least 145 Nm. Never a problem when I check with my torque wrench. And without the adapter. Other than that, 7 years of abuse on building sites and still working good. And something wrong with the trigger on the one you borrowed.

Man, these memorable model numbers! It's like they threw a cat at a keyboard and then, being German, had to add the torque spec or else risk being stripped of their Germanity.

Just A thought the added weight of impact driver bit possibly made for high hits since the anvil is hallow thus taking away power. Something interesting to test and make content.

Love the Gen 2 .. well built, long lasting and does more than enough power, not concerned with being out of control fast like some.

I picked up a Bosch 18 volts 3/8 impact a few years ago because I had a Bosch drill and it lasted a long time the impact wrenched the first thing that happened was the battery charger took a crap and it just did not have any power I sold it

I bet the driver receiver is directly driven by the hammer and anvil, whereas the wrench end is a separate piece of metal being driven by the driver receiver (hard to eloquently explain that). But point is, the additional point of slop between the impact driver receiver and the wrench end messes up the dynamics of the hammer and anvil.

I do own the bosch freak 2@GDX 18V 200 C, and after using it for few electrical & DIY projects I am quitr satisfied with it's performance. Not really powerful like its competitors but it gets the job done, won't accidentally destroy screw heads/nut threads and "slow start" option offers better control during screwdriving esp. for those who aren't used to high-rpm impact drivers. Just avoid using it for automotive jobs

Maybe it can be taken a step further by stuffing a piece of cut hex stock in the anvil (to use the _anvil)_ before putting a socket on so that none of the impact is lossed through the 1/4" hex

I have the new model freak. I am a carpenter and still much prefer to use a drill driver, because of the noise and versatility, I have to carry my tools quite far sometimes. But I do find this very handy, its ergonomics and control are super and the convenience of just putting a socket is very useful. I don't need tones of power for the occasional coach bolt o a gate hinge. I would like to see some 12v head to heads as I think they would probably suit my needs even more.

Thank You

Huh. I just had my hands on one of those at Lowe’s today. Wondered how they do

Will be using my Bosch 1800 with 1/4 adapters from now on for more BEANS! Cant even complain as I got mine on sale for $55 with the 4ah 21700 Core! battery...

It almost seems like some sort of limp mode without a bit in the collet.

That Dewalt adapter created some kind of anomaly achieving an optimal rhythmic impact pattern producing less torque loss rather than more torque. Quite an interesting observation!

"Theoretically these should be worse...but, can it even get worse?" LMAO 🤣

I'd love to see you guys to some testing on Porter Cable!

Bosch just announced their Gen4 version a few days ago. It is model GDX18V-1860CN and claims 1860 in-lbs (155 ft-lb). They are actually releasing THREE versions of this tool: impact driver with 1/4" hex (GDR18V-1860C), impact wrench with 1/2" square (GDS18V-1860C), and "Freak" with both (GDX18V-1860C). All three tools share the same user manual and advertise the same 1860 in-lbs. Given the strange results you got with the hex vs. square drive, it would sure be interesting to test these three seemingly identical tools to see how if they differ. I'm guessing you'll at least test the new "Freak" version when it arrives to see how it compares to the first three generations you tested in this video. Great video - great channel! Thanks! Edit: I just looked at Lowes and the Gen4 is in stock at my local store. By the way, I have the Gen1 IDH182B. I recall that there was an issue with the triggers on the Gen1 brushless Bosch tools and I have sent in a couple for warranty repair. They replaced the trigger with an updated part. Given the poor trigger feeling you observed on your test tool, I wonder if the lower than expected results you got from the Gen1 could possibly be related?

Those impact drivers are optimized for a certain dead weight. In any other configuration than the perfect weight the hammers don't hit the internal anvil the moment the anvil needs a hit. It could be giving total different torque measurements when using a smaller (or bigger) sized adapter.

I've had the gen 1 for about 3 years now, and it's working great for screws and stuff. This really explains why it's painfully slow to remove lug nuts on my car, tightened to 120Nm ._. Edit: There's a new generation containing a new freak, impact driver and impact wrench coming soon in Europe. Maybe a proper improvement? Also: Could you possibly test the accuracy of torque bars, if that's the english word for it? (Half inch "torsion rods" you put between your impact and socket to prevent you from overtightening fasteners)

Super interesting! Makes me wonder if the best AIO tool would be a Frankenstein'd M18 3/8" mid torque with the Freak anvil. Why 3/8 over the 1/2" mid? I read the former has lower torque per power level and I believe lowest breakaway torque of 35 lb-ft in Mode 4. That may result in less stripping when used as an impact driver with hex bits. Great test, man.

I heard about Problems with the switch on Bosch Impacts, they jam before you got the full rpm and than you don't reach max torque! Maybe try again and concentrate on the switch, that it makes the full travel.

Could be losing force when using normal socket as the anvil might be absorbing some impact with the gap in the middle, where as the adapter fills the hole. Just a guess, no idea lol. Maybe Frankenstein two gen twos to make them each just a full anvil and just a full driver, see if that changes the outcome

Another issue I find with companies like this that are part of a much larger corporation, is the exaggeration of Wattage.

Damn, I've always had a lot of respect for Bosch. Still do, but maybe more for their appliances and auto parts and not as much their tools!

Can you somehow test them using sockets while hex bit inside the shaft? Might be the hollowed out shaft just flexes through and doesn't forward the impact to the socket.

It depends on the harmonics the tool produces. Mass, shape, size, material . it all interacts and you don't always get better results with or without the adapter. You should go watch some of Ave vids. he talked about it way back if i remeber correct.