The Bosch wireless charging system consists of an inductive charger and specially equipped 2-amp-hour Li-ion batteries that fit the company’s 18-volt tools.
Inductive charging has been around for years and is used to charge small devices such as cellphones without removal of the battery. Wireless systems rely on a pair of coils—one in the charger works as a transmitter, while one in the battery is a receiver. Bosch’s new batteries get charged by plopping the tool on the charger. Do this every time you put the tool down and the battery will charge whenever the tool isn’t being used. The tool must be able to stand upright on the charger; otherwise, you can remove the battery and charge it by itself. The battery can reportedly be charged to 100% capacity in 50 minutes—a charge time that’s in line with that of the average battery system (though slower than Makita’s, which claims a 20-minute charge time for 2.0-Ah packs). While the charging speed of the wireless system may only be average, that may not matter: It’s likely the pack will be charged intermittently throughout the day. Read more online at toolsofthetrade.net. —David Frane is editor of Tools of the Trade.
