If you are about to commit to a cordless tool platform and can’t decide between DeWalt and Bosch, you’re in the right place. The two brands have different backgrounds, offer different warranties, and have different product portfolios.
As such, it is important to think about your decision thoroughly before you pick one of the two. While both manufacturers have their own strengths, DeWalt typically produces tools of much better quality. Keep on reading to find out which is right for you.
A Brief History of DeWalt and Bosch
If you are reading this article, chances are that you know that DeWalt and Bosch are among the best power tool brands in the world. Their stories couldn’t be more different, though.
DeWalt is an American brand that was launched in 1923 in Pennsylvania. From the very beginning, it has been a company that primarily focused on making machinery and power tools. Initially for the woodworking crowd and later expanding into general construction and other areas as well.
It’s worth noting that the company’s founder, Raymond E. DeWalt, invented the radial arm saw – a circular saw mounted on a sliding arm for precise movement. The brand was acquired by American Machine & Foundry in 1949 which in turn sold it to Black & Decker in 1960.
Today, it’s part of the Stanley Black & Decker group. Under Black & Decker, the company went through a major rebrand, positioning itself as the toolmaker for professionals.
DeWalt
Bosch, on the other hand, was started in 1886 near Stuttgart, Germany, as a precision mechanics and electrical engineering company. Unlike DeWalt, more than half of Bosch’s business is in its “mobility solutions” segment – creating technologies for the transportation industry.
The company entered into the power tools business in 1932 when it invented the hammer drill. Today, the “consumer goods” segment of which power tools are a part forms about a quarter of its business. That said, besides Bosch power tools and outdoor equipment themselves, the segment also includes home appliances and other brands the company owns like Dremel.
What makes Bosch interesting as a company is the fact that more than 90% of it is owned by Robert Bosch Stiftung, a charitable organization started by its founder of the same name.
Bosch
DeWalt vs. Bosch: Which Offers Better Quality?
Overall, both DeWalt and Bosch power tools are of excellent quality and will generally last you a long time. That said, there are some differences in terms of where their tools are made and what their warranty is.
Manufacturing: It’s a Tie
As mentioned earlier, DeWalt is an American brand and it still continues to make a considerable portion of its power tools in the United States. Those tools, assembled at one of the company’s seven US factories, DeWalt markets under a “Built in the USA with global materials” logo.
That said, DeWalt also has a significant overseas presence not only in terms of sales but also in terms of manufacturing. It has factories in Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that the “Built in the USA” tools are not necessarily of higher quality than those built overseas. More than that, it is a way for DeWalt to show that they care about creating jobs in the US – and to market to a US audience that has a preference towards products made in the country.
As for Bosch, most of its power tools are made in Malaysia, while a considerable amount are made in Mexico, Taiwan, and China as well. That said, the company still maintains a smaller-scale manufacturing capability in Europe – namely in Germany and Switzerland – as well.
Just like with DeWalt, though, its quality control is solid throughout the world, so a “Made in Malaysia” tag shouldn’t discourage you from choosing the product.
Warranty: DeWalt Wins
Before continuing, keep in mind that warranty terms might change at any time – and that they depend on the country. The below looks at the terms offered in the United States at the time of writing this article.
For most of its power tools, DeWalt offers a three-year limited warranty. What that means is that it will repair for free any defects that are its fault rather than the fault of the user. For some tools, that warranty is extended to seven years.
Besides that, DeWalt also offers a one-year free service contract with its power tools. That allows the buyer to get their tool serviced – and worn parts replaced – free of charge.
Finally, the company offers a 90-day, “no questions asked” money-back guarantee as well.
Bosch, on the other hand, only offers a one-year limited warranty for its power tools. While the tools will in the vast majority of cases last long in spite of the short warranty, you should certainly keep the difference in warranties in mind when making your decision.
The tools also come with a one-year service protection plan. With that, Bosch will “perform free of charge electrical, safety and performance checks, lubrication and replacement of parts worn under normal use.” Obviously, the user has to get the tool to the service center at their own cost, though.
Price: DeWalt Wins
In order to get a good sense of the difference in prices between these two manufacturers, we created the Handyman’s World Power Tool Brand Price Index, which takes a basket of three basic power tools – a cordless drill, angle grinder, and circular saw – and indexes them against the average of what we consider to be the 15 best brands in the industry.
As you can see in the 2023 version of our index below, DeWalt scored 1.06, while Bosch had a score of 1.18. This means that both brands are below average in terms of affordability, making them quite pricey. However, DeWalt is slightly less expensive than Bosch, making it the better option for those on a budget.
Design: It’s a Tie
When it comes to design, both companies offer tools with unique and eye-catching appearances.
DeWalt’s tools feature a lot of sharp edges, giving them a strong and capable look. This is complemented by their yellow and black color scheme, which also makes the tools more visible on job sites. Bosch, on the other hand, has tools that feature a lot of rounded edges, giving them a uniquely modern appearance.
However, their color palette is quite typical of the industry, with their tools featuring a dark blue and red color pattern.
Both manufacturers offer great options in the design department and it really comes down to what you’re looking for. At the end of the day this is completely subjective, and it really all comes down to personal preference.
Customer Service: DeWalt Wins
When it comes to the general consensus about these manufacturers and their customer service, it’s clear that DeWalt comes out on top. Although customer service experiences can vary greatly depending on the representative, online reviews from customers show a stark difference between the two brands.
Bosch customer reviews claim that their customer service comes with long wait times and unsatisfactory resolutions, while negative customer service reviews for DeWalt are few and far between.
In fact, some DeWalt customers seem to be so happy with their customer service and warranty experiences that they took to the internet just to commend the brand.
DeWalt vs. Bosch: Which Has a Better Product Portfolio?
Both DeWalt and Bosch have a large enough portfolio of tools to satisfy even the most demanding customers.
Under its flagship 20V MAX cordless platform, DeWalt offers more than 200 different products. Bosch offers a similarly impressive selection under its flagship 18V line of cordless power tools. Besides that, each line also has a more powerful platform – FLEXVOLT (60V) for DeWalt and 36V for Bosch – for their most power-hungry tools.
With a variety of hammer drills, saws, grinders, and even an air compressor in DeWalt’s FLEXVOLT portfolio, it is a bit more impressive than its Bosch counterpart. Bosch’s 36V platform includes drill drivers, hammer drills, rotary hammers, and reciprocating saws only.
Where Bosch excels, though, is the 12V platform. Being a consumer-focused brand, its lighter-duty line includes impact drills and drivers, impact wrenches, jigsaws, multi-tools, planers, mini reciprocating saws, routers, and vacuums among other things. It even includes heated jackets.
DeWalt’s 12V MAX series, on the other hand, is fairly lean and only includes some impact drills and drivers, mini reciprocating saws, inspection cameras, jobsite radios, and thermometers.
Both brands offer a good selection of corded tools and accessories for all their tools including drill bits, screwdriver bits, saw blades, and so on.
Impact Drivers: DeWalt Wins
DeWalt’s portfolio includes six impact drivers. Four of those – like the 20V MAX XR brushless impact driver – are a part of its 20V MAX platform. They differ in the number of impacts they can deliver per minute (up to 3,800 IPM), as well as in the maximum torque (up to 1,825 inch-pounds) and revolutions per minute (up to 3,250 RPM).
The company also makes an 18V impact driver that can deliver up to 2,700 IPM and has a no-load speed of 2,800 RPM and a 12V impact driver.
Bosch offers a decent selection of impact drivers under its 18V flagship series as well. Especially worth mentioning is the 18V two-in-one bit and socket impact driver which has a unique chuck that can accept 1/4-inch quick-change hex bits as well as 1/2-inch sockets.
Besides that, the company also has two 12V impact drivers – one with a brushless and the other one with a regular motor.
Overall, DeWalt offers a better selection of impact drivers than Bosch does. That said, Bosch’s driver with the unique two-in-one chuck – as well as its 12V drivers if that’s what you’re looking for – are well worth considering.
However, if you’re wanting a bit more power and better quality, we would recommend considering the DeWalt ATOMIC 20V MAX.
Circular Saws: DeWalt Wins
In terms of circular saws, there’s just no denying that DeWalt has a much bigger portfolio. Now, Bosch does offer plenty of good circular saw options, with 18V tools ranging from 5-3/8″ to 7-1/4″ blade diameters.
However, DeWalt simply offers a whole lot more. Along with a wide range of blade diameter options, DeWalt also offers a variety of different voltages for their circular saws, ranging from 12V all the way to 60V.
While both manufacturers offer good options in this department, if you want a more expansive selection, there’s no denying DeWalt’s superiority.
Angle Grinders: DeWalt Wins
As the pattern seems to be through all these categories, DeWalt also comes out on top when it comes to angle grinders.
This comparison was a bit closer, however, as both brands offer a wide array of options. Despite this, DeWalt does seem to have a bit more of a selection, making them the better option.
Bosch offers a range of 18V grinders with a variety of wheel diameters, as well as a plethora of kit options. DeWalt, on the other hand, offers more powerful 60V grinders along with their standard 20V options.
However, Bosch does offer a more compact 12V grinder, which may be the better choice for those of you who are looking for something that’s smaller and doesn’t require as much power.
Lawn and Garden Tools: DeWalt Wins
As far as lawn and garden tools go, there’s no doubt that DeWalt is the clear winner.
This isn’t to say that Bosch’s outdoor tools are bad, it’s just that DeWalt has a much larger selection. Whatever you may need – whether it be a lawn mower, hedge trimmer, chainsaw, or anything else for outdoor use – DeWalt will have it.
Also, along with a limited selection, Bosch’s outdoor tools seem to be less widely available at a lot of common retailers.
If you’re looking for a high-quality, battery-powered push mower, we’d recommend the DeWalt 20V MAX Lawn Mower. However, if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, the Bosch EasyMower 18V-32-200 Cordless Rotary Lawn Mower may be a good fit for you.
DeWalt vs. Bosch: Latest Developments
In order to keep our article fresh, we wanted to take a look at some of the brands’ latest developments as of 2023.
To bring in the new year, DeWalt introduced a new 20V MAX 1/2″ Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill to their ATOMIC COMPACT series. The manufacturer also released a wide array of new concrete tools including their new 60V MAX* 27 lbs. Cordless SDS MAX Chipping Hammer.
Bosch, on the other hand, buckled down on its commitment to its 18V lineup of power tools at the beginning of 2023, announcing a plethora of new tools including their PROFACTOR 18V 7-1/4 In. Blade Left Circular Saw, as well as their PROFACTOR 18V Slide Miter Saw.
DeWalt vs. Bosch: Which Is Better?
There’s no doubt that both DeWalt and Bosch are excellent tool makers and that you can’t go wrong with choosing either of them. However, if we had to nudge you toward one of them, it would have to be the former in most cases.
While both offer a great selection of tools, DeWalt’s portfolio is considerably wider – both across different tools, as well as within a specific tool type. Whether you work with wood, metal, or other materials, you will find most of the tools you will need in DeWalt’s selection. On top of that, most of them will share the same 20V MAX batteries.
Separately, the company also offers a more comprehensive warranty package which – if things go wrong – might be useful.
All that said, if you are a homeowner looking for smaller, 12V tools, then Bosch might be the better brand to go with. If you are looking for corded tools, then you should simply decide on a tool-by-tool basis, as there is no need to stick with one brand in that case.
While they’re both leading global power tool makers, DeWalt’s and Bosch’s history couldn’t be more different. The former was started as a power tool maker and remains that to this day, while the latter is part of a much larger and more diversified conglomerate.
As such, it’s no surprise that DeWalt offers a better selection of tools and is more popular among professionals. That said, both of the brands produce tools of very good quality that will generally last a good amount of time.
How Do DeWalt and Bosch Compare with Other Brands?
See how DeWalt compares with: Black & Decker | Craftsman | Dremel | Festool | Hilti | Husky | Kobalt | Makita | Metabo HPT | Milwaukee | Porter-Cable | Ridgid | Ryobi | Skil | Stanley | Worx
See how Bosch compares with: Black & Decker | Dremel | Festool | Hilti | Makita | Metabo HPT | Milwaukee | Porter-Cable | Ryobi | Skil | Stanley | Worx