Bosch Professional 12V System Wall Scanner D-tect 120 (12V
Bosch Professional 12V System Wall Scanner D-tect 120 (12V battery, max. detection depth plastic pipes/wooden studs/live cable/magnetic metal/non-magnetic metal: 60/38/60/120/120 mm, in L-Boxx)
From the brand
What is our purpose?
We make the PRO more efficient. We believe that every PRO can master every challenge.
Are our products high quality?
Bosch Professional offers outstanding quality for power tools, accessories and service. This means PROs can count on our reliable solutions and maximum user-friendly products.
Why is responsibility so important?
For Bosch Professional, responsibility for the well-being of PROs and their environment is paramount. That’s why we set standards in health and safety and integrate relevant safety systems into our tools and services.
Why we love what we do?
PROs are fascinated by Bosch Professional because our innovative products impress with their functionality and ergonomics. That’s what drives us. We want to make it easier for them and help them increase their productivity and achieve above-average results.
| Weight: | 3.34 kg |
| Dimensions: | 44.1 x 35.9 x 14.6 cm; 3.34 Kilograms |
| Model: | 0601081370 |
| Part: | 0601081370 |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | Yes |
| Batteries Included: | Lithium Ion |
| Manufacture: | BOZYC |
| Dimensions: | 44.1 x 35.9 x 14.6 cm; 3.34 Kilograms |
| Quantity: | 1 |
Does the job perfectly, battery last a long time only downside is the price
Very accurate at finding Wall studs. Sometimes Electricity warning goes off in a wall that definitely contains no wiring. Getting used to its intricacies now. Yes it’s a lot more than some devices, but what value would you put on the cost of having to have a Plumber/Electrician, then a builder for repairs to your dismantled wall + plastering and re-decorating to get it back to the state it was in just before your drill went through in the wrong place? Looking at it that way I decided 200 odd was a worthwhile investment…
The last time I used it I was much more impressed than the first few attempts, maybe because (due to the price and the size) I was expecting a lot more from it at the start. After more time using the tool I appreciate it needed some learning from different use cases and now I feel a lot more confident about what it is telling me. It is probably a bit overboard for an amateur DIYer like myself and I would be hard pressed to justify the expense if I hadn’t received this review version. Even now, it still feels like a lot of money for what you get, but I’m not really the target audience, I feel, as my previous scanner, 100 pounds cheaper, gives results not far different to this one. Given the choice now, I use the D-tect every time, as it is more practical and complete.
What this tool did do was introduce me to the Bosch Pro 12V System cordless range and I’m thankful for that, as I absolutely love the other tools in the range. The battery and charge in this bundle can be reused across the range, meaning you can get the other tools on their own for considerably less than you do if the battery and charger are included. I’ve now got 4 tools from the Bosch Pro range and absolutely love them all, even this scanner.
For the Pros, this is probably a good buy as the extra level of feedback you get from the screen saves time and gives more reassurance in locations where you have no knowledge of the walls you’re working on.
Got this during the Amazon Prime event (2020) for a price lower than anywhere else on the interweb including eBay…
I’ve used it a couple of times already (on dot and dab walls) and it is absolutely brilliant the best, most accurate wall scanner I have used…
First job was hanging three 68cm (dia) mirrors on a wall with 2 double sockets and a radiator fed with plastic pipes. The scanner easily traced the routes for both the wires for the sockets and the plastic pipes for the radiator.
This is a very high quality detector – it looks good, has a good display and seems to work well. The kit i received includes the charger and battery, which is very good.
It’s always worth cross checking detection to make sure it works as expected, but for me it seemed to work very well and very easy to use. Complements all the other Bosch blue tools as well.
So a few pointers.
Do not expect to get an accurate reading by putting straight on the wall and doing a simple single pass. It has auto sensitivity which means you need to get a few passes carried out before you get an accurate result.
Look for the second meter to show the centre dot as it passes over known wires.
Get used to when the meter starts sounding/flashing verses the location of known wires and when it just shows a solid dot. Look for the centre-dot to appear as you move across the wall, keep going over the area – at least a few sweeps.
As it approaches something it detects it from a longer distance than the reverse. A few sweeps either side will give you the most accurate reading.
Make sure you hold it properly and avoid holding it by the head. Holding it by the head seems to really confuse the accuracy. And remove any rings and watches you may have on your hand/wrist. This again can cause confusion.
Keep your other hand on the wall. Possibly earthing yourself to the wall would give you a better reading? If you are charged with static it might affect your reading.
This is a professional tool which requires a good amount of preparation to ensure best results.
100% confidence when using this item.
I have a standard Bosch detector and this one is much more accurate, as it should be with the price difference.
It needs a bit of practice to use and get the “swiping” speed correct. It gives a visual display and a bleep loud enough to hear even in a noisy environment.
You do wonder about the thought that went into the design however. It came in an enormous plastic carry/storage box that looks like a multi function box with a variety of sections.
Much is made in the blurb about being also able to use it with AA batteries, this is possibly true but the adapter is not supplied and does not seem to be available from Bosch either.
The rechargeable battery seems to last for ever particularly as this is not a device that would be in continuous use.
I think a better design would be for the battery to be built in and have a phone type charger which would make everything more compact and get rid of the need for the big box which could be replaced with a case/holster which would make it much more usable.
Incidentally spare batteries do not seem to be available from Bosch either.
The unit is supplied in a Bosch L-Boxx case, together with rechargeable battery and charger. As this leaves ample space, the case includes a plastic tray for a Bosch Professional cordless drill. Once you ‘buy into’ the Bosch Professional range, the batteries can be used interchangeably.
The Detector is simple to use with three modes for masonry, plasterboard and concrete with rebar walls. When moved across the surface, the ‘beeping’ and display shows the location of the detected object. Live wire cause the red LED to blink and a ‘live conductor’ indicator comes on.
In use, I found the detector worked a specified and was even able to locate a ceiling rose through floorboards in the floor above. It’s not sold for the purpose, but it can also locate ferrous nails etc. in lumber before running it through a saw.
I’d like to see a couple of improvement –
1) The essential instructions on a laminated card to tuck into a pocket on the L-Boxx lid
2) Low friction pads on the underside to minimise risk of marking when sliding the unit over painted wall surfaces
This detector arrived in a very large but mostly empty tool box which appears to stack to other tool boxes. There is a charger, battery and instructions included.
Using it is simple. You turn it on with the detector against the surface you are detecting through and then select the material from the three choices. Moving the unit side to side across the wall will give audible and visual indications of something behind the wall. If there is electricity present it will beep and flash.
On my plasterboard walls it seems to be very accurate, finding the centres within a few mm. In some cases it can be a little bit too sensitive, finding things on the other side of the partition, but with a but of patience and some common sense it is straight forward to interpret the readings and find what you are looking for.
It is a bit pricey for the casual user but for the professional you do get what you pay for.
I should clarify that I am a confident DIY’er (I know when to call someone in) rather than a pro-user and have had close calls with almost drilling into power cables (within 1mm) and water supply pipes (I actually drilled directly into one of those, but noticed a change in the pitch of the drill and stopped before I caused a leak). I have used many different detectors and have never felt 100% confident in their accuracy; I am not at 100% with this either, but I am closer than I have ever been with a detector to date.
This detector comes with a rechargeable battery pack and battery charger. A part charge is present on arrival but full charging before first use is recommended. I found the battery pack difficult to fit to both the detector and charger, something that I hope will ease with use.
The things I am concerned most about finding are electrical wires and water pipes, having had near disasters with both in the past. This picked up electric cables without any trouble whatsoever, including the one that is buried in plaster and covered with travertine tiles in my bathroom (site of the near miss when I decided to hang a picture). I had a couple of false positives to start with, but that was down to my technique rather than a problem with the detector as they were not repeated subsequently. The display is easy to read and understand.
Despite the large box, the device itself is relatively small and not cumbersome to use. The battery should last for about 5 hours of use before it will need to be recharged, so that should suit most domestic as well as pro-users. A full charge takes around 90 minutes.
Note that it is supplied in a large, sealed tool box (no chance of ever losing this) with a serial number and warranty that the device has been tested before shipping. The box has a thin plastic insert that suggests you may also be able to purchase with a drill and other components, but there is definitely space in the box for other things to be added, although the plastic tray is unlikely to withstand too much heavy use.
This is one of the best detectors I have used to date and should suit most DIY users, as well as many pros. The tool box is a little large for the device alone, but it does ensure the detector is kept safe and not misplaced. Plus there is room for you to add your other essentials.