Bosch Celebrates 120 Years in the U.S. | From a Hair Trimmer to the Jobsite

What does a hair trimmer have in common with the Bosch rotary hammer in your truck? Well it’s more than you’d think.

Bosch entered the U.S. market in 1906, selling automotive ignition systems. In 2026, the company is celebrating 120 years in the United States. Its power tool story began in 1928 with an electric hair trimmer called the Forfex. Putting the motor in the handle gave Bosch a starting point for developing other compact, handheld tools. A few years later, that idea was finding its way into drills.

By 1930, Bosch was using a handheld motor in its own factories that could drill or drive screws, depending on the attachment. In 1932, Bosch introduced an electric hammer drill capable of both drilling and chiseling. Then in 1952, Bosch brought that versatility to homeowners with the Bosch Combi. With the right attachment, it could drill, sand or even trim hedges.

1. 1969 | Bosch goes cordless. Its early cordless hedge trimmer ran for about an hour on a shoulder-carried battery that weighed roughly 12 pounds. Imagine hauling that around just to trim the hedge.
2. 1975 | SDS-plus arrives. If you’ve ever shopped for rotary hammer bits, you’ve probably seen SDS-plus on the package. Bosch introduced the bit shank system in 1975.
3. 1984 | A cordless hammer drill for pros. Bosch introduced the GBH 24 V, which the company identifies as the world’s first professional cordless hammer drill. It gave tradespeople a way to drill when an outlet was hard to come by.
4. 1985 | SDS-max follows. A decade after SDS-plus, Bosch introduced SDS-max, a bit shank system for heavier drilling and chiseling work.
5. 2003 | A little screwdriver with a big battery milestone. The palm-sized Bosch IXO was the first power tool to use a lithium-ion battery. It weighed about two-thirds of a pound.
6. 2024 | A battery built to run longer. Bosch introduced the 8.0 Ah ProCORE18V+ battery with tabless cells. The design helps reduce heat buildup during demanding work, and Bosch reports up to 71% more runtime compared with the previous model.

Maybe it was a jigsaw you bought for your first woodworking project or a rotary hammer that got you through a stubborn concrete wall. Tell us what your first Bosch tool was and whether you’re still using it today.

Explore Bosch power tools and accessories at Acme Tools.