Review: GCM12SD 12-inch Miter Saw from Bosch
Aug 11, 2010
Bosch's newest 12-inch sliding miter saw doesn't have slide tubes so you can put it right against the wall. Most other sliders require 12 inches or more behind the saw.
Correction: The maximum bevel angle for this saw is 47-deg, not 46 as described in the video.
Exciting New Features on this Bosch Miter Saw
Sliding miter saws are a mainstay of many home woodshops. The reason: their amazing crosscut capacity. This capacity is most-commonly achieved by one or more sliding tubes that provide the travel for the blade, transmission, and motor assembly. It’s a time-tested design, but there is a problem. The tubes usually stick out about 12 in. beyond the rear of the saw, requiring that the saw be positioned an equal distance away from the wall. As a result, you end up with two or three square feet of wasted space behind the saw—most woodworkers I know would rather put that space to better use.
Bosch has solved this problem with their newest 12-in. slider. Dubbed the GCM12SD, the new Bosch miter saw is like no other slider you’ve seen. It uses a pair of hinged arms each with three knuckles to provide the travel for its 13 1/2 in. crosscut capacity. The big benefit is you can put the saw right up to the wall. In addition, it’s very accurate because of the very tight tolerances in the slide mechanism hinge bearings. You can even adjust the slide resistance to your own personal preference.
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Additional Features
The saw bevels to 47 deg in both directions and miters to 60 deg. right and 52 deg. left. There are nine detents for common miter settings and the semicircular ring that houses the detent notches is adjustable for bringing the saw to square. Although we’ve seen it on past Bosch miter saws, I really like the upfront bevel control that eliminates reaching around the back of the saw for bevel adjustments. I tested the saw with a number of cuts and materials and it performed exceptionally well right out of the box. The cuts were smooth and the miters and bevels accurate. I did swap the Bosch blade that comes with the saw for a CMT version with 90 teeth because it had less runout than the factory blade. My only complaint with the saw is the adjustable depth stop designed for dados. It will yield slightly when you push down on the saw handle, which varies the depth of cut by .050 of an inch.
I was able to put a 45-deg miter on 3/4-in. thick by 6-in. wide stock standing up against the fence. With the stock lying down on the table, I was able to put a 45-deg. miter on 10 in.-wide, 3/4-in. thick stock. Bosch’s new saw is accurate, the controls are precise and intuitive, and the space-saving design is icing on the cake. Perhaps the only downside is the price tag; it sells for $800.
Check out more details in our image gallery below:
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Bosch's newest 12-inch sliding miter saw doesn't have slide tubes so you can put it right against the wall. Most other sliders require 12 inches or more behind the saw.
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Instead of slide tubes, a pair of hinged arms provide its 13 1/2 inches of crosscut capacity.
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Each of the arms has three knuckles for movement. The maker claims the unique design also makes the saw less likely to go out of alignment
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The other notable feature is the up-front bevel lock. Raising the red lever unlocks the tilt mechanism for bevel cuts (up to about 47 deg.) in both directions.
Comments
Very cool, and I hope the price comes down after a while.
The advantage of there being no rails behind the saw is a big one, but this is NOT the first SCMS to feature this, Hitachi has had their side rail saws out for quite some time, and you lose almost nothing behind the saw.
Still, there are a lot of other sweet features on this saw, and I'm all for new innovative ideas on our tools.
I would like to hear more about some other features, like the tool to change the blade, is it onboard the saw, or will it get lost in the shuffle if this is a saw the travels to jobsites, is there an integral spindle lock to ease blade changes? What about a laser and work light?
Lastly, while the new knuckle design certainly is cool, what about the old nemesis of SCMSs, Dust Collection? Anything new and improved on that front? I'd sure like to see some :)
Cheers!
Great concept. I would like to hear about any more features that may have been added to this model. For example, we have found that positive tilt stops at 22 1/2 and 45 degrees on BOTH sides are a real asset for deck building. Rigid seems to be the only mainstream saw that has provided this so far.
Looks cool but will it come with a laser? I really like the laser on my 12" non-sliding PC and would not give it up for another one without it no matter the features.
Hi Stu,
Yes, the Hitachi has been out for a few years. It saves space behind the saw with a slide mechanism that points toward the front. The Festool Kapex also has a slide mechanism that points forward. I think Bosch is the first modern saw with the hinge setup.
The blade wrench rides on the saw and there is an arbor lock for easier blade changes. In a small stroke of brilliance bosch put a smaller hex wrench on the other end of the blade wrench that fits some of the saws's other adjustments.
There's no work light, but a laser (Bosch part LS010) is available. Dust collection seems to be about on par as other sliders.
You should also point out that this saw will only be available with a 220V motor. This is an important factor in making tool selections in many small home shops. 220V gives it plenty of power but not everyone has access to a 220V power supply.
Not true, Buckeye. The machine is 120v.
I couldn't help but notice the dust shroud travels with the cutting head. What percentage of dust extraction does Bosch boast when hooked up to their shop vacuum?
Don't get me wrong, Bosch is my favorite tool manufacturer and I'm not against innovative products. But, I count at least six (6) pivot points and a significant overhung load which could eventually introduce "slop" into the action. Tracking down and correcting any slop with that many joints would be a nightmare. I guess if my shop were so small, that I couldn't live without an extra 2-3 square feet, maybe I would consider this saw. Otherwise, simpler is usually better and you can't get much simpler than a couple of slide bearings.
I wanted to buy this saw so contacted Bosch customer service to see about dates. They told me last week that the saw won't be available until "sometime first quarter 2011". I also asked about basic dimensions and they indicated they wouldn't be available until the end of this year...
Hi Patrick
Thanks for the additional information, I honestly hope that the saw is a roaring success and sparks more innovation!
Cheers!
The GCM12SD looks sweet, but as a weekend warrior - plus I'm 5'2" and 120 lbs - I have been thinking a 10" would be a better fit for me. Is there a GCM10SD in the offing?
I want to know why the kid doing the demonstration wasn't wearing ear protection? Are the decibels so low that it isn't needed?
Trying hard to catch the Kapex but only seems to be making it in area of price...
At nearly 40, you flatter me Kitsteiner.
Your point about hearing protection is a valid one. The saw is quiet, but I plead guilty as charged. My seamless delivery might make it less obvious (HA!), but that video was shot almost off-the-cuff, so I forgot to put on my earplugs before pulling the trigger. Thanks for the reminder.
I have a Festool Kapex mitre saw and I've been told by a course instructor that it is the only manufacturer whose saw will cut consistently true mitres without operator corrections being made, so I would be interested to know if others, including Bosch, are gaining on Festool's quality.
The new Bosch Miter Looks and probably performs great. I wonder how many they will sell for $800.00 in this down economy. I would like to but one but NOT at $800.00. Like many others I will wait for the price to come down, and it will come down. I also wonder about how to adapt the dust collection on the saw to the dust collection system in my shop.
Be well
yeh but the kapex is only a 10" saw , good for small stuff - but as soon as you try to cut something bigger like posts & cutting 2-3-4 studs at once - its a waste of time .
I'm looking at getting a new slide compound mitre saw now & the bosch hasnt hit New Zealand yet or for some time i imagine , looks like it will have to be the Milwaukee 12" .
By the way , i recently bought a Bosch GLL 2-80P laser - wow thats awesome , except everyone wants to use it at the same time ( i'm a foreman/Builder )& its a pain to find out who's got my laser -lol
As a small aside and a pointer to a fascintating bit of reading, the linkage Bosch is using appears to be a "Sarrus's Linkage" invented in 1853. See http://www.howround.com look for "How to draw a straight line" and go to the bottom of the page. Lots of neat stuff there.
I am sending the unit back!
when i went to adust the 0 blade angle i found the left side support to me machined higher then the right side and center swivel, no only was it machined higher it was also sloped.the net reult if you where to feed from the right to the left you would hit a stop at the left side landing , and if feeding left to right the piece would rise off the center at the blade. Bosch QC clearly is missing the mark
Been looking at this saw for some time. Have read horror stories about the flatness of the table ( I think at least partly attributable to shipping abuse), poor customer service, cost issues, engineering limitations, etc., etc.
I bot the 2011 Tool Guide since the saw was pictured on the front cover...leading me to think that there was a review of the saw. To my surprise, it was only mentioned with the same picture and about a paragraph or so. Very disappointed in FW and the editors for such minimal coverage.
There was one scathing review from a trim carpenter (I don't remember which site I was on) but this guy apparently knew his stuff and was throughly disappointed with the fact that the size of stock was so limited on one side of the saw due to the engineering limitations.
Really don't need a Festool...tho if I was in the biz, I would....just a weekend warrior.
Does anyone really LOVE this saw....is it really worth the price...if there were some really fans of the saw, I might still consider it.
Thanks guys and watch your digits...
A CPA
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