Bosch GCM12SD 120-Volt 12-Inch DB Glide Miter Saw

Product Description

Bosch Gcm12sd 120 Volt 12 Inch Db Glide Miter Saw , Deals Bosch 1617evs 2 14 Hp Variable Speed Router, Porter Cable 690lr 11 Amp Fixed Base Router , Dewalt Dw618pk 12 Amp 2 14 Hp Plunge , Dewalt Dwp611pk 125 Hp Max Torque Variable Speed , Product Description The 12-Inch Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw features the smooth cutting motion, accurate performance, and space-saving design of Bosch's patented Axial-Glide System. Pre-aligned Squarelock fences help the saw maintain precision throughout its life, and a soft-grip ambidextrous handle and combination dust chute and vacuum adaptor provide user comfort. The saw also offers a large cutting capacity, easy-to-read bevel and miter scales with detents at common angles, and easy-access up-front controls.
12-Inch Dual-Bevel Glide Miter SawAt a Glance:

• 15 amp motor delivers 3,800 rpm no-load speed to handle a variety of materials
• Compact Axial-Glide System provides smooth, accurate cuts
• Squarelock quick-release fences allow for easy, precise alignment
• Easy adjustments with upfront bevel and miter controls and detents at common angles
• Backed by a one-year limited warranty

Easily adjustment the upfront bevel, miter controls, and detents for commoncutting angles. View larger.Ensure smooth cuts with a patented Axial-Glide System giving you complete control over the saw's cutting action. View larger.Compact Axial-Glide System Creates Smooth, Controlled CutsBosch's patented Axial-Glide System is designed to create smooth cuts and ensure you have complete control over the saw's cutting action. Axial-Glide doesn't use a traditional rail setup, so this saw takes up to 12 inches less workspace than many competitors.
Blade Compatibility and Powerful Motor for Versatile PerformanceIn addition, this Bosch miter saw's 15 amp motor delivers no-load speeds of 3,800 rpm for quick, accurate cuts in many materials. For further convenience and versatility, the saw is compatible with a variety of 12-inch blades, and it has a clear lower guard to provide unobstructed cut-line visibility.
Flexible Setup with Large CapacityWith a 14-inch horizontal capacity, a 6-1/2-inch vertical capacity for material against the fence or base, and a 6-1/2-inch crown capacity against the fence at 45 degrees, this miter saw is useful for a variety of cuts.
Additionally, the saw features two sliding integrated base extensions that provide adjustable support for materials measuring up to 40 inches long.
Quick-Release Squarelock Fences Provide Accurate, Easy AlignmentHigh-precision, trademarked Squarelock fences come aligned at 90-degree angles to the saw's table and require no adjustments. These quick-release fences utilize a one-touch lock/unlock feature that allows you to easily slide each fence into position for accurate material alignment.
Adjustable Miter Detents and Easy-Access Detent OverrideAn etched stainless steel miter scale with large, easy-to-read markings lets you accurately set cuts measuring up to 52 degrees to the left and up to 60 degrees to the right. Common angles are easy to set with miter detents at 0, 15, 22.5, 31.6, and 45 degrees on the right and left, and 60 degrees on the right.
A push-button miter detent override helps ensure fine miter angle adjustment for precise cuts. This thumb-actuated control is located at the front of the saw for easy access.
Up-Front Bevel Controls, Marked Detents, and Roof Pitch AnglesThe saw's all-metal bevel lock lever and range selector are located up front to make bevel adjustments easy.
The bevel capacity allows you to cut at angles ranging from 0 to 47 degrees to the left and the right, while marked detents and roof pitch angles make the most common angles easy to set. The saw features bevel detents at 0, 33.9, and 45 degrees for both left- and right-facing cuts, and it includes a high visibility dual-bevel scale.
Ergonomic Grip and Dust Capture for User ComfortWeighing only 65 pounds, this compact miter saw is easy to maneuver. It features a large, ergonomic handle with a soft grip for user comfort, and it offers an ambidextrous trigger setup for both right- and left-handed users.
To further ensure user comfort, this Bosch saw's combination dust chute and vacuum adaptor provides dust capture for a cleaner work environment and improved visibility.
Like all Bosch power tools, the 12-Inch Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw is backed by a one-year limited warranty.
What's in the BoxMiter saw, 12-inch 60T blade, tool-free material clamp, blade wrench, 90-degree combination dust chute elbow and vacuum adaptor, and dust bag.
Quick release fenses provide accuracy and safety while making cuts. Push button miter detent lets you preset your cutting options.
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This review is from: Bosch GCM12SD 120-Volt 12-Inch DB Glide Miter Saw (Tools & Home Improvement)
Firstly, I knew full well the involved risk of mail ordering an 89 lb. package with a precision machine inside. UPS and others push the limit requiring their drivers to lug this thing around. I decided to roll the dice anyway, and got snake eyes... at first. In the end it still cost me less than purchasing at a local distributor.

The first saw arrived in two pieces, one large and one small. A three inch chunk that used to be the left/rear foot of the base was sliding around in the box. You know, the box with no Styrofoam in it, only cardboard uprights to ensure the saw lands on a fragile corner, and half an inch of rigid cardboard between $800/65 lbs. of miter saw and the concrete floor. The box did not appear unusually damaged (because it flexes so well), but the edges and corners were pretty beaten up. When I saw the damage, I felt like a nine year old who just dropped his ice cream cone. I picked my lower lip up off of the floor and I politely emailed Bosch about the substandard packaging. I'm sure they jumped right on the matter with lightning speed...

Amazon was great and I had a replacement two days later. I was out at the UPS store paying $120 (Reimbursable through Amazon) to ship the broken saw back. Meanwhile, the UPS man was delivering the replacement saw to my home. The UPS man asked my wife, "Didn't I just deliver one of these?" My wife told him where I'd gone, and that the first saw had arrived in pieces. She told me the UPS man looked "sheepish" as he "gingerly" placed the new saw on the floor of my garage/shop. We had a chuckle over the phone at his expense and I hurried home to open the new saw.

Setup:
The second saw arrived undamaged, but the box looked like someone had lived in it for years. I mounted a Freud thin kerf blade and squared it up. Adjustments are easy. Even easier with a Wixey, or other magnetic digital angle gauge. The Bevel detent does not quite line up with the 33.9 degree mark, but the bevel scale is as accurate as the Wixey will measure (33.9/56.1 degrees). Everything lined up nice and square. The glide action is solid and smooth. Adjusting the tension of the glide action is easy with the supplied wrench. At full extension, there is very little side to side slop. You can force it to move side by side, but in use there is no hint of slop.

While shopping for a new saw, I tried just about all of the sliders from the reputable brands (Except Festool, don't want one). The Bosch has the least slop out of all of them.

The table:
The miter table (the part that turns) is flat. The outer support tables are not. They angle downward at about 0.3 degrees. At least thats what the Wixey shows. A straight edge across the entire table reveals about 1/64th or so of a gap. The outer edges of the support tables are coplanar with the miter table, but the inner edges of the support tables are not.

Even so, every single test cut I made was square and accurate with both long and short boards. The tiny variances on the table do not apparently effect the saw's accuracy. The miter table of my DeWalt 703 miter saw is positively convex, but it produces square and accurate cuts every time. I suspect that some folks complain about thousandths of a inch simply because they own the gadgets to measure that small (Dangit! Its three microns off! Burn it and get a better one!). No offense meant to anyone. I'm a woodworker not an eye surgeon. Forgive me if I'm out of line by .000000006 of an inch or so... give or take.

Mounting:
I removed the old DeWalt from my Lowe's clearance Bosch Gravity Rise Stand (gloating) and attached the mounting brackets to the Bosch. I found that when the saw is securely attached to the mounting brackets, the sliding material supports get jammed in the closed position. The mounting brackets flex under tension just enough to cause the supports to become stuck. I found that strategically placed shims (3/4" washers) between the base of the saw (near the material supports) and the mounting brackets allowed full use of the supports.

Summary:
I'm extremely pleased with this saw. It is solid if you don't throw it out of a truck, and it performs magnificently. I have a dozen or so Bosch tools and this one is by far my favorite (and the most expensive). If a lighter 10 inch version comes out, I will be very tempted to get one.

My only caution to buyers is regarding the packaging. Understand the risk of mail ordering this saw. If you do not order from Amazon, only order from a company which has a return policy at least as good as Amazon. Be prepared to spend out of pocket in order to exchange a broken saw. The packaging for this saw is simply not designed to withstand anything more than sitting on a pallet... in zero gravity.

FYI: The following parts do not fit on the GCM12SD Axial Glide Miter Saw:

BOSCH MS1226 Vertical Quick Clamp for 4412 4410 5412L 4410L Miter Saws
The new taller fence is too high. The quick clamp mechanism will not clear the top of the fence.

BOSCH MS1228 Crown Molding Stop Supports Pair for 4412 4410 5412L 4410L Miter Saws
The new design of the material support extensions do not allow mounting of this accessory.

Bosch MS1223 Length Stop Kit for 4412, 5412L
The mounting holes are closer together than the 4412/5412/5312 saws and do not allow mounting unless you drill a new hole in the accessory.

I was disappointed when I tried all of these accessories, but hopefully Bosch will have new ones out soon.