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.
| Brand | BOSCH |
|---|---|
| Color | Blue |
| Blade Material | Stainless Steel |
| Surface Recommendation | Wood |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Special Feature | Brushless |
| Included Components | (1) GCM12SD 12 In. Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw, (1) Premium 12 In. 60-Tooth Carbide-Tipped Blade, (1) Wrench, (1) Toolless Vertical Work Clamp, (1) Dust Bag/Assembly, (1) Vacuum Adapter Elbow |
| Product Dimensions | 32.38"L x 26.5"W x 27"H |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Item Weight | 79 Pounds |
| Blade Length | 12 Inches |
| Number of Teeth | 60 |
| Number of Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Cutting Angle | 90 Degrees |
| Current Rating | 15 Amps |
| Wattage | 1800 watts |
| Manufacturer | Bosch |
| Part Number | GCM12SD |
| Item Weight | 79 pounds |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | GCM12SD |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | full size |
| Style | Miter Saw |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Shape | round |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number of Handles | 1 |
| Cutting Diameter | 12 Inches |
| Special Features | Brushless |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | Limited 1 Year |
| Assembled Diameter | 12 Inches |
