Bosch GCM 8 SJL or Metabo KGS 254 M

[adt]

Hi,

I've been looking around at options for buying my 1st mitre saw this last week or so and think I have narrowed my options down to the two models listed here (no-links at the minute due to new account):

• Bosch GCM 8 SJL
  Metabo KGS 254 M

Both models offer all the features that I think I would need in the near future (the KGS 216 M was discounted due to its limited cut depths away from square) and aren't too far apart price wise at £200 for the Metabo and £245 for the Bosch. Both seem to have pretty positive reviews around the web but I was wondering if anyone here has used both and can offer some guidance on which would be the better options for me. I'd be particularly interested in knowing how people have gotten on with either of these models after they have been put through quite a bit of use as I'm not sure there will be much to separate them out of the box. I appreciate that the Metabo does have a slightly larger cut capacity than the Bosch, but neither will do an unfinished 4x4 so I'm not sure that this pushes me towards the Metabo at the minute.

In the near term they would mostly be used for projects around our new (ish) house; laying new floor (not laminate), new skirting boards, door frames, shelving and possibly the odd stud wall and flat roof replacement.

In theory I would be open to other options for this but wouldn't want to spend too much more on one of these than these two units cost.

Thanks,

Andrew.

 

[Seiken]

Hi,
I've had the Bosch for about 2 years now, its now on its second blade, I fitted a Freud when the Bosch supplied blade started to dull. There doesn't seem to be any play developing in the bearings or rails. The dust extraction works OK, the table indexing works and it gives clean repeatable cuts. I'me a hobby user not trade but all in all am happy with it.

 

[banjerbill]

+1 for the Bosch. No soft start, so it seems a bit fierce on startup but you soon get used to it. Accessories and spares are a bit expensive but, all in all, a good machine.

Bill

 

[Bodgers]

I recently bought the none sliding Metabo 305 (for me the sliding mechanism just introduces inaccuracies). It is a similar price to the sliding Metabo you have mentioned here, but with a bigger blade and depth of cut. It has soft start, and it works really well.

Compared to the Dewalt I replaced it with, the quality is superb. Night and day better than the Dewalt.



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[Obi Wan Kenobi]

+1 for the Bosch too. It has performed very well with the Bosch blade it came with, but I have just purchased a 60 tooth Freud blade for it, so should be even better 8)

OWK ccasion5:

 

[adt]

Thanks for all the replies, it’s good to hear people have been getting good long service out of these.

Conveniently anglia tool centre have just put the Bosch on sale at £250, so with my 5% discount code for orders over £100 this makes it the cheapest I’ve seen recently. Looks like I’ll be going to pick one up later on and will have to be patient waiting until the weekend to give it a proper go.

 

[adt]

Well, the saw all seems happy so far. It’s producing nice clean, square, cuts straight out of the box.

My only issue at the minute is that I can’t see a good way of connecting up my vacuum to the dust extraction port as this as some sort of fitting that I guess is supposed to work with the Bosch units. Has anyone found anything that would convert this into a normal fitting type?

 

[Bodgers]

Well, the saw all seems happy so far. It’s producing nice clean, square, cuts straight out of the box.

My only issue at the minute is that I can’t see a good way of connecting up my vacuum to the dust extraction port as this as some sort of fitting that I guess is supposed to work with the Bosch units. Has anyone found anything that would convert this into a normal fitting type?

You'll have to buy an adaptor. This is one area that is a bit nuts in woodworking machinery. There is no real standard. You could buy a stepped reducer to increase your odds. Or make one.

I 3d print mine.



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