Unlucky Alf
Established Member
Ever since discovering this forum I have benefited enormously from the reviews that others have posted so I thought that it was finally time to make an effort myself.
Having managed with a £40 DIY shed mitre saw for the last couple of years I finally decided to invest in a quality replacement. After spending some time reading reviews of various models I finally opted for the Bosch GCM10S. Being unable to find a supplier on this side of the channel I gave Axminster a call and, after nearly fainting at the £49+VAT delivery charge, placed my order with them.
After a few days (Thanks to Jim and all at Axminster for getting it dispatched so quickly despite the Christmas rush) my new toy duly arrived. For any others who rely on the vagaries of couriers I should point out that the saw was extremely well packaged by the manufacturer so should stand up to the efforts of all but the surliest of delivery drivers.
To my enormous disappointment the saw was almost perfectly set up straight from the box providing almost no opportunity for fettling. The fences were perfectly aligned to each other and if there is any cup it is so minimal that I’ve been unable to detect it. The table itself is flat but the throat plate is recessed well below the surface. It’s also worth mentioning that the supplied throat plate has an extremely wide opening, to cope with maximum angle bevel cuts, and I’m sure that many people would wish to make their own zero clearance plate for the majority of their cuts.
Table
The only adjustment that I needed to make was to the stop for the bevel setting which was about 1deg off. An extension is provided on the left of the table which, when the allen screws are tightened, provides a very stable support, although as it only extends by 3 inches one might question its value. Additional holes are drilled in the casting on each side of the table to accommodate additional optional extensions (not included) Bosch supply a simple but very effective hold-down clamp which can be located at any of four points along the fence.
Extension and Clamp
The saw comes supplied with a 60 tooth blade which gives very high quality cuts and the 1800watt motor provides plenty of power. The first time I cut some oak (125mm x 40mm) I honestly wouldn’t have been able to tell when the blade had engaged the wood if it wasn’t for the copious amounts of sawdust being thrown everywhere but into the dust bag. I’m afraid dust collection is not a strong point of this saw and whilst I realise that this is true of nearly all mitre saws I thought that this one was particularly bad, a dedicated dust hood would certainly be an advantage with the Bosch.
The mitre scale is clear and, as it is part of the casting, will never be worn away and cannot be incorrectly applied by some underpaid Chinese factory worker. Detents are provided for common angles at 0deg and a further 4 to the left and 5 to the right (15 – 22.5 – 31.6 – 45 – 0 – 15 – 22.5 – 31.6 – 45 – 60). The release lever has a very positive action and when used in combination with the locking knob provides for rapid and extremely accurate mitre cuts. A detent lockout is also provided to make fine-tuning of non-standard angles easier.
The slide action has a very high quality feel but I would have preferred to see the locking knob for the slide action located elsewhere as it is partially covered by part of the head which restricts access somewhat.
Slide lock
A little more force is required to lower the blade than I’m used to but frankly I prefer this as I believe if to be safer. Once lowered the head can be locked into position for transport by turning a stop located on the side of the head. The blade is well guarded throughout any cuts and the guard release is the customary spring-loaded lever. A depth stop is provided for trenching cuts and although I haven’t had an opportunity to test it yet I can’t foresee any problems.
Depth stop and transport lock
One criticism I do have with the saw is the lack of tools provided for adjusting the various sizes of allen screws and nuts, Bosch supply a single size allen key/Phillips head screwdriver which is housed in the base of the saw. Surely if you’re going to supply tools you should provide a set which is sufficient for all of the basic adjustments and not just some of them, supplying just one seems to be taking the mick.
Bevel setting is by a clear scale and a simple locking lever on the rear of the headstock. My previous saw had the tendency to move slightly off its setting every time the locking lever was tightened, fortunately the Bosch does not suffer from the same problem and bevel settings are rapidly and accurately achieved. The GCM10S only bevels to the left, if you are a tradesman using a SCMS daily then this would be a problem but for an amateur like me I’d rather save the extra £100 and spend a little more time on my cuts.
Bevel scale
The tool is supplied with a clearly written manual but the warranty registration is not mentioned anywhere. It was only by visiting the Bosch website that I discovered “The prerequisite for a warranty extension is that you register your tool on the Internet within 4 weeks of purchase". Once registration details are entered you can print off your personalised guarantee certificate to keep with your original receipt. The failure to inform purchasers about internet registration is such a serious omission on the part of Bosch that I feel it’s worth mentioning here. It would be a shame to miss out on the three year extended warranty.
The GCM10S is a robust, accurate and competitively priced mitre saw but its lack of efficient dust extraction and worthwhile side extensions mean that it’s really best suited to permanent installation in a dedicated workshop station rather than as a portable tool. This actually suits me as I now have all the excuse I needed to finally build that Norm style mitre station that I’ve been meaning to do for the last two years. Overall I’m delighted with my purchase and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this saw.
Price paid *£336inc (also supplied with two free TCT Bosch blades 24T and 80T)
*Special offer – normal price £382
I hope that someone will find my ramblings useful :wink:
Simon
Having managed with a £40 DIY shed mitre saw for the last couple of years I finally decided to invest in a quality replacement. After spending some time reading reviews of various models I finally opted for the Bosch GCM10S. Being unable to find a supplier on this side of the channel I gave Axminster a call and, after nearly fainting at the £49+VAT delivery charge, placed my order with them.
After a few days (Thanks to Jim and all at Axminster for getting it dispatched so quickly despite the Christmas rush) my new toy duly arrived. For any others who rely on the vagaries of couriers I should point out that the saw was extremely well packaged by the manufacturer so should stand up to the efforts of all but the surliest of delivery drivers.
To my enormous disappointment the saw was almost perfectly set up straight from the box providing almost no opportunity for fettling. The fences were perfectly aligned to each other and if there is any cup it is so minimal that I’ve been unable to detect it. The table itself is flat but the throat plate is recessed well below the surface. It’s also worth mentioning that the supplied throat plate has an extremely wide opening, to cope with maximum angle bevel cuts, and I’m sure that many people would wish to make their own zero clearance plate for the majority of their cuts.
Table
The only adjustment that I needed to make was to the stop for the bevel setting which was about 1deg off. An extension is provided on the left of the table which, when the allen screws are tightened, provides a very stable support, although as it only extends by 3 inches one might question its value. Additional holes are drilled in the casting on each side of the table to accommodate additional optional extensions (not included) Bosch supply a simple but very effective hold-down clamp which can be located at any of four points along the fence.
Extension and Clamp
The saw comes supplied with a 60 tooth blade which gives very high quality cuts and the 1800watt motor provides plenty of power. The first time I cut some oak (125mm x 40mm) I honestly wouldn’t have been able to tell when the blade had engaged the wood if it wasn’t for the copious amounts of sawdust being thrown everywhere but into the dust bag. I’m afraid dust collection is not a strong point of this saw and whilst I realise that this is true of nearly all mitre saws I thought that this one was particularly bad, a dedicated dust hood would certainly be an advantage with the Bosch.
The mitre scale is clear and, as it is part of the casting, will never be worn away and cannot be incorrectly applied by some underpaid Chinese factory worker. Detents are provided for common angles at 0deg and a further 4 to the left and 5 to the right (15 – 22.5 – 31.6 – 45 – 0 – 15 – 22.5 – 31.6 – 45 – 60). The release lever has a very positive action and when used in combination with the locking knob provides for rapid and extremely accurate mitre cuts. A detent lockout is also provided to make fine-tuning of non-standard angles easier.
The slide action has a very high quality feel but I would have preferred to see the locking knob for the slide action located elsewhere as it is partially covered by part of the head which restricts access somewhat.
Slide lock
A little more force is required to lower the blade than I’m used to but frankly I prefer this as I believe if to be safer. Once lowered the head can be locked into position for transport by turning a stop located on the side of the head. The blade is well guarded throughout any cuts and the guard release is the customary spring-loaded lever. A depth stop is provided for trenching cuts and although I haven’t had an opportunity to test it yet I can’t foresee any problems.
Depth stop and transport lock
One criticism I do have with the saw is the lack of tools provided for adjusting the various sizes of allen screws and nuts, Bosch supply a single size allen key/Phillips head screwdriver which is housed in the base of the saw. Surely if you’re going to supply tools you should provide a set which is sufficient for all of the basic adjustments and not just some of them, supplying just one seems to be taking the mick.
Bevel setting is by a clear scale and a simple locking lever on the rear of the headstock. My previous saw had the tendency to move slightly off its setting every time the locking lever was tightened, fortunately the Bosch does not suffer from the same problem and bevel settings are rapidly and accurately achieved. The GCM10S only bevels to the left, if you are a tradesman using a SCMS daily then this would be a problem but for an amateur like me I’d rather save the extra £100 and spend a little more time on my cuts.
Bevel scale
The tool is supplied with a clearly written manual but the warranty registration is not mentioned anywhere. It was only by visiting the Bosch website that I discovered “The prerequisite for a warranty extension is that you register your tool on the Internet within 4 weeks of purchase". Once registration details are entered you can print off your personalised guarantee certificate to keep with your original receipt. The failure to inform purchasers about internet registration is such a serious omission on the part of Bosch that I feel it’s worth mentioning here. It would be a shame to miss out on the three year extended warranty.
The GCM10S is a robust, accurate and competitively priced mitre saw but its lack of efficient dust extraction and worthwhile side extensions mean that it’s really best suited to permanent installation in a dedicated workshop station rather than as a portable tool. This actually suits me as I now have all the excuse I needed to finally build that Norm style mitre station that I’ve been meaning to do for the last two years. Overall I’m delighted with my purchase and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this saw.
Price paid *£336inc (also supplied with two free TCT Bosch blades 24T and 80T)
*Special offer – normal price £382
- Bevel Range 47-0
Electric Brake
Max crosscut at 0deg 87mm x 305mm
Max mitre cut at 45deg 87mm x 216mm
Max bevel cut at 45deg 53mm x 305mm
Max compound cut at 45deg 53mm x 216mm
Mitre range 52 – 0 – 62
Power 1800W
Blade/Bore 254mm/30mm
Weight 21.5kg
I hope that someone will find my ramblings useful :wink:
Simon
