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Though over time, I've come to appreciate the durability after knocking it about.I've read some reviews that call this tool a complete lemon. It is reliable, strong, accurate and capable. and do you really want to adjust your work at that point.* Safety guard - Works well, but it is a pain to hold back with your hand on the trigger. No, really.* Arbor mounted laser - works as it should, but I've always preferred to sight my own lines anyway.
Once set up, it has proven to be accurate and maintain that accuracy over time. The Cons above are minor, in my opinion. (Very good when using the stock blade, excellent when using a Forrest Chopmaster) The highlights and lowlights, in my opinion:Pros:* Accurate, when set up properly, taken care of, and checked* Strong and powerful - fine enough for finish carpentry, but it will happily power through 4 x 10 lumber as well* Excellent controls - Bevel adjustments up front are excellent, indents are solid, and the ability to change handle position is great* Features - The adjustable fence works well and the extensions work reasonably well, too, if you are using it without a standCons:* Dust bag - Worthless. Mere hyperbole, that. I have used it for hardwood flooring, cabinetry, crown moulding and baseboard moulding; I have used it for cutting 4 x 10 framing timbers and for fine, compound miter cuts on stain-grade trim and have never found it lacking.
It would do better on a gravity rise stand, however; heavy and cumbersome, mine would probably get bumped around less if it was on the gravity rise stand than having to heft it up onto the TracRac and down again regularly. OK, you probably shouldn't, but there are times.* It's heavy - at least to me. Some tools will fail, or come out of adjustment, that's a fact. The blade that comes with it is not really that bad- it is adequate.
I have been using this saw for about two years now and have found it to be excellent. It is a brute, though. It usually lives on a Bosch TracRac, which works quite well. I have not experienced sloppy indents or misaligned cuts, as others have, despite daily use and frequent transport. I've used many, and chose this one. But the Forrest blades really are the way to go, in my opinion, as they are so superior. It comes on only when the blade is spinning.
(but can you really knock the machine for the blade that comes with it. This is a professional-grade tool that will give excellent results, just as many other excellent tools out there, from DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, and others. I have not been disappointed. Leave the dust bag off- it's really that bad, almost funnily so. Ever put better tires on your car than what it came with).
Great product, Bosch has comfort in mind for the operator. Laser is so so.
I was kinda hesitant on buying this saw due to some of the reviews I have read. The front bevel is in the best place imaginable and is a pleasure to use. The stop on the table extention is excellent for cutting small repetetive panel moulds and other small pieces. I am SUPER PLEASED. Love this saw and would recommend it to anyone.I also purchased the gravity rise stand and am pleased with the ease of operation, but, I drive a large box truck and this stand would be bulky in a pickup or van. The saw cuts everything I put to it. I finally decided to buy it and have been using it for about 3 months. There is a miter lock bypass that is good for something I guess, I have had no need for it.
I am a finish carpenter but do a little bit of everything from time to time. This saw blows the dewalt out of the water without question. Some people say they had a problem with the saw being out of square when they received it but I had no problems with it. Also the extentions are a little short for 16 foot material and longer crowns and wide casings.
It got stolen at about 3/4 the way through the trim portion of the house and I replaced it with the new Milwalkee. The scale was not precise in any direction, but after practice I got it to work.
After thinking about this some, I realized that its heavier and more expensive than the 10in saw, but no more useful. One thing I'd wished I'd known before I bought the saw was that it won't cut 5.25 speedbase upright.
Even when it was set as close to correct as possible, the blade would not cut strait up and down. Bought the saw to build my personal house.
Loved the features such as the up front controls, included clamp, and side extensions, but I always had problems getting it set to perfect square in any axis. It worked great during framing because it would cut through any width I was using and the laser was close enough to within about 1/8in.
At that point I realized how bad it really was.
Have to run the saw to use it - dangerous to try to adjust the workpiece with one hand while running the saw over it with the other. They were inadequate for the job.Also, the laser sent was not new.- Changing the blade (or installing the laser) is very difficult. I received this Bosche product in a timely manner from Amazon/Take Tool International.However, it required extensive adjustment out of the box and the directions suggest using tools that came with the saw. Seems a foolish thing to do.- The hold down tool provided is cumbersome, but works and is useable if you have three hands.- Dust collector is worthless.- Cuts were not very clean, but that could be a poor quality blade._ I was going to take advantage of Amazon's return policy, but found it would cost me $93 to ship it. The blade stop did not work properly and having to hold the shield out of the way was a pain.- the laser did not work well for me. Very hard to see, only accurate to about a 1/16 inch. I don't consider that much of a benefit, and will hesitate to purchase any other large item on line. I'll sell this locally and lose the $93 here.
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