Best Bosch Power Tools Power Saws
Great tool for gardeners with arthritis – It is a very useful tool for trimming camellias, rhodos and smallpox shrubs and trees. Makes pruning a breeze. I used it to help out my elderly… Read more
neighbour and my sister-in-law decided that dhe had to buy her own after using mine.i also bought the Bosch edhrr and trimmer to ho with it.
Warranty repair – The saw itself is ok, until it broke, lucky for me it was still under warranty.that has now been over 10 weeks since I took it in for repairs. What a… Read more
joke, ever time I ring they say it should be done in a couple of days!! Let’s see if it back after 11 weeks. This has put me off buying Bosch in the future. Very poor service.
Disappointing all round – I bought this saw for accurate mitres and longevity - the mechanism promised to be longer lasting in tough conditions because it should not corrode… Read more
like competitors slide mechanisms.
The saw would not cut an accurate mitre and I spent a weekend trying to tune it. I gave up and returned it to Bosch for tuning (the head was not aligned and the fence was not straight). They turned it around in about a week, but it came back within their "acceptable spec", which was a joke as it left significant gaps on any spans longer than 1 meter. On my table saw I have it tuned to 0.1mm per meter, which is acceptable.
I spent a further day making changes and got it down to 0.25mm per meter. But on hardwood the blade drifts in the cut and you get further randomness, especially on long cuts.
My other complaint is that the laser light is only visible in very dark environments and if you are onsite then you have to erect a shad structure to be able to use the laser light function. Hopeless. The laser light is also difficult to adjust.
This saw now only gets used for framing duties and sleepers, but you could spend $500 less and get something that does this job. This saw was the reason that I gave up on Bosch Professional equipment and have systematically changed all my tooling to other brands. Very disappointing.
The saw is very heavy, and it is difficult to lug around, so if you want something for site work, look elsewhere. The mechanism that attaches it to the stand (GTA 3800) is great, and the stand is adequate, but doe not have wheels so you need to lift the heavy saw off the stand to move it any distance. The overall build quality is good and it has now lasted a few years, but its lack of accuracy, repeatability, and tunability means it is not fit for purpose as a mitre saw for anything other than framing work.
Fantastic cut capacity – Bought this saw in Sept 2020 after spending weeks comparing specs and researching. To start with at 70 x 312 mm 0° it has as far as I'm aware the… Read more
best cut capacity for a 216mm saw including mitres and bevels, the Hikoki C8FSE(H1Z) is a close second and is the same price but is lacking a few things in comparison and every other 216mm saw I looked at didn't have enough capacity. This was a vital factor to me as I don't have a heap of room for tools so need the most compact unit I can get yet still have the capacity for everything I need to do with renovations and building a shed.
Compared to a bigger saw I was looking at like the Makita LS1018L which seems to have issues since they stopped making them in japan the Bosch is only 21mm less in cut height at 0° and only 5-10 mm less when you get into the mitres and bevels yet does slightly better width by up to 5mm.
Unfortunately the gcm 8 sde is made in china now but the quality control must be kept to very high standards, out of the box everything is completely flawless, bar some light saw dust from I'm assuming being tested though it had a new blade fitted. I went over every mm looking for some sort of issue as the courier used by total tools were a complete failure in delivering 19km from the store and every box in my order was severely crushed in some aspect not to mention causing property damage that they ignored me about (Melbourne stage 4 lockdown joys) this being the worst so I wasn't taking any chances, big props to Bosch for the box strength and structure as the saw would have been wrecked with anything less.
Everything is built rock solid and smooth to use, every lever knob etc is well though out, trigger safety designed for right or left hand, slide out supports are smooth and strong, metal degree indicators, even the simple aspect of having a tucked away left hand thread screw in position under the right hand support for the sde knob / normal blade bolt rather than being a loose accessory to lose is a plus.
Calibration out of the box for the blade using my bevel box showed 0.1mm and 0.2mm off in different positions which I think is pretty good from the factory and considering it could have been put out by the rough handling and was extremely easy to adjust.
The only negatives I have been able to come up with to date if I'm nitpicking are: It would have been nice if the flip up end stops were included on the slide out supports rather than as an accessory not that it's a big deal. The vacuum port isn't a standard size and only suites Bosch vacuums, as far as I could find out bosch don't make an adapter but I was able to find a 3d print file online and had an adapter printed for under $40.
Price at the time of buying was $759 which is quite expensive compared to the cheaper saws however as I was also buying a plunge saw and bosch had a deal on I received a $375 voucher which to me was just a $187.50 discount on each of them as I was also buying other things anyway that I used the voucher on so it made it more bearable.
Bosch GKS 190 Professional
Fantastic little power saw – Was looking for my first circular saw and did some research, went to different shops and picked up saws and had a look at what was out there from… Read more
various manufacturers in this size. Have to say I'm delighted with this saw. Powerful motor (1,400W), very comfortable, good for right and left-handers and it doesn't weigh a tonne.
The only thing that's gone wrong was that the dust extraction bracket broke, which was partly my fault anyway. The only other thing I would mention is that if you're using the guide fence, the minimum distance from the blade you can cut is pretty much the face of the blade to the front of the foot plate (i.e. if you want to cut off a 10mm strip, you'll need to get a straight bit of low timber and clamp it down to use as your guide).
Very happy with the saw. Powerful, compact, light, comfortable. Guide fence doesn't allow for cutting thin strips (see main review), broke clip for dust extraction
The best tool in the shed? Probably – This saw is a beast. In the first month I owned it, I demolished 5m of interior wall, cutting through drywall and steel studs like nothing. Felled… Read more
and cut up five hardwood trees, about 15cm trunks and 6m high (much slower than a chainsaw but quieter and less fuss and much safer). And removed a bunch of bolts protruding from concrete, cut flush with a bimetal flexible blade. When cutting rhs and other steel, now I reach for this tool instead of a grinder - it's nearly as fast, with none of the nasty airborne dust from a cutting wheel. This tool has a different handle and balance to other sabre saws or sawzalls - I think it is more versatile and better for cutting overhead. Surprisingly easy on the batteries. Even with a smaller battery it's runs a long time. With a 7ah you could cut down a forest, or a whole house. Some complain that the Bosch blade lock is hard to use with one hand, but seriously, are we changing blades that often? Or, did you saw off the other hand? :) It just works. Something like a Diablo blade set with wood & steel blades plus a longer multi-use blade is very handy, and the blade fitting works fine between brands. Only my impact driver compares as maybe the best-spent $200 in the shed. Update May 2019: Still the best tool. I just cut down and chopped up four palm trees, >8m high and 35cm around. No problem. Used it to cut roots from hardwood trees and palms when digging trenches, wow so much easier than alternatives and the dirt &dust did not bother the saw.
Absolute Garbage – Purchased this Bosch jigsaw and within 2 hours it seized up. Was only cutting 3mm mdf, garbage like this thing would struggle to cut thru a… Read more
marshmallow. Luckily Bunnings were nice enough to refund my money for this poorly made joke of a tool. Hang your head in shame [name removed].