Earlier this month I was one of several dozen press people who got a first look at some exciting new tools and accessories coming soon from Bosch. It’s the second year I’ve had the chance to be “in the know” at Bosch headquarters for a very special event they call the Global Leadership Tour.
Over the course of two and a half days, Bosch rolled out preproduction models and “concept” versions for the latest and greatest innovations they’ve got cooking. But, while I would love to tell you everything, I can’t. Bosch keeps some of their tools and accessories under very tight wraps. They’d have to drag me into a dark alley if I spilled all the beans I know. Still, the company thinks enough about end users that they invite us press people in to offer suggestions and even some criticism about what they’re working on.
I can say this: recession or not, Bosch is hard at work keeping new and better woodworking tools and accessories coming our way. In fact, we saw around 70 new products in the works. You can be sure that as this new stuff hits the market, we’ll feature them in our bi-weekly eZines, our print issues and on the blog. In fact, here’s one to wet your appetite: Bosch’s all new dual-bevel GCM12SD Glide Miter Saw.
This machine was covered under a non-disclosure agreement last year. We saw it then, and the prototype sure looked intriguing. Now I can actually talk about it, because it’ll be available this fall for $699.
Take a close look at the hind end of this 12-in. miter saw. There are no rails moving the motor carriage back and forth. Instead, Bosch is introducing what they call an Axial-Glide™ system. Basically, it’s an articulating arm that helps conserve front-to-back bench space (Bosch says you can save up to 12″ of footprint over other comparable sliders), holds its adjustments in rough jobsite or shop conditions and, well, glides back and forth like butter. Bosch even added an adjustable glide damper feature so you can increase the resistance if it’s too smooth for your liking.
The GCM12SD Glide Miter Saw provides 14” of horizontal cutting capacity, a 6 1/2” max vertical cutting capacity against the fence (for base) and a 6-1/2” cutting capacity when cutting crown molding sprung at 45° against the fence. All of the operator controls are up front, so there’s no reaching around the back to tilt the saw off of 90°. Two pull-out supports help keep long workpieces where they belong when cutting, and the manufacturer claims the saw achieves a 90% dust collection efficiency when cutting 2x material with a vacuum attached. It comes with a dust bag, and the port is sized for 33mm or 1-1/4″ vac hoses.
We all got to take it for a test run, after the product manager beat that axial arm repeatedly with a 2×4. No harm done. True to the claim, I found the motor to be almost effortless to push back and forth, and the cuts were as smooth as you’d expect from a premium saw. You might want to save your piggy bank change a little longer this year if you’re in the market for a new sliding miter saw. It’s definitely worth trying out for yourself.
Anyway, look for lots of new innovations coming from Bosch. It took the reps half a work week to show us everything, and from what I could tell, they’re full speed ahead. (Psst… look for another new tool from Bosch featured in this week’s eZine.)
Catch you in the shop,
Chris Marshall, Field Editor
