Bosch has come out with a new 18V cordless miter saw, model GCM18V-305 GDC. Taking a closer look, this is a cordless axial-glide miter saw, with special space-saving gliding arm action.
And, it’s a 12″ model, joining only a handful of other cordless 12″ miter saws on the market.
Unfortunately, the newest Bosch cordless miter saw looks to only be available in other parts of the world. It has launched in the UK, Europe, and Australia, but there has not been any information or indication about a release in North America.
We reached out to Bosch USA for comment, and have not yet heard back.
Meanwhile, we still have not seen any launch of Bosch’s “MegaWatt Crew” 8-1/2″ cordless miter saw, dubbed “the Surgeon.” That saw was first teased about nearly two years ago, and we haven’t heard a peep about it since.
Update: Bosch USA never sent us any announcement or press release on the 18V cordless 8-1/2″ miter saw, but it appears to be in-stock and available for sale at Amazon, model GCM18V-08N.
Bosch Tools boasts about the new 12″ cordless miter saw’s impressive cutting performance, saying that it delivers power equivalent to a 2000W corded miter saw.
(In theory a 15A miter saw could draw up to 1800W of power if you consider 120V AC line voltage.)
The saw also features Bosch’s axial glide movement. To date, only Bosch and Delta Tools’ Cruzer saws feature this kind of non glide-rail type of saw blade movement.
Although there are an increasing number of space-spacing cordless and corded miter saws today, engineered with forward-sliding glide rail bearing mechanisms, Bosch’s axial glide design is still distinct.
There is one downside to Bosch’s hinged-arm glide mechanism, and that is its weight.
Bosch says that this new cordless axial glide 12″ miter saw weighs 26.9 kg, or ~59.3 lbs.
In comparison, Milwaukee’s M18 12″ cordless miter saw weighs 47.6 lbs. This means that Bosch’s new cordless miter saw is nearly 25% heavier than Milwaukee’s.
The new Bosch cordless 12″ miter saw comes with Bluetooth connectivity and Bosch “ToolBox App” compatibility, with the interface providing for battery status and speed selection. There’s also ECO mode selection, which I would guess drops down speed or power to help extend battery life.
The saw also features a laser, dust port, LED light, soft-start motor, intelligent brake system, and is said to be tool-less.
It’s not clear as to what is tool-less about the saw, but a tool-free blade change would be a significant convenience, and an industry first – or at least we think so. The parts list mentions a hex socket wrench, and so the tool-less part might simply refer to the fence adjustments, miter angle, or bevel angle, which are typically tool-free on miter saws.
Update: Bosch Australia’s listing says it has a tool-less saw blade change.
Features & Specs
- 12″ blade size
- 2550-4000 RPM
- Miter range: 52° left, 60° right
- Bevel range: 47° left and right
- Cutting capacity
- 104 x 341 mm (4.1″ x 13.4″) at 0° without spacer
- 120 x 250 mm (4.7″ x 9.8″) at 0° with spacer
- 45 x 400 mm (1.8″ x 15.7″) at 0° with spacer
- Weighs 26.9 kg (59.3 lbs)
Price: €1199
Pricing seems to be all over the place, ranging from £774 excluding VAT (tax) and into the 900 GBP range. Bosch EU has a list price of €1199.
That would correspond to $1000 to $1400+ price range at current conversion rates.
Compare: Dewalt FlexVolt Saw via Amazon
Compare: Milwaukee M18 12″ Saw via Acme Tools
Compare: Makita 18V X2 10″ Saw via Amazon
Discussion
Bosch’s new GCM18V-305 GDC 18V cordless miter saw has several appealing features:
- 12″ blade size
- Glide arm mechanism
- Dual bevel angle adjustment
- Biturbo brushless motor
- “Simply connected” Bluetooth user controls
- Maximum performance with ProCORE 18V batteries
- Compatible with all Bosch 18V batteries
The launch of an glide-arm-style Bosch 18V cordless miter saw, especially one with a 12″ blade size and dual bevel range, is exciting. As mentioned, we’re waiting to here back from Bosch USA about the saw’s availability here. At the time of this posting, it is only available in the UK, Europe, and Australia.
The weight could be a concern for some. At a hair over 59 pounds, Bosch’s saw out-weighs Milwaukee’s 12″ cordless miter saw by quite a bit, and Dewalt’s FlexVolt miter saw by a couple of pounds as well.
This seems like a very interesting new tool. Your thoughts?
