Tool Box Buzz

10″ Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw

Bosch 10" Glide Miter Saw

4.5/5

Manufacturer: Bosch
Model number: CM10GD
Price: $599
Power source: 120V
Motor size: 15 Amp
Weight: 64 lbs

The crew here at ToolBoxBuzz.com recently got our hands on the all new Bosch CM10GD 10″ Glide Miter Saw and this is our detailed review of this exciting new product. The CM10GD is the little brother to the previously released GCM12SD 12″ Glide Miter saw that I’ve been using for a few years now and absolutely love! We did a thorough top to bottom review with myself reviewing it in the woodshop, Rob Robillard looking at it on the jobsite and Brad Staggs testing it in his new shop and on a mobile stand.

Product Overview

The Bosch CM10GD is a 10″ dual-bevel miter saw featuring a patented Axial-Glide™ System. For those of you not familiar with the Axial-Glide™ System it’s a revolutionary system that replaces the more traditional “rail” system that sliding miter saws use. The Axial-Glide™ System offers two big advantages in my opinion including a “smaller footprint” allowing the saw to be placed closer to a wall, and a much more rigid movement resulting in more precise cutting.

Since the release of the 12″ version I’ve heard from quite a few readers that ask about maintenance on the Axial-Glide™ System so I asked Bosch what if any maintenance was required. According to Craig Wilson, Bosch Corded Product Manager, there’s no maintenance required on the system. I can say from my experience with the GCM12SD that it works just like new after 2 years of service.

CM10GD Video Overview

Hear what Rob, Brad and I have to say about the new Bosch CM10GD Dual-Bevel Axial-Glide™ Miter Saw.

Features and Specifications

The Bosch CM10GD is filled with features including their patented Axial-Glide™ System. Those features include:

• Axial-Glide™ System: durable precision – consistent precision over tool life; compact workspace – saves up-to 10 In. workspace; glide action – unmatched smoothness of cut
• Expanded cutting capacity: 12 In. horizontal capacity (nominal); 5-1/2 in. vertical capacity against the fence (base); 6 in. crown capacity against the fence (45° spring)
• Upfront bevel controls – all-metal bevel lock lever and range selector located upfront for quick and easy bevel settings without reaching behind the saw
• Chop/crown lock : locks head in place for maximum chop cutting capacity for upright base molding and nested crown molding
• Tall sliding 4-1/4 in. fences: for easy bevel set ups and increased crown and base molding capacity
• Large easy-to-read uniform bevel & stainless steel miter scales: 52° left/60° right miter capacity; 47° left/47° right bevel capacity with marked detents and roof pitch angles
• Adjustable miter detents: detents at 0°, 15°, 31.6°, 22.5°, 45°, 60° right super-accurate and durable design
• Push-button miter Detent override – easy-to-access thumb actuated control right up front for fine miter angle adjustment
• Bevel detents: 0, 33.9°, 45° left/right for accurate cuts
• Bevel Range: 47° left and 47° right
• Ergonomic ambidextrous trigger handle with soft grip
• 6 ft long chord
• Ships with 10″ 60T blade, Material Clamp and Dust Bag
• Height: 20.5″
• Length: 32″
• Weight: 64 lbs

CM10GD Functionality

The Bosch CM10GD offers a wide range of functionality making it a great miter saw for all kinds of applications. Bosch has done a great job engineering some fundamental changes to how this miter saw is controlled with respect to bevel and miter cuts.

Up Front Controls – One of the features that I love about the CM10GD (and the 12″ version) is the up front controls for the bevel release. Older miter saws had the lever on the back of the saw which required you to lean over the saw to release. The CM10GD has the release lever located on the front control arm adjacent to the miter swing release. I think this feature makes the saw safer and much more comfortable to use.

The miter detent release is also easy to use and very intuitive. With your thumb you can easily hold down the release and turn the miter left or right and release it at pre-set detents or you can just as easily over-ride the detents with the same button. The point is that all this can be done with one finger while you control the miter swing with one hand.

CM10GD Cut Capacity

Cut capacity can be a big issue for 10″ miter saws, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to pin down some basic limits for cutting material. The following is what I found:

• 90 degree cross-cut, board lying flat on fence: 2×12
• 90 degree cross-cut, board vertical against fence: 2×8
• 45 degree miter-cut, board lying flat on fence: 2×8 (almost can cut 2×10, about 1/2″ short)

Another interesting feature of the CM10GD is the Chop/Crown Lock that locks the head assembly at intervals for maximum capacity chop cuts in up right material and crown molding. In simpler terms it allows you to lock the head of the saw out away from the fence slightly to maximize the location of the blade to the material for the maximum cut depth allowed by the blade. This is a new feature that’s not on the GCM12SD.

For more applications the CM10GD is going to have you covered. The one situation where I see it being lacking is for guys that cut wide lumber like 2×12 rafters. In that situation you may need to go for the 12″ version.

Precision and Adjust-ability

One of the things I really love about Bosch power tools is how well they’ve been engineered and how well the design includes features that allow adjustments (fine tuning) of the precision. You should always “tune” a new saw out of the box, however, in this case, I was very impressed at how accurate the miter gauge was out of the box. I cut some crown molding to test the new saw and the joint was nearly flawless.

More important though is having a saw that’s easy to adjust so you can maintain accurate cuts. The CM10GD has all kinds of easy to use adjustments built into the design. From the miter gauge to the bevel stops, the saw is easy to dial in so you can produce accurate cuts over and over.

Fence Features and Performance

An often overlooked feature on miter saws is the fence system. The CM10GD has a two piece fence (the lower fence is fixed and the upper fence slides out to extend the length. Both fences have a scale cast into the face for reference and repetitive cuts. The fence also has holes for attaching auxiliary fences. Once difference between the CM10GD and the GCM12SD is the fence table. The table portion on the CM10GD is fixed and does not expand (the 12″ saw does extend to create a larger table surface).

One thing to be careful about is not cutting the fence. When the sliding fence is “closed” it’s possible to cut the fence when beveling the blade.

Blade Guard

Miter saws sure have come a long way with respect to blade guards. I remember using a miter saw as a kid that had no guard at all! I happen to really like the blade guard on the CM10GD. Visibility is really good (clear plastic ) which I find very important when lining up cuts. The small rollers on the end of the guard do a pretty good job helping keep the guard from binding up. All things considered I think this is one of the better miter saw blade guards on the market.

Dust Collection

Bosch claims a 90% dust collection (when attached to a vacuum system) with the CM10GD. I’m not sure how they figured that but my experience is quite a bit less than that more like 75%. The system includes a shoot/shroud behind the blade that attaches to the dust collection port. I actually think the results can be improved if the shroud is lengthened as most of the dust that I see getting past it is shooting down lower.

I think this dust collection system is on par with other similar models. I didn’t test it in any scientific fashion so it’s important to know this is just my observation. The dust collection works well enough that I don’t believe it’s a factor in deciding if this saw is a good fit for you.

Portability

The one issue I have with this miter saw is it’s weight. I had high hopes that it would shed some significant weight compared to it’s big brother but that didn’t happen. The CM10GD weighs in at 64 lbs, just one pound lighter than the GCM12SD at 65 lbs. The weight certainly doesn’t matter to guys using it in a shop but it does impact carpenters that work on remote jobsites. So many carpenters work alone in the field that having someone help move the saw is a luxury many guys just don’t have. If you’re going to use this saw on a jobsite than I highly recommend you pair it with the Bosch GTA3800 folding miter saw stand because it has wheels and will certainly help make it more mobile or the Bosch T4B Gravity-Rise stand.

When I asked Bosch to comment on the weight issue Craig Wilson, Bosch Corded Product Manager has this to say:

“With the availability of the T4B Gravity Rise stand, portability was not an issue with our user tests. User research indicates that precision is the priority over weight reduction, even with mobile contractors.”

I may not agree with his stance on this issue but I certainly do agree that precision is important and the CM10GD definitely offers that. The bottom line is clear, if you want to use it on the jobsite, you’ll need to invest in a mobile stand as well.

Overall Impression of the CM10GD

The Axial-Glide™ System on the CM10GD makes this miter saw extremely accurate and compact (in foot-print). The Axial-Glide™ System provides a far more torsionally stiff frame that minimizes lateral deflection of the saw. When you combine the excellent precision with great features like the up-front controls and the Crown Lock the result is the best 10″ dual-bevel miter saw on the market. However, I do believe the weight of this saw is a significant factor to be considered for users that work remotely.

If you’re in the market for a new 10″ or you’ve been waiting to hop on the Axial-Glide™ train this is an excellent miter saw. It’s certainly pricey but it’s a saw worth every dollar in my opinion.

6 Comments

1. patrick crudden

   March 6, 2014 at 8:41 am

   hello can you please tell me if this Bosch 10in glide mitre saw will do trench cutting, has it depth control. The dewalt saws have depth control which enables them to do trench cuts. Its just that my ancient ELU mitre saw is getting towards retirement, so i will be replacing my old Elu saw with either a Dewalt 10inch or a Bosch glide saw. The 216mm ELU saw has served me well, but would like to now upgrade to a more modern 10 inch saw.

   Reply
   1. Todd Fratzel

      March 7, 2014 at 7:04 am

      Patrick – The saw does have a depth stop. I’m assuming from “trench” cutting you mean cutting a dado?

      Reply
2. Keith Grant

   April 5, 2018 at 2:42 pm

   Based on your experience, is the 10″ Axial-Glide more stable, rigid, accurate than the 12″ Axial-Glide?

   Reply
   1. Todd Fratzel

      April 5, 2018 at 4:55 pm

      I’d say there’s little difference

      Reply
3. Bill Murray

   January 13, 2022 at 9:45 am

   Hi Todd –

   Great review, really thorough. This looks like what I need but space is tight and I’d like to mount it on a cart, much as you have done. The dimensions on the tech specs seem to include the overhangs – but I can’t tell. So – is there any chance you could tell me the dimensions of the cart you have it mounted on?

   Thanks!

   Reply
   1. Todd Fratzel

      January 16, 2022 at 11:34 am

      It’s 22×28. Good luck!

      Reply

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