As a woodworker with a small shop, I have always considered a dedicated tool like a chop saw a “nice-to-have” tool. To-date, table saw sleds and track saws have met all of my serious crosscut needs. However, moving long pieces of stock through a table saw blade can be challenging due to inertia and friction. The Bosch CM10GD 10-inch Axial-Glide miter saw affords the opportunity to cut miters, bevels, compound cuts, crosscuts, and dados on stationary stock.
For a more compact saw, check out the Bosch 8-1/2″ single bevel miter saw. You also don’t want to miss reading our best 12-inch miter saw article.
Overview and Features
The Bosch CM10GD miter saw (Compound Miter, 10 in. blade, Glide Dual-Bevel) is a 10-inch dual bevel glide miter saw which forgoes this class of saws’ typical slide/rail arrangement and instead uses an articulated mechanism that Bosch calls Axial-Glide. This articulation lets you place the CM10GD against a wall, saving about 10 in. of bench depth.
The CM10GD comes almost ready-to-use out of the box. You only need to install two parts: the Miter Lock Knob and the Bevel Lock Lever. You install the former by hand—the latter using a supplied socket and hex wrench. The incredibly sturdy box itself bears mentioning. We found it so sturdy, in fact, that we used it as a seat for a time with no apparent ill effects.
Not a Lot of Plastic Here
A cursory inspection of the saw reveals limited use of plastic, with applications limited to knobs, kerf inserts, the see-through blade guard, the motor housing, and the main handle. Bosch appears to have given great thought to the design of the main handle. It features ambidextrous switch release buttons, texturing on the switch itself, and a dimpled rubberized cover on the front of the handle. A hole in the power switch also lets you lock out the saw with a traditional padlock.
Pretty much everything else on the CM10GD is metal with either a painted or machined finish. This extensive use of metal is borne out in the manufacturer’s stated weight of 64 pounds. By comparison, the DeWalt DW717 has a manufacturer’s stated weight of 51 pounds.
Adjusting the Controls
If you’re new to compound miter saws, you’ll find almost a dizzying number of knobs, locks, stops, selectors, and pointers on the CM10GD. We found the manual required and easy reading. It gave some helpful tips like how to hold the blade cover up during blade changes and where to store the hex key in the base. The only “gotcha” in the manual is the detailed instructions for adjusting bevel stops on page 22 and then on page 42 a suggestion to not make this adjustment unless the saw has received a hard impact or has been used extensively.
A material clamp locks stock down on either the left or right side of the base as needed. This reviewer prefers to hold the material down by hand when possible and safe to do so, and I found clear hand access to hold stock even when mitering at 45°. The unobtrusive blade cover operated smoothly and did a good job of incrementally exposing and covering the blade as we lowered and raised it for cuts.
Using the Bosch 10-inch Axial-Glide Saw
It was intuitive and easy to cut miters and bevels in chop mode and to make sliding crosscuts at 0°. The ambidextrous main handle of the Bosch CM10GD felt natural to use. The beefy miter detent lever made it simple to swing the table from left to right when setting miter angles. Disengaging the bevel lock lever took a little more force, but it is hand-friendly and locks the saw positively into left and right bevel angles.
Adjusting the Bosch CM10GD Fences
Not unexpectedly, some compound cuts can have bevel and miter angle values that result in the fence obstructing the motor housing and the blade contacting the kerf inserts. You can detect these obstructions by moving the saw through its range of motion before actually making the cut.
Adjustments to fences were tool-free while kerf insert adjustment was accomplished using the hex key that stores in the saw’s base. We had already adjusted the kerf inserts from their factory-set maximum. This reduced chipping during sliding crosscuts. Leaving the kerf inserts at the factory default avoids blade contact during compound cuts.
Using the Bosch Axial Glide System
The Axial-Glide system was smooth throughout the range of motion on all cuts, including cuts made with the non-dominant hand. The only noticeable hitch was that a wheel on the lower blade guard bound a little bit when making compound miters, but this behavior was easy to glide through when anticipated.
As to accuracy, it is possible to push the saw head laterally while cutting and get less than perfect cuts. For example, with a little sideways effort, the saw head can be deflected by about .01 in. Learning to operate the saw without imparting this error is probably a learned skill. During the review, paintable joints were achieved right away and stainable bevels were achieved on the third try. Four 12” sliding crosscuts yielded lengths that varied by about .007 in. on one end as measured by feeler gauges and touch.
Specifications
- Amperage: 15
- Bevel Angle Range: 47° left and 47° right
- Bevel Stops: 0°, 33.9°, 45° left and right
- Blade Diameter: 10″
- Cord length: 6 ft
- Dimensions (HxL): 20.5 x 32 in.
- Miter Angle Range: 52° Left, 60° Right
- Detents (miter): 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.6°, 45° (Left/Right)
- Positive stops (miter): 0°, 15°, 22.5,° 31.6°, 45° (Left/Right)
- No Load RPM: 4,800
- Voltage: 120V
- Warranty: Limited 1 Year
- Weight: 64 lbs.
- Price: $589
Bosch 10-inch Axial Glide Miter Saw Conclusion
Overall, the Bosch CM10GD 10-inch Axial Glide miter saw is an approachable, easy-to-use saw. It is obvious to this woodworker how this class of saws is the go-to tool for framing carpenters and perhaps even has trim applications. The saw’s thoughtful design includes good operator controls, bold and easy-to-read gauge markings, brush cap access that is front-and-center on the motor housing, and a hex key that stores in the base to enable blade changes, kerf insert adjustments, and miter detent adjustments. Included with the saw are a 10 in. 60T blade, a material clamp, and a dust bag.
Bosch CM10GD Miter Saw Benefits
- 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
- Category best 90% dust collection – optimized for cutting 2x material with a vacuum
- Ergonomic ambidextrous trigger handle with soft grip – large form-fitting ergonomic handle provides comfort for all-day use
