Ellery Coffman
08-17-2012, 5:39 PM
So, I just ordered a Bosch 4212 12" dual bevel compound miter saw from homedepot.com with 10% off + free shipping (comes to about $390 with tax). It appears to be an older design compared to the current Bosch miter saws such as the GCM12SD and the CM12. Did I make the right choice or should I have gone with a newer style Bosch miter saw?
Some differences I noted between the 4212 and the newer style Bosch 12" Miter Saws (CM12 and GCM12SD):
1. The 4212 doesn't have plastic indents, but appears to have it's indents cut into the casting, while the CM12 and GCM12SD both have a plastic piece that is screwed in place.
2. The CM12 is a direct drive, while the 4212 is belt driven.
3. The 4212 has a neat rotating handle. Not sure how useful this will be but...
4. The 4212 is dual bevel while the newer non-sliding Bosch 12" miter saws are all single bevel.
5. The 4212 has a slightly different table than the CM12, not sure which is going to be better. The CM12 has wider ends that come out, but the overall table top width looks to be the similar to the 4212.
6. The 4212 has a beefier bevel mechanism and front bevel controls while the CM12 does not.
7. The 4212 is not a slider, so it should be more accurate than the GCM12SD which had some slop that I could see when I slid the head all the way forward and moved it side to side.
8. The 4212 is 55 pounds (assuming it weighs the same as the 4212L), while the CM12 is only 43 pounds!?! I want a heavier saw since I don't plan to transport the thing. I really wonder if Bosch is making things cheaper or if they are concerned about weight...!?! The plastic indents may be a sign of making things cheaper as this would take less time and mean that less aluminum is used in making the base.
Things I liked about the single bevel CM12 and hope the 4212 has:
1. The CM12 has brass bushings for miter and bevel pivots, while the Makita I looked at had none and the DeWalt I have has none.
2. The CM12 and GCM12SD both had the flatest tables out of any miter saw I looked at (compared to Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee).
3. I pulled the ends 12" out on the CM12 and the table was still perfectly flat! Had to be within .001" of an inch or better. Probably better.
4. The CM12 had independent left and right fences to allow for finer adjustment of each side (when compared to the DeWalt and Makita where the fence is all one piece). This means that if the fences are not coplanar, you can align them perfectly.
5. The fence operation on the CM12 was very smooth, and all contact surfaces were machined very well with no room to wiggle.
Other notes:
I couldn't find the 4212L anywhere and I think this is a laser version of the saw. Is the laser on the now discontinued 4212L accurate and a must have?
Some differences I noted between the 4212 and the newer style Bosch 12" Miter Saws (CM12 and GCM12SD):
1. The 4212 doesn't have plastic indents, but appears to have it's indents cut into the casting, while the CM12 and GCM12SD both have a plastic piece that is screwed in place.
2. The CM12 is a direct drive, while the 4212 is belt driven.
3. The 4212 has a neat rotating handle. Not sure how useful this will be but...
4. The 4212 is dual bevel while the newer non-sliding Bosch 12" miter saws are all single bevel.
5. The 4212 has a slightly different table than the CM12, not sure which is going to be better. The CM12 has wider ends that come out, but the overall table top width looks to be the similar to the 4212.
6. The 4212 has a beefier bevel mechanism and front bevel controls while the CM12 does not.
7. The 4212 is not a slider, so it should be more accurate than the GCM12SD which had some slop that I could see when I slid the head all the way forward and moved it side to side.
8. The 4212 is 55 pounds (assuming it weighs the same as the 4212L), while the CM12 is only 43 pounds!?! I want a heavier saw since I don't plan to transport the thing. I really wonder if Bosch is making things cheaper or if they are concerned about weight...!?! The plastic indents may be a sign of making things cheaper as this would take less time and mean that less aluminum is used in making the base.
Things I liked about the single bevel CM12 and hope the 4212 has:
1. The CM12 has brass bushings for miter and bevel pivots, while the Makita I looked at had none and the DeWalt I have has none.
2. The CM12 and GCM12SD both had the flatest tables out of any miter saw I looked at (compared to Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee).
3. I pulled the ends 12" out on the CM12 and the table was still perfectly flat! Had to be within .001" of an inch or better. Probably better.
4. The CM12 had independent left and right fences to allow for finer adjustment of each side (when compared to the DeWalt and Makita where the fence is all one piece). This means that if the fences are not coplanar, you can align them perfectly.
5. The fence operation on the CM12 was very smooth, and all contact surfaces were machined very well with no room to wiggle.
Other notes:
I couldn't find the 4212L anywhere and I think this is a laser version of the saw. Is the laser on the now discontinued 4212L accurate and a must have?