Bosch Glide or Festool Kapex..how bad is the Bosch?

[Brian Antic]

So I’ve been reading up on mitre saws the last few days and if I didn’t have real-world experience with them I would walk away from this thinking that all of them are incapable of making a clean cut or staying operational for more than 2-3 years.

Here’s the deal: I have a nice table saw and I have a nice crosscut sled. I want what a mitre saw would ideally offer..which is an alternative to setting up the incra sled and a way to quickly chop stuff down to size while minimizing waste.

I have a space that I could dedicate to it, but I can’t use a traditional SCMS that needs a ton of clearance behind the unit. Makita is out right off of the bat so that leaves the Bosch glide or Festool Kapex.

I’ve read a ton of stuff about the Bosch unit having a lot of slop at full extension..is that realistic? I mean I can torque any saw no matter the setup if I put some muscle into it..if used properly is it really an issue?

I would love to be able to pick up the Bosch at just about 1/3 of the price of the Kapex..but end game what I need is accuracy. Dust collection and weight are irrelevant to me.

If that means I have to buy the Kapex and replace the $200 Armature myself every two years (after the warranty goes out) then that’s what I’ll do.

What’s everyone’s opinion on this? Do I really need the Kapex?

[Mike Cutler]

Does it have to be a slider?

The first sentence is definitely not 100% correct. I have a DeWalt 705 from the mid 1990's and it is very capable of making an accurate, repeatable, cut in wood, PVC pipe, aluminum, and tile. Yep, tile. It's not a slider though.It's also not a replacement for my Mast-R-Slide.;)

[Brian Antic]

So I’ve been thinking about that as well. I would probably go with the DWS716XPS if I just ended up getting a regular CMS.

I think I would grow tired of the lack of capacity though and use my crosscut sled more often which goes against the entire point of setting something like this up in a dedicated shop space.

I regularly work with 8/4, I’m not sure what type of width I could cut with that..6-8”?

[Ben Rivel]

I havent experienced so much slope with my Bosch Glide that it was ever a problem. However I dont really use my miter saw for cuts that I need to be super precise. That said I personally own a lot of Festool but wont go near that Kapex. Too overprices, not a 12" blade and there is definitely a motor issue with it in the US model, lots of people having them fail on them.

[Mike Kees]

FWIW I own a Porter Cable 12'' saw that does not slide and a Makita 10'' SCMS. We use the porter cable about 95 percent of the time. This is finish work -trim and shop work. I am a full time carpenter. The slider is great after pieces are 8" plus,P.C. gets used the rest of the time.

[John TenEyck]

If you want accuracy, repeatability, and capacity get an old cast iron radial arm saw. You'll save a bunch of money, too. If you want something to "quickly chop stuff down to size" then any SCMS will do, with no rational to buy a Kapex.

John

[Brian Antic]

I should reword that. Quickly cut pieces down to final size.**

I thought about a radial arm saw but not only does it take up a ton of space, I couldn’t find any in good condition. It’s just not worth the hassle.

Maybe I should just build a long side table topped with some melamine and use the sled for everything. This is proving to be way more difficult than I thought it would be.

[Doug Dawson]

If you want accuracy, repeatability, and capacity get an old cast iron radial arm saw. You'll save a bunch of money, too. If you want something to "quickly chop stuff down to size" then any SCMS will do, with no rational to buy a Kapex.

It depends on how important dust collection is to you. Which is the only rationale that I can see for the extra cost of the Kapex.

[Jim Foster]

I've just been looking at the Bosch vs Kapex choice in a new miter saw. Lots of good video comparisons and reviews online. The Bosch seems like a very good quality tool for the price. Makes it a little harder to choose the Kapex. They both do a nice job on minimizing the required footprint. The hold-down clamp on the Kapex is much better. Dust collection on the Kapex seems to be a "little"better." One thing about the Bosch, I'd probably get an aftermarket blade, wheich adds to the price. Kapex most likely has a very high quality blade to start.

I'd consider a radial arm saw, but, I have space issues. Sometimes, you can find them for the taking!

[Ben Rivel]

I've just been looking at the Bosch vs Kapex choice in a new miter saw. Lots of good video comparisons and reviews online. The Bosch seems like a very good quality tool for the price. Makes it a little harder to choose the Kapex. They both do a nice job on minimizing the required footprint. The hold-down clamp on the Kapex is much better. Dust collection on the Kapex seems to be a "little"better." One thing about the Bosch, I'd probably get an aftermarket blade, wheich adds to the price. Kapex most likely has a very high quality blade to start.

I'd consider a radial arm saw, but, I have space issues. Sometimes, you can find them for the taking!
Something to add to that: the Kapex hold down can be used on the Bosch. Its not ideal IMO but MANY do it and it does work, I have tried it. The large dust collecting rubber boot from the Kapex cant be used with the Glide as well though that takes a little more finessing. I have one on mine and it does improve dust collection by increasing the size of the scoop.

[Art Mann]

I own the Bosch saw and it is accurate enough for most things I do. For example, I am using it today to fabricate a "corn hole" yard game. If I am building furniture, I will use my sled and 90 tooth cross cut blade. Even in this case, I will have already cut the piece close to size with the miter saw before machining it to final dimensions. I like the Bosch because it has a large cross cut capacity without sticking out from the wall so far. I haven't used or even seen the Kapex up close so I can't make a comparison.

[Cory Newman]

Timely thread, I'm evaluating the two as well. I do have a vintage radial arm saw, but i keep it set at 90 degrees, I can't imagine getting accurate miters with it.

[Mike Henderson]

I had a non-slider 12" Bosch and replaced it with a Kapex to get the greater cross cut capacity. The Kapex is okay. A lot of swarf doesn't get collected but I suppose that's true of all CMS.

I got my Kapex at a discount otherwise I probably would have gone with the Bosch.

Mike

[Scott Brader]

I have had the Bosch 10" for a couple of years now. I took the time to make sure it was set up properly at the very beginning and I have not been disappointed. I don't recall that I have had to tweak anything since that original setup. I rarely cut anything over seven or eight inches wide, so I can't really speak to the deflection at full extension issue, but I have found it to be quite accurate for my use. I am careful to keep straight, even pressure on the saw and have not had any problems. The dust collection leaves much to be desired, but I think that's the case with most SCMS and CMS from what I've heard and experienced.

Scott

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I own the Kapex and absolutely love it. I also own a cordless 12" Dewalt slider for rough cutting thicker stock because the Kapex doesn't like anything over 6/4. I tried cutting 8/4 walnut with it once and that sucker let me know it didn't like it. With a little fine toning, I can get perfect square finish cuts from the Kapex right off the saw. I build all sorts of things and if I can cut it on the Kapex, I will and joints are nice and tight.

I've read lots of stories on other forums about the Kapex burning up and what not but bought one anyways. No regrets so far and I'd buy another if this one decides to take a dump.

[Mark Bolton]

I have run bosch siders (non glide) for years on job sites and have had my hands on both the Kapex and the glide (friend bought the 12" glide). Its hands down the glide for me if its between the two. All sliders with a long reach have flexure issues. Once you get use to it you can use it to your advantage and eliminate it when needed. The Kapex has much more flexure at full travel in my experience and the glide is pretty rigid but anything with that much mass at that amount of extension/leverage is going to have flexure unless it weighs a thousand pounds.

The big issue in these comparisons with regards to a chop saw is to honestly define the capacity you actually need. People think well just get the biggest so I will have it if I need it but if the vast majority of the work you will cut doesnt need the capacity of a 12" slider go to the 10". If you dont need that capacity go to a non-slider that will be more rigid. And if you want the best go with the Omga (search recent long thread about them).

For the money I cant see going wrong with the glide and as already mentioned no slider is going to be phenomenal at dust collection.

[mreza Salav]

I consider all SCMS's as for carpentry/trim work or cutting large pieces to manageable size. None that I have seen/used is as accurate as a sled on a table saw for fine woodworking.
I've used Kapex and is good for doing trim work.

[John TenEyck]

Timely thread, I'm evaluating the two as well. I do have a vintage radial arm saw, but i keep it set at 90 degrees, I can't imagine getting accurate miters with it.

Not to hijack this thread, buy you should be able to get very accurate miters with a RAS with no more setup required than for a typical miter saw. Perhaps you should spend a little time going through the manual on how to calibrate it.

I know machine guys want to get perfect cuts off their machines, but a hand plane and shooting board is a far better way to bring a workpiece to final length and angle, whether 90°, 45°, whatever, when it really matters. In the old days this was pretty much the only way to do it. With the advent of high precision machines the practice has largely gone away but never exceed it in quality. And expecting a machine designed for trim carpenters to consistently produce furniture quality cuts is asking more than what those machines are truly capable of, at any price.

John

[Doug Dawson]

I consider all SCMS's as for carpentry/trim work or cutting large pieces to manageable size. None that I have seen/used is as accurate as a sled on a table saw for fine woodworking.
I've used Kapex and is good for doing trim work.

Mmmm, my Dewalt DW780, carefully tuned and with a 100T blade, produces crosscuts for fine woodworking that simply don't need any more work. It's rather breathtaking.

For cutting large pieces to size I just use a hand saw.

[Brian W Evans]

I owned a 12" Makita SCMS for quite a while (sold it for the same space issues you mentioned) and now own a Bosch 12" Glide. I haven't used the Bosch much yet but in setting it up and making a few cuts I don't think it has much slop at all - in fact, none that I could detect by feel or eye. The handle / trigger is designed so that you pull straight down so, if you're careful, you won't put much side-to-side pressure on it. I've never touched a Kapex, so I can't comment on that.

Here is a video of a guy making some nice cuts using a Bosch SCMS slider (not glide). Note the technique he uses to make sure he gets the cut he wants.

https://youtu.be/MZJk4e7WPGE?t=1045

I've used a 2000-era Craftsman SCMS to make plenty of perfect returns on molding, perfect outside corners, etc. With patience, tuning, and good technique, an SCMS can do very good work.

I will also second the shooting board suggestion. You really can't do better than this for fine-tuning.

[Jon Grider]

I do not own a Kapex, I do own several other Festool tools though. If you spend a little time over on FOG, it appears the Kapex has been one of the more problematic offers from Festool. Bevel drift and burned armatures are among the issues owners have had. Maybe they have ironed out the problems, but I would make sure before I plunked down that cash. Not trying to start a flame here, I repeat I do not own a Kapex.

[Dave Lehnert]

I'll just add to what you said about bad reviews on Miter Saws.

For a few years I wanted to upgrade to a new sliding compound miter saw. I liked the Ridigid 12" a lot . Loved the large table but reviews were horrible. Did not cut square, Ridgid refuses to own up to a defect in the design Etc........ All from pros who have used miter saws for 25 years and know what they are talking about etc...... Put the saw purchase on hold for 2 or 3 years to decide on another saw but could not get past liking the Ridgid.

Walking into Home Depot one night and has a sale on the saw I could not pass up. I thought HD is very good about returns so Ill take a chance.
I pushed that saw hard for a few nights in the work shop trying to see if it was any good. Anything not right and it was going back.
To make a long story short. That saw has turned out to be a perfect saw for me, It cuts square and cuts are glass smooth with the stock blade. My opinion people were just not letting the saw do the work and ramming the blade through the wood.

If you find a saw you like, give it a chance in your shop and don't be so quick to judge it by reviews.

401846

[Doug Dawson]

I do not own a Kapex, I do own several other Festool tools though. If you spend a little time over on FOG, it appears the Kapex has been one of the more problematic offers from Festool. Bevel drift and burned armatures are among the issues owners have had. Maybe they have ironed out the problems, but I would make sure before I plunked down that cash. Not trying to start a flame here, I repeat I do not own a Kapex.

That rings true given some of the youtube video reviews I've seen of it. The thing that really stood out is how flimsy it was, lots of plastic.

That said, I have lots of Festool, sanders, routers, track saw etc and I've been very pleased with them. You only cry once. At least so far. The FWW review of the sanders was absurd, they didn't even use the right sandpaper.

[John K Jordan]

I've been using the 12" Bosch Glide for maybe 5 years now. Built my shop and another building with it and use it for general crosscuts in the shop. I've had several other miter saws and I like this the most. I don't build fine furniture but it's always made accurate cuts.

JKJ

[Brian Holcombe]

Not to hijack this thread, buy you should be able to get very accurate miters with a RAS with no more setup required than for a typical miter saw. Perhaps you should spend a little time going through the manual on how to calibrate it.

I know machine guys want to get perfect cuts off their machines, but a hand plane and shooting board is a far better way to bring a workpiece to final length and angle, whether 90°, 45°, whatever, when it really matters. In the old days this was pretty much the only way to do it. With the advent of high precision machines the practice has largely gone away but never exceed it in quality. And expecting a machine designed for trim carpenters to consistently produce furniture quality cuts is asking more than what those machines are truly capable of, at any price.

John

I agree with this, if there is one thing I’ve learned, a SCMS is not capable of really accurate cuts.

[Justin Ludwig]

If you've read any of my posts on miter saws you'll know I'm highly biased towards Dewalt. Set them up once and they stay there. My 780XPS gets used everyday. I've had it for 7 years. I can cut anything as accurate as a TS sled, but I have $180 blade on it from Carbide Processors. Stays sharp for...ev..er. XPS is the only way to go for sighting in the cut line.

I don't advocate the 780 for hobbyist use because of the cost and how often are you needing 14" crosscut capability? For me? Very often. Buy a 716XPS or 717XPS, set it up properly. Buy a good blade. Smile every time you use it.

[Brian Antic]

Well gents, I bought the Kapex with some extension wings. I’m still sore, those bastards didn’t even use lube.

I digress. I went to put my hands on both saws along with the competitors such as the dws780 and dws716. No way in hell would I buy the Bosch Glide. That arm is buttery smooth but has so much damn play. When I played with the Dewalts next to it I had to use 2-3 times as much force to get half of the deflection. It was just as bad retracted as it was extended. Can you cut dead square with it? Probably. Would I rather just get a better design and exponentially increase my odds of getting a good cut? Yuuup.

Honestly, even though the dewalt was rough around the edges..if it didn’t take up so much space I absolutely would have bought the DWS780. The deflection was slightly worse than the festool saw but not bad at all.

All in all, I hate that I spent $2k on this bullshit but I would do it again given the same choices.

[eugene thomas]

I owe the Bosch and really like it. Have no accuracy issues. And now $200 or so cheaper than what I paided.

[Greg R Bradley]

I have a number of Miter Saws personally and in 3 different businesses. They all have good/bad points.
A friend decided he wanted the Bosch Glide when they first came out so I took him to a Bosch event where they had incredible introduction pricing. We opened the entire stack trying to find one worth buying. I think they finally solved the table issues those all had. I looked at them after that and started playing with them and realized that mechanism is designed to be cute but is pretty much a disaster from an engineering standpoint. They flex and will not age well at all. It doesn't really fit many needs well at all. Too heavy to haul around, no laser, poor dust collection, not very accurate. Then Bosch really screwed up with the 10" Glide that has the glide mechanism made incorrectly so the blade move left/right as you move it in/out. So they both seem like rough construction saws for builders but those are generally hauled around.

I'm certainly not anti-Bosch as I have a Bosch 10" CMS and enough Bosch cases full of stuff I can make two 6' stacks of cases. At least a dozen corded/cordless tools.

I had a heavily used Kapex in a shop and was impressed enough I bought one personally to replace my Makita LSxx14 saw, which was very accurate but took up too much depth and made incredible dust. The later Makita started with new and different issues but it seems they are working back toward the accuracy with the xx19 series saws. See the current thread on that.
My Kapex has some great features but not sure I would pay current pricing for one. I paid $1100 including two extension wings. I do feel they sacrificed flex for extreme light weight. The magnesium instead of aluminum adds too much cost for the benefit. The dust collection and the precise variable speed were the deciding factors for me with carbon fiber, composite sheets, plastics, etc.
I still use an early 12" Ridgid non-slider with excellent dust collection as my default saw. It is as tight to a wall as the Kapex.
Think people get all tied up in one saw for everything and end up with sliders, which will always compromise size, weight, accuracy, etc.

[Mark Bolton]

I have a number of Miter Saws personally and in 3 different businesses.

Using a laser on any consumer level saw with any expectation of precision is an exercise in futility. I made dozens of miter test cuts on a Kapex and it was simple to sweeten-them-in by nearly a half degree with user influence. Thats not a 1500 dollar saw in my world. I have always used that to my advantage in the field and honestly never found an SCMS that I couldnt work some magic with based on a little user english. There is just too much moment in the arm of them all which is why someone who needs true accuracy doesnt use sliders in the first place. In the field you need to work a little magic to get done fast.

Of all the construction grade saws Ive had the chance to play with (which the Kapex is included in) the Bosch has been the best across the board with an exemption for Dewalt. The hard part with someone going in and "putting their hands" on any tool is that you have no idea if it had any setup, was it a beater, a return, etc.. The only saw Ive given an exemption to, because I know a bunch who love them, is the Dewalt. I came up in the trade when Dewalt first came on line as the bastard child of the black and decker homogenization (which was sad) and they made some seriously crap tools initially. I ran an underpowered Dewalt SCMS that a friend bought that could barely get itself up to speed. Im sure they are not the same tool now.

The hard part is that Festool has to lump the Kapex in with the construction grade saws and for the price it shouldnt be in that category but is performance and being so drastically underpowered lands it there. It may well be down to the old fact that the euro-folks just treat there stuff better. I could never see myself chucking a Kapex in the back of a truck or trailer for a bouncy ride home and living under a tarp in the rain for the night but any of the other contenders would.

[Simon MacGowen]

Well gents, I bought the Kapex with some extension wings.

Totally unbelievable that after all these opinions and comments (from mild to strong, and from spot-on to totally incorrect), including many that discouraged you from getting a Kapex, you would still go ahead and get a Kapex!

But you did one thing right: you tried before you bought!

No one here and in the festool forum can tell us how bad the motor issue really is. Do those 1 dozen or 2 dozen incidents mean anything? Nothing, until we know how many Kapexes Festool has sold. 1 dozen out of 100 is disaster, but not if out of 1,000. So far Festool has kept that secret.

After checking your saw for bed flatness and fence squareness, check the miter cuts first, then use the four-cut method to dial in your square cuts. The bevel cuts are usually dead on from factory. Kapex has the best hold down, dust collection, bevel control; second to none dual laser (read the manual if you attempt to adjust it), and second to none trench cuts.

Unless you are talking about 0.00001" precision, Kapex delivers precision results meeting any fine woodworking demands. Don't trust me? Download the supplementary manual (free) and follow its instructions on how to cut a three way miter joint. Cut one with the Kapex, and cut one with any SCMS named in this thread or outside this thread. Come back and we can discuss if the Kapex is a good choice or not for fine woodworking tasks.

Yes, you can complain about its price...and yes HF offers better miter saws (price wise).

Simon

[Jaromir Svoboda]

Have you looked at Delta 26-2250?
Friend of mine got one and he like it.

[Corey Pelton]

I bought the DeWalt, Bosch and the Kapex when looking for a Slider. DeWalt’s table was out of whack, so I returned it. The Bosch, no matter how many times I adjusted it, would come out of square. The Kapex had a whacked out table as well, but I was able to return it and open another at the dealer and check everything before committing to keep it.

The saw has been amazing so far. Cuts everything I’ve thrown at it. Remains to be seen if the motor fails, but even if it does I’ll ship it off to get fixed.

[Simon MacGowen]

The Kapex had a whacked out table as well, but I was able to return it and open another at the dealer and check everything before committing to keep it.

The saw has been amazing so far. Cuts everything I’ve thrown at it. Remains to be seen if the motor fails, but even if it does I’ll ship it off to get fixed.

That is why checking the bed flatness and fence squareness should be among the first things to do after the Kapex box is opened. Exchange it if they aren't. When you pay $1500 for a miter saw, you expect nothing less.

Simon

[eugene thomas]

For 1500 dollar miter saw should not have to worry if crap out of box.

[Greg R Bradley]

Both Festool and Bosch have a No question 30 day warranty on power tools. You don't even need to give a reason although they both appreciate knowing why to see if they can improve. When I specified the reason on Festool's crappy Carvex Jigsaw, they sent me an email and seemed interested in further details. Probably my fault as I just said "Garbage". Never heard a word on the two DOA Bosch items but then that is a simpler reason.

[Art Mann]

Congratulations on your new purchase! I hope you enjoy it and it exceeds your expectations.

[tim walker]

Mike, I dont see where JessEm sells the Mast-R-Slide. How long have you had it?

[Roger Feeley]

I recommend two tests if you get a glide.
1. Put a good straightedge across the table. I had three of them in my hous at one point with a Bosch tech and all of the tables dipped in the center by about 0.030”.
2. Perform some test that measures orientation of the blade relative to its movement. The blade should be parallel to the sliding or gliding movement. I’ve read reviews where the glide was a degree out and there is no adjustment.

i would consider either of these problems deal breakers.
i can’t speak to the accuracy of the Kapex.

I have a DW703 that really old but it’s dialed in square. I would like a slider for the capacity but haven’t found anything yet.

[Alan Lightstone]

I've had no issues with my Kapex. Seems to cut very straight. This is the first I've heard of the motor issue, so that concerns me, but otherwise it's worked quite well for me.

Yes an OMGA might be awesome. But the Kapex was expensive enough.

I wonder how many of us would buy a really good, VERY solid, straight cutting SCMS if it cost $2K. Or OMGA's 14" one for $6612. :eek:

[Roger Feeley]

Regarding the need for accuracy. I know that a true craftsman can do great work without great tools. I freely admit that I’m not at that level. So I try to keep my tools aligned precisely so that I don’t have to deal with them as well as my own failings.

so I have a dewalt that is dead square. I wouldn’t replace it with something less accurate.

[Randall J Cox]

My two cents. Been using a Dewalt 12" miter, non slider, for going on 18 years now (with a good professionally sharpened blade). Was so happy with first one, gave it to my son about 4 years ago for one of his home construction prjects and bought another identical one while it was on sale for $180 from big box store. Both cut dead on and very repeatable. Randy

[Ryan Yeaglin]

I have a Dewalt 779 and added the LED lighting system from the 780. I have a total of $420 invested, it does everything I need from it. The German saws are nice, but how much nicer for that amount you spend over a Dewalt... My only gripe is that the saw is huge and takes up a considerable amount of space (depth).

[johnny means]

a hand plane and shooting board is a far better way to bring a workpiece to final length and angle, whether 90°, 45°, whatever, when it really matters.

John
No, accurate machining beats a handplane any day. CNCs prove that point.

[Brian Holcombe]

I've had no issues with my Kapex. Seems to cut very straight. This is the first I've heard of the motor issue, so that concerns me, but otherwise it's worked quite well for me.

Yes an OMGA might be awesome. But the Kapex was expensive enough.

I wonder how many of us would buy a really good, VERY solid, straight cutting SCMS if it cost $2K. Or OMGA's 14" one for $6612. :eek:

Buy used. Industrial equipment of Omga quality have a very long lifespan. Case in point the 40 year old mortising machine in my garage still running on original bearings.

[Mo Ghotbi]

Dave, for a long time I had the same Ridgid and really liked it. However, the actuator arm for the guard bent, requiring replacement. It happened again and this time I was unable to get parts. I had to ditch the saw and got a Makita 1019, with the slide mechanism in the front. I have been very happy with the Makita. I compared it side by side to the Bosch glide and was more impressed with the Makita build quality.

[mark mcfarlane]

FWIW, since the OP already made his purchase, I've had a Kapex for 3 years. The motor struggles to cut 4/4 white oak with occasional burns. This is the first step in my typical milling process. I've cut a few 6/4 pieces of white oak but I wouldn't even attempt 8/4 white oak. It works perfectly fine and accurately on final cuts of milled 3/4 white oak.

I'm also not real happy with the zero clearance inserts. They are too floppy after making a 12" track and wiggle around leaving some tearout on the underside of cuts.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

I see this is an old thread that's been revived.

I just thought I'd mention that I really like my Bosch Glide 12" miter saw.

There are references to it not being adjustable but as best I can tell it has all the adjustments needed. Maybe there is some flaw they have had that got out that didn't have the ability to adjust. Maybe they've added some adjustments the originals didn't have.
I'm not sure.
But mine is very accurate and also very adjustable.

It's a terrific saw and the hinge/glide system is very smooth as well as compact. The hinge system has the engineering design capability of being much more rigid and long lasting than the typical linear bearing designs on the market. It looks like they have made it to take advantage of this but it will take time to confirm (I'm not interested in disassembling or doing engineering calculations to confirm). We could discuss these aspects for a while but that's my short version of the comparison design wise for the new aspect it brings to the market.

It's a large saw but any saw in this 12" sliding miter saw class has to be large. I have it on a fold up and wheeled miter saw stand so it is as portable as a saw this size gets and compact space wise when not being used.

[Jack Lemley]

I wouldn't be without my slider. I use the extended reach quite often. I had a Makita 10" slider for years, moved to a Bosch 10" Glide 4 or 5 years ago, then Hartville had the new old style Kapex with updated insides (problems with that since the saw entered the market). Got the Kapex for a little over $1,000 shipped and absolutely love it! The lasers once adjusted are spot on and the dust collection is probably 75% better than the Bosch Glide. The Bosch is a good saw (not really "portable" due to weight) but the dust collection, lack of lasers and no soft start pushed me away from it, that and the really good (relatively speaking ;-) price on the Kapex from Hartville.

Jack

Jack