Bosch Glide Miter Saw Review: Deflection Tested Against a $1,800 Festool Kapex
The Bosch EXCM341-305GD glide miter saw runs a little over $600, which is about $100 less than the previous version. The question I got asked more than any other was how much this saw deflects. I own a Festool Kapex and a Makita, so I ran all three through the same test on the same board.
The Short Answer
- Deflection on the Bosch EXCM341-305GD is minimal and comparable to the Festool Kapex, which costs two and a half times more.
- Pushing straight down I got no deflection at all, even at full extension.
- Price is a little over $600, roughly $100 less than the previous version.
- The glide system means it mounts flush against a wall, which is the real reason to buy it.
- Biggest downsides: no soft start, a poor hold down clamp, and a shadow line that only works on one side of the blade.
Bosch EXCM341-305GD Deflection Test Results
Deflection is when the blade moves off that straight 90 degree line during a cut. If you put lateral pressure on the handle, right or left, any sliding miter saw is going to deflect. Some are worse than others, and that is what everybody wanted to know about this one.
I drew a square line on a piece of white melamine and ran the test. Pushing straight down, the Bosch showed no deflection. That is how these saws are designed to be used. When I pushed hard to the right and left, the movement was minimal, and I had to purposely lean on it to move anything.
Then I ran the same test at full extension, which is where sliding saws are weakest. Straight down, still no deflection. Lateral pressure gave a little, but again, you have to work at it.
Here is the part that surprised me. This saw at a little over $600 has about as much deflection as the Festool, which costs two and a half times more. It might even be equal to it or slightly better. My unit is very tight and sits right alongside the other high end saws I have run.
I do not think deflection on this saw is as big a deal as some reviews have made it out to be. If a particular unit has more play than mine, that would be a different conversation. But if you push straight down, which is how you should be cutting anyway, you will be fine. Pushing sideways through a cut is one of the fastest ways to ruin your accuracy, and it is one of several habits I cover in 7 miter saw mistakes you are probably making.
See the Bosch Glide Miter Saw at Lowe's Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Watch the Full Deflection Test
The melamine test is much easier to judge on video than in text. You can see exactly how far the blade moves under pressure on all three saws.
Bosch vs Festool Kapex vs Makita vs SKIL
Here is how the four saws I have run stack up on the things that matter day to day.
| Bosch EXCM341-305GD | Festool Kapex | Makita 12" | SKIL 10" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Just over $600 | Around $1,800 | Around $800 to $900 | Around $229 to $249 |
| Deflection | Minimal | Minimal, similar to Bosch | Present at full extension | Not tested here |
| Mounts flush to wall | Yes | No | No | No |
| Slide smoothness | Butter smooth | Very good | Not quite as smooth | Not tested here |
| Hold down clamp | Screw down, poor | Good | Not tested here | Excellent |
| Cut line visibility | Shadow line, one side only | Laser, hard for me to see | Laser, could not see it | Shadow line, both sides |
| Stock blade | Framing blade, swap it | Good out of the box | Swap it | Swap it |
Why the Glide System Matters in a Small Shop
This is the real story of the saw. It is compact for a 12 inch. A DeWalt DWS779, which I have run since 2017, has long rails sticking off the back, so you cannot push it up against a wall.
The Bosch is roughly 26 inches wide, 33 inches deep, and 29 inches tall. Those are approximate. The important part is that the glide system puts nothing behind the saw, so it mounts flush against a wall. If you are building a miter station or working in a shop where depth is tight, that is the whole ballgame.
The slide itself is butter smooth. It uses a mechanism similar to the Delta sliding saw I ran for a long time, and those are some of the smoothest sliding saws you will ever touch. It glides so effortlessly it almost does not make sense at this price.
I get asked constantly whether sawdust will work its way in there and make it rough. It does not. I ran the Delta for years with no issue, and the bearings on this system are sealed. It should stay smooth for the life of the saw.
The Flip Up Stop Blocks I Have Not Seen on Another Miter Saw
Each extension wing has a flip up stop block. I have not seen that on any other miter saw. People asked whether they are plastic. They are metal, and they fold down out of the way when you do not need them.
You can set repeatable cuts from about 12 inches out to about 21 inches, and it works the same on both sides. For anything shorter, cut a block to whatever length you need and use that.
One catch worth knowing before you buy. If you mount this in a miter station and the saw sits down in a recess, those wings become useless. Especially if you want to reach 60 degrees, you may have to pull a wing off entirely. But if you are hauling the saw in and out of the shop or out to a job site, having repeatable accurate stops built into the saw is a real win.
Miter, Bevel, and Cut Capacity
Bosch nailed the miter adjustment. There are positive stops at 5, 10, 22 and a half, 33 and a half, and 45 degrees, plus 52 degrees one direction and 60 the other. Moving to an angle is one of the smoothest adjustments I have felt on any miter saw, and it locks in solid.
A small red flip switch disengages the positive stops when you want to land somewhere between them. The plate is easy to read too, with high contrast black lettering on brushed silver, and it includes roof rafter pitch angles.
Bevel goes to 47 degrees both directions with a turret style positive stop, similar to what you see on a plunge router. The turret settings are 33.9, 45, and 47 degrees, with a screw for micro adjusting. I do not know that I have seen a positive stop set up that way on another miter saw.
Cut capacity is about 13 and 7/16 inches at 90 degrees. I measured close to 15 inches, but the blade enters at an angle so it takes some of that back. Bosch lists 7 inches of base molding against the fence and 11 inches of crown lying flat on the table. It runs a 15 amp motor at 4,000 RPM with no speed adjustment.
How to Square a Bosch Miter Saw Out of the Box
Mine came about a half degree off square. That is worth checking on any new saw before you cut anything that matters, and the fix here is simple.
Loosen the five Phillips head screws on the fence and they back right out. Shift the fence slightly, then check it with a square until it reads a true 90 degrees to the blade. Tighten the screws back down and it stays put from there.
The whole adjustment took me under two minutes.
Three Things I Do Not Like About This Saw
None of these are deal breakers, but you should know about them before spending the money.
No Soft Start
This saw jumps to life the second you pull the trigger, especially if the head is already partway down. A soft start would make it feel considerably more premium at this price. Bosch also claims a blade brake that stops the blade in about five seconds. It is probably about five seconds, but I would not call that much of a brake.
The Hold Down Clamp
It is the screw down style, and I do not like those. Festool does this right. So does SKIL, on a saw that costs a fraction as much. I have heard the UK gets a different clamp on this saw that is a lot better.
See the SKIL 10-inch Miter Saw at Lowe's Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The Shadow Line Only Works on One Side
Shadow lines matter to me because I am red green colorblind. There are shades of red and green I simply do not see. I can barely make out the laser on the Festool, and I could not see the Makita laser at all.
The Bosch throws a clean shadow line on the right side of the blade. On the left side it is just a wide shadow. The SKIL does this better, showing both sides of the blade and even the teeth. It is possible my light is not perfectly centered, but on my saw the usable line is one sided.
A Few Smaller Annoyances
- With the left extension collapsed, you bump out at 52 degrees and cannot read the angle. On the right side, a collapsed extension caps you around 53 or 54 instead of the full 60. Slide the extension out to get there.
- The stock blade is a basic framing blade, same as almost every miter saw ships with. I put a CMT 80 tooth crosscut blade on mine and the cuts are dramatically cleaner. Miter saws mostly crosscut, so the blade upgrade pays off fast.
- Chopsaw mode has noticeable play when you lock it down. You can take that play out, but only by setting the crown molding switch to the first position first. It works, it just adds a step. The DeWalt and the SKIL both lock down straight without it.
On the positive side, blade changes are fast. You do not have to pull the cover off. On the DeWalt you have to loosen a bolt to slide the guard clear. This one is built so you skip that entirely. You can also run Fastcap zero clearance tape over the throat plate, which cleans up the underside of the cut and stops small offcuts from dropping into the opening.
See the Fastcap Zero Clearance Tape on Amazon Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Dust Collection Compared to the Festool Kapex
Fully collapsed, dust collection on the Bosch is very good. A little sawdust still escapes around the cut, but that is true of every miter saw I have tested, the Kapex included.
People talk about Kapex dust collection like it is untouchable. It is just okay. I have been underwhelmed since I bought mine. I upgraded to a larger hose for more airflow and run it on a Festool dust extractor, and it is still just okay.
Collapsed, I put the Bosch about on par with the Kapex. The Makita might actually edge both of them out in that position. Once you start sliding any of these saws, though, dust goes everywhere. That problem plagues every sliding miter saw I know of.
Want deals like these sent to you every day.
Join The Morning Cut. Free daily tool deal email from Matt.
Browse all current tool deals at 731woodworks.com.
See all tool reviews. Every post from the 731 Woodworks blog.
Who Should Buy the Bosch EXCM341-305GD
If you have a small shop or you want the saw mounted against a wall, this one fits. You get dead accurate 90 and 45 degree cuts, an easy squaring adjustment if it arrives off, dual bevel sliding compound capability, and 12 inches of capacity.
Weight is worth factoring in. You can carry it, but it is not the lightest saw I have handled. If you move a saw daily, that matters.
On a budget, look at the SKIL. Around $249 give or take, and it is a genuinely good 10 inch saw. You give up some capacity for the savings. Both the Bosch and the SKIL are Lowe's tools, so it is worth checking the current Lowe's tool deals before you buy either one.
If you are choosing between the Makita, the Festool, and the Bosch, I would take the Bosch or the Makita. The Makita does not glide as smoothly, but it is still a very good saw. As for the Festool, if you like green and you are already in that system, buy it. Otherwise I think $1,800 goes further somewhere else. That is the same conclusion I reached after testing every track saw I could get my hands on, where the most expensive option was not the one I ended up recommending.
See the Makita 12-inch Miter Saw at Acme Tools Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
See the Makita 10-inch Miter Saw at Acme Tools Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
See the Festool Miter Saw at Acme Tools Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
There is not a saw on the market that is 100 percent perfect. I spent too much on the Festool. I bought the Makita. I have run a bunch of others. This Bosch lands right alongside the Makita, and overall I think it is a very good saw for the money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Bosch EXCM341-305GD have deflection?
Yes, but so does every sliding miter saw I have tested, including the $1,800 Festool Kapex. Pushing straight down I got no deflection at all, even at full extension. Lateral pressure moves it slightly, but you have to lean on it hard. In my test it came out comparable to the Kapex, which costs two and a half times more.
Can the Bosch glide miter saw mount flush against a wall?
Yes, and that is the main reason to buy it. The glide system puts nothing behind the saw, unlike the long rear rails on a DeWalt DWS779. It is roughly 26 inches wide, 33 deep, and 29 tall. That makes it a strong fit for a miter station or any shop where you cannot give up depth behind the bench.
How do you square a Bosch miter saw that is off out of the box?
Mine was about a half degree off. Loosen the five Phillips head screws on the fence and they back right out. Shift the fence slightly, check it with a square until it reads a true 90 degrees to the blade, then tighten the screws back down. The whole thing took me under two minutes.
Is the Festool Kapex worth it compared to the Bosch?
In my opinion, not unless you specifically want Festool. I paid around $1,400 for mine and they run about $1,800 now. The dust collection everyone raves about is just okay, even with an upgraded hose on a Festool dust extractor. Deflection on the Bosch was comparable. If you are a finish carpenter already committed to that system, maybe. Otherwise that money goes further elsewhere.
What blade should you put on a miter saw?
Almost every miter saw ships with a poor blade, and this Bosch is no exception. The stock blade is a framing blade meant for chopping lumber. I run a CMT 80 tooth crosscut blade on mine. Miter saws do mostly crosscutting, so a dedicated crosscut blade gives noticeably cleaner cuts for very little money.
Will sawdust clog the glide mechanism over time?
No. I get this question constantly. I ran a Delta with a similar mechanism for years with no issues, and the bearings on this glide system are sealed. Nothing cakes up in there. It should stay smooth for the life of the saw.
What size material can the Bosch EXCM341-305GD cut?
About 13 and 7/16 inches across at 90 degrees. Bosch lists 7 inches of base molding standing against the fence and 11 inches of crown lying flat on the table. It bevels 47 degrees both directions and miters to 52 degrees one way and 60 the other, though you need the extensions slid out to reach the full 60.
Some links in this post are affiliate links. 731 Woodworks may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Bosch glide miter saw costs a little over $600. I ran a side by side deflection test against my $1,800 Festool Kapex, and the gap was smaller than I expected.