272 – Bosch Glide Vs Festool Kapex

Over the past year you may have noticed some changes in my tool collection, including trading my Festool Kapex for a Bosch GCM12SD Glide Miter Saw. If you’re looking for a little background information on these changes, check out What Happened With Festool. Since that time, I’ve received numerous requests for a review of the Bosch as well as my thoughts on how it compares to the Kapex. As always, I don’t consider myself a very good reviewer. I have no desire to do a feature by feature and spec for spec rundown commonly found in our favorite woodworking magazines. Instead, all I can offer is one man’s opinion and a completely biased personal impression based on my needs and the type of work I do. So here it is!

Special thanks to my buddy Scott for bringing his Kapex over to play.

Things I Like

• Small footprint. The Glide is has one of the smallest footprints on the market and only takes up 33″ from the wall.
• Big flat work surface with included extension wings. Plenty of support and reference surface for your workpieces.
• The handle is comfortable and ambidextrous.
• Easy/obvious adjustments. It’s pretty easy to figure out what all the little knobs and levers do and they are easy to use.
• Has a standard 5/8″ arbor so you have a wide selection of blades.
• Holds its settings well.

Things I Don’t Like

• Dust collection isn’t great. While better than most miter saws on the market, it’s a far cry from the Kapex.
• Very slow screw clamp for workholding.
• Insert isn’t flush with the table surface.

Things I Miss from the Kapex

• Stellar dust collection
• Quick-action clamping system

Final Verdict

The Bosch Glide is a great saw. It cuts well (especially with a Forrest Chopmaster installed), adjusts easily, and actually makes a decent attempt at dust collection. But the dust collection is a far cry from what the Kapex is capable of. I’m hoping with some modifications, such as the one shown here in my friend Dyami’s setup, the dust collection will improve.

And while the Kapex is a great saw too, it’s not “more than twice the price” great. The Bosch is about $600 and the Kapex is about $1500. As I see it there are two groups who probably should consider the Kapex:

• Those who do on-site installs where portability, accuracy, and dust collection are critical.
• Those who are obsessed with good dust collection.

Outside of that, buying the Kapex becomes a matter of “because you can” and not “because you need to.”