Acme DIY Reviews the Bosch 5412L Dual-Bevel Slide Miter Saw Dual

There is so much to like about this saw. Being true and accurate right out of the box is a great way to start. Upon setting this saw up, we immediately checked it for accuracy on bevels and miters and found it dead-on. Plus, considering the beef that goes into tuning this beast, I think it will stay accurate for a long, long time.

The machine has a 12" blade giving you the largest cutting capacity you are going to find on a miter

What the Manufacturer Says: Upfront Bevel Lock Lever and Range Selector Knob  Easily-accessed controls for quick and accurate bevel settings Arbor mounted laser tracking Provides accurate laser lines for precision cutting Multi-Position Main Handle  Easily locks into any of four positions for optimum comfort and control Large 25-1/2" Base with Built-In Cast Sliding Extensions for 40" total length   Tall 4-1/2 " Speed-Track Sliding Fences  For easy bevel set-ups and increased crown molding cutting capacities Built-in Length Stop  For repetitive cuts of the same length Easily Readable Bevel and Miter Scales  For easy setting of accurate bevel and miter angles Miter Detent Override  For fast and precise angle adjustment Exclusive Wedge-and-Slot Miter Detent System  Consistent and precise miter angles over the life of the tool Dual Sliding Rail Design  For superior accuracy Crown Molding Settings  31.6° miter and 33.9° bevel detents for quick, accurate crown cuts Electric Brake  For quick, repetitive cuts. Stops blade in seconds

saw. Plus the slide feature gives you extra capacity for wide boards. According to the manufacturer's specs, you can cross cut a 4" by 12" or cut a 4" by 8" on a 45 degree miter with a little capacity to spare.

The laser feature, as is often the case, is nice but not sufficiently useful. The problem is that the light is often difficult to see when working outdoors and the dusty safety glasses don't help. Also, it only comes on when you trigger the saw. Once the blade is spinning, you don't want to be shifting and aligning your work piece. Some find it useful, and it doesn't hurt, but after doing enough cuts, you develop an eye for where the blade will come down and you don't really need the laser guide.

We mounted this unit, all 75+ pounds of it, on the Bosch TracRac miter saw stand for our operational tests. Incidentally we love the TracRac with one exception, the wheels are both too small and too close together. They got stuck on every tiny pebble and it constantly tipped over sideways like a piece of cheap luggage. As long as you don't need the portability feature, it works wonderfully.

Back to the saw, it does not lack for power, we cut large chunks of maple with no trouble. Of course, we substituted a Freud blade, because most manufacturers include a very low end blade with their equipment. In this case, we used the provided blade to chop some framing lumber, but before long it was spent.

We found all markings to be easy to read, and the controls reliable and easy to use. The up-front controls for the bevel are a nice feature. Adjusting the bevel precisely is a little difficult because it is stiff in its movement. But this is a minor issue. The dual-bevel feature enables you to tilt the blade left or right to greatly simplify making complicated cuts.

All in all, this is a nice piece of equipment. The one real fault we could find had to do with dust collection. It doesn't easily connect to dust collection systems and the included bag is like an umbrella in a hurricane - just pointless.

This machine could easily become the workhorse of a small shop, filling a majority of many woodworkers needs. Pair this with a small portable tablesaw and you have just about got it covered. We'd recommend this tool to professionals, and avid woodworkers alike. It is accurate, powerful and reliable. While list price is nearly $1,200, it can be had for under half of that. Street price is around $575.

[March 2007]

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