BOSCH 8-1/2" Single Bevel Compound Miter Saw (CM8S)

The 12-amp motor spins at a very impressive 5600 rpms. The CM8S will power through almost any dimensional lumber or crown molding you need to cut. Since the max depth of cut is 2-3/4″, the only common dimensional stock that can’t be cut in one pass is a 4×4 post. Any other common boards can be cut just fine.

The blade housing bevels from a negative 2 degrees to a positive 47 degrees. Also, bevel stops in common angles such as 0, 22.5, 33.9, and 45 allow for quick bevel adjustments. Miter adjustments pivot from 52 degrees on the left side and 60 degrees on the right side. Just like the bevel stops, the BOSCH includes miter stops in common increments, specifically 0, 15, 22.5, 31.6, 45, and 60 degrees.

The front miter adjustment incorporates a front stabilization foot. This helps with overall rigidity when making cuts.

The standard footprint of the BOSCH measures 18″ wide, but expanding base extensions increase the base to 29″ left-to-right. This added significant support when we were cutting longer workpieces. As with all other units, we encourage incorporating external support to the left and right of your miter saw for extra long boards.

The saw feels very nimble while we’re using it. It’s compact size makes it easier to move around when required. At 37 lbs, the CM8S can be moved around the garage or worksite with the well-balanced handle on the top of the saw. Just make sure all the locks are engaged so that the sliding mechanism doesn’t shift while the saw is being moved.

We liked the location and orientation of the handle. The vertical orientation is ambidextrous and serves both left- and right-handed users. Regardless of hand dominance, sometimes we need to switch hands and cut on the other side of the blade. The handle makes this much easier.

The included dust collection port collects most of the dust and sends it to the included dust bag. It works ok, but we tend to toss these in a drawer since they tend to get in the way.

There’s no blade brake, which is a bit of a luxury. But for a saw that spins at 5600 rpm, we wished an integrated brake would slow the blade down faster after a cut.

While most miter saws use opaque or semi-opaque blade guards, we were pleased to find that BOSCH uses a compeltely transparent blade guard. Visibility throughout the entire cut remained at 100%.