posted by: Planner1
9/14/2006

Tremendous usability BUT refuses to stay square because of poor fence design. I have owned this saw for around 24 months. I love it's versatility and ease of use, there is probably nothing finer on the market. But in the end, after many trips to the Bosch repair center, this unit will NOT stay square for good clean cuts.Let me point out it's good features:1. One of the best size tables around2. 60 degree cuts are possible with ease.3. Hold downs are fast, solid steel, super fast to use.4. Front end controls absolutely are the best thing going.5. Adjustments, or fine tuning is actually straight forward6. Fantastic matching rolling stand with rollers.7. The MOST versatile handle for left and right cuts.8. Easy to read scales and they are never obscured.It is these reasons that keep me with this saw. BUT....Here's the problems:1. Shallower depth of cut than expected for a 12" in blade only 4.5" height. So you either have to lay your moldings flat (booo!!!) or use Bosch's miter clamps. These clamps are OK but again it's another item to be compromising your cut.2. As are most belt driven miter's, it will bog in heavy wood and will burn your wood on one side.3. The fence CAN NOT truly be adjusted to be square to the table because of it's an aluminum casting that is NOT machined.4. The fence CAN NOT truly be adjusted to be square to the blade because of inferior NON- machined aluminum castings again. You will ALWAYS burn or score one side of your cross cuts with this saw.5. Much too much left to right play in the plastic/aluminum housed sliders for such a big saw. This means that wide boards (12") will never truly be square to the cut no matter how hard you try.6. One sided lasers are a joke. Don't even bother.Now, if your a fine woodworker building shelves, furniture, etc. you actually use this saw to make "rough" cuts. Then finish the repeatable cuts on a miter sled at the table saw. It's just SO annoying when you need to make just a couple of cuts that need to be square and accurate that you just can't count on this saw for that. BBosch's service is always excellent but the technicians in my area (Chicago) will tell you themselves that they have to use a hammer!! to get it square - AND EVEN THEN, THEY WON'T GUARANTEE IT!!I'm sure some saws are delivered and they are just right. But that is absolutely NOT the norm. I have had two of them brand new in boxes but no luck. Too bad, it really deserves top honors in every other category. A little more precision machining and the next version should be perfect.Hope that helps.

posted by: toolswede
6/9/2006

Never compromise! Seems to be the Bosch company slogan. Wow....can you remember the tingling feeling when you opened your x-Xmas gifts as a child.....the deal even included a Bosch made stand with folding legs...sturdy as ...well you know, it looks/feels nuke proof. Well, it almost felt as the perfect CMS when I did my virgin cuts. BUT after some extensive hardwood cutting things started to happen. Noticed that some of the pieces didn´t fit when I was doing 45 degree angles ...we´re talking about minor changes in degrees BUT it IS a tool used by pros/advanced D.I.Y.'s...and what irritated me most was that even straight cuts deviated (2-4 degrees). After I thoroughly investigated the manual (probably written by a non-technician) I didn´t get any wiser. Located the bolts that "could" be the ones for tweaking/adjusting the saw ...this took time but now it´s up and running...not PERFECT ...but close! This is after all a VERY good tool ....almost excellent!

posted by: Karlos
5/6/2006

I bought the Bosch 4212 to lay laminate floor in our irregularly shaped dining room. The only change I made initially was to buy an Oldham 80 tooth blade for the laminate. The saw worked flawlessly, although this was my first major job with it. It did come with a laser guide which is great. The line shoots on the left side of the kerf, but with just a little experience, you can allow for it for precision cuts from the right as well. Thus far, it has had plenty of power for anything I've thrown at it. The only addition I've made lately was a Delta stand with extendable ends; it's made material handling a lot easier. My brother-in-law, a full time contractor, has always used DeWalt miter saws, but after helping my on my project and using it for a couple of his own, said he might convert.Karlos

posted by: Remodel Guy
3/26/2006

I bought this saw about 3 months ago an am very pleased with all the excellent features, I use it daily on hardwood trim an hardwood 1 by an it never seems to bog down, I started out with a thin kerf blade cause I was concerned with power but it handles a full kerf blade with no problem. the only draw back on this saw is the depth cut of only 4 1/2 inch's but I do all my crown molding laying flat so it's not a problem. the only saw that even comes close to this saw is dewalt 716, an the only reason it comes close to this Bosch is because of the 6 1/2 inch depth cut. I have been in the finish carpentry trade for 30 years an this saw comes highly recommended from me..