Festool vs Makita vs Bosch SCMS

[tewic]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a SCMS, but I'm very split on which to choose.
It'll be used as a stationary saw in my garage, mainly for renovating my home and small DIY projects (jigs and simple furniture, such as a shoe rack, night stand, etc).

I value quality tools highly, and am looking for a saw that will do reliable and accurate cuts for many years to come.

I have the following three saws in sight, but am really unsure about what to choose.

• Festool KS60E
• Makita LS1019L
• Bosch GCM 12 GDL
  

The Festool is the cheapest of the three, but it also comes with the smallest cutting capacity. I'm expecting it to be my best choice in terms of accuracy and build quality. But it's without led light unless I upgrade to the set version, which puts it at the same price as the bosch.

The Bosch has a massive cutting capacity, but also comes with the biggest price tag and subpar dust collection. I've also heard concerns over the accuracy of cuts du to the glide mechanism, and am worried that in 5-10 years it'll suffer more from wear than traditional sliding beams would.

The Makita is both pricewise and in terms of cutting capacity, in the middle, but I still get great dust collection and a laser guide. The accuracy concerns I've read seems to be fixed by adjusting it on arrival. There has however been a point that the miter indents are in an aluminium plate that will wear over time, making the miters less accurate.

What would you recommend in this pricerange? E.g. I've read about the Metabo KGSV 72 Xact SYM, but haven't been able to find any proper reviews on it.

 

[Claimdude]

I have the Bosch 10" glider and love it. Excellent accuracy but terrible dust collection. I would likely have a Kapex instead if not for the Bosch costing me $550 delivered at the time I bought it a couple of years ago vs the $1100 + for the Kapex.

Jack

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a SCMS, but I'm very split on which to choose.
It'll be used as a stationary saw in my garage, mainly for renovating my home and small DIY projects (jigs and simple furniture, such as a shoe rack, night stand, etc).

I value quality tools highly, and am looking for a saw that will do reliable and accurate cuts for many years to come.

I have the following three saws in sight, but am really unsure about what to choose.

• Festool KS60E
• Makita LS1019L
• Bosch GCM 12 GDL
  

The Festool is the cheapest of the three, but it also comes with the smallest cutting capacity. I'm expecting it to be my best choice in terms of accuracy and build quality. But it's without led light unless I upgrade to the set version, which puts it at the same price as the bosch.

The Bosch has a massive cutting capacity, but also comes with the biggest price tag and subpar dust collection. I've also heard concerns over the accuracy of cuts du to the glide mechanism, and am worried that in 5-10 years it'll suffer more from wear than traditional sliding beams would.

The Makita is both pricewise and in terms of cutting capacity, in the middle, but I still get great dust collection and a laser guide. The accuracy concerns I've read seems to be fixed by adjusting it on arrival. There has however been a point that the miter indents are in an aluminium plate that will wear over time, making the miters less accurate.

What would you recommend in this pricerange? E.g. I've read about the Metabo KGSV 72 Xact SYM, but haven't been able to find any proper reviews on it.

From the three saws mentioned, I’d go with the Makita LS1019L, it’s a superb saw especially for the price.
The only negatives are, if using for site work, it is a heavy saw and not great going up many flights of stairs. For a workshop though, no problem. The other small gripe is some have slop on the pre set detentes but, this can be adjusted and fine tuned easily enough. Dust extraction is good too.

If you think you might not need the cut capacity, then I’d say get the Kapex.

 

[pixelated]

I've had a Bosch 12 inch glider for  about 4 years, I don't do miter cuts often, but do use it for full capacity cross-cuts quite often, I've had no accuracy problems that I can blame on the saw. I am a DIY'r so the saw doesn't get heavy daily use. But I've used it for cutting everything from 2x and 4x4 framing lumber to 1/8 ply for camera parts, and recently aluminum profile. For one project or another, I've used every mm of it's vertical and horizontal capacity with no regrets as to the cut quality. If accuracy is a primary concern, the 10 inch is probably better, the 10 wasn't available at the time I bought mine.

Yes, dust collection could be lots better, extending the rubber hood helps a lot, as does using it with a 36 mm hose, though I mostly use my 27mm hose on it because that's what is always on the vac.

One important feature for me was that the sliding mechanism doesn't require much room at the back of the saw unlike most sliders. My shop space is very narrow, so every inch/mm counts for me.

 

[Alanbach]

I have an older Makita SCMS which I love and has served me wonderfully over the many years I have had it. Just know that Makita also makes a LS1219L that has greater capacities and it is only about $45 US more than the 10” version.

 

[glass1]

Comparing an apple to an orange to a banana. The Bosch is huge and heavy. The makita is smaller but pretty darn heavy. I wish I knew more about the ks60 but Festool has given us Americans the shaft. But on paper it’s a small light compact portable saw. Their relative performances are debatable. Good luck.  Hey Festool why no ks60 for USA. If you think it will not sell you are wrong.

 

[glass1]

Just to reinforce the ks60 intro to USA. It’s widely known hitachi/metabo is about to introduce a made in Japan small scms dual bevel saw with a retail of $1000.

 

[tewic]

I ended up going with the LS1019L. As it's my first SCMS, I do not have the experience to compare it to anything.

It seems like a very solid built machine with well thought out controls. The bundleded clamp is a nice idea, but seems a bit of a hassle. A quick release clamp would've been preferred.

Dust collection is decreases with the saw fully pulled out on the rails. I suspect this can be improved by connecting the two dust collection ports via a Y-connector, rather than the bundled setup.

In retrospect, I should've checked the measurements and compared to my workshop space. It is much bigger than what I expected, and suddenly takes up a large footprint in my workshop. Certainly not ideal.

The stock blade seems to make good enough cuts, that I don't need to change it out for the work I'll be doing.

Initially I'm happy with the saw and it seems like a good buy, I hope will serve me for many years to come.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

I ended up going with the LS1019L. As it's my first SCMS, I do not have the experience to compare it to anything.

It seems like a very solid built machine with well thought out controls. The bundleded clamp is a nice idea, but seems a bit of a hassle. A quick release clamp would've been preferred.

Dust collection is decreases with the saw fully pulled out on the rails. I suspect this can be improved by connecting the two dust collection ports via a Y-connector, rather than the bundled setup.

In retrospect, I should've checked the measurements and compared to my workshop space. It is much bigger than what I expected, and suddenly takes up a large footprint in my workshop. Certainly not ideal.

The stock blade seems to make good enough cuts, that I don't need to change it out for the work I'll be doing.

Initially I'm happy with the saw and it seems like a good buy, I hope will serve me for many years to come.

Congrats, it is a good saw, and should indeed last many years.

 

[tewic]

Congrats, it is a good saw, and should indeed last many years.

It didn't. 2 weeks after I got it, I had a burglary in my workshop and all my power tools were gone.

Pretty damn annoying, as I had gotten to a point where I had more or less what I needed to do most my home renovation tasks.

On a positive note, it means I get to buy new stuff from the insurance, and can re-evaluate if I want the same machines as before.

I do not think I'll get the LS1019L again, because it's footprint was too big in my small workshop.

I'm leaning towards the KS60E Set now, or alternatively going with a Dewalt DWS774 or DWS777 to save some money to spend on a compact table saw, such as the Dewalt DW745 (which at the same time reduces my need for having a large capacity mitre saw).

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Very sorry to read this, it’s always a worry with tools  [sad]