Bosch Reviews

First, I am pleased with this router system. I researched 4 or 5 other routers and ended up with this one, based mainly on what I read in magazines and other reviews.

I've now owned it for a little over a year. I'm not a full time woodworker so the router doesn't have as much time on it has you may think after owning it a year. I've done, maybe, a dozen or so cabinet doors and the like in that time.

A couple weeks ago it broke. It had been in my router table for a long time so it was never dropped or abused. What happened was it would turn on and work fine. Then I would shut it off to readjust something, and it wouldn't turn back on. I'd check the connections, etc, and it would work again. After this went on for a time, it finnally stopped turning on at all and I was forced to take it in for repair.

I got it back yesterday. Luckily it was only a $28.00 repair to replace the on/off switch. See, it seems the seal (there actually isn't one) around the switch doesn't keep all the fine dust particles out of the switch. In time, the dust built up inside the switch and it clogged the contact (which is about the size of two pen heads, its very small). There was about a teaspoon of dust inside the switch.

I plan on putting the router back into my table but not before I run some duct tape around the seal in the attempt to slow the dust accumalation down a bit. The mechanic said there is no way to prevent the dust from getting in there again but the tape may help. That it is in a enclosed router table probably doesn't help much, as compared to being used outside the table where the dust has a chance to be blown away from the router motor.

Wow, switch failed at one year plus 19 days, so no warranty help. Why are they selling a product with a known switch problem? It took me about an hour to fix the problem. The little spring inside was bent and out of position so I had to modify it a bit. Now it works like new. In other words, I will have to fix it again, after it fills with dust again. How about a recall Bosch?

Like many of my fellow reviewers, I have enjoyed using the tool, until the power switch died. Of course, the tool is just outside of the one year warranty. Bosch is sending me the "redesigned" switch at no charge, but will not install. I would very much appreciate any simple procedures to change the switch.

When I first received this product, I was excited with its potential. First I tested it on several bonafide squares, but the Bosch consistently measures off by .3 degrees. Not huge, but enough to be concerned about when buying a precision tool. I searched the instructions, only to learn there seems to be no method an end user can set it to a 90 deg benchmark. In my opinion, this is a shortcoming. Nothing that is flexible like this, which can also get banged around, will maintain pefect calibration. Of coruse, one solution is to always add .3 degrees to the reading. But I am not sure how it will fare at 45 degrees, 23 degrees, etc.


I will not repeat much of what has been written about other shortcomings such as size the inabillity to hold data, etc. But every tool has its limitations, so its the users responsiblity to match his/her needs with a tools capabilities. The reason I gave this 4 stars is, the market place is lacking highly accurate angle finders. So this product fills that void well, and although it could use some improvements, overall, its still very useful vs. any other device I have found. And although others find the price high, I would disagree, as for a precision instrument such as this, I consider the price fair. Measuring angles in high precision is much more difficult then making other measurements such as distance, depth, etc.

ultimately, a more accurate device would probably be a dial type scale, which gains huge accuracy from gearing. The digital aspect can easily be incorporated into such after the reading is had.

Also, if you are using angled cuts for short width pieces, tiny inaccuracies such as this, are not an issue. The issue arises when the angle cuts are long as the slight inaccuracies become visible in the finished product.

Update, 1/20/06..... I was fooled.... I spent $95 for a high precision CNC square, which is checked for accuracy to .05 Degrees. This was my new benchmark to test the Bosch, and I was much surprised to see it read 89.9 Degrees, making it well within its specification range of .1 degrees. This demonstrates you only get what you pay for, and not all squares are square, even though you spend good money for them. Now, the Bosch is quite the tool, and very accurate, which is critical for me.

I bought this tool and the leg extension to put up 4 5/8" crown molding in 6 rooms. I was considering buying the Starrett protractors - I would have needed both the 12" and 7" because of some shorter walls, but I decided the extra $30 for this tool was well worth the convenience of a digital display.

It's a very solid tool and performed very well - now if I can only get a digital miter saw to dial in 44.6 deg... I'm sure somone will be making a digital miter saw soon.

Without this tool I had no idea how far off 90 deg. the corners were. This tool at least got me in the immediate neighborhood where I was able to use scrap pieces to fine tune the miter saw setting. Most of my walls were ok but I had a few where I had to use shims to make sure everything lined-up right. So even thought the scrap pieces fit snug in the corner the rest of the wall could throw things off. If you are a DIY looking to put up molding I would highly recommend this tool but don't expect perfection just because you have it - there is quite a bit of artistry to get things right.

I have owned this tool for 3 years using it occasionally for wide crown cut on the flat. I recently had to install 5 inch crown in a 100 year old, 8,000 square foot house with octagon and hexagon ceilings. Using this angle finder to simply identify all the odd angles made the job go so much faster and accurate. The crown was narrow enough to cut on the fence so we devided the angle measurement by 1/2 on all the miters and they fit perfect without cope cutting all the steep angles that require so much stock removal.

Regarding the .3 degree inaccuracy post. Can you dial in .3 degrees on your miter saw. .3 degrees is inconsequential.

I have owned this saw for 5 years now, and have been pretty disappointed. I can not use this saw for any project requiring accuracy to within a degree or so. For example, if I am making a picture frame, which requires 4 pieces of wood, each with two 45 degree angle cuts (for a total of 8 angled cuts), invariably, the error of the miter will compound itself 8 times, and one of the mitered corners will have a gap, either at the inside or the outside of the joint. This is after ensuring that opposing pieces of the frame are the exact same length, and that the frame is being assembled square (by measuring diagonals). For the longest time, I though I just couldn't calibrate the saw very well. So I would re-calibrate it over and over again, by putting a carpenter square to the fence and then to each side of the blade and adjust that fence until it was perfect. Then I would cut scrap pieces of wood at 45 degrees using opposite sides of the fence, and match them up to see if they were perfect, which they would be. I would then make eight cuts again, but again, one corner would be off!! I'm not sure what the problem is. I have noticed one major flaw, but I'm not sure it is the only thing affecting the accuracy. After rotating the table to the 45 degree position where it locks into place, I always turn the knob to tighten the table in place. However, looking closely at the miter pointer (callout number 113 on the parts diagram), you can see that tightening that knob actually changes the miter angle by as much as a half of a degree. This happens because the table actually flexes when tightening the knob (which another reviewer mentioned, also). The more you tighten the knob, the greater the change of the miter angle. A half degree doesn't sound like much, but multiply that by 8, and you get 4 degrees, which is totally unacceptable. However, if I am tightening that knob when calibrating the saw, that flex should be mostly accounted for (but of course it is impossible to tighten the knob the same amount each time, and hence, flex the table the same amount). I have spoken with Bosch representatives both over the phone and in person at a wood working. The folks on the phone were knowledgeable and helpful to a degree, but could not diagnose the problem. They said to check the fence with a solid straightedge to make sure it is straight, and offered to replace it if not, but it was fine. The representatives at the show were worthless, saying they have never heard of that problem. They had a similar saw there at the show with the same knob configuration, and so I demonstrated this table flex and miter angle change on their saw, but he really didn't say anything about it or think it was a problem. At that same woodworking show, I also has the opportunity to speak with a writer from a major wood working magazine (which had rated this saw very highly), and so asked him for his advice. He suggested that the saw was defective and that I should send it back. However, if the Bosch representative's saw did the same thing, I have my doubts that a new one would be any better! So I am kind of stumped, and left with a mostly unusable saw. I would love to hear suggestion, if anyone has any!

Great product for the price. Used to install a T&G ceiling and trim. Not sure if it would hold up to a contractors use but for a home hobbyist it should last a lifetime. Dust collection collects about 50% that is generated. Adding a shop vac instead of the bag greatly improves performance. Holding toggle clamp works great. No need to repeatidly screw in and out, saves wrist fatigue and holds well.

Couldn't agree more with Amazon's review - this is a high quality saw that rivals DeWalt and other competitors. Weight is not a problem, and handles on the top and both ends of the base make this easy to move around your shop or job site. The handle is very comfortable and convenient to use right or left-handed. Dust collection is good and noise is low. The saw arrived quickly as always from Amazon and required little adjustment out of the box. Highly recommend!

This is a powerful machine that actually makes my house FEEL cleaner--the filtration system gives me peace of mind that I'm actually cleaning, not just moving dust around. This is a heavy vaccum, so I wouldn't recommend it if you cannot lift heavy items; I don't mind so much because it produces a decent workout, killing 2 birds with one stone ;-). My single gripe with it is that because it is so heavy, I wish there was another solid handle to use for lifting it and moving it around when necessary. The top handle alone doesn't cut it, and if you try to use the handle of the hose attachment, it takes the hose off the machine. Other than that I've been very happy with it. Bought mine slightly used on Ebay for $165.

I knew I liked this vacume from the moment I turned it on. It has excellent suction. I have always had common vacumes...hoover, Dirt devil etc. This is quite pricy but I would never be satisfied with any other common vacume again. The dirt cup is great it empties without having to touch it. The best feature is the carpet brush. After vacuming my carpets with the carpt brush turned on they looked brand new again. They were freshly combed and perfect. if you are like me and wind the cord in several loops then throw it over the top of the vacum handle..well forget about it. When I first saw it had an automatic cord winder I thought "how lazy"....I love having
the cord swept away out of sight with the push of a foot. Even my 2 yr old loves to do it. this is a great buy, go for it!

I've had this vacuum for a year now. I live in a three-bedroom home and use it twice a week. Suction is phenomenal. Filter is reasonably cheap and only needs to be replaced 1-2 times annually. When an object gets clogged, the brush automatically stops rolling until you clear the airway and press the reset button. This is important, because it prevents overheating and damage. Cord automatically recoils for your convenience. The hose extends for hard to reach places (there's even a brush at the end of the hose for better pick-up). Machine is easy to manuever when the brush is rolling. This is the superior choice for your money.

It appears that (according to the CPO customer support) all CPO Bosch items sold through Amazon are reconditioned. Buyer Beware; Unless I missed the small print, I had not been aware that I purchased a reconditioned item until I received the package. The CPO representative looked up the item on Amazon & agreed with me. Needless to say they (CPO) did not give me a hard time about returning the item, however I need a NEW cordless drill, & I wasted weeks time waiting for this unknowingly reconditioned item to get to my house only to send it back. I will think twice about purchasing another item of this nature through Amazon. (one star rating reflects Amazons product description)

This drill is my favorite. It so smooth and refined that it makes drilling or screwing easy and fun. The great thing about this drill is that it is just one of the most durable drill on the market. I've purchased the 18 volt Dewalt drill and it unfortunately pales to the Bosch drill. Take for example, I accidentally dropped my drill from the top of my 8 foot step ladder onto a concrete foundation and it still worked just like new. My Dewalt on the otherhand is another story. I left my Dewalt drill on my toolbox which couldn't have been more than a foot high. My dog accidentally knocked it off and it cracked at the base where the battery is inserted. I couldn't believe it. A $200.00 drill that was supposedly heavy duty obviously was not the case. Like most professionals, I'm busy so I didn't bother trying to get it fixed but just made a point about not purchasing Dewalt products anymore. As for my future purchases, my first choice is Bosch.

I owned a 12V Dewalt...and the clutch gave out. Not with this one (it has metal gears). The drill is solid. I used it three weeks straight doing remodeling (drilling and screwing), without a single charge. It actually has enough torque to replace a corded drill for most applications! Unless you're a professional (buy the 24V), this is the drill!

I was intrigued with this saw's up-front bevel controls feature, and decided to ignore many of the negative posts about this saw, and decide for myself. After setting up the saw and cutting some test pieces of crown molding, I quickly discovered that this saw has a MAJOR problem with blade deflection.

Blade deflection basically causes pieces of cut-off scraps to fly out from the rear and side of the saw, and these pieces travel QUICKLY. From what I saw, if you were ever hit with a flying piece, it could do some major damage. I tried adding an auxilary fence, but this did not help.

In addition, this saw also has other poor features worth noting: After wasting many hours trying to get the saw squarred, I still was unable to make straight cuts at a 0 bevel / 0 miter. This saw does not cut accurately, even worse cuts were experienced on compound miters.

This saw does have some great features, ie the up-front bevel control is a great idea, the mitering left / right base was very smooth, the variable position handle was VERY comfortable - *but* in my opinion, none of these features matter if you can not get straight, accurate cuts.

I own an interior trim company, I specialize in baseboards, window / door casings with decorative cross heads, built-up crown moldings & wainscot, and this saw just does not work for me - I offer my clients the best, and a saw that does not cut right does not fit the bill.

After asking around, I learned that a lot of professional carpenters love Makita tools. I am not trying to hype up Makita, but I recently purchased their dual-bevel sliding compound miter saw - LS1013L - it cuts beautifully right out of the box, I did not have to adjust anything.

The Makita cuts precisely, and this is what matters most. The left / right miter base is very smooth, and the handle is very comfortable as well.

The only thing that is taking me some time getting used to is that Makita has their left / right miter marker off to the right side of the saws base, not upfront like other comparable saws.

This is new to me, and it is taking a bit of time to adjust, but in the end this saw cuts precisely with no deflection. I highly recommend the Makita LS1013, if you want a saw with great, dead-on accuracy and smooth cutting, definately try this saw and decide for yourself.

I ordered the captioned which is made in Germany according to your Technical Data.
H'ever, 'Made in Taiwan' is printed on the box of the saw delivered to me today.
T'fore, you are kindly requested to give me RMA # and the credit and let me know return method by e-mail ASAP.

B/Regard
Sung Yoo

I have own a Makita 10" sliding miter saw but thought I would buy the Bosch because of several of its features I really liked. Reviews in the woodworking forums I had read were very favorable and the quality of the bosch jig saw I purchased earlier was impressive. I tested the saw when it arrived and was a little disappointed that it was not dead-on as my Makita was when it arrived 4 years ago. However with a little time spent adjusting the blade to vertical and the fence square to the blade I was able to cut absolutely perfect 90 degree cuts but the 45 degree stops were ever so slightly off. The Makita was always dead on perfect on for 90 and 45 degree according to my Incra 90 and 45 square. The saw seems to be well made and is considerably quiter than the Makita. I just wish the accuracy was there as it is hard to overide a stop by 1/10 degree and it also makes me suspicious of the other miter and bevel stops. Bosch comes up with great features but they shouldn't let their quality control slide.

After reading all the reviews, and talking to fellow woodworkers, I thought the 1276 was the right tool to do the heavy duty panel leveling I needed. I got exactly one day of use out of it, when it quit dead! There I was in the middle of a job, on a weekend, had to go to home depot and buy the Porter Cable after all.

Disappointed: Mike

I bought this sander about 5-6 years ago, and have used it several times a year without any problems. It's a pretty burly tool, and I don't have a bench with holddowns, and that limits its usefulness for me. Because of its power, this tool must be used two-handed to have any semblance of control over it, and that means the work must be clamped. The sander is aggressive enough that you must keep it in constant motion to keep from digging a rut in the wood. This, however, is as should be expected for such a big tool. I have used it to successfully flatten joined-up panels too wide for my planer, and have obtained a good result using a diagonal sanding technique and winding sticks.

The tracking is generally very good unless you are applying a lot of uneven pressure or drag across the belt. The dust collection is pretty good compared to other "tools with a bag" that I own. If you buy it you might consider buying some very fine (220 grit, if possible) belts to increase its versatility.

If you're into refinishing your deck, floor or other home remodeling projects, I think you will be pleased with this tool.

I use this sander mostly to flatten panels and to
dress surfaced lumber, and it is *excellent*.
It removes material very quickly, and will
pull 50 grit on the fastest speed with no bogging down. I
use the optional sanding frame, and a vacuum hose, so the
bag placement is not an issue for me. Using the sanding frame,
you can get to 120 grit finish very quickly. Just a touch with
the finish sander using 180 or 220 and you're good to go.

This beast is heavy. Unless you're Arnold Schwarzenegger
I wouldn't consider using this on vertical surfaces. On
horizontal surfaces, gravity is your friend, and the weight
of the machine does the work.

I have a lot of tools. Most are good, a few are crappy,
a few are excellent. With this sander, every time I use it,
I congratulate myself again for coughing up the $$$ and buying it.
It has saved me enough time compared to my other belt
sander to have paid for itself.

I bought the 1618EVS at the Chantilly VA tool show in March of 2003, and had problems with the router motor sticking in the base from the very first usage. Even with the clamp completely loose, the grey/white oxidation on the motor casing causes so much friction that installing/raising/lowering the router is a painful experience. Nothing I've tried so far removes the oxidation. I will be trying to return this, soon. Too, bad, because I love my other Bosch tools. (1619 router is awesome, as is 1587 jigsaw)

In addition to this router, I also own a Porter Cable 890 router so in my evaluation of this Bosch 1618EVS I compare the Bosch router against the PC.

There's much to like with this router. It's powerful and the soft start and variable speed works very well. I like the control the D-handle gives me. I feel much safer starting a router with both hands on the handles than having to let go of one handle to click a toggle switch on the top of the motor.

The two major things I don't like about this router are:

1. It's difficult to take the motor out of the base and to put it back in again. When I received the router, it was obvious that something about the base just doesn't work well. And if you're like me and take the motor out to change bits, this gets to be a hassle. If you loosen the clamp bolt sufficiently to allow the motor to come out/go in easily, the base doesn't clamp tightly enough and the depth of your cut changes as you're cutting.

After fiddling with the motor and base a while, I found that a small amount of lubrication between the motor and base works wonders - the motor becomes easy to put in and take out. I need to see if this lubrication becomes a dust magnet and whether it holds up (how often I have to re-lubricate)

2. The other thing I'm not happy about (but this isn't as serious as the first) is the way the fine adjustment works. On my PC, the fine adjustment is continuous. That is, I can crank the router completely up or down using the fine adjustment. The PC has a lever for coarse adjustments, but using it is up to you. The Bosch has only a limited amount of fine adjustment. Once you use up the fine adjustment, you have to go back to the coarse adjustment and make a major adjustment up or down, then run the fine adjustment to the other end of the adjustment screw. You don't hit this all the time, but, when you do, it's a pain in the butt.

So why did I buy this router? The PC 890 series does not come with a D-handle with a power switch. The PC switch can be activated either on the top of the motor or lower down on the motor so you can switch it on and off without letting go of the handles - but I just wanted a D-handle router for non-router table use.

Would I buy it again? I can't say yet - I need some more time with the router to see if the motor/base problem comes back.

I also want to add a SAFETY pitch. Soft start routers cost a bit more than fixed speed routers but the startup is significantly safer. If you buy a fixed speed router (non-soft start), you'll be fighting the startup torque every time you use it. It only takes one time - one little bit of inattention on your part - and the router will jerk out of your hands on startup. It WILL happen to most woodworkers at least once in their careers. And for what you spend at the emergency room, you could have bought several soft start routers.

I purchased this router on a recommendation of a fellow woodworker. Overall I am really satisfied with the router. Do plan on adding a tiny bit of lube between the base and motor for smoother adjustments (thus only 4 stars). Other than that, the soft start is great. Power is smooth and delivered. And the D-Handle is a must have for safety reasons. Even with one hand the router feels much safer than the knob versions out there. The weight of the unit isn't too bad, so this one can be held for durations without issues...
This router is has a variable speed knob on the top making it yet even more useful.
I own several Bosch tools and I haven't had any problems with them. They continue to work, job after job.

I purchased a Bosch 24-volt combo tool kit from International Tool Corporation on the Internet. Form the very first time I used the Bosch kit, I was very disappointed in the Bosch cordless tool performance. I have used many Bosch corded tools with great performance and success. This is the first cordless tool I have used by Bosch and it is the worst performing cordless tool system I have ever used. Being a contractor I use a wide variety of tools and in buying the Bosch system I feel like I have been misled and used. The Bosch kit was more expensive, the batteries that are provided with the kit have short run times, it is difficult to find additional batteries and the longer run time batteries that I have found on-line indicate that I will have to wait weeks to receive them. In general, the performance of the tools is sub-standard at best. I feel I have bought into a tool system that will have to be replaced within a year, and combo kits are supposed to last at least 3 years. It will be a long time, if ever, that I will purchase Bosch tools again.

i am a contractor, i thought finally a cordless set with enough power to justify putting it in the truck and pulling it out on a job. it works great, plenty of power. one of my workers was pulling out a screw on a float over the water and the chuck backed off and fell in,(1 month old) a bosch mechanic said that bosch wouldn't replace it. the drill has to much power to use in reverse over the water, was what was told to me. after alot of anger they finally replaced it.the second thing is i bought it in june 2002 and was told the it was a higher price because you get a free sawzall. WRONG that ended april 2002 and BOSCH wont do anything about it. bottom line is no free sawzall

I am a contractor and I use these tools everyday. I have had this set for a couple of years now and I can say without hesitation it was a very wise purchase, I have no regrets. BOSCH is quality equipment and work flawlessly. I am still using the original batteries that came with the set and they are still going strong. I especially like the fact that the batteries recharge in just one hour and that they are Ni-MH.

I now have all the BOSCH 24 volt tools except the new jig saw, but will probably have it this spring. I would recommend these tools to anyone who wants quality well built tools.

"Flush Cutting" means the blade literally slides on the surface and cuts protruding wood to that level - e.g., I've used it on many a stud poking out too far. Of course, you can cut above the "surface", as when shortening door-jambs because you are now installing ceramic tile. In such cases, this little gem of a tool is a God-send. I'm not aware of a competing electric tool, and although a manual saw could work in a pinch, this saw does a much better and faster job. The flush-cutting blades are quickly reversible, so you can cut right to left or left to right; depending on which is more convenient. Accessories include other types of blades, with rougher teeth or for ferrous metal (aluminum, brass, copper) cutting.

The 1640VS has no tool case.
The 1640VSK has a nice case, the miter "box" accessory, and several clamps.

In my opinion, the miter box is only useful in an emergency. The piece of wood to be cut vibrates too much, even when clamped, for a quality cut. It might do a passable job, if you plan to grout the joints, and paint the work, but don't use it for stained/varnished trim. Basically, the blades and tool design just aren't for finish carpentry. (I'm used to glass smooth cuts from my professional radial-arm-saw, or sliding compound miter saw.) For sure, any electric miter saw would do a significantly better job than this tiny miter box; in fact, any quality manual miter box would be preferable. Having said that, I'd still get the kit, just to get the nice tool box and small clamps.

The saw itself is mainly for remodelers or serious do-it-yourself types, since it's a speciality saw you won't use every day. When you need it, however, you'll be mighty glad you own one. Highly recommended.

5 stars for the saw and tool box - 1 star for the miter box.

Powerful and very steady balance. I have used this to cut door jams for laying tile. When I first turned it on, I was a bit skeptical; not wanting to loose a digit. Amazing power for such a small unit, but the balance of it at full power allows for an amazingly clean, and even cut w/ no kick back.
Expensive for a niche tool, but you would be amazed at the labour time it saves.
For door jams, you basically have to eye the amount to cut. I would suggest cutting the jam at least 2 times, the cut is so clean that if you over estimate the tile height, your can use one of your cuttings, to glue back after the fact.
I have also used this unit to "shave" interior window trim, that came out a hair too long on a miter saw.
This is a must have for a tile or window installer, for a homeowner; you will find uses for it.

I've used this particular saw before, but did not have one in my personal arsenal of trim tools. I like its ease of use. Actually, the job I purchased to used it on this go-round, I wound up not doing by recommendation of a professional trim carpenter friend of mine.

I had 4 windows and a door with jambs that needed to be built out to match the sheetrock for trimming. All required pine fill pieces, some of which went from 3/4" to 0" over a 6' length. The thought of cutting these huge "shims" with any accuracy on the table saw was a bit daunting. So, I figured I could easily cut myself 1" pieces, glue it into place, and come back later with the Bosch 1640 and flush cut them.

My friend discouraged me from doing so do to the fact that my 1" addition would require a "rip" cut rather than a crosscut for which the saw is actually designed. He also pointed out that the supplied blades were not conducive to rip cutting. Knowing the wood was going to be ultimately enameled, I knew there was a fudge factor involved where any small gaps could be spackled, and I opted to attempt cutting the necessary "shims" on the table saw. All worked well and the finished paint job looks wonderful.

However, I'm wondering if anyone has attempted longer rip cutting in a similar situation with hardwoods, (e.g., oak or maple that will be stain/seal/varnished) with any success? Also, do they make a "toothier" blade for the 1640 that one might be able to get reasonable preliminary rip cuts accomplished in harder woods?