Bosch CS10 15 Amp 7-1/4 Inch Circular Saw Review

Bosch makes very good power tools, so we are a bit surprised that we didn’t like the Bosch CS10 15 Amp 7 And A Quarter Inch circular saw more. It’s a fine saw with good (but sometimes annoying) dust collection and dispersal. We can recommend this saw if you are a fan of Bosch and want to keep your power tools in the same family, but there are other circular saws that we rate higher.

Table of Contents
1. Motor Power
2. Blade and Bevel Capacity
3. Base Plate and Guard
4. Adjusters
5. Cut Line Visibility
6. Handle
7. Carrying Bag
8. Rafter Hook
9. Shortcomings
10. What Others Are Saying
11. Bottom Line
12. Price

Motor Power

The Bosch CS10 has a 15 Amp motor. Like most circular saws in this class and price range, it will cut most standard stock or material with relative ease. At no load, the blade will turn at 5,600 RPM . We do not find it wanting for power. It starts and revs up very smoothly, with little torquing or jerking.

Blade and Bevel Capacity

This saw has a 7 1/4″ blade diameter.  The included 24 tooth blade is adequate, but you’ll probably want to upgrade when using the saw for serious cutting (This is unsurprising. We suspect that no circular saw manufacturer includes a high quality blade with its saw.). Welcomely, this saw has a real blade wrench for changing the blade, which is a plus considering many circular saws only provide hex wrenches to use for blade changes. The wrench easily and securely fits over the hex nut that holds the blade to the shaft. We wish all saw manufacturers used real blade wrenches like this. The saw has a shaft lock for easier blade changing.

The saw will bevel to 56°, and cuts to a depth of 2 7/16″ at 90° and 1 7/8″ at 45°. This saw has positive stops for the bevel at 22 1/2° and 45°, making it easy to do beveled cuts at those common angles.

Base Plate and Guard

The base plate/shoe is solid cast magnesium which makes it sturdy and lightweight.  While the base plate feels as solid as other bases plates on saws in this class, it doesn’t look as hefty. If base plate aesthetics matter know that you may have base plate envy on the job site. The blade guard retracts smoothly. We’ve read complaints about the base flexing when cutting. We suspect this is due to too much downward pressure being placed on the saw when using it.

Adjusters

The depth control and bevel control are levers that are okay. The plastic levers lock down with minimal effort. The numeric indicators are stamped into the saw, so there’s no chance of them rubbing off. One online complaint that we have read is that at maximum depth of cut the motor does not rest on the base plate, but instead a bit above it. Therefore, while in use you can push down on the saw hard enough that it flexes and you won’t get a square cut.

Cut Line Visibility

Cut line visibility is very good for both left and right handers. This saw does an outstanding job of removing the sawdust from the line of sight on the base of the saw. It may be the best saw out there for clearing out the sawdust. The downside is that the sawdust is shot out like a laser beam and gets all over you if you’re standing in the wrong place. This happens with other circular saws too, but with the Bosch the effect seems amplified. Bosch makes an attachment that you can put on the saw that will direct the sawdust into a hose from your dust collection system, but to us it seems like a pain to have to deal with a hose attached to the back of your circular saw. Wear a filtering mask and sweep up afterwards.

Handle

The rubber coated and cushioned handle is comfortable and provides some grip even when your hand sweats. No power tool handle is going to feel like wearing a soft velvet glove, and this one is on par with that of other saws.

Carrying Bag

There is a carrying/storage bag included with this saw. It’s nothing to write home about.

Rafter Hook

Cool, this saw has a rafter hook which makes it easy to hang out of the way when you’re at a job site, especially if you are roofing. This hook is less of a benefit in a shop or for a do it yourselfer that has little need to hang the saw.

Shortcomings

Besides some of the issues that we’ve read about and mentioned earlier with flex in the saw causing crooked cuts, which we suspect were caused by bearing down too hard on the saw, this saw doesn’t have major shortcomings. It lacks an electric brake and dual switches, but many circular saws of this class do.

What Others Are Saying

The best way to put this is that others give this saw gets mixed reviews. Amazon and the big box websites have both very positive and very negative reviews. There was one video review that was very positive, however. We’ll say that your mileage may vary.

Bottom Line

The Bosch CS10 15 Amp 7 And A Quarter Inch circular saw is a good circular saw. Its design is less forgiving than comparable saws to novices. We wouldn’t turn this saw down as a gift but we don’t strongly endorse it either. If you can find a good deal on it then it’s worth it, but otherwise we’d suggest another brand. 3 1/2 out of 5.

Price

Amazon puts a lot of effort into keeping their pricing competitive. As of the date of this review, the price was very attractive and they offered free or discounted shipping. Click to check today’s price and see if that’s still the case: