Bosch GTS 10 XC

Now let's try something new - this time in English!

Approximately a year ago I bought a Bosch GTS 10XC table saw. 

And now I'd like to share with you my comments about the machine after this year. Throughout that time I learnt a lot about the saw and I think I have found enough upsides and downsides of it to be able to give you some feedback. Bosch GTS 10 XC is a European model so guys in US might not see it in the market. Pretty much of the tech details you can find in internet and official Bosch websites like in here:
http://www.bosch-professional.com/gb/en/gts-10-xc-26179-ocs-p/ 

Also if you are looking for some commercial video presentations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF_Ko_iwMhU

I'm not going to write second operating manual neither. What I'm going to do is to share my comment regarding this particular table saw after a year of using it.

At first I need to day that Bosch GTS 10 XC is in fact my first "real" table saw as earlier I used to work on a multirole machine. But I think that many readers either were or now are in similar situation. Since I got the Bosch I have had a chance to "touch" other table saws so I have more and more to compare.

So let me start with the UP sides:
1. Overall quality - all components are robust, solid and give you confidence. There is no cheap plastic bending under your finger.
2. The table is made of aluminum. It's quite big, flat, rigid and you can extend it both to the right and to the back of the saw. During one of the first project I cut 1,5m of 20mm plywood and it remain safely supported behind the blade. I guess it's enough for most of the users. As usually you cut bigger sheets by means of circular saw or plunge saw.

3. Width of the table - according to Bosch tech data, the max width of material on the right side of blade is 635mm. Well, this is as per scale. However you can easily place the fence as far as 680mm from the blade and it will still give you stable support - I used this once or twice and it really works! The table itself (if you remove the fence) gives you support of 735mm to the right.

4. Sleigh - total stroke is 470mm. For comparison reason - Makita 2704 does not have the sleigh at all.
5. Insert around the blade is rigid metal - this is very good comparing with plastic inserts in many cheaper table saws. You can easily level the insert. You can also remove the original one and put your own zero-clearance insert as there are suitable mounting points.

6. The fence - you can move it easily. Lock and release is done by means of single lever. I must say that at the beginning the travel of both end was not equal / parallel and I had to complete something like 30-50 unlock-move-lock cycles to make it work properly. I think it's acceptable with new components. Since then I have not noticed any issues with the parallel travel and locking. You can also add special bar to the fence which helps you work with thinner objects.

7. After the work you can easily lower the blade under the table and put the accessories to the sides which is very comfortable especially when you want to move the saw around the work site.

8. General settings and calibration are extremely easy as in all Bosch powertools. All things that you need to set/calibrate are accessible.
9. Engine power of 2100W is more than enough for most of the tasks. I work predominantly with pine, larch and plywood and occasionally some other wood - in many cases the engine doesn't even 'notice' the material. This is also due to Constant Electronic system. The power is higher than 1650W for Makita 2704 which is one of the major competitors.
10. Fixing points - there are flat areas for washer and bolt head and through hole in every corner to fix the saw to your table or other support. As I found out in other machines the area being flat is not that obvious. So another plus for Bosch.

11. The OFF switch - red flap covering the buttons is very practical. You can extremely easy and quickly switch the saw off. For sure it helps with your safety!

As everything, the Bosch GTS 10 XC also has some downsides.
1. Although it is not a critical issue but something that deserves to be stressed - the fence required some time and a few dozens of unlock-move-lock cycles to work properly. I know that some users started to be upset about that before they got to point of stable work.
2. Stroke of the sleigh is limited and allows you to work with smaller pieces only. Many users complain about that. I personally purposely made additional jig to enhance the stroke.
3. After some amount of work strange longitudinal marks appeared on the aluminum table. It looked weird at the first side but I found out they don't affect the quality of wood neither precision of cut. So I do not worry anymore. 

General remarks:
1. I know from a wood-working forum I participate that some users are surprised with the sound as you start the engine in terms of volume. So right after you push the ON button the noise goes up a bit, then comes down to a "standard" level. I think it's something you need to get used to.
2. The original 24-tooth blade is very good for cutting along grain. However when working across it doesn't give the quality you would expect. So make sure to buy also some blades with more teeth. For me the 60-tooth blade is the best for materials I use.  

Throughout this last year I worked quite a lot on Bosch GTS 10XC and I still think this is money VERY WELL SPENT. If I needed to buy anything that class today for 100% I would choose Bosch GTS 10 XC once more.