Bosch Professional 12V System GKS 12V-26 Cordless Circular Saw (saw blade diameter: 85 mm, without battery/charger)

I was a bit dubious when I first saw the size of this tool. It was a lot smaller than I had expected, as I'm used to a traditional mains powered circular saw. But this is a great piece of kit. Light and easy to handle, so it's easier to make accurate cuts. First job was to cut out and lift an old plywood floor, then replacing it with 18mm marine ply, and the saw did the job with ease. The batteries last longer than I expected, and as there are 2 supplied, you are never left stranded. Charging is quick as well. Overall a great addition to my toolkit. I wish these had been available years ago, as it would have made my life so much easier. As long as you don't expect it to perform like a big heavy mains saw then you won't be disappointed. If you are an avid DIY man or a tradesman, buy one; you won't regret it.

Bosch pro wins again.I'm a big fan of the Bosch pro 12v/10.8v range. Yes, they are the same. Bosch just changed the name.I bought this saw to complete a shed project as there was a certain amount of trimming that needed doing.I'm already an owner of Bosch pro 12v kit so there was the added advantage of extra batteries in this purchase!I purchased the L-Boxx version with two 2ah batteries plus another charger. I love the L-Boxx system and couldn't turn it down at 145 pounds on a deal. With another two batteries and charger this was a complete win!Pros:* Quiet. No ear defenders required.* Up to the job - easily (and quickly) cutting 18mm OSB and half-inch treated pine.* Accurate. Even without a rail the supplied guide was great.* Stands in for a table saw for some tasks. Because it can actually be used one handed, and *if* you have a suitable work-surface you can pull a piece of timber *through* the saw safely. There's a knack to it but it does work!* Minimal kick-back. Because it is low rpm and high torque, if things go wrong the kick-back is actually not too bad at all.* Braked. Yes, this may save your fingers!Cons:* Can drain batteries quite fast on heavy work. The 4ah batteries would solve this. Not a problem for me as I have multiple compatible batteries.The best bit! ... buying some 8x4 OSB from wickes and cutting it in the car-park to fit in the car (yes, I checked with the staff first, they were fine with it).Overall, an absolutely awesome piece of kit. Love it! Great addition to any DIY or tradesmans toolkit. Just wait for a deal if you are unsure.

Love this. Not massively big and powerful bit light and easy to use and perfect for cutting boards and smaller timber.

For context, I am an occasional DIYer with a preference for Professional Brand tools. I set this context because there are bound to be some things that will be high priority for someone working with these tools in a professional capacity that may not necessarily apply to the DIYer. Additionally, I do own a mains powered mini circular saw for the demanding tasks and finally, I opted for the L-Boxx version which comes with a guide rail, fast charger, dust extractor attachment, allen key and 2 x 2.0Ah batteries included.With the context set, here are my observations about the Bosch GKS 12 V-26.1 - The sawLightweight, great ergonomics, wonderfully compact. My recommendation is to practice some precision cuts to get a feel for the dynamics of the tool. I initially found I was always a little to the left of the line but eventually figured which alignment features to use. By the time I was done, I was able to cut 18mm hardwood plywood to millimetre precision. A constant cutting speed was useful in producing a really clean surface. Additionally, I was able to stop cutting partway through the job and resume without kick-back or locking by ensuring the saw was free. The above combinations of precision cutting and ability to restart the job mid way meant I was able to cut 38mm material in a couple of passes - ok for DIYer, non-ideal for anyone with much sawing to do! Note that the max spec for the tool is approximately 25mm thickness. The LED is effective at illuminating the work piece, but no laser is provided. Also, for a right handed person, the blade is effectively on the far side of the tool requiring viewing from the top. These little nuances are what makes for a 4-star rather than 5-star rating.2 - Battery LifeBattery drain is quite high when working the tool hard but you do get through a fair few tasks before it is time to recharge a 2.0Ah battery. If the tool is quite central to your activities then a 4.0Ah battery might be the way to go. Luckily, I have 3 x 12V 2.0Ah batteries to keep going. I am not sure if my observation was accurate here but I thought the tool sounded "faster" with a fully charged battery so perhaps that is something to pay attention to so you don't get caught out. I did get caught out with the tool simply stopping midway through the cut.3 - AccessoriesI opted for the L-boxx version which comes with a new 12V fast charger2 x 2.0Ah batteries, a dust extractor attachment, guide for parallel cuts and allen key. The allen key is stored on the tool, quite subtle and can easily be overlooked. It is needed to attach the parallel guide and dust extractor if needed.3.1 The guide:I am not sure about the guide though. It could be my simple lack of experience here but I felt the tool was somewhat fighting the guide and consequently, the finish was not as clean a cut as I saw with my free hand cutting. I therefore dropped the guide and stuck with simple measurement. I suspect some more practice here may be the answer. Note that the parallel guide mentioned here is not the precision "flat bed" large (and very expensive) option3.2 The battery ChargerBosch advertised the unit enclosed with my saw as the "NEW" fast charger. It is not the sleek looking "pointy" one but a more regular square shape, but charges a 12V battery in about 25minutes if not less. Having at least one extra battery is useful here because I can charge for longer if necessary.3.3 The batteriesThe L-boxx version I got comes with 2 x 2.0Ah batteries. The saw does drain these quite rapidly so my recommendation is to always have one fully charged spare ready to go. For those new to the Bosch 12V line, please note that the "non-professional" range of 12V batteries is not compatible with the professional range. The batteries do not physically fit the tool. There are workarounds I have seen on youtube but it is important that is understood.3.4 The dust extractor attachmentI was disappointed that my standard vacuum hose did not quite work with the dust extractor attachment. I have recently purchased a separate 3rd party attachment (the Bosch one is rather expensive for what it is) but at the time of writing this review have not tried it out3.5 The L-BoxxThe L-Boxx supplied with this option is the "briefcase" size 136 complete with inlay for the saw, batteries, guide and charger. The thing about cutting tools such as these is that you realise very quickly that you do need storage of some description. Note that you can get L-boxxes on their own - perhaps second hand - but they probably won't have the right inlays and generic foam pad would be needed.So all considered, I have been thoroughly pleased with this saw despite the little (very minor) niggles I have highlighted and have certainly felt a lot more confident taking on jobs I wouldn't normally. For example, I was able to cut a clean notch in situ in some hardwood plywood using this saw to do the bulk of the cutting before I brought out the oscillating multi-tool to do the final plunge cut.I highly recommend this tool, but like other reviewers would state that it makes a great second or third in addition to a main (read bigger) saw of some description and you will need at least one spare battery! It is truly handy, light weight, compact and used properly produces precise and clean cuts! Love it!

Less power , but I like it, very nice and handy)