Bosch CS5 7 1/4" 15 Amp Circular Saw

This review was submitted as an entry for a review sweepstakes. I will never again try a bargain brand or a "common" brand found on end caps of DIY stores that are posted on sale. Bosch has been building tools for a very long time and know how to get it right. The CS5 has power, durability, cuts great, and is easy on the hands. This is a saw my grandson will still be using decades from now.

Have used a friend's and going to get me one as soon as I can

I have owned this saw for some time and it has never caused me any problems. Plenty of power for any tasks.

Great tool, my friends and SIL love borrowing it from me.

this saw just cuts and cuts accurate sad dependable

Needed a replacement saw & bought this Bosch Circular Saw and how great it is.

I have a number of Bosch power tools and generally they are very well designed and built but the CS5 is a disappointment. I have been using this saw for over 5 years for construction and general woodwork alongside a Bosch 10" mitre saw. The CS5 motor is powerful and the left hand blade design is great for right handers and for more precise work since you can see the cut line clearly and there is less twist on the blade when you are applying forward pressure. It does shoot sawdust onto your legs but this isn't really an issue unless you like to do your work in shorts and sandals.

Unfortunately Bosch has cost engineered the CS5 base out of 9 gauge (2.9mm) stamped aluminum rather than an aluminum/magnesium casting as you'd find on other models (and brands) in this category. This causes a few big problems:

1. The stamped base is flimsy and flexible. On tougher cuts the base can flex, messing up your cut. The base is easily damaged/bent if you set the saw down too hard or if it takes a minor tumble at the construction site. It is then nearly impossible to get clean cuts or to get the saw to sit flat on the work surface without replacing or straightening the base. Although you can order replacement bases, the replacement isn't straightforward because it is attached with rivets which have to be drilled out.

2. The stamped in slots that hold the rip guide are sloppy and doesn't hold the rip guide positively so the hold down screw can wiggle itself loose. I've had the guide let go on me several times in the middle of a rip cut and had to get a new board. If you try to prevent this by further tightening the holding screw it will likely strip out since it is a steel machine screw threaded into only about 3mm of aluminum. With repeated use the aluminum threads gall and wear out. I've had to drill out the thread and re-tap for a larger screw once already. Bosch could have easily used steel thread inserts or even better, a more precise bolt on rip guide fixture.

3. Due to the stamping process, the side faces of the base that you would normally butt up against cutting guides are not square (i.e. vertical) with the bottom of the base so will tend to ride up over thinner guides (like a 48" straight edge).

I'd love to see Bosch move to a cast base like that on the CS10 and make it backward compatible for existing CS5 owners. I'd pay a bit more for this as my alternative to the left blade was a heavier hypoid saw at nearly twice the price. As it stands, the CS5 doesn't live up to the Bosch brand and I wouldn't buy it again or recommend it.

I have been using this saw for about a year now. Great power and stability. Doesn’t get slowed down by thick hardwoods. Only negative is the mechanism to adjust the foot could be a bit sturdier and simpler to use.

Just got this saw for myself and our maintenance staff. It is perfect for us. It's light and sturdy and made for a right hander. Love it!

Best saw I have ever owned. Egonomic, easy to set, sturdy, accurate. Spindle lock for easy blade changes, I liked the lever for raising the guard when cutting. No longer have it and I miss it.