Customer Reviews
Another fine Bosch... 
2005-03-11
I recently purchased a house, and not being a person who has the money to hire someone else to do it for me, I've become my own handyman. Not to mention I was interested in building stuff for my house and garage, as well.
I've never owned a circular saw before. I had never even used one. I went into this completely new to it. I did extensive research prior to purchasing.
My research quickly narrowed it down to three saws - the Bosch CS20, the Milwaukee 6394-21, and Porter-Cable 325MAG. From everything I've read, these are all excellent choices and each have their benefits. The Porter-Cable had the quik-blade change system (no tools required) and adjustable dust port. The Milwaukee had the Quik-lok cord and tilt-lok handle. The Bosch has the quick-disconnect cord and rafter hook (so you can hang your saw from a rafter or something while working). To me, the best way to decide from here was to go to a store and handle all the saws.
After handling the saws, I found that I liked the Bosch best overall and here's why: it wasn't too heavy and felt well balanced. The depth and angle adjustments were EXTREMELY easy to use. I could change them with one hand. On the Porter-Cable, I had to sit it down or support it against my body to change them. Not very ergonomic if you ask me. And finally, the Milwaukee wouldn't even adjust; the handle was so tight, neither me or my friend could loosen it. I also felt that the Bosch had the best line of sight out of all of them. Also, there were detents on the angle adjustment AND the Bosch goes to 56 degrees. And finally, the features - I've read that the tilt-lok on the Milwaukee isn't that great. A friend of mine that owns this model agreed; he set it once and rarely messes with it. The Porter-Cable's features weren't all that important to me. The tool-less blade change would be great but didn't make up for the angle and depth adjustment controls. With the Bosch, the rafter-hook wasn't that big of a deal to me but the quick disconnect was. If I accidentally cut through my cord on the Bosch, all I have to do is go to Wal-Mart and pick up another extension cord and I'm back in business. The Milwaukee has a detachable cord but it's only sold by them meaning you'd still have to order it from them and probably pay an arm and a leg.
So I settled upon the Bosch and ordered it when I got back my tax return. I haven't used it very much yet but so far, it has been an excellent saw. It's without mention that it goes through 2x4s like a hot knife through butter. But I was also impressed with the way it handled 2x6s. The line of sight was also excellent. The saw is easy to handle and doesn't sound to be all that loud. The blade guard is smooth and easy to operate by hand. The trigger also has a nice tactile feedback. The saw as a whole is very easy to control.
To me, this saw is a 5-star in every way. I wish it had a quick blade change feature like the Porter-Cable but it's a minor complaint. Also, the saw, in my opinion, looks as good as it works.
I've always been drawn to Bosch products and this reminds me why - this saw is high quality for the price, looks good and works great. Everything I love about Bosch. And it's made in the good old U.S.A. Can't beat that.
To me, this is the best saw in this price range. Before anyone buys it, though, I recommend you go to your local home improvement store and handle the various circular saws and see which works best for you.
Top notch sidewinder... 2005-01-15
I have used many sidewinder style circular saws over the years, and of them all, this one is the best...
This is a very well balanced saw, and has a very comfortable grip.
It's power is easily as rated, if not better, which is an excewption to the rule as most circular saws seem to be a low less powerful than the manufacturer claims.
Bosch's innovative Direct Connect feature is so smart, it's one of those things that makes you ask "Why didn't someone think of this before?"
I was a little hesitant about the composite foot plate at first, but having broken a mag plate on a saw dropped from only a hight of about 5 feet, I know that while they are more rigid, the additional resistance to breaking that the composite brings is a worthwhile trade-off.
One reviewer said he would have preferred a hard case over the soft case, but in my experience most hard cases are not worth the extra size. I myself tend to buy soft cases for tools that came in ahard case, as they take up less space and are just easier to deal with.
I also found the built-on hanger hook to be especially handy, alowing me to hang the saw from a 2x.
Only flaw I can find is the lack of a built-in holder for the included blade wrench, which would be a very smart addition for a future revision of the product.
Bosch has done it again, GREAT saw 2005-01-04
this saw is without a doubt one of the best on the market. i work on a framing crew and use this saw everyday. the bosch cs20 has lasted a full year now without any problems. we have tried other ones and they just can't beat the bosch. with the 56 degree bevel it makes cutting rafters a breeze. and the rafter hook really comes in handle. the power of this saw is incredible.
to answer some of the other reviewers complaints...
with the speed square hitting the motor housing of the saw. try flipping it over. i thought the same thing, that i wouldn't be able to use the speed square. but alas. just turn it the other way and it works fine.
and now to the direct connect. anyone who complains about this feature obviousely does NOT use a saw that often. this is the greatest feature to ever be placed on a saw. you no longer have to tie the ends of your cords together. and with that means no more cord snags from getting caught on things. with the cord now gone, putting the tools away goes much faster. roll the extension cord up and your all done. no 5 foot cord to have to wrap around the saw.
as for the bag that the saw comes in. i believe this also to be a better feature b/c those plastic cases that normally come with tools seem to crack and break somehow, some way. this bag is lasting the test of time so far.
also, to those who are wondering about a rip fence for this saw. amazon.com carries it. just look up Bosch model# WD7RIP
i don't think i'll be buying any other brands for a circular saw anytime soon. as long as the bosch cs20 is on the market, this is my saw. A+ to Bosch for thinking up this great tool
Excellent features with power to spare 
2004-11-06
This is my second circular saw in 3 months. I originally bought a Craftsman 14 amp and was dissatisfied with the claimed amount of power. I had a medium sized fence project which called for about 300' of pressure treated wood that required a 3/4"x3/4" rabbet cut lenthwise on 2"x4"x8'. While cutting, the Craftsman constantly bogged down. This produced some jagged cuts with an edge guide when it happened. I thought it was the generic blade that it came with so I went out and bought a Makita M force blade for it. It did better, but still bogged down so much that a kickback wasn't even in order. So it was returned and I went after the Bosch CS20. I took it home and paired it up with the Makita blade and it cut the remainder of the 200 feet of PT stuff like butter. Not a single bog to cause a crooked cut while using an edge guide. The wet treated stuff ejected out like shavings instead of splintering like the Craftsman did. The blade speed and power had quite a bit to do with that. I love the direct connect feature that Bosch has on some of their tools. The positive detent stops for depth are an excellent feature also. I have one gripe about this saw though and its the composite base. While it does work well for dry wood, there is a noticable amount of drag on pressure treated stuff ( other saws that I've used that have a standard aluminum or stamped steel base plates are noticably more drag resistant on wet lumber).
This saw does lack an edge guide though and that was no surprise because Bosch makes most items an accessory when other manufacturers include them as standard equip. But I'll let you guys in on a secret. The Porter Cable edge guide fits (can't remeber which model, but it's about 5/8" wide at the slot) and then find a 10-32 threaded bolt with a knob on top and use the tension springs that come with PC quide kit. If you want to get the guide really close to the blade, then shave off the little button on the top of the guide. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see the it. Oh and use a washer where the tension spring comes in contact with the composite base to keep the spring from tearing up the threads. It came out to less than 10 bucks. :)
smooth operating saw 2004-10-06
This saw is light weight,smooth,easy to use;depth and bevel are very easy to change and the saw has good power. Love the saw hook to hang it. I love the direct connect feature...Also, I have a rip guide for a dewalt which works perfect once you run a 1/4-20 tap through the guide lock screw hole. Now I can use the same rip guide for both saws.But...this saw doesn't have an electric brake;also,the nonmetal saw table has some give in it,which to me, I would prefer a rigid magnesium saw table instead.This saw has performed great for every task I've put it to.
just about perfect 2008-02-22
i've used this bosch CS20 quite a few times since i bought it, on jobe and arround home for remodle.
the only thing i could hope for is for this saw to also be battery powered as well (if that were at all possible)my overall openion is this is a great tool with plenty of power.
Was a nice saw at first 
2008-01-09
I read all the reviews then finally picked this one over the PCMag saw because if was $40 less.
I loved using the saw at first. It has a great line of sight and is quiet and runs smooth. having an extra long cord is a awesome feature, but it did add $20 to the cost.
but now after 6 months the base plate is warped making it a pain when cutting expensive oak plywood. It rocks from the back left to the front right over 1/8".
I put an email in to Bosch about a replacement plate but I am scared it will be the same thing and fail again after another 6 months.
Should have spent a little more and got the PC.
Bosch CS20 , much better out there ! 2007-11-01
I am a professional carpenter. I have had my Makita saw for 24 years and wanted a change, The Bosch CS20 looked like it had some pretty good features and the balance was not bad. After 3 months the composite foot plate has warped making for gouged cuts. I cannot cut a true 45deg bevel with it because of this flaw. The detents are not adjustable. My 45deg locks in at 43.5 deg. This is ubsat in my line of work. Bosch is going to send me another foot plate and bevel indicator but its the same material as the one I have. Bosch NEEDS to produce a replacement aluminum plate like all other quality saws have. They have missed the boat big time in this area. Based on this I would not recommend this saw for the serious tradesman.
Bosch Does it Again 2007-01-21
The Bosch CS20 is the best circular saw I've ever used. It has power to cut through the toughest jobs. The direct connect cord is best explained by - "why didn't someone think of this before?" The hook hangs the saw perfectly on rafters, joists, and saw horses. This saw is light and tough. This saw is sturdy and extemely well made. The final selling point is that it bevels to 56 degrees. This saw is the whole package.
Bosch Safety Recall and Inferior Synthetic Base Plate 
2005-05-24
Never really got to use the saw because of the safety recall and the possibility of an "amputation" if I chose to ignore the recall. While this was a minor problem the problem with the plastic base plate would have been a lifetime pain! The base plate lacks dimensional stability in that it will not accept the rip fence insertion without a significant use of force and again more force or a rubber mallet is called for if you need to move it to your desired rip dimension. Additionally the set screw for the rip fence comes with a spring that is to long thus requiring more force during all my aborted attempts to screw it into the base plate! I further found it physically impossible to screw the set screw into the base plate without the spring in place! I own a lot of Bosch tools and have never experienced these kinds of problems with Bosch or any other brand. I returned the saw to the vendor I purchased it from citing poor tool quality as the reason.
