Photo: Genesis
What We Like
- Affordable
- Compact and lightweight
- Laser cutting guide
- Abhor lock for quick blade changes
- Extension wings for holding long workpieces
What We Don’t Like
- Single bevel
- Non-sliding
Bottom Line
If you are a beginner in woodworking and you are looking for an entry tool into miter sawing, the Genesis GMS1015LC is the best one to buy. It is very affordable but still has all the basic features to help you learn and improve your skills.
In this post:
Genesis GMS1015LC Review
Photo: Genesis
As a brand, Genesis offers a complete line of power tools and accessories. What stands out about their products is that they offer reliable performance without breaking your bank.
The GMS1015LC follows this principle because it provides solid performance while being very affordable. To learn more about what the tool offers, let’s dive into the review below.
Performance: Quick and Accurate
Genesis’ GMS1015LC is powered by a 15-amp motor, which runs the blade at a high speed of 4600 RPM. Though this speed is achieved at no load, it still translates to a relatively high load speed, which results in quick cutting.
The manufacturer states that the cutting blade is in a 10-inch size with 60 carbide-tipped teeth. This creates very smooth cuts and has a crosscutting capacity of 4.75 inches horizontally and 3 inches vertically. At a 45° miter cut, the horizontal capacity reduces to 3.3 inches.
Read More: The Best 10-inch Miter Saws
The tool also bevels up to 45° to the left and at this position, the vertical cutting capacity reduces to 1.38 inches while at a compound 45° miter and bevel angle, you can cut a maximum of 1.38 x 3.3 inches vertically and horizontally respectively.
With this capacity, the saw is ideal for small projects such as in making picture frames, crown molding, and shadow boxes.
That said, while making these cuts, a laser guide helps you to align the blade to the wood surface at the marked cut line. This ensures you create very precise cuts consistently.
Design: Easy to Use
Apart from being quick and accurate, this miter saw is designed to be very easy to use. For instance, it has 9 positive stops along its miter scale that make it easy to adjust the blade to cut at the most popular angles with consistent accuracy.
The tool has a spindle lock that allows for quick blade changes. This feature comes in very handy when carrying out maintenance or when switching blades to cut different materials.
Other important convenience features are the included extension wings, which expand the size of the base to accommodate longer workpieces.
You get a lightweight die-cast aluminum base that makes the saw easily portable while providing a solid footing. This ensures you make accurate cuts by keeping the saw very stable.
Safety Feature: Assured Safety
Genesis’ GMS1015LC is fitted with very key safety features, which include an electric brake. This stops the blade a few seconds after releasing the trigger and keeps it from causing any harm.
However, it is recommended to lift the blade from the wood only after it stops spinning. Therefore, this braking mechanism also shortens the waiting time before lifting the blade.
That said, the blade is fully covered using a blade guard, which prevents it from piercing or cutting your fingers.
This guard is transparent and it enables you to monitor the cutting process at a glance. As such, if any mishap happens, you will be able to notice it quickly and release the trigger.
Sawdust is a safety hazard when using miter saws because it can harm your eyes or cause complications when inhaled. To reduce dust pollution in your work area, a 1.5-inch dust port is built in at the rear side of the saw, which can be used to evacuate sawdust using a shop vac.
A dust bag is also included in the set and this can be used to collect the debris if you don’t have a shop vac.
Portability: Compact and Lightweight
Measuring in at 19.5 x 16.25 x 15 inches, this miter saw is very compact. It is very lightweight as it weighs only 24 pounds. With these properties, the tool is highly portable and is ideal for carrying around to remote worksites.
This design has its benefits in the workshop because it occupies very little space on the bench or tabletop.
Price: Very Affordable
The Genesis GMS1015LC stands out due to its affordability. It is the most affordable miter saw in the manufacturer’s lineup but is the most basic among them all.
Despite this, the tool still gives you some valuable accessories such as the 60-tooth cutting blade, a dust bag, two extension wings, two AAA batteries for powering the laser light, and a blade wrench.
Read More: The Best Budget Miter Saws
Verdict
An affordable entry-level miter saw that is ideal for beginners or DIYers working on small projects
By having such a friendly price tag, Genesis’ GMS1015LC is within reach of most woodworkers. However, it is particularly ideal for beginners because it has all the basic features for teaching them the craft.
The saw is also suitable for DIYers working on small projects because it is powerful and can make compound cuts for regular, decorative, and framing woodwork.
Specs
- Product Name: Genesis GMS1015LC
- Product Brand: Genesis
- Power: 15 Amps
- Max Speed: 4600 RPM
- Blade Size: 10 inches
- Miter Angle Range: 45° left and right
- Bevel Angle Range: 45° left
- Positive Stops: 9 (Miter)
- Dimensions: 19.5 x 16.25 x 15 inches
- Weight: 24 pounds
- Warranty: 2 years
Key Features
- Compact and lightweight (24 pounds).
- Laser light cutting guide.
- 15-amp 4600 RPM motor.
- Miters 45° to the left and right with 9 positive stops.
- Bevels 45° to the left.
- 10-inch 60-tooth carbide-tipped blade.
- Electric brake.
- Abhor lock for quick blade changes.
- Lightweight die-cast aluminum base.
- Two extension wings.