u/simon-zimmert

Unfortunately, the Bosch GKE 18V-40 did not really convince me in everyday use. It may be sufficient for simple work around the house, but as soon as you start using it for carpentry work or cutting firewood, you quickly notice its limitations.

Especially during larger cuts, the saw simply lacks power. During longer cuts it also heats up quite quickly and noticeably reduces performance. I have not yet had the chance to test it with the new Expert batteries.

Another issue that bothered me is the batteries overheating quickly. The problem already appears during the second or third charging cycle in a row — even with the large ProCORE 12Ah and 8Ah+ batteries. For longer work sessions, this becomes really annoying.

Durability is another weak point. Within one year, I already had three failures. Everything was repaired under warranty, but it definitely does not build confidence in the machine.

The saw is also not recommended for carving work, even when using a carving blade. Due to its long and bulky design, it feels awkward and lacks the precision and handling needed for detailed carving tasks.

My conclusion: the GKE 18V-40 feels more like an oversized DIY saw than a truly professional tool. For carpentry work it is only usable to a limited extent — better than nothing, but far from being a real workhorse. In my opinion, it is also unsuitable for cutting firewood. In the same price range, I would now rather choose a good corded saw. They usually offer more power, better durability, and significantly fewer issues during continuous use.

Hey everyone,

Wanted to share a recent project on a 250-year-old barn here in the Dolomites. We had to replace a support post, keeping the work as traditional as possible. Here’s how it went:

• The new beam was inserted in place of the old support post.
• It’s made of spruce and consists of two 20x24 cm beams (7.9"x9.4"), bolted to the central purlin, forming a composite beam of 20x48 cm (7.9"x18.9") and 6.5 meters long (21.3 ft).
• The two beams are connected with larch compression plates, without any glue, preserving a traditional joinery method so the beam behaves as a single structural element purely through mechanical connections.

Since the barn is over two centuries old, we wanted to honor the traditional timber construction techniques. Using mechanical connections instead of glue keeps the repair compatible with the historic structure.

Would love to hear if anyone has worked on similar historic timber replacements using traditional, glue-free methods!