I had been wanting to purchase the Bosch for over a year now and finally pulled the trigger this past weekend but it's still in the box in my garage. The reason it's still in the box is I'm having a bit of buyers remorse thinking that I bought more saw than I need. I'm a home owner and will use the saw mainly for ripping trim, hard wood flooring and some other small projects around the house. Right now I'm working on a wainscoting project using 1×2s, 1×4s, 1×6s and some decorative moulding and I'll need the saw to rip some of these pieces.
I like the stand on the Bosch but it's not essential. I like the fact that the Bosch can accommodate dado blades, the Dewalt cannot, but I've never used them in the past and not sure I ever would. Seems like the Bosch has pretty good reviews here but mixed reviews elsewhere, can't find many reviews for that particular Dewalt which I believe will replace the DW745.
So I'd like some opinions as to whether I should I keep the Bosch or would I be better off returning it and getting the Dewalt for $250 less? With $ being tight I'm not sure I can justify to myself or the wife the costlier Bosch.
I will tell you what led me to pickup the less expensive DW745 last year: portability. I know in the next year or two I will buy a bigger saw (like the Delta at Lowes or maybe down the road the a Grizzly), but I needed something cheaper for now. So I went with the smaller DeWalt knowing that even when I get a bigger saw I am going to want to keep it so I can lug it around. I can easily take it to a friends house to do some work or around to the back yard to make a treehouse for the kids. I know the Bosch is portable, but I can't toss it in the back seat of my little Saturns SL1 like I can the DeWalt. That said, if you will never have a second saw, then the Bosch would be better because it does have a larger table.
It's not really an apples to apples comparison. The Bosch 4100 is more in the same field as the DWE749x series (DWE7490/DWE7491/DWE7499 successors to the DW744) saws. They are bigger and have more capacity. The Bosch GTS1031 is the analogy to the DWE7480/DW745.
For what you described, you're looking for a saw to help you do home renovations and finish carpentry jobs, where any of the aforementioned saws will do the job. My advice, assume your interests will expand. I had the same thinking as you when I bought my first table saw (a low end one), and quickly had major buyers remorse.
Thanks for the responses thus far, my rationale in purchasing the Bosch was that it would allow for some growth should my interests expand and would, hopefully, last a lifetime for my needs.
I just look at the Bosh , my reaction is that for this kind of price you could buy a real table saw.
I pay $400.00 for a 3HP Unisaw, in very good condition.
The thread is spiraling down the "stop playing around with job site saws" debate a lot sooner than expected…
DAD2TWO - Is your (current) primary use for a table saw is for DIY home renovation/carpentry work? If so, how important is portability to bring the tool (closer) to your work?
If you don't really need to take the saw to a remote site all that often, I'd certainly go for the Bosch, which will roll around the shop just fine. It's a saw you can grow into.
I thought about a contractor saw for even more potential but wanted the portability to be able to move the saw near where I am working rather than running out to the garage every time I need to make a cut. In all likelihood I won't be loading the saw in my truck often, and if I do I won't be bringing much else with me, maybe the miter saw, drill and some odds and ends.
On a side note it seems like the Dewalt rack and pinion fence would be more accurate than the sliding Bosch fence.
The Dewalt rack and pinion setup is definitely more user friendly to retain alignment than the Bosch T-style inspired fence (one of the reasons why I went with the Dewalt. I will note that the Dewalt fence is smaller, which in my mind, makes it less suitable (harder?) for use with any jigs/accessories that ride on the fence
I had the bosch for about a year before I gave it to my pop.
I don't like the fence at all.
It doesn't always lock parallel to the blade, regardless of tension or any other adjustment.
I realize these two saws aren't apples to apples comparison but for $250 less It still leaves me wondering if the Dewalt is enough saw to grow with, I know it's enough for my current needs. In reading reviews on different sites it seems contractors (contractor talk.com) prefer the Dewalt and woodworkers(this site) prefer the Bosch, brand loyalty perhaps? I've read there have been bearing issues with the Bosch anybody experience this? At the end of the day portability, accuracy and quality are my primary concerns.
I just look at the Bosh , my reaction is that for this kind of price you could buy a real table saw.
I pay $400.00 for a 3HP Unisaw, in very good condition.
I have the Bosch 4100 with the portable stand for a month now. So far, I love it. I haven't done a whole lot with it yet, but it's been flawless so far. I got the blade aligned to the miter slot with no problem. The fence is right on. The saw is super safe. I was having some of the same buyers remorse as well, but, after using it for a while, I'm over it. It's a good saw. I would like to eventually upgrade to a cabinet saw. The Bosch will do in the mean time.
I've had the Bosch 4000 for about 8 yrs. now and work it pretty hard. Seems to be a contractors favorite. I like the saw for its portability but don't really have anything to compare it to. I just recently had to replace the back bearing. It's a pretty simple job that you can do yourself. I think the bearing cost me about $10.
Bosch 4100 is a great saw, but maybe more than the OP needs given his situation. Invest the savings of 250 in the kids' college fund and push that little Dewalt to its limit.
I have the 4100 and never had a problem with it, I think it is a far better machine. If it's a price thing then go get the DeWalt otherwise keep the Bosch. Better machine, more versatile, and very portable.
Bosch 4100 is a great saw, but maybe more than the OP needs given his situation. Invest the savings of 250 in the kids college fund and push that little Dewalt to its limit.
I have the 4100 and never had a problem with it, I think it is a far better machine. If it s a price thing then go get the DeWalt otherwise keep the Bosch. Better machine, more versatile, and very portable.
I'm going to re-iterate that the two saws the OP picked to compare are NOT an apples to apples comparison. The Dewalt DWE7480 is a smaller saw, and is better compared to the Bosch GTS1031.
The Bosch 4100, Dewalt DWE7490/DWE7491, and the Ridgid R4510/R4513 (I don't know the differences) are in the same class. Everything in the latter selection of Bosch, Dewalt, and Ridgid saws are bigger (and heavier). Figure this, there is at least 2 inches more to the front and left of the blade for all those saws which translates to better cut capacity. Debating the merits of each of these saws is a different story.
For what the OP is looking to do, that extra capacity will make far more of a difference than you might think.
I got the Bosch 4100 as a Christmas gift a few years ago and let it sit in the box for 8 months before my first use. Big Mistake! I absolutely love it! I lost out on 8 months of fun. Everything seems to be good quality for a portable, and the gravity rise base is fantastic. Now, it's no stationary saw, but I agree with most reviews that it's the best portable you can get.
Dad2two,stop debating with yourself,open it up and enjoy the saw,it is a good brand,it's not like you bought a cheap table saw and now wondering if you should return it and get a better one,when you brought it home you should have opened it right away and cut a few pieces to test it out .
$250 in a few months wouldn't matter,what matters is you got a decent saw,the only reason I would agree to return it is, if you are going to get a full size saw with that money.
Just my opinion.
I just look at the Bosh , my reaction is that for this kind of price you could buy a real table saw.
I pay $400.00 for a 3HP Unisaw, in very good condition.
- b2rtch
That's all well and good if you have the space for one. When there's 2 feet of snows outside and your wife can't pull the car in the garage because a Unisaw is sitting there, that changes things dramatically. There are other factors besides price.
I have the 4100 and have used it for 3-4 years now and love it. I would like a larger saw when we move. But, the 4100 has tackled anything I've thrown at it.
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