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The motor is more powerful than I had expected, ripping 2 inch oak with no taxing (this is with an aftermarket blade). For general purpose use it is acceptable, but frustrating to set properly for precise use.Unlike others, I found the guard system to be surprisingly useful. It takes a bit of reading and fiddling to get it attached properly. Nothing can substitute for a full-size cabinet saw, but for me, an amateur woodworker with a very small shop space, this is a pretty good option. It is the first table saw guard I have actually used (as opposed to throwing in a box with all those other unused safety devices).
Overall build quality is pretty good for the price point. It also runs more quietly and with considerably less vibration than other comparable saws I have used.My primary criticism is the rip fence. It cannot slide and be locked down with a guarantee of precision. I did spend some time adjusting it, including the tension spring on the outfeed side, and it still needs to be checked for square if you're doing something that requires a high degree of precision.
I also purchased the saw dust collection bag which works well. Bosch 4100 table saw.This saw came set up right out of the box, no adjustments were needed. It does a great job cutting and was pleasantly quiet compared to my last saw. I can see myself using this saw for a long time. Its sturdy and gave me a feeling of security when using it.
For safety reasons, I later bought the 4100, and use it often for stiles, rails, and small sheetgoods. you say.The pitch you have likely heard about riving knives ("RK") is not hype. I believe the documentation instructs the user to be sure the fence is parallel to the blade. Despite using care and mechanical devices when ripping, I have been hit hard and fast via kickback. That information is technically incorrect and flat out wrong if you are not using a riving knife--where you will bind the blade, burn wood, and jamb the splitter.
And if you've read about a problem with the lateral table extension, it would only arise if you bought it as old stock from a retailer--and Bosch will correct the problem quickly and gratis.Although the Bosch has a certain toy-like quality (nothing about it is heavy or really solid feeling), it is a precision machine. The 4100 is at least $2000 cheaper than any other RK-equipped table saw worth having. the 4000). I owned and liked the earlier model, but traded up to a Powermatic cast iron table top saw. So what. If you understand the physics, the merits of an RK are obvious. With the use of a quality blade, inset cabinetry can be cut flawlessly.P.S.Revisiting kickback. The safety devices are so easy/flexible to use that you may actually do so.The 4100 does have T slots (vs.
If you can buy the 4100 'Bosch-refurbished,' do so, as I did.You can read about kickback repeatedly, but once you've experienced it, you then truly understand and respect its potential danger. Or, try ripping with an RK-equipped TS, and you can virtually feel the increased safety. Verify that the blade is parallel with the table slot; then, using the slot as a guide, be sure the far end of the fence moves away from the blade, if only just discernably so. The blade guard and pawls are as ingenious as the gravity stand under the saw--brilliantly engineered.
The problem with table saws in general is that the guards are a joke and on the jobsite we aren't going to bother with it if it is a hassle. Overall we are very pleased with this saw. It doesn't work as well when making super thin rips. I bought it after talking to Gary Katz about the guard system. I bought this saw about a month ago.
The saw has a soft start feature which is nice, it is quiet and really light weight. We use it for framing and siding. Because of this, I wasn't comfortable having a table saw on site often.After using this to cut rips of sheathing, lots of exterior trim, etc I have to say that the guard works perfectly for what we do. We put it in a Rosseau table and it works great for us. We don't set up the saw for dados (which the guard doesn't work well with according to a review in Professional Deck Builder) so that isn't a problem.
I wanted a saw that included modern safety mechanisms and whose safety features were such that I wouldn't be bothered by them and tempted to remove them all the time. I still measure from the blade for very exacting cuts (less than 1/10th of an inch precision) but normally a cut like that goes to the jointer to bring it to spec.I am impressed with the "backwards" ruler that you use when you are extending the table. I opted for the sawdust bag and use it a lot of the time. The cord wraps up nicely around the provided pegs. Without the bag, it shoots a stream of sawdust out the chute about 5 feet.
It looked to me like one that you could bump and accidentally shut off (a feature I expect of machinery with large switches). Next, my saw absolutely had to have a fence that didn't move 1/16" to 1/4" as it was tightening. This saw accomplishes all of this.In my experience, saws didn't get beyond the fence problem until they passed the $300-$400 mark. If the fence had a thumb roller wheel on it for really fine adjustments, that would be more direct than tapping it left and tapping it right until it's just right. I have a little bit of trouble with the black part of fence assembly at the ruler hanging up my piece or push stick a little bit. I think it might be about 1/32" higher than the table.It is a tiny bit inconvenient to get the fence into its storage position beneath the table. It can usually be guided into place only one way from front to back that is a little awkward.
I find myself turning it off with a push stick most of the time. It makes very smooth cuts for me most of the time. For those who haven't see this, it is a different scale that gives you a reading as the fence is in the proper place and you are sliding out the right side extension.I like the soft start motor. It doesn't dim the lights and pull maximum amps when it is powered on. Only for narrow cuts, 1/2" or less do I find myself needing to remove the pawl and frequently the guard can remain in place with one side lifted to its high position thereby clearing the fence altogether and leaving the other side of the blade covered.Having previously *always* measured from the blade, I wasn't expecting much from the onboard ruler.
I have gotten along well with all of these attachments and feel a lot better having the riving knife behind the blade to prevent it from grabbing a hold of a board and throwing it at me. Instead, it spins up a little more gently. It has great power, and the stock blade has been nice enough that I haven't even tried the Freud blade yet.The provision for extra side support and outfeed support addons is appreciated and something I may consider for the future, although I haven't the room to leave those on there permanently. At times it would be nice if there were a little bit of additional space to the left side of the blade, but what can I say, I wanted a compact saw. Beyond those things, I give thumbs up for this saw.
This saw cut pine like it was butter and cut hard woods as easily as my old setup cut pine. It isn't quite the case. Although the switch is large and pivots on a fairly large radius, it takes a reasonably deliberate motion to turn it off. First I wanted a compact saw, but still wanted to stay within the contractor grade saw & motor rather than the typical compact=cheap saw. I did a lot of research before making a decision. The fence tightening handle is out of the way and doesn't catch the operator in the stomach as one walks around it. As someone who makes exacting cuts, has very little space, and demands high quality tools, I have been happy with the Bosch 4100 table saw so far.
To my surprise, this is very accurate and reliable. An 8 foot rip cut on a 2" walnut piece went without much effort. I am happy that Bosch paid attention to a lot of little things about this product. I have to hit it a little bit to do that. The fence, blade guard, anti-kickback pawls, and miter guage all stow pretty neatly under the saw's table. The motor has good power. There are a few things that I would like to improve about this saw: I think it would be a bit safer if the power switch were slightly easier to turn off.
I am able to cut much closer to the final size than with my previous setup; thereby wasting less.
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