I was a little skeptical buying this saw since there were no customer reviews to read on account of it being so new. I was torn between buying the this and 10 inch Dewalt priced around 320 at home depot. I had previously worked with the Dewalt and it was a decent tool but it seemed that the new Bosch had a lot more features. I have to say I've only been pleasantly surprised so far.
The Bosch is slightly heavier than the Dewalt at 52 pounds but the side handle makes it so easy to carry around that you don't mind. On top of which this saw can store vertically saving a bunch of space. It was perfect out of the box, no adjustment needed and it took me less than 15 minutes to assemble all parts and get a general working idea of how to operate it. The rip fence was a little awkard intially, the release mechanism requires a lot of force to push up and you almost feel like you're breaking something but after a couple of uses it loosened up and felt more natural. The Dewalt rip fence slides more easily because it sits on a movable track but the Bosch is more accurate, toting it's self aligning, and it is, so far. The table can extend to allow for an 18 inch cut, beating out Dewalt's 16 inch max and I love that the Bosch is not completely made out of plastic! This thing can actually take some abuse. But the best part yet though is you can store all attachements underneath the table.
Bosch focused their efforts on creating smart and inituitve design features that really make this saw fun and easy to use. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that Bosch only offeres a 1 year warranty compared to Dewalt's 3 and the plug is slightly smaller than normal so any tugging on it pulls it quite easily out of the outlet. I have a Bosch palm sander that does the same thing. It's either a design flaw or they intended to prevent tripping on cords. Either way I would definitely recommend this highly portable table saw. It's more expensive than the Dewalt but so worth it. Bosch GTS1031 10-Inch Portable Jobsite Table Saw
I am actually surprised at the negative reviews for this saw. I've had mine for a few weeks now and would have to say that I am very happy with it. The alignments are right on the money and I absolutely love how all the accesories store underneath the saw. It doesn't come with the best miter gauge but, then again, what saw in this price range " does " come with a decent miter gauge? Even the blade that comes with this saw cuts pretty well. I have crosscut and ripped and cut plywood with the included blade and they have all come out with better than expected results, not perfect, but pretty good. I don't think that I could expect more from a $400 saw. It's not comparable to a $5000 cabinet saw but it only costs $400 so that is to be expected. The fence is true, the blade is 90 degrees and if you invest in an aftermarket miter gauge ( like an Incra ) you will have a saw that can give you very accurate results. I love this saw, well worth the money and I bet that it is probably the best made TS in this price range. Way to go Bosch...:).
6/19/2011 update: I just wanted to mention that after having this saw for a few more weeks that it has performed flawlessly. I ripped a 2" thick piece of hard maple a few days ago ( about 3 rips total for the board ) and it chewed that wood up without a hiccup...:). The saw has plenty of power and even with the stock blade you can get real nice rips and crosscuts and the wood has a pretty good finish on it when you're done. Still needs to be jointed but the finish is pretty good. I'll add another update in a few more months. Thanks for reading...:).
What I saw this saw in print and in the Bosch videos, I was extremely anxious to get my hands on one.
I am a contractor and I use a lot of tools daily. I have 3 other table saws...... But the design of this saw is a HUGE improvement over any other portable saw I have seen.
I am used to contractor grade tools, you just open the box and go to work all day without issue. Like said, I have to depend on my tools all day, every day.
In the past, Bosch tools have never let me down. But right out of the box this saw did not feel right, the fit and finish just was not up to where Bosch used to be. Some components were loose that should not have been.
The blade was quite low-end (made in China), not used to seeing that in a "contractor-grade" tool.
The fence was not square to the blade.
Interesting, my old contractor-grade saw is starting to show it's age. The blade elevator sticks and binds. But this new Bosch saws elevator sticks & binds worse and it had not yet been used....
The safety components like the "smart guard system" and the "anti-kickback device" are by far the best designs I have ever seen.
I should note that as well as being an experienced contractor, I was an Engineer for 27 years, so I do know a good design from the rest.
Components were loose like I said, but some were loose even after being tightened up. Clearance holes in detail parts were off, sometimes off a lot.
Bottom line, this saw is by far the best design in a portable table saw that I have ever seen, that says a LOT! But even the best design in the world cannot compensate for the tool being made in China (Taiwan). The quality of manufacturing and assembly is far short of "adequate".
The bean counters ruined this tool. Instead of concentrating on building a quality tool, they squeezed that last penny out of it and sent the manufacturing to China.
This one is definitely being returned.
Nuff said,
D. Merrill
I have been waiting for a quality table saw that was portable in a sense you don't need two people to lift it up onto the tailgate. I am on my second Bosch table saw, 4000 and now the 4100...great saws both of them. I use the saw with the Dewalt rolling stand Dw7440RS... but very heavy to transport...now it will stay in my garage for larger work projects.
I just received my new Bosch GTS1031 and stand. Out of the box the saw is dead on- all alignments, blade is very cheap but who cares, cheap miter gauge but who cares I have a Incra, positive locking fence that is on the money- this I care, this you have to have.
I'm in the home improvement business and the table saw is the tool I use most. Having a one hand carry table saw is hard to pass up. Set up and knock down time is important to me and this Bosch system does it for me. I wish it had some type of out feed support but I not complaining I will figure something out. Build quality is pretty good so I will have to see how it really holds up in the field. The Dewalt portable looks cheaply made so I always passed on it.
I can fit this saw standing up on the back seat floor of my Dodge Ram Quad cab.
Bosch has built this saw with the contractor in mind but will it hold up in everyday use? I will follow up after several months of use. - Table Saw - Portable Table Saw - Woodworking'
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