I PLAN ON BUYING A NEW PORTABLE TABLE SAW IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND AM NOT SURE WHICH ONE TO GET! I DO QUITE A BIT OF TRIM WORK AND WANT A GOOD SAW THAT WILL LAST FOR A LONG TIME. THE TWO I HAVE LOOKED AT SO FAR ARE THE 10 INCH DEWALT AND THE BOSCH MODELS, BOTH ARE AROUND $500.00 WITH A STAND. IS THERE ANOTHER MANUFACTURER I SHOULD INCLUDE IN MY SEARCH? MY OLD PORTABLE IS A 10 INCH MAKITA THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD BUT WAS DAMAGED ON A JOB RECENTLY.
JOHN
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Replies
Go see / read the portable table saw decision thread going on right now in the tools for fine homebuilding folder. If that isn't enough use advanced search and type in portable table saws.
Or go buy the Bosch 4000 and be happy.
PS No need to yell.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Sorry! Did not think about the "caps" when typing. It was just easier to read. Getting old I guess?
I just looked through the table saw discussion and think you may be right. Do you know if Rousseau has a modified table extension for the Bosch 4000?
thanks,
John
The 4000 comes with extensions but Roussou will have anything for that saw that your little ole heart will desire.
At the bottom of the thread you can change the size of the postinf fonts
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
You might wanna consider the Ridgid 10". I paid under $500 for mine and it included a rolling stand. Two years old and holding up fine so far. Its got a 24" rip capacity if thats a factor.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Don't even think twice. The Bosch is really that nice. Most significantly, the fence stays straight. Be careful overloading the saw though. My boss is pretty hard on his saw when he rips and the electronic softstart module blew up. Most likely because he pushes the saw too hard. Make sure you get a good blade. It makes all the difference.
Rob Kress
I do not have the Ridgid portable saw but have the TS3612 contractor's saw. I love it more and more everytime I turn it on. From what I hear you probably cannot go wrong with Bosch.
The Ridgid site has a bunch of good folks on it like this one. http://www.ridgid.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
Many will bash Home Depot but I have no serious problems with our local ones.
I thinkyou will find that all caps is NOT easier to read. Good luck on the saw.
Bob
I own the Bosch 4000 and have been very happy with it. Compared to the other benchtop units I have used (admittedly few) it feels more solid, but still packs up easily and is not particularly cumbersome to move. When I bought it about a year ago, the DeWalt was the only other compact unit that had the rip capacity to cut a full sheet of ply in half. The fence on the DeWalt was kind of strange though. When you extended it all the way out there was a small (~1/2") ledge that would flip down below the fence to support the material. The Bosch has a whole section of the table that slides out to the right WITH the fence to make sure your workpiece is supported.
So far, my only complaint has been when I have made wide dado's. Beyond about 3/8" thick one of the blades ends up on the threaded portion of the arbor and inevitably ends up cutting a slightly deeper groove than the rest. I haven't contacted Bosch about this yet. It is entirely possible that they have a solution, such as a sleeve that goes over the threads, because they advertise a 13/16 dado capacity. Surely they have actually MADE a cut with a dado stack on this saw and seen the problem. Anyone else run into this???
Obviously there are advantages with moving to some of the contractor saws that are only a little more expensive (cast iron table, more table in front of the blade, etc) but many of them have only sllightly more rip capacity than the Bosch and are much heavier and harder to move around. It just comes down to what you want to use it for. If you have to break it down everyday, I highly recommend the Bosch.
Thanks for all the info everyone! I have not been able to put my hands on a Bosch 4000 and was a little worried about the fence and how far it extended out. Being able to rip a sheet of plywood in half is important in my decision along with quality and light weight portability.
I agree with you about the DeWalt fence. Did not feel comfortable with it either. Too much plastic and seemed a little fragile. With a little work, I think it could be a nice fence.
A Bosch sales rep was in the local Lowe's and tried to sell me on a 10" Hitachi for almost half the price including stand but it was quite a bit heavier than the DeWalt. The older I get the less fatigue I want when setting up and tearing down since I work alone sometimes. My back might be worth the extra money?
FYI, in the latest FWW magazine, p. 34 it says that Ridge is no longer making Ridgid tools, but is licensing them to One World Technologies, which will build the tools overseas, is a part of TTI which owns Ryobi tools. Also, the lifetime warranty is now a 90 day "satisfaction guarantee" with a limited 3-year warranty.
Marine Engineer
The old Makitas were a great saw. I would consider one with an extended table, The Rousseau folding stands are awesome, and very compact/ portable.The ability to cut over 24" is a real plus in finish work. This would be a slightly more expensive option. As for the DeWalt/ Bosch question...BOSCH.
Turtleneck
Well, I bit the bullet! I should have my new Bosch 4000 tablesaw by Tuesday. Can't wait to use it so it can pay for itself.
Thanks for all the info guy's! Will keep you posted on how well it works?
Hollywood
Well, The tablesaw was delivered yesterday!! After some small assembly, she is plugged in and running.
It came with an outfeed and side extensions! A welcome surprise. The miter gauge is a little sloppy, but other than that everything works great.
This saw is so nice, there is more wood on the job than the lumber yard delivered. Not to mention the puddles of druel from the knuckle draggers and low foreheads that we have working with us.
The Bosch is definitely the ticket!
>> This saw is so nice, there is more wood on the job than the lumber yard delivered.
See the jobsite security thread.
Make sure that you set the saw up. The distance gauge is not accurate, not is the bevel so dial it in.
Get rid of the Bosch blade. It will only be good for a week, anyway. Get a good one (red, or orange) and you will be happier.Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada
'miter gauge a little sloppy' Try tapping a couple of small machine screws into the side(counter sunk style)