ESTHETICS & DURABILITY

Although the Bosch brand has been around since the late 1800’s, they are relatively new to the power tool world. In fact, it wasn’t until 2003 that Bosch decided to dip its toes into the power tool market.

Yet, it hasn’t taken them long to become a power tool power house as they are one of the leading brands in both quality and style. Honestly, Bosch has some of the nicest looking tools out there in my opinion. However, all those pretty lines and fancy looking designs don’t merely exist to make you swoon.

Bosch takes pride in having some of the most durable tools you can get. And, the Bosch 4100-09 is not an exception.”

The Saw Guy

Now, let’s talk about what this table saw is made of…

The Bosch 4100-09 is a solidly constructed table saw with an array of work enhancing attachments to make the job easier.

The two most important elements of any table saw are the table and the motor. The motor in the Bosch 4100-09 is strong, solid, and relatively quiet. With proper care this motor should last quite a while.

The Bosch table is a quality table with a few minor issues. The table has what is called a hard-anodized coating. However, over time this coating has a tendency to wear, and if you use it enough, this could cause an issue if you have a cut that requires precise accuracy.

To be honest, I am not entirely sure why Bosch didn’t just leave the aluminum table exposed instead of adding an anodized coating.

As with most table saws, the blade that comes packaged isn’t of very high quality. Especially if you are doing a decent sized project it will dull rather quickly. A 50 tooth blade is always a great multi-purpose blade that has a wide variety of applications.

However, with the Bosch 4100-09 there is one other factor to take into consideration when finding the right blade. The new riving knife setup on the Bosch has a .091” kerf (kerf is a term used to describe the thickness of the blade…essentially).

If the blade you purchase has a .092” kerf (i.e. Irwin Marathon 80T, FreudLU83R010) you will most likely have issues with binding on the back end of the cut. To be safe, find a blade that has a kerf of around .098” (i.e. Freud Avanti TK905 50T) and this should take care of the problem. You should also take note that every blade Bosch makes should also work with the Bosch 4100-09.

I will be honest, when I reviewed the stand on the Dewalt 749 I thought it couldn’t get any better…I may have been wrong. I’ll tell you, this stand is bullet proof and probably way over-engineered, but that’s just fine with me.

Want to know how it works?

How The Stand Works

It’s as easy as pie (I don’t really know what that means). Basically, there is a red lever on the side of the saw that you press. Once you press the red lever, walk forward and the saw just kind of folds.

There is really no lifting or struggle. It only takes your body weight to move forward to close and backward to open. I’d love to have this stand for every portable tool I use. It truly is a great feature.

As far as assembly the Bosch goes together extremely easy. Although, the manual calls for 10 and 16 mm wrenches and actually needs 13 and 17 mm wrenches. I am not sure how that one got past the editing process.

FUNCTION

There are a couple different opinions on the Bosch 4100-09 being work ready right out of the box. Honestly, I just think it comes down to the luck of the draw. I am sure the saws are factory aligned before they are shipped, but who knows what type of journey those saws had to go through before you pulled it out of the box.

If the journey was a hard one (maybe the trucking company had a rookie driver that shipment) it may have been banged around a little bit. Or it could have been as smooth as butter and it’s ready to use when you open it. In my opinion, that is all it boils down to.

However, I have noticed that after a lot of use the gauges and various parts may need realigned. But, this isn’t really out of the ordinary for any large, portable piece of equipment.

You wouldn’t think it true but the accuracy of the tape on some cheaper table saws isn’t always very good. On the Bosch 4100-09 that is not the case. Once you set the indicator, the fence will stay square to the table all the way across your cut and you will not have issues with accuracy.

Take a few minutes though, and use some car wax on the rails where the fence rides. Once it dries, wipe it off and this will create a very smooth slide and eliminate the chatter the fence sometimes makes as you put it into position.

Table Saw Safety

Safety features are always a big deal when deciding what the best table saw is for you. Table saws are of the most dangerous power tools to use if proper technique and caution aren’t utilized.

The Bosch 4100-09 is full of safety features that are both easily installed and removed (only when you have to).

The riving knife and blade guard actually have a quick-release so you can easily remove it. This is important because, in the past, these elements were so hard to install once removed people would simply leave it off. Now that there is a quick-release feature it makes it much easier to put back on and avoid the involuntary donation if OSHA decides to visit the job-site.

Also, use the push stick that Bosch provides. Some people don’t even realize it comes with the table saw, but it will be located in its proper space right behind the power cord storage.

Seriously, this saw has a place to store everything. It can be kind of confusing at first but read the manual or watch a video and familiarize yourself with why this is one of the best table saws you can buy.

Generally, the under carriage of portable table saws are as open as possible to prevent saw dust from collecting. However, the Bosch 4100-09 does have a few places where dust will tend to collect.

If you are trying to vacuum or brush the dust off you will probably have trouble getting all of it. The best solution is to blow the saw down when you are finished. For the most part, this will take care of any hidden dust traps.

Nit Picking

I wish they wouldn’t have painted the surface of the table itself. It would have been just fine with the aluminum exposed.

There are a few places where dust will collect underneath the saw.

Because of the .091” kerf of the riving knife it limits the blades you can use for certain projects.

BOSCH 4100-09 10-INCH WORKSITE TABLE SAW

The Bosch 4100-09 Table Saw is amazing. My dad has this saw and raves about it constantly. I certainly have no problem recommending this table saw wholeheartedly  Click below to buy on Amazon.

Still looking? Check out our new guide to see the best table saw you can buy.