Portable Table Saws-Dewalt vs Bosch

[Greatwhitewing]

looking at these two portable table saws. Need the portable and the small storage footprint.

Anybody have hands on with both or either?

They seem fairly close in features with the Bosch having a considerably larger table with a rear and left side support available but only a 1 year warranty.

The Dewalt is costlier but has a 3 year warranty and the legs look steadier.

Are these accurate impressions? Anything else to consider? I think I heard NO blade height lock for the Bosch, seems like a brain fart if so.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000S5S5CW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014GD3HQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[bushhawg73]

After looking at the Dewalt in a store I did not like the fence. I did not have a chance to view the Bosch. I decided on the Ridgid R4510. It has a lot of good reviews, good warranty, available at home depot and the table and fence are really nice IMHO. If you can look at a Dewalt in the store play with the fence operation and I think you will see what I mean.

 

[Larwyn]

I have owned a similar DeWalt for several years. Mine came without a stand and I now have it on the gravity rise Bosch stand. It has been an outstanding table saw and I bought mine because of the rack and pinion fence. I have not been disappointed, the fence holds it's setting, the scale is accurate and it is solid. Mine serves as the only table saw in my shop and is more than up to the job. It is not a cabinet saw but if you have limited space or just need a portable, it would be hard to do better. Since I have been 100% satisfied with my DeWalt I have never used the Bosch saw.

 

[shoturtle]

Think the bosch is swiss made, the dewalt is chinese. I would email bosch the model number and they can give you the coo.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

On Amazon I can get the Bosch AND the two work supports for about the same as the Dewalt. I read that article a little after I started this thread.

No one has said anything about stability. The Dewalt certainly "looks" steadier.

Pop Mechanics issue Feb2012, rates the Bosch better than the Dewalt DW 745. However the Bosch is more $$$.

 

[jim2664258]

Doubt if you'll find someone that has both to compare directly, I mean they do both cost a fair amount of money. I have the Bosch and love it. It is very precise, and it does have a blade height lock - I can't imagine anyone making a table saw w/o that.

Other than operating both side-by-side I think you'll have a tough time deciding which to buy. The good news is, both are very likely to work quite well for you.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

I wouldn't be surprised to hear a professional that has used both. Maybe a friend has one but you make a good point about both being good tools. When I spend $600 bucks I like to make sure I am getting the right one. Sometimes there are subtle features that a certain product much more usable. The bigger table for the Bosch has me leaning in that direction especially since you dispelled the myth of a lack of blade lock.

Doubt if you'll find someone that has both to compare directly, I mean they do both cost a fair amount of money. I have the Bosch and love it. It is very precise, and it does have a blade height lock - I can't imagine anyone making a table saw w/o that.

Other than operating both side-by-side I think you'll have a tough time deciding which to buy. The good news is, both are very likely to work quite well for you.

 

[robertwhite]

I have the Bosch unit.

When I was shopping for the saw, I looked at the Dewalt. Not even in the same ballpark in term of quality.

 

[volpster31]

I own the bosch and its really nice.i bought the two support extensions and it makes a huge difference....i wont say "dont buy the dewalt", but the bosch is excellent

 

[whitbma]

See this test of the Bosch & Dewalt saw.
See: http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=1473&articleID=1722293

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Thanks for the reference, good reading but neither is a model I am looking at. Both are smaller sized versions. Great for a professional finish guy but my needs are more varied and want or need the bigger table and rip capacity.

See this test of the Bosch & Dewalt saw.
See: http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=1473&articleID=1722293

 

[Monte]

Think the bosch is swiss made, the dewalt is chinese. I would email bosch the model number and they can give you the coo.

i think its chinese or taiwanese. Festool and Mafell offers nice german made table saws.

 

[Toolfool]

I know it's not what you're looking at, but I'll offer another alternative. The set-up I have in my truck for on-site cabinet work is accurate, has great rip capacity and folds away easily. I have an inexpensive Delta benchtop 10" saw with a Rousseau PortaMax (http://www.rousseauco.com/) (they work with most saws) portable table and outfeed table. I can rip to 30", and a table extension can be added for 50" rip capability. Either table can be ordered as a router table as well. I've been using this system for almost 20 years doing high-end projects.

 

[shoturtle]

i think its chinese or taiwanese. Festool and Mafell offers nice german made table saws.

I think it was swiss, my hammer drill is swiss. Seems their higher price items are swiss. I know their super high end rotary hammer is swiss as well. I looked at one of their table saws last year, and it was swiss made.

 

[never enuf time]

I love my DeWalt, I use it almost everyday (finish carpenter). The rack & pinion fence is the cats ***. To rip an uneven board lightly move the knob in or out.

Mine is old enough, that it's made in usa. Newer ones are mexico.

I've heard of both brands burning up the motors, i baby mine & put new brush's in before they got too short.

 

[mjozefow]

I like the Bosch unit a lot. I have made all sorts of finish grade work with it.

All cuts for this vanity were made on the Bosch 10". I made this with my Dad's saw but I own the identical unit. It is a great machine if you understand its limits.

 

[tyyost]

I went through this a few months back. Went to Lowes and played with each, did a ton of reading, went back and played some more, surfed the net, trolled eBay and went to lowes and bought the Bosch.

Hands down the stand on the bosch makes the difference in using and storing the saw. I can't imagine lifting and hauling another saw on to a stand. It goes from stored to working in a minute or so, and works great. I have used lots of commercial saws, but if I am confident this saw with the right blade can cut anything I throw at it, and can do larger dado cuts than the DeWalt.

Go and try the fences, installing guards, etc and decide. The dewalt fence people online love drove me nuts, but I like t-square fences. Lmmv, but if you plan to store the saw, I found the gravity rise stand head and shoulders above anything else. I I tried that in the store too!

 

[mjozefow]

Oh, the Bosch is Taiwanese or Chinese made. I searched in vain for a USA made portable table saw.

 

[ATTappman]

I had a Dewalt DW745 (same saw as DW744X I think, but without the stand). I sold it and bought the Bosch 4100. Dewalt features: smaller size, lighter weight, rack and pinion fence, dust extraction works better, easier to make your own throat plate. Bosch features: beefier motor, soft start motor, bigger and wider table, more traditional fence, better miter gauge, gravity rise stand is superb, slightly quieter.

I just got tired of the small table on the Dewalt. I don't have room for a contractor or hybrid saw. Some people really like the Dewalt's rack and pinion fence. I didn't much.

 

[Addrock]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O7FX20/?tag=atomicindus08-20

What about this one, I have heard a lot of good stuff about it, very light, accurate.

 

[mjozefow]

I dislike the fence on the above saw. At least that was my impression after looking it over at Menards.

 

[marslawn]

I will most likely get banned from GJ, but I have say I bought a ryobi I few years back that is attachment to a cart and I love it. It is light and still powerful enough to do lots. I bought it thinking I would do one job and fell in love with the saw. Something I learned from a flooring installer is to put a 7 1/4 blade in your portable saw. The thing cuts like it is a 3hp. I thought I would not like it not being able to go full depth, but the only time I have needed to change the blade was to cut foam and it didn't matter.

 

[marslawn]

This is the one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050RBIBS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[blue dog]

I have a makita Like this
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027FFKWY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

And run the rousseau table saw stand and run off table, one man operation running full sheets on the job. works great sets up in less then a minute. It evan accepts my router on the table and can be used with the fence.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008RW96/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Just an other option. The saw and table were far less when i bought them 10 years ago though, but they still work perfect today.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

If I didn't need wider rip capacity that one would be high on the list.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O7FX20/?tag=atomicindus08-20

What about this one, I have heard a lot of good stuff about it, very light, accurate.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

That is an interesting option. The Ryobi site doesn't seem to have any info on the saw and Amazon is a bit brief. I like the 30 inch rip capacity but the motor seems wimpy compared to the Bosch or Dewalt. Price is right though butttt it is reconditioned.

It's on the considering list but at my age I hope to never buy another table saw and still leaning toward Bosch and thanks for the suggestion.

I will most likely get banned from GJ, but I have say I bought a ryobi I few years back that is attachment to a cart and I love it. It is light and still powerful enough to do lots. I bought it thinking I would do one job and fell in love with the saw. Something I learned from a flooring installer is to put a 7 1/4 blade in your portable saw. The thing cuts like it is a 3hp. I thought I would not like it not being able to go full depth, but the only time I have needed to change the blade was to cut foam and it didn't matter.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

I looked early on at this one and can't seem to find the max rip capacity.

I have a makita Like this
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027FFKWY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

And run the rousseau table saw stand and run off table, one man operation running full sheets on the job. works great sets up in less then a minute. It evan accepts my router on the table and can be used with the fence.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008RW96/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Just an other option. The saw and table were far less when i bought them 10 years ago though, but they still work perfect today.

 

[PCO6]

I have a DeWalt DW744XR and bought it in part because of the fence. I plan to mount the saw on a portable wood stand and add a router table next to the saw. I will be able to use the sliding fence on both as it can be taken off and reversed.

 

[acer66]

I have the Bosch and it is not made in Switzerland but I do not think it`s made in China,
the stand is made in China, I can check if that matters.

I really like the Bosch and the two little feed supports help a lot if you work alone with bigger pieces.

The gravity stand is just great, really a joy to use, but it makes it a little heavy.
If you have a regular height truck/van it`s not really a problem but if you have some lifted/4x4 vehicle you might want to check how it handles.
I have a 2W truck and have no problems with loading or unloading.

Having said that, I used also the Ryobi BT3000 (?) at work for years and it was holding up the abuse pretty good, but I never build a cabinet etc. on that one, no experience with the Dewalt.

And run the rousseau table saw stand and run off table, one man operation running full sheets on the job. works great sets up in less then a minute. It evan accepts my router on the table and can be used with the fence.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008RW96/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Just an other option. The saw and table were far less when i bought them 10 years ago though, but they still work perfect today.

That is a pretty cool setup.

 

[kippieland]

Both saws look awesome. I have the small Dewalt tablesaw, it works good for riping, since its a construction saw. The one thing that I wish it had is the ability to do dadeos. I know the Ridgid can do dadeos, but I can't find any info on the two saws you are thinking of and dadeos. It my not be important to you, but it is a great feature to have.

 

[Larwyn]

My DeWalt is a DW744 from about 8 years ago (made in Mexico). I have added the outfeed and side supports that slide out when needed. Sometimes I use a freestanding work support for infeed support if I need to. I have the dado throat plate for it and use a Freud stacked dado set on it regularly. I also mounted my DeWalt saw on the Bosch gravity rise stand which works great with just about any portable table saw. All this combined with a pair of Micro Jig Gripper push blocks for the small stuff allow me to do just about anything with this saw that I could expect from any other table saw.

In the years that I have owned and used this saw, I have had no complaints about it.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

I am certain the Bosch does dados and reasonably sure the dewalt does too

Both saws look awesome. I have the small Dewalt tablesaw, it works good for riping, since its a construction saw. The one thing that I wish it had is the ability to do dadeos. I know the Ridgid can do dadeos, but I can't find any info on the two saws you are thinking of and dadeos. It my not be important to you, but it is a great feature to have.

 

[nmk_61802]

I'll submit this one:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921829000P?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5

I use it. It is basically a copy of the Ryobi with more features. Initially purchased it so I didn't need a second table for a router. Not a cabinet saw by any means, but works well for my limited space.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Bosch invented this whole category of saws many years ago. Of course, there are many imitators now, so you have choices.
Even though it is made in a third world country, I'd still get the Bosch.

As to the poster who went with the Ridgid because of the warranty, just try to use that "lifetime warranty". Is there a service center for your town listed on the Ridgid website? If so, you are lucky. Even so, call them and ask if they still do warranty repairs on Ridgid tools. It takes over a year before Ridgid will take them off of their website after they have had enough.

 

[acer66]

I'll submit this one:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921829000P?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5

I use it. It is basically a copy of the Ryobi with more features. Initially purchased it so I didn't need a second table for a router. Not a cabinet saw by any means, but works well for my limited space.

That router mounting is really a great feature, I build my own for the Bosch but was never really happy with it
and bought a router table.
But I still wish I could retro fit the Bosch table saw with that.

 

[jim2664258]

The Bosch can not only do dados, it can be fitted with a molding cutter. I don't know how well that actually works, but it is supported. I do not know if the DeWalt supports molding cutters or not, and it may not matter to you regardless. I'd be surprised if the DeWalt could not do dados, but many people cut them with a router anyway so again, it may not matter to you.

 

[nmk_61802]

I've done Dado's with the Craftsman/ Ryobi. It dosen't like the wobble type dado blades but does fine with my stacked blades.

I did have to buy a larger insert though.

 

[jim2664258]

I did have to buy a larger insert though.

That's true of all table saws. If you want to use a dado stack or molding cutting, you need a wider opening on the throat plate. You could make your own as well. Making them for the Bosch is a little bit of a pain because of the contour you need to rout on the underside of it, but once you do one it's not a big deal. Someone previously mentioned it was easier to make your own inserts for the DeWalt.

 

[marslawn]

That is an interesting option. The Ryobi site doesn't seem to have any info on the saw and Amazon is a bit brief. I like the 30 inch rip capacity but the motor seems wimpy compared to the Bosch or Dewalt. Price is right though butttt it is reconditioned.

It's on the considering list but at my age I hope to never buy another table saw and still leaning toward Bosch and thanks for the suggestion.

I bought mine at home depot.

 

[W_KY]

I don't own either of these saws nor have I used a table saw much. However, I have been looking at getting a table saw like this for the past three years (what can I say, I like to research my purchases and I don't have $600 just falling out of my pocket). Everything I have read makes me lean toward the Bosch. I think with just a couple additional outfeed supports, you could have a very nice setup.

I don't really need mine to be able to go to a job site but storage space is at a real premium in my garage. I've only heard great things about the stand. Once I add the table saw, a good router and router table, and Kreg jig, and I'll be ready to rock and roll......give me about 2 more years