Bosch 4100-10 (and 4100-09) Jobsite Table Saw Review

If you don’t have space in your workshop to dedicate to a table saw, or you’ll need to move it around from location to location, you may be looking for a portable jobsite table saw like the Bosch Power Tools 4100-10. It’s the successor to the Bosch 4100-09, and the two are almost identical save for a few features. So almost everything you read below will apply to both models. I’ll call out the few differences.

In some regards, the Bosch 4100 is about average for this category of tool. In others, especially when it comes to portability, it really shines. Read on to see if it’s right for you!

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Features and Benefits

Let’s look at some of the important features of the Bosch 4100-10. If you’re new to table saws, you might want to check out our complete guide to buying a table saw for a more in-depth discussion of what to look for.

Motor and Power Supply

The 120-volt, 15-amp motor can be powered by any typical residential circuit. It spins at 3650 RPM, less than most competitors in this category. But that’s less important than its overall horsepower. Bosch rates the motor at 4 “max HP”, but take this marketing language with a grain of salt. At 120V and 15A, a motor can produce only about 2.4 HP, and in reality will produce less. In any case, the motor on the 4100 is plenty beefy to handle reasonable (under 2”) thicknesses of just about any wood.

The motor has a soft-start feature that quickly ramps the speed up to avoid unnecessary vibration on startup. This will also help avoid tripping circuit breakers, which can happen when sudden load is applied. The motor also has circuitry that varies the current draw to keep the blade at a constant speed even as you vary the material and feed rate. The motor is relatively quiet for this class of machine.

The power switch is large and can be turned off with your knee, which is an important safety consideration in case your hands are busy.

Table and Fence

The anodized aluminum table measures 29” x 21 1/2”, about average for this category of table saw. Some people report that after extended periods of heavy use, the anodized coating can wear off. Aside from any aesthetic concerns, this could make it harder to make really precise cuts down the road.

There’s no additional outfeed support at the back of the saw, unlike some competitors. But Bosch does sell an add-on that provides up to 18” of support if you need it.

The fence can be extended to provide 25” rip capacity to the right of the blade, about average for the class. (Bosch does offer a variant, the 4100XC-10, with a 30” capacity.)

Stand

The foldable, wheeled stand is where the Bosch 4100-10 really shines. It’s several pounds lighter than the stand on the 4100-09, but they both operate in basically the same way. Unlike its competitors that require lifting to unfold the stand and raise the saw, the “gravity-rise” system on the 4100 does not. You lay the unit on its side, press a lever, and then walk forward. The ingenious design of the stand does the rest.

The stand itself is made of heavy-duty material with 8” wheels that should be able to stand up to most any terrain. In spite of the solid construction, the stand remains relatively light. The combined weight of saw and stand of 92 pounds compares favorably with its main competitors.

If ease of portability is important to you, and you are concerned about struggling with heavier and harder-to-raise saws, this feature alone may be enough to recommend the Bosch 4100-10.

Blades and Cutting

The 4100-10 includes a 10” 24-tooth blade, optimized for ripping lumber. This is another area of difference from the 4100-09, which includes a 10” 40-tooth blade that can do an adequate job of both ripping and crosscutting wood. In both cases, the blades are of simply average quality. If you’re serious about getting the best results possible, you’ll probably want to upgrade your blade.

Some customers report having misaligned blades out of the box. Before operating the saw, you should check to make sure your blade is parallel to the miter slots and rip fence. While the manual addresses how to adjust the blade, the instructions are less than crystal-clear.

The blade height and tilt can be adjusted via controls on the front panel. As with most table saws, the blade can be tilted up to 45 degrees to make bevel cuts.

Miter Gauge and Slots

This saw has two T-shaped miter slots, one on each side of the blade. The supplied miter gauge is of decent quality, but can be a bit sloppy in the slots. Additionally, you may need to recalibrate the head on occasion, as it does come out of alignment and may not give you truly accurate miter cuts.

The miter gauge itself can be stored on the saw body, and it snaps in securely so it should not come loose during transport.

Dust Collection

A standard 2 1/2” dust collection port in the rear of the saw allows you to attach a shop vac. You will want to do this if you can, because the partially-open design of the blade compartment allows dust to fall out. There are nooks and crannies inside the body of the saw where dust will accumulate and, if you don’t blow it out after use, this can eventually damage the mechanism that raises and lowers the blade. It can also get into the motor, which can also lead to damage.

Safety

The Bosch 4100 provides three main safety features that you should consider must-haves:

• A riving knife behind the blade keeps wood from pinching the blade when it exits, preventing kickback. The knife is 0.091” thick, so may be just too tight for wood exiting a thin-kerf 0.092” blade. Consider using .098” or thicker blades to ensure wood does not get caught up on the knife.
• A blade guard made of aluminum and clear plastic that fits over the blade to prevent your fingers from getting too close, while allowing your workpiece to slide under.
• Anti-kickback pawls behind the blade that dig into wood if it is thrown forward, again reducing the danger from kickback.

These safety tools can be attached and detached quickly without any tools. So if you need to remove them to make specific kinds of cuts, it’s easy to put them back after.

Overall Pros/Cons

How Does it Compare?

If you want to compare the Bosch 4100 against similar products, here are a few that are worth a look.

Metabo HPT C10RJS

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If you’ll be cutting larger materials such as plywood sheets, you may want to look at this product from Metabo HPT (formerly Hitachi). It has a slightly larger table, at 28 3/4″ x 22”. But its 35” rip capacity is the largest in this category. And it features up to 10” of additional outfeed support at the rear of the table as an included accessory.

The design of the stand doesn’t get such high marks as the Bosch, but the trade-off might be worth it if you need the additional capacity.

Compare: Bosch 4100-10 vs. Metabo HPT C10RJS

Full review: Metabo HPT C10RJS Portable Jobsite Table Saw (Review)

DeWalt DWE7491RS

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This DeWalt 10″ jobsite table saw has a smaller table (26 3/8″ x 21 7/8″), but its maximum rip width of 32 1/2″ is in the same ballpark as the C10RJ. It also features an additional dust-collection port attached to the top of the riving knife, in addition to a 2 1/2″ port in the rear of the blade assembly. This can provide some nice extra dust collection if you have the adapters for it, but if not, the upper port tends to blow sawdust several feet away.

As far as portability, the stand on this model is excellent. While it isn’t quite as effortless to use as the Bosch stand, you should have no problems moving it around.

Compare: Bosch 4100-10 vs. DeWalt DWE7491RS

Full review: DeWalt DWE7491RS Jobsite Table Saw Review

SawStop JSS-120A60

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SawStop is the only table saw manufacturer right now that offers blade brake technology. Using electrical conductivity to detect the presence of flesh, it can instantly stop a blade and leave you with only a minor nick.

The features on this saw are similar to the ones above, with a maximum rip capacity of 25 1/2”.

You’ll pay quite a premium for the blade brake technology, so it’s up to you to decide if the extra peace of mind is worth it.

Conclusion

The claim to fame for the Bosch 4100-10 is its industry-leading folding stand. It’s made of durable material but remains lightweight. And it can be raised and lowered very easily. On-board storage of all the included accessories means you don’t need to worry about losing them as you move it around. If portability is a concern, this Bosch table saw should be at the top of your list.

That said, it’s not perfect. Its table is smaller than some of its competitors, so if you anticipate needing to cut large sheet goods, there may be better options. And the tendency for dust to accumulate inside the body of the saw could be a hassle if you’re not able to keep it connected to a vacuum all the time.

All in all, Bosch has won many fans for its line of table saws, and this is a quality product that delivers a lot of features for the price.

Specs