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Bosch 4100 is in the house...The Unboxing...

15K views 41 replies 10 participants last post by  Stick486  
#1 ·
My Bosch 4100 came in from CPO Outlets (recon) yesterday and today I unboxed it...

Here's the unboxing...

As I examined the box I found no signs of damage...probably not typical for 100lbs or so of good stuff...so I wondered what kind of packing I would find on the inside.

As I cut the box I see a whole lot of big large-bubble wrap stuck everywhere...made me wonder even more why the cardboard was in such good shape..."slowly I turned"...

I pulled all the bubbles out and placed the saw down to examine it...not a single scratch, dent, or any other disfigurement...

On to the saw..."step by step"...

While it is a heavy saw for it's size, it's still easy enough for this old fart to get it onto the tailgate of my RAM...

I then checked all the nuts and bolts to make sure everything was tight...sure enuff they were...

...Bosch blade, 40-tooth, combo...I'll use this till it goes...riving knife exactly in the center of the kerf...red handle pull-up latch that holds the blade for quick changes...

On to the alignment check...everything was on the money except the rip fence...that needed a bit of adjustment and was a snap with two allen bolts on top of the fence...now dead nuts on...real easy process...

Blade was also parallel to the slot...marked a tooth and measured same front and back...also did it with an opposite tooth just for S&G's...

Miter fence rail is .750 on the money and the slot is .760 from one end to the other...so plenty of aftermarket stuff should fit it in case I don't like the stock miter fence...

Blade height adjustment is smooth as is the angle adjustment...a little care here as it wants to angle to a natural position by itself after loosening the lock...two hands are good till you get the hang of it. This is probably a testimony to it's smooth action...

I noticed a teensy-weensy bit of sawdust in a couple of spots...no doubt a test cut prior to boxing and shipping...

The saw has a lock/unlock for extending the right wing...NICE...adjusted dead on. If you forget to lock the extension, there is a huge red block (3/4" x 2") that stays up and prevents the fence from moving past it and is also a visual indicator that the extension is not locked. Keep in mind that the fence can be locked in position at the far end of the extension and then slide the whole extension in and out for cutting while the fence stays locked. This is slick...there is a separate ruler used for greater than 13 1/2" cut.

So all alignments are dead on...nuts and bolts are tight...time to turn it on and make some test sawdust. I am real anxious to try out the dust extraction port...hope my shop-vac and dust deputy have enough suck...

Tonite I will just turn it on just to listen to the sweet melodic hum of a tight machine...then I will let it rest after a long journey but tomorrow morning it's gonna work for its breakfast of the oldest (but clean) piece of wood I can muster up...gonna rip, cross-cut, dado and all them other fancy words

...stay tuned...more to come...crosscut sled is first project...
 
#2 ·
I am real anxious to try out the dust extraction port...hope my shop-vac and dust deputy have enough suck...
.
no it won't...
and thanks for setting up my new saw...
 
#3 ·
...it's under lock and key...sold the house, moved, new address, no forwarding...

...ya can't find it...it's hiding...there was a warning in the box right on top...Beware the Stick...I think it was stuck in there by either Bosch CS or CPO Outlets... :)
 
#4 ·
visualize fall down on floor, doubled over in hysterical can't breathe laughter....
 
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#6 ·
...gotcha !!...
 
#5 ·
because of the expandable table...
strongly suggest double runnered sled and a clamp on in-feed brackets/supports...
 
#8 ·
Thanks...definitely double runners...

...not sure what you mean by "clamp on in-feed brackets/supports"...

Do you mean mount a couple of clamps to hold down the piece when I'm using it...? If yes, GREAT IDEA ! ! ! Hadn't thought of adding clamps...I've been making the sleds bigger than the table and using F-clamps on the ends...I like the mounted clamps better...Thanks...
 
#10 · (Edited)
Thanks, Marco...the original write-up pointed to pictures I took but I had a hard time uploading them..so I edited it and left the pictures out. When I get some time I'll work on including the pics...I think I just need to resize them.

I'm still wondering where they got those neat pictures of Pluto...maybe they're just Photoshop'ed images of the moon... :)
 
#14 ·
Congratulations Nick, you're gonna be happy with that saw. I've had mine for 6 years and have no problems with it.
Be sure to read the "special" instructions for dado blade use though. I remember being very upset until I finally decided that I didn't know everything and read the instructions.
 
#15 ·
Thanks, Roger...appreciate the heads up. So far I just turned it on last night to hear it running...smooth, quiet...

Today it makes sawdust...put a carpet down on a pool deck couple of weeks ago and need to make strips from a deck board to staple down the ends...

Should be a blast...pushing through a 16 footer several times to make 1/4 x 1" strips.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Some more observations...

The fence gauge is right on...after about 120 miles in the back of my pickup I slid it to the tailgate, set it for 4 9/16" and lo & behold, 4 9/16" was cut...I had set the fence so the gauge indicates what will be cut between the blade and fence (nothing earthshattering here). I have it set for a few thousands relief on the outfeed...seems to line up and hold that position whenever I move the fence. First I hold the fence into the rail and then lock it in. It's important to set the adjustment screw on the far end of the fence right...follow the manual, it'll pay off...

The fence also allows for 1/4-20x3/4" bolts for an auxiliary fence...track is on the blade side of the fence...there's also a similar slot on the top surface of the fence...it was suggested by Stick to use a 1" piece...makes the math much easier...but then you guys probably know that already. It never bothered me before as I always measured blade to fence for each cut...

I set the fence at 13.5", slid out the table extension and cross-cut a piece using the miter gauge with the extension set at 14", set my piece in place, moved the extension further away and cut...right on the money. Except the miter gauge has a bit of deflection but works okay if you hold pressure on piece and gauge appropriately. Some sandpaper might help to hold or adding an auxiliary fence. The stock gauge is a teensy bit light but fits the slot nicely. I held the miter gauge to the blade side of the rail guide. I have not intentions of replacing it just yet...

Now on to some real cuts...

I need to make some small trim (about 1/4x1") from some decking boards...need it to tack down some carpet around a pool deck. The board is 5 1/2" wide, set the fence at 5" and cut off the board edge...16FT long ! Then I moved the fence to 4 1/2" and took off another slice...just practicing at this point...I'll cut the 1/4" strips tonight. The cut-off was the same 1/2" minus the kerf all the way down the piece... Yes...outfeed roller, featherboard, nobody to touch the end of the board, etc... Next time around I'll set the 1/4" to the fence...GRRipper - time to earn your keep...

While there is no lock on the height adjustment, the blade never moved...

Sawdust shot out the out port cleanly...did not hook up any suction...

Saw started up smoothly, runs quiet and doesn't even think about slowing down through the cut. However, I did think I detected a difference in the saw when I used a 100' 12 gauge extension cord. When I attached my 75' 10-gauge, no problem while cutting the 16' length. Looks like the saw wants all the power it can grab. Manual does not show any extensions in the table beyond 12-gauge 50 feet...there's probably a good reason for that.

...and then made cuts in various thicknesses, angles and 90's.

The edges were cut so smooth that if I were to be edge-jointing I'd have no problems slapping the glue on after the cut. No doubt a function of the blade AND the smoothness of the saw.

I'm not an expert and I don't do this every day so these are really comfort observations for me...maybe others who use saws every day might see things differently. All I can say is the saw is very comfortable to use and it cuts comfortably and smoothly like a "hot knife through butta"...

It was mentioned to me that I sound like a kid with an ice cream cone...I tend to think of it as "a kid with an ice cream cone that knows it can drip if not careful"...and buying it reconditioned from CPO didn't bother me one bit...there's not even a scratch on it...

So...if you're new to more frequent need of a TS, give this a shot...it's worth the money...
 
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#19 ·
Some more observations...

The fence gauge is right on...after about 120 miles in the back of my pickup I slid it to the tailgate, set it for 4 9/16" and lo & behold, 4 9/16" was cut...I had set the fence so the gauge indicates what will be cut between the blade and fence (nothing earthshattering here). I have it set for a few thousands relief on the outfeed...seems to line up and hold that position whenever I move the fence. First I hold the fence into the rail and then lock it in. It's important to set the adjustment screw on the far end of the fence right...follow the manual, it'll pay off...

The fence also allows for 1/4-20x3/4" bolts for an auxiliary fence...track is on the blade side of the fence...there's also a similar slot on the top surface of the fence...it was suggested by Stick to use a 1" piece...makes the math much easier...but then you guys probably know that already. It never bothered me before as I always measured blade to fence for each cut...

I set the fence at 13.5", slid out the table extension and cross-cut a piece using the miter gauge with the extension set at 14", set my piece in place, moved the extension further away and cut...right on the money. Except the miter gauge has a bit of deflection but works okay if you hold pressure on piece and gauge appropriately. Some sandpaper might help to hold or adding an auxiliary fence. The stock gauge is a teensy bit light but fits the slot nicely. I held the miter gauge to the blade side of the rail guide. I have not intentions of replacing it just yet...

Now on to some real cuts...

I need to make some small trim (about 1/4x1") from some decking boards...need it to tack down some carpet around a pool deck. The board is 5 1/2" wide, set the fence at 5" and cut off the board edge...16FT long ! Then I moved the fence to 4 1/2" and took off another slice...just practicing at this point...I'll cut the 1/4" strips tonight. The cut-off was the same 1/2" minus the kerf all the way down the piece... Yes...outfeed roller, featherboard, nobody to touch the end of the board, etc... Next time around I'll set the 1/4" to the fence...GRRipper - time to earn your keep...

While there is no lock on the height adjustment, the blade never moved...

Sawdust shot out the out port cleanly...did not hook up any suction...

Saw started up smoothly, runs quiet and doesn't even think about slowing down through the cut. However, I did think I detected a difference in the saw when I used a 100' 12 gauge extension cord. When I attached my 75' 10-gauge, no problem while cutting the 16' length. Looks like the saw wants all the power it can grab. Manual does not show any extensions in the table beyond 12-gauge 50 feet...there's probably a good reason for that.

...and then made cuts in various thicknesses, angles and 90's.

The edges were cut so smooth that if I were to be edge-jointing I'd have no problems slapping the glue on after the cut. No doubt a function of the blade AND the smoothness of the saw.

I'm not an expert and I don't do this every day so these are really comfort observations for me...maybe others who use saws every day might see things differently. All I can say is the saw is very comfortable to use and it cuts comfortably and smoothly like a "hot knife through butta"...

It was mentioned to me that I sound like a kid with an ice cream cone...I tend to think of it as "a kid with an ice cream cone that knows it can drip if not careful"...and buying it reconditioned from CPO didn't bother me one bit...there's not even a scratch on it...

So...if you're new to more frequent need of a TS, give this a shot...it's worth the money...
Nick:
This a good initial review, as I've considered a 4100. But I'm confused/concerned about the portion that I highlighted above. (of course, without pictures it's hard to visualize what you were doing).
Were you using the miter gauge and fence at the same time? If so, that's a big no-no. If not, I didn't understand what you were doing.

Vince
 
#17 ·
I guess I should have put this in "Tool Reviews"...
 
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#18 ·
copy and paste it over there...
 
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#22 ·
Thanks, Bob...the only reason I didn't get the gravity stand is space. It's easier, in my situation, to "pick it up and put it down"...for remote jobs...

I usually use a couple of folding horses and some 3/4 ply with a hole in the center (for sawdust). Chop, router, etc... get a folding table I work on...

One of these days a HUGE enclosed trailer would be fantastic...
 
#23 ·
#24 ·
@Nickp

Nick: thanks for the explanation - that makes more sense. I've had a look at the saw and was aware that the "red" block is in the up position until the fence is locked, but I obviously didn't pay attention the the rulers, or how they worked or the need to set the fence, lock it, then move it.

Secondly, you purchased your saw without the gravity stand, through CPO. I'm not sure that CPO is available to us in Canada (without the high shipping costs, if at all).
Is the stand-less (if that's a word) saw only available through CPO? I've never seen the 4100 without the stand (it's labelled as a 4100-09). The model without the stand appears to be different. I may be wrong. Although the gravity stand appears convenient, I would probably prefer to build my own stand, if I purchased that saw.
 
#25 ·
The bare saw is part no. 4100. But, when I bought mine, the 4100-09 was only a few dollars more and I sold the gravity-rise stand to further reduce my overall cost. Just sayin' :wink:
 
#27 ·
Nick
Thanks - one last question... I've looked at this saw, both new and used, and found the one thing that bothered me on the various ones I've looked at was the movement of the fence. That's to say, that when I slid the fence over, it didn't feel real smooth, almost like it was grabbing as it slid, if that makes sense. I realize it isn't a cabinet saw :) but the jerky movement just didn't feel right and was a bit annoying. Have you notice that aspect?
 
#28 ·
I actually tested that reading the same thing...

I waxed the rail and can grab the fence out to the middle before it tries to stick...

It also has to do with how tight/loose the end screw is...there's a happy medium there. I have had no problem sliding the fence but habitually I always grab fences at the rail end...

I haven't seen anything different than any other saw I've used...

I'm really pleased with the 4100... Wish I'd bought this when I bought my last saw...
 
#31 ·
Thaneks nick and stick:haha::haha:

Still weighing my options on a new TS - yup, RAINMAN2 >:jester:

Seriously considering one of these given all the positive comments about them.
If you need portability, you will be very happy with the 4100. That is not to say you wouldn't like it in the shop depending on your cutting needs.

I'll be spinning up the SD208 dado on the saw later in the week or weekend...will keep the updates coming...
 
#32 ·
I like taking my time getting comfortable with a new tool...so yesterday I played with the 4100 again...

I finished the cross-cut sled for it...happened to find a very old piece of 1x6 mahogany...left over from when one of the home-owners up the hill built his deck with mahogany boards...back in 1998, I believe...can't wait til he moves...anyway...

It was obvious that I would have to trim a couple of pieces to make the rails for the sled...so I practiced on a piece of 2x4. Took my homemade thin strip jig, mounted it, and decided to make a really fine cut...

End result was a sliver of a 4ft piece of 2x4 cut to .050 from one end to the other...calling it luck, I did it a couple of more times...on the money...

Getting comfortable with a new tool is important to me...how it sounds, feels, quirks, etc... so I take advantage of playing with it and trying even worthless cuts...the end result however, is certainly anything but worthless...

At some point I will pick up the wings and outfeed extensions...for now, plenty of projects to tackle...
 
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#35 ·
Good point, Brad...I have been negligent in the pictures category...

I suppose that since I've mentioned repeatability so much I should be able to take some...

...and thanks, Dan...no blood so far...
 
#36 ·
PICTURES...and words...

I stuffed all the pictures into the attached PDF...it made it easier to comment with each picture...

This one is unboxing and alignment checking...the next one will be test cuts...

Thanks...
 

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#37 ·
so that's how it's done...
 
#39 ·
I got my Bosch 4100-10 a few years ago and I have to say it's an impressive machine. Never experienced any issues other than the fact that the fence only extends 8.5" to the left of the blade which is a problem for certain cuts that I make. Everything else seems to be well-thought out.
why is that???
 
#41 ·
Bosch 4100 is the greatest Jobsite saw out their hands down. It cuts each substance we need on the Jobsite with exactitude and it powers through a few very thick and stubborn stuff. The barely other table saws I enjoy used so as to are better than this one are the spacious non-portable shop saws.

The table organizes to cut big stuff and the outfeed bars are perfect. The stand makes it easy to conduction and all you need stores on the saw. The only little grievance is that dust collection could be better. We always use this saw with a vacuum hooked up and there is still a fair amount of sawdust under it after a day's use.

Yes, Strongly, I recommend this product.
 
#42 ·
Hello Charles and welcome to the forums...

A DC collection boot under the saw will help...

Image