I loved the Craftsman Larry got me for Xmas a few years back but I'm afraid it wasn't up to all the use we put it through. After all that Maple hardwood and subsequent projects, the arbor started exhibiting run-out beyond usability for furniture and small accurate cuts. You just never quite knew if you were getting a straight cut or not. The parts to fix it were over $100 so I elected to get something with twice the power and a bit more rugged construction. Plus, I really wanted something mobile that I could move around the shop easily.
So, after a lot of research, it came down to one of three choices. Seems once you top the $300 class saws there isn't a whole lot of professional quality choices.
My three candidates were the Ridgid R4510:
Next in line was the Dewalt DW744XRS:
And finally the Bosch 4100-09:
First all three saws are capable performers. They all had plenty of power and though different, all three had features I look for in a good quality tool. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford, or for that matter, store all three so a choice had to be made.
The De Walt was the first saw I checked out. I have always liked De Walt tools and certainly was willing to give this one a chance. I liked most everything about this saw, especially the rack and pinion fence system. Unfortunately the fence itself was a bit cheesy and the miter gauge was just so, so. The floor unit at Lowe's, as abused as those are, was still in accurate alignment and the fence indicator was right on the money.
Sitting next to the De Walt was the Bosch. First, I have to say the Bosch Gravity-Rise Stand is in a word, amazing. The fence on this saw is a solid aluminum extrusion and rides on a cleverly designed variable length table extension. Everything on this saw moves smoothly and precisely. The miter gauge could be a little more "cool" looking but it is an aluminum casting and as accurate as I would expect. Oh and did I mention the stand? Twist the lever and it folds itself up! Twist it again and just give it a nudge and the darned thing pretty much sets itself back up!
Next was a trip to Home Depot to check out the Ridgid R4510. This saw had almost everything the Bosch did including a feel of great quality, a folding stand and quite candidly, a better blade angle adjustment. Feature for feature this saw stood tall against the other two. There was only one drawback. the saw would take a maximum sized 6" dado blade. Aside from that, this saw, counting my veterans discount was over $100 less than the other two.
It was a tough decision and the Ridgid was looking mighty favorable. I liked the De Walt fence but on a second inspection it just seemed a little flimsy. In the end though, good Dado blades cost over $100 and I already had an 8" one. That pretty much made the Bosch and the Ridgid a dead heat. The Bosch was a bit more powerful and Amazon had it for $50 less than Lowe's, had free shipping, no tax, and delivery to my garage floor. In the end, there wasn't much of a decision, I had to get the Bosch.
It's home now and even though it is bigger than the Craftsman, once folded up, takes up much less floor space. I'll be using it a bunch this week. I'm off all week so I can't wait to get out there and use it. The big oak out front keeps the front of the garage in the shade almost to 2 PM every day now, so it will be a joy to make some sawdust!
