The first thing most woodworkers say when you tell them about a benchtop table saw is “I want a full-size table saw.” Most of us have preconceptions that a full-size saw is more stable, more powerful and more accurate. Jim Krause, senior product manager for Bosch’s benchtop tools, wants to challenge these preconceptions.
The Worksite Table Saw is powerful. It has a 4.4 HP, 15 amp motor designed to take on the kind of really hard work that shows up at a work site. Jim has been out to a lot of work sites, and he’s seen the kind of work table saws are exposed to. “When you realize what these guys are doing on job sites…they are often pushing 2″ oak through a table saw,” says Jim. That’s why they packed so much power into this table saw.
The next thing a woodworker will notice is the fence. Jim says, “you watch a guy when he looks at a table saw and what’s the first thing he does? He loosens the fence, he starts moving it back and forth and sees how well it clamps down.” This saw uses what Jim calls square lock technology, which looks simple from the outside but is rather complicated when you examine its innards. This complex fence is designed to be very, very accurate, and woodworkers on some of the forums have commented on how well it works. The fence locks to the table on both ends, so once you’ve got it in place and clamped down, it’s rock solid. The handle for the fence also folds away so, as Jim puts it, it doesn’t keep jabbing you in the belly. We’re sure that’s not an issue for most of you.
So the saw is powerful and accurate, but is it stable? Bosch sells two sets of legs for this benchtop saw: one is a telescoping set and the other is designed for more permanent mounting. The telescoping legs, explains Jim, are designed to be portable and go with the saw to the job site. But they aren’t wimpy. These portable legs are solid welded steel, weigh 30 pounds and can support up to 500 pounds of materials.
There are other features that make this benchtop table saw a bit different from other saws. For example, it can accommodate a 13/16″ dado set while most other benchtops saws will only handle a 1/2″ dado set. It also includes a spindle lock, so you can change blades with just one wrench. Finally, you can get a zero-clearance insert for this saw if you are using it for finer work like furniture building.
– Bob Filipczak
