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Bosch 4000-09 Worksite Table SawBig saw features for the worksite or small shopText & Photos by Tom Hintz Note: The Bosch 4000 Worksite table saw reviewed here came packaged with the remarkable Bosch TS2000 Gravity-RiseTM stand that makes this a truly mobile saw that uses a tiny footprint when stored. Click Here to see full review of the TS2000, including a short video of it in action.Not everyone has the room or budget for a cabinet saw. NewWoodworker.com is hearing from a growing number of woodworkers for whom shop space is small and often shared with other family needs. For them, mobility and storage capabilities of power tools are important considerations. Though originally designed primarily for contractor worksite use, the capabilities, size and tiny storage space required make the Bosch 4000 an attractive tool for many woodworkers. Initial ImpressionsThe Bosch 4000 is physically larger than I expected. The fit and finish is first rate, showing quality manufacturing of the parts and accurate assembly. All moveable parts and settings operated smoothly and predictably right out of the box. The locking handles on the table extension, fence and bevel control are easy to use and lock securely.
The layout of the controls and component storage are nicely designed, apparently with transporting the saw from one place to another in mind. InstructionsThe instruction manual included with the Bosch 4000 requires a short familiarization period. As expected, the manual includes English, French and Spanish translations but for some reason, and we hope a temporary one, it was decided to inter-mix the languages through munch of the manual. The first 20-pages containing the legalese far too many skip entirely (and shouldn't) has the English, French and Spanish translations separated. The remaining 43-pages have the English version on the left page and the French and Spanish translations sharing the right page. Though initially confusing, this arrangement is consistent. Once this layout is recognized, using the manual becomes relatively easy. Overall, the manual is well written and features many first-rate line illustrations that support the text very clearly. The small amount of assembly required is clearly described but more importantly, procedures for adjusting and aligning the saws major components are described and illustrated exceptionally well. The final printed pages of the manual contain full-scale templates that help the user fabricate and install auxiliary faces on the rip fence and miter guide. The templates for the rip fence are particularly important as they show where to safely drill holes for the fasteners without damaging or interfering with the locking mechanism that runs through it. Contortion-Free Alignment
Though it seems most contractor and worksite table saws are designed to be aligned by world-class contortionists, the Bosch 4000 can be accurately set up by normally flexible people. Blade parallelism and bevel stops are adjustable from the outside of the saws case. Even the splitter assembly can be aligned with the blade and made square to the table from the top of the saw. What a concept! The instruction manual clearly describes alignment procedures for the rip fence, miter gauge and blade parallelism with text augmented by quality line illustrations. I routinely go through all specified alignment procedures on all new equipment in the NewWoodworker.com shop whether they need it or not. The Bosch 4000 was aligned very well but I was able to refine the blade parallelism even more using my dial indicator, and do it more easily than on any other saw I have aligned. Motor and PowerThe Bosch 4000 is driven by a compact 15-amp, 4.5 HP (maximum developed) motor that spins the blade at 3650 RPM. The motor features soft start technology and Bosch's' Constant Response circuitry that senses load and automatically applies more power to maintain blade speed. I am just as wary of "maximum
developed" power ratings these days but found nothing during shop testing to dispute the rating given the Bosch 4000. The motor is mounted to a heavily reinforced metal casting that also forms a sealed housing around the blade. This is a direct drive design that uses no belts that could wear out or break. Dust CollectionThe Bosch 4000 has a shroud that totally encloses the blade below the table that harnesses the aerodynamics of the spinning blade to help eject dust through a rear-mounted port that accepts standard 2 ¼"-diameter vacuum hoses. The shroud system is very effective with even a medium powered shop vac to help extract the dust. As with any table saw, some dust comes over the top of the blade but even that seems to be reduced by the effectiveness of the shroud system. Because the shroud is part of the motor/blade carriage, the dust port moves with the rest of the assembly when set for bevel cuts. Dust collection remains effective without having to add homemade covers or bags beneath the saw. Controls
A large, easy-to-reach, on off switch is located on the front-left of the cabinet. Flip it up to start the saw, push it down to shut the motor off. The switch also has the customary removable locking key though on the Bosch 4000 it does not tend to fall out on it's own to never be seen again. The switch also has provisions for inserting a padlock to further secure the switch from unauthorized use. Blade height and tilt are adjusted with the front-mounted hand wheel. The height function uses friction on the threads rather than a locking handle to secure the setting. The rate of change in response to turning the hand wheel is well balanced for quick changes without making it difficult to set a specific height. The tilt function is locked by a handle directly behind the hand wheel. Release the lock and the bevel angle is adjusted by moving the hand wheel and bevel pointer to the desired angle before locking it with the lever. This system seemed like it could be awkward but in use it proved fast, accurate and simple.
Throughout our testing height and angle adjustments held their position and were unaffected by dust buildup. This is probably due in large part to the dust-collecting shroud but also the uncomplicated but effective design of the under-table mechanisms. Large TableA common shortcoming of portable table saws is a small work surface area. The Bosch 4000 differs with a 21 ½"-deep by 29"-wide (closed) table surface. In addition, the surface can be widened to 40 ½" overall with the easy-to-use right side extension. The extension table expands the rip capacity to at least 25". The table is made from cast aluminum with a fine pebble-like surface that lets material slide easily. The underside of the table features an extensive network of ribs and gussets that insure the table remains flat and solid.
The table extension is controlled by a single lever, centered under the rails. Lift the lever towards you and the extension can be adjusted. Push the lever back down and it locks securely. Simple and effective. A double scale runs along the front edge of the table. The line of numbers closest to the operator corresponds to the fence cursor, the rear line to the indicator mounted on the table edge, used to set wider rip cuts with the fence secured on the extension. Align the fence cursor to 13" on the front scale and lock it down. When the table extension is moved, the blade to fence distance is accurately shown by the table-mounted indicator. During setup and use, I found these indicators and scales to be very accurate. A pair of ¾"-wide by 3/8"-deep miter slots run front to back, one to the right and left of the blade. These are not T-style slots but fit the included miter gauge reasonably well. We also were able to fit after market miter gauges to the table slots very closely because slot width is very consistent over their length.
A plastic insert set into the table between the operator and blade can be marked with pencil lines and a straightedge laid against both sides of the blade to show where cuts will begin. This is a quick way to begin positioning work pieces for precise cuts. Rip Fence & Miter GaugeThe standard rip fence shipped with the Bosch 4000 is 24"-long, 2 ½"-tall and 1 ½"-wide. The fence locks on both the front and back ends, operated by a single lever. Adjustments are provided for the locking tension and to align the fence so it is truly parallel to the miter slot. To insure the fence is properly aligned each time it is locked down Bosch developed their patented "square lock" system that performed flawlessly throughout our testing. The full-size miter gauge has a 7"-wide cast aluminum body with clear, raised markings. Positive, adjustable stops are provided at 0 and 45-degrees left and right. Blade Changing & CapacityThe Bosch 4000 has a built-in spindle lock that makes changing blades with only the included wrench very simple. The spindle lock is activated by lifting a lever located under the throat plate
and turning the blade until the lock clicks into place. This is a remarkably simple and effective way to eliminate finding a second wrench or trying to hold the blade by wedging a piece of wood between it and the table. The 5/8"-diameter arbor is long enough to accommodate a 13/16"-wide dado stack according to Bosch literature. Bosch lists the dado capacity at 8"-diameter which means the designers were paying attention to real world needs during development. With a 10" blade at 90-degrees to the table the Bosch 4000 cuts stock up to 3 1/8"-thick. At 45-degrees depth of cut is still 2 ½". On The MoveThe Bosch 4000 is easily transportable when mounted on the Gravity-RiseTM stand this package came with. With it's components stored on board, the Bosch 4000 itself weighs in at 56 LBS. Combined with the Gravity-RiseTM stand total weight climbs to 109 LBS but feels far lighter when moved, set up or raised into the stowed configuration thanks to the clever use of leverage and balance. In the stowed position, the Bosch 4000 worksite saw and TS2000 Gravity-RiseTM stand requires a space only 28 ½"-wide by 30"-deep and 45"-tall to store! In the Shop
I used the Bosch 4000 as the primary table saw in my shop for a few weeks, cutting everything from pine to oak with no problems. The Bosch 4000, equipped with the included 40-tooth, carbide-tipped combination blade cut accurately, safely and with no signs of strain on the motor. The table size was more than adequate for all but the largest of the jobs encountered. Free-standing work supports were needed only for larger work pieces that would also require additional support when cut on my full-sized table saw as well. Despite it's overall size and weight, using the Bosch 4000 on the TS2000 stand feels remarkably like a full-sized saw. Vibration is virtually non-existent, the table is very stable and cutting ability is virtually indistinguishable from that of contractor-style saws I have used. Material feed rate on the Bosch 4000 might be a bit slower than on a higher-powered machine but the real difference is small and not a concern unless woodworking is a race in your shop. Keep a clean, sharp blade on the Bosch 4000, as you should on any saw for safety and performance, and it works just fine. Admittedly, I was initially a little wary of the free-swinging bevel adjusting but found that in use this system is both easy to use and very accurate. Not having the large motor hanging on the same apparatus is certainly a factor. ConclusionsWhile the Bosch 4000 mated with the Gravity-RiseTM stand make a unit that is well received in the contractor industry, the same quality, accuracy and ease of use make this an interesting alternative for woodworkers with small and/or temporary shop spaces. The extraordinarily small amount of space needed for storage can easily free up valuable shop space needed for other woodworking operations and make returning the work space to other duties a fast and simple task. For those with the budget, the Bosch 4000 and Gravity-RiseTM stand combination make a very capable second saw to eliminate having to change setups on the primary saw just to make a simple cut on a work piece or to make another part. This may sound extravagant but a second table saw is an increasingly common feature in middle to upper level home woodworking shops. A full-on cabinet saw is the goal for most of us but for a growing number of home woodworkers, the Bosch 4000 and Gravity-RiseTM stand offers a substantial bang for the buck with a street price (11-23-2004) of $549.00. If quality, saving space and cost are factors, you need to take a hard look at this remarkable Bosch 4000 table saw package. Visit the Bosch Tools web site! Do you have a comment about this page? - Email Me!
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