Bosch Reviews

I actually really like this router. It is smooth, powerful, light and the smooth-start and constant speed features are great. The maple handles are a fine touch. The Bosch accessories are good quality.

However, I really wonder about the switch that fills with sawdust (and is not easy to use), and the less than slick sliding base interfaces.

When my switch failed, I took it apart, cleaned out the dust, filed the contacts and sealed it up with silicon. I also added a remote switch to the router table and turn the router on and off with it. This keeps the switch from closing onto sawdust particles and burning the contacts (the router's switch is always closed this way and so nothing can get in between the contacts). Also, the big remote switch is easier to locate and turn off quickly. This has all worked very well for a long time now.

Occasional use of wax makes the bases slide around and adjust more easily. Clearly, slick material like teflon on the sliding surfaces would have been a better design.

The Bosch adjuster knob extension (see my reviews) is a cheap and big improvement.

It just seems to me that engineers would have designed a good switch and nice sliders at the outset as they did everything else right. It must be that bean counters and lawyers exerted themselves and screwed up a couple of things.

The wretched bean counters saved a buck on the switch and the sliders and that is their life. I am guessing that lawyers specified the clumsy switch location to prevent accidental turn-ons; actually it just makes it harder to turn it off and that is a much more dangerous situation.

The router is great after my modifications, but it was not sold as a do-it-yourself kit and should have been good right out of the box. Not everyone can or should take new power tools apart and modify them. Bosch designed a great product, but shipped a lesser one. Minus two stars.

Thanks Amazon for posting these reviews! When my Bosch 1617 failed to start today, a search of your web site confirmed the problem. I love the router - great height adjustment - the switch is a little awkward to find - just hate to have it fail in the middle of a kitchen cabinet project. At least I know its not the brushes!

First off, I'm a new woodworker and if the problem I encountered sounds stupid, sorry.

I love this router! It's a solid performer and easy to work with. However, one thing I discovered while using the fixed base for a router table (Rockler package 1): The screws that come with the router should not be used to attach to a plate. They're too small and over a short time, they will strip the fixed base plates screw holes as the constant pressure of putting the router plate into a table puts all pressure on the threads of the screw holes. (Replacing the fixed base can cost as much as $60.00). This is what happened to me.

I would suggest getting a router lift. If you can't, perhaps getting longer screws that fit the holes and put a nut on them. This way, as you continuously move the router plate in and out of a table, hopefully you won't strip the threads. Yes, that does mean the router would be a permament table fixture. But isn't that a good reason to buy another router?

This saw is great, I've never been able to make a jig saw follow a line until now. I never realized how much a sturdy, heavy saw would help. My only complaint is that the removing and replacing the t-shank blade is a bit awkward, but I suppose they designed it the way they did to so the body of the saw won't stick out too far past the blade when you move the foot back.

This is just an absolutely fine product. The difference between this and cheaper jig saws is like night and day. Be sure to get an assortment of metal, wood and specialty blades and this saw will do just about anything.

Whether ripping straight lines through plywood or making intricate scroll cuts, this jigsaw performs flawlessly. The quality is apparent just by holding it your hand- it's one of those tools that will probably outlive it's owner... Knocking it because of the country of origin is a philosophical/political argument and says nothing about the actual quality of the tool. Bosch's industry best 3 year warranty and the positive comments from people who have actually used it speaks volumes though.

First, let me say this: I'm not in construction. I don't use this saw for framing or cutting rafters, etc. I'm a furniture maker and I wanted a good agile saw for cutting rough lengths of stock and sheet goods. This saw might be a little overkill for what I need, but it does what I need VERY well. There's something about a wormdrive saw...it can't be explained, you have to try it.

What I like:
*This saw, surprisingly, cuts like butter through *everything*. My true test was 8/4 White Oak and I braced myself for kickback or bog-down...and almost lost control of the saw when it zipped though it like nothing. Scared me!
*It's a nice low profile saw. Less machine means more view, better control.
*I'm getting used to, and falling in love with using a "lefty" saw. It's hard to get used to not leaning over to see your cut line, but once you try it, you won't go back. I don't like stabilizing the base with my hand so close to the blade, but you find other ways.
*I never used the blade that came with it. I immediately replaced mine with a Freud Diablo 24 TPI Framing blade...sweeeeet! Highly recommended.

What I don't like:
*This saw is heavy. Really really really heavy. It's deceptive because it's such a small profile saw, but you'll be surprised the first time you heft it.
*Start up torque is immense. Lay the front of the saw flat on a surface, pull the trigger, and the right side of the base will jump a full inch off the table. This means you need to keep a death grip on the handle and keep it well away from your work-piece until the saw is up to speed.
*NO CASE. I know it's a contractor's saw that is expected to be in use more than traveling, but I know a lot of circular saws that come with cases... cmon Bosch...

This is a serious saw with a lot of power that will simply buzz through anything you put in front of it. It's a tad heavy so I'm not sure how guys on the job will use the "belt clip" without pulling their pants clean off. It's also a bucking bronco for the first 2 seconds after you fire it up, but after that it's smooth as silk. All-in-all it performs solidly well.

Overall, this is the best saw I have ever used. Very similar to the Skil Mag77 worm drive saws. The Bosch saw cuts great, is easy to operate and has a good design. The built in rafter hook works great as well as the saws ability to cut bevels at 50 degrees. Very versital and worth every penny.

This is a great saw, lives up to the specs. I had a DeWalt worm drive saw before this. It too was a great saw but since some bonehead stole it and ALL my other tools I had to by a new one and thought I would try this Bosch.
Plenty of power and easily tracks through wood. The sky hook is a great feature also. I swear the amazon ad declared this saw to be "NEW" but it is remanufactured according to the packaging. All outward signs show no wear so who knows why it was ever returned. I figured the saw may come to me remanufactured since the company who sells it thru Amazon, CPO Remanufacturers or whatever they call themselves are probably in the business of selling remanucfactured tools. I really don't mind now that I have checked it out but "NEW" is "NEW" in my book. So make sure you get what you think you are getting. It does have a warranty too.

This is a great product, and you can get it, along with any other products on Amazon up to $500 Free! Participate in a special promotion and get a free $500 Amazon Gift Card at this web site: nocost2u.biz/amazon

I am a rookie table saw owner, but I know well made and clever design when I see it. I will limit my review to the price, design and set-up. I am a guy that likes tinkering with set up of my tools after purchase. I don't mind a couple of hours making sure it is perfect for my use. And I don't expect that $5/hr mass assembly and 3000 miles of shipping SHOULD result in a perfectly set up saw right out of the box!
I spent much time researching and reading Amazon reviews before purchase -and I very much appreciate everyone's effort. So I shall add my 2cents to the knowlege base.
Much of my decision was space considerations. The stand is worth every nickel. It stores nicely, has great stablitiy and works like a charm. The sliding table is phenomenal. Just plain cool. I didn't find cheap on this saw anywhere. I usually expect to find where someone cut corners on production costs - its the way of the world, man. But everything is well thought out and made. Kudos to Bosch - Their only table saw product has really impressed me.
Couple of minor glitches; I bought the rear outfeed and left-side supports. Good decision. It really works nicely and as far as I can tell, Bosch has this going for it over the Dewalt. But the side support, when stored, conflicts with the release lever for the sliding table. You have a choice. Leave the left side extended a couple inches or release the top extension. Not a deal breaker, but annoying.
My blade guard was bent out of the box and I needed to bend it straight to align with the blade. I also needed significant adjustment to align the kerf on the spreader. Again, not a big deal.
The rest of the factory set-up was very good. I might have a bit of fine tuning, but certainly acceptable for out of the box accuracy.
For the money, the cleverness of the design makes the Bosch a winner. I expect that I'll find the operation of the saw to be up to my anal-retentive expectations. Best regards

I didn't buy the 4000-09 from Amazon, but only because they didn't have the free shipping. This saw is absolutely awesome. Here's why.
- I'm a DIY weekend warrior, rehabbing my first house. I've used Powermatic, Jet, and Delta professional saws. One of my biggest fears when buying tools is acquiring a less than professional tool. I want my tools to last for 50 years, I'm 26.

1. The 4000-09's direct drive system allows for lightning quick dead accurate mitre adjustments.
2. The motor's control system can handle anything you can throw at it. It performs just as well as any of the Deltas and Jets I've used, and it's portable.
3. The gravity-rise stand works perfectly, additionally it adds an infinite amount of grab handles for loading, unloading, dolly-ing, storing, etc., basically taking an awkward to manage device into a one-man movement task.
4. The fence is absolutely brilliant, and I would recommend this saw for anyone who is considering a "shop-saw" simply because, why limit yourself?

I am a relative novice woodworker and I purchased this saw to frame a 6in. wide partition wall; split up a larger room to make a bedroom and smaller play area. The ceiling was at an angle, not always 45deg, and this saw helped get the job done right. The sliding, miter, and dual bevel features facilitated many of the cuts I had to make. I've used a 12in dewalt (without sliding) and felt the bosch was at least as good, but the addition of the sliding feature on the bosch is worth the extra cost and cheaper than the dewalt 12in sliding miter. I only considered bosch and dewalt as options due to a combination of product experience and cost.

I have worked as a carpenter and Industrial Arts teacher for over twenty-five years. I have used many miter saws and recently, many compound sliding miter saws. This one, by a wide margin, is the best one I have ever used. The controls are intuitive and the scales readable. The manufacturing is first class. This is the saw I decided to purchase for myself. I highly recommend this excellent saw.

This is my first miter saw and I am very pleased. For 30 years I have used a 60's vintage Craftsman 10" radial arm saw. I got tired of having to set it up every time I wanted to get an accurate cut. I've been recovering an above ground deck with composite and have needed to make 15 +- degree cuts on a lot of boards. I decided to bite the bullet and spend the money on a good saw. The reviews on Amazon said this is the best and Bosch's free jigsaw promotion combined with Amazon's price closed the sale. Amazon delivered before promised. I also bought a 12" True Angle Finder and it was wonderful to measure the angle, cut the piece and have it fit every time.

Light, almost too light; and relatively quiet. Not as agressive as I would like, even with 60 grit. Dust collection bag still obtrusive and tends to spew extra fine dust into ones face if the unit is held at a ninety degree angle. The angular design makes for a secure fit upside down in a bench vise so one can hand feed smaller pieces for shaping. I rarely use a belt sanders and then only to hog off amounts to then use the RO sander.
Bottom line: I love Bosh anything so if I had the money I would have spent extra to get a heavier duty machine by Bosch.

Great sander. Lightweight, great if you have to one hand something or if you have to sand vertically or overhead. The tracking adjuster works like a champ. Changing belts is super fast and easy. Only complaint is the dust-bag... it seems kind of cheesy compared to how well built the rest of the sander is, but I bought a sander, not a dust collector. Made in Switzerland.

While I take pleasure in owning and using quality tools, I am not one to gush or even normally write a review. That said, I LOVE this sander. Here's why:

Well-balanced, low center of gravity. Feels right when held, don't have to make conscious effort to hold true.

Variable speed. Note: Variable, NOT multiple speed. Speed varies infinitely depending on trigger pressure, just like any variable-speed drill. Speed dial on trigger acts as speed limiter, a not-to-exceed setting. Otherwise pull fully for max set speed and back off trigger to slow in those must-be-careful spots, then pull fully again for max speed. Truly intuitive, fluid.

Light weight enough to use without effort, yet heavy enough to do its intended job. Certainly not for massive stock removal day in and day out, but perfect for frequent use my small shop and occasional light construction duty. If you need a brute, buy a brute. If you don't, don't beat yourself up with one. Treat yourself with this Bosch.

A dust collector that works. Very, very little on my mask at the end of a session of sanding. Only a light powder on the surface of the work and a coating on the sander attracted by static. No dust laden air, no immediate sweep-up. Empty the bag, blow off the sander, wipe the sanded piece. Done.

Flat top and fence attachment extend its functionality, providing a small bench top sander.

Quality Swiss-made.

Okay, so I gushed a bit. Great tools are such a pleasure to use and all too rare a treat.

the planer is very light in weight, which has pros and cons. i agree with one reviewer about the fence inadequacy.

i will own up to my own mistake, i over looked the shoe size (I guess it does matter). going mainly by the pic, and skimming some details i failed to note that the plate is ONLY s little over 11" long. short is the plate is not good in getting a nice level cut over a distance. my friend had hand planer with a 24" plate, now that is what i had in my mind and assumed...assumptions get me into problems way too often.

i do wish the fence were more substantial, that there was dust collector other than the small easily cloggeg bag, and that the shoe-plate-sole-whatever was longer at least 18" would seem to me to be perfect.

I'm a general contractor, generally working on remodels or refurbishments. Recently I decided to purchase my first hand power planer. I will be using the machine for stud straightening, deck trimming, door/doorway adjustment, cabinet scribing, subfloor leveling ... and whatever else comes up. All-around functionality is my #1 criteria; expense is secondary, but important.

There are several different types of planers, as you will find out when you Google "planer". A "thickness planer" is used on boards to shape them into a uniform thickness. A "door planer" or "edge planer" is the kind we are talking about here. Searching on "planer" will bring up lots of false leads: authors, books, celebrities, floor-model tools, etc.. While most specific, "door planer" or "power hand planer" don't produce a whole lot of hits (other than advertisements).

After about 6 hours of on-line research as well as a review of JLC's July 2005 issue I've discovered many currently available models. They are, in alphabetical order:

Black & Decker 7696 - low-end stuff made by Dewalt... I skipped.
Bosch 1594K (planer and case/kit)
Bosch 3365 (a "stripped down" 1594 without carry case or fence)
Delta - none
Dewalt DW680K (planer & case/kit)
Festool HL850E (planer & case/kit)
Hitachi F30A (no longer sold)
Hitachi P20SBK (planer & case/kit)
Jet - none
Makita N1900B (planer & case/kit)
Makita N1902X7 (planer, no case - alot like N1900B)
Milwaulkee - none
Porter-Cable 9125 (planer, case/kit)
Porter-Cable 9118 (planer, case/kit)-- older, well reguarded
Ryobi L1121 (not much info...no longer sold?)
Ryobi HPL51K (planer, case/kit)

Of these units, the Bosch 1954, Porter-Cable 9118 (possibly 9125), and Festool HL850E seem to be best reguarded by professionals with the Mikita and Dewalt next. But I would say each of these models above have their fans.

The Bosch 0125, Festool HL850E, and Ryobi HPL51K have the capability to expel sawdust to one side or the other, a much-liked new feature.

The Porter-Cable 9118 cannot plane flat surfaces like floors (all the others can).

The Hitachi, Makita, Porter-Cable 9118 models have no dust bag or vacuum sawdust pickup capability at all.

A long base and a rear handle close to the back end make control easier. Bad control leads to snipe (gouging at start and end of runs). The Festool did the best here, but the (otherwise well liked) Bosch 1594 did poorly.

For me, I've narrowed the field to either the Festool HL850E or the Bosch 1594.

This planer is excellent, as the other reviews have stated. However it no longer comes with the "VAC002" attachement that the first Spotlight reviews mentions as "actually comes with a WORKABLE shop vac adapter - THAT is great!" Yes, that would be great. I got the tool and needed it immediately, without the shopvac adapter, the entire room was quickly covered in wood shavings. The included bag is OK for mild cuts, for aggressive cuts the longer, thicker shavings quickly clog the port.

I chose this saw over the Bosch jig saw. Milwaukee's, simple solid quick blade change feature is typical of this tool's performance and controls - solid, strong, serious. The only (minor) complaint I have thus far is the plastic case - it's HUGE and bulky for no apparent reason. A case 1/2-2/3 the size would be a lot more useful.

The Milwaukee 6266 is made in Germany (well made)...... an AEG (also an Atlas-Copco company) dressed in Milwaukee red. Far easier blade changes than the Bosch and I think its a smoother saw. No problems with sightlines for me as some reviewers have mentioned- just as good as previously owned Bosch and PC jigsaws. If your in the market for a jigsaw, don't overlook this one. A step above the Bosch, imho. Highly recommended.

Read all the comments and reviews on jig saws in this price range and chose the Milwaukee 6266. Guess I had been using a cheap Black and Decker so long I had forgotten what a quality saw was supposed to do. This thing cuts like crazy! And the quick blade change feature is great. Power to spare. Easy to use. Well balanced. Milwaukee has found a new buyer. I'm ordering other Milwaukee tools because of the quality of the Jig Saw.

If your saw never leaves your shop, this is ideal. Built well and easy to assemble, I am very happy with this purchase. THe stand is very portable and folds down easily.

As with most things, you get what you pay for. After quite a bit of investigation, I settled on the 2875XL. I'd been looking for a stand for my new Bosch 5412L saw and had all but given up (thinking to build my own) when I found this. At $329, it's definitely not cheap. But then again, neither is the saw and I didn't want to shortchange myself on any usability in the shop by cheaping out on the stand.

So far, it's been awesome. It is very solid and with the casters locked, it doesn't move at all. Sure, you won't go lugging this setup to a jobsite but rolling it out of the basement and into the garage is easy. It was kind of a pain to put together, as the directions are pretty bad. In spite of this, beginning to end, including time to measure and drill the holes to bolt the saw to the top, was about two hours.

Someone else pointed out that it could be kind of topheavy, which is true, though that's true of a lot of stands. One little added benefit that I hadn't even considered was all of the space underneath. It's a great place to stash all of those bulky tool cases. When I'm working out in the garage, I can just roll this stand out there and everything (including my drills, router, circular saw etc) is right there where I need it.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to my tools. I would have no reservations about recommending this to any one in need of a good, stable miter saw stand.

The Stand arrived with the box slightly torn but all pieces were there. The directions were easy to follow. This stand was built more solid then I had expected. I have a dewalt sliding witer saw and was concerned about stablity. But this stand is extremly stable, rolls easy and the side supports adjust perfectly to the saw table. This is one great stand.

I was excited about this saw when it first arrived, and it worked well until the warranty expired. When it went out of square, the autorized repair shop, with direction from Bosch, quoted over $350 to fix and said even that might not do it. They said it had been dropped or run over by a truck, both of which would be difficult since the saw had been on a stand since it was new. The shop recommended the Makita which surprisingly is made in America. I won't be looking to Bosch for quality equipment.

If you are like me, you do alot of reaserch before purchasing ANY product.

Let me start off by saying this, I have been a carpenter for over 20 years now and I have used plenty of power tools in my time. I would choose a product by Milwaukee over all others. I have purchased a good amount of Bosch tools in the past few years and my choice has been swayed from Milwaukee to Bosch. Don't get me wrong, Milwaukee makes fabulous power tools, durable and reliable, but the tools I have purchased from Bosch seem to have the same quality's I liked from Milwaukee but have some more thought put into the design of their tools.

This saw was perfect right out of the box. I went to calibrate it and everything was right on the money, bevels, miters and straight cuts. The design is SOOOO SWEET!! The bevel lock is right up front where it should be rather than behind the saw as all others are. They have conveniently placed any wrench needed for adjustment of this saw into the back of the saw in a hideaway compartment where the other brands put the bevel lock. I like the micro adjustment it has to fine tune the miter angle if I need an angle just off of the norm. The built in extention arms are a great feature that other manufacturers will make you buy seperate (although roller stands are essential for long lumber or trim) and the angles I can cut are greater than the 45 degree angles you will get on most saws (50 degrees left miter, 60 degrees right miter, 47 degrees left bevel and 46+ degrees right bevel). The workpiece clamp is one of the best I have seen on any jobsite mitersaw I have ever used. The only thing I didn't like on this saw was that if you set the bevel to the right more than 30 degrees, the saw won't cut all the way through lumber or trim unless you placed some scrap 2by lumber under whatever you are cutting, the beltdrive housing hits the fence even when the fence is in the extended position. Of course if anyone is familiar with cutting miters and bevels on a single bevel saw, any miters and bevels can be made on the left side of the saw to avoid using 2by lumber under the workpiece easily. If anyone isn't familiar with that procedure....practice man, I had to before I had a dual bevel saw :). (It is a little bit of an inconvenience at times but not hard to accomplish.)

All the same, this saw rates 5 stars in my book. This saw should make ANYONE satisfied that purchases it. Take it from me, Big D.

I am very pleased with the 4410. It isn't cheap, but it is worth the money. Easily one of the best 10" slides on the market.