The Bosch GTS1031 Table Saw is Bosch’s 10-inch compact portable job-site table saw and has a no-frills, bare bones design aimed squarely at contractors (or anyone else) who wants a table saw that’s easy to carry around and set up but tough enough to withstand whatever treatment you give it when you get there.
A lot of thought has gone into the design and both the easy way you can carry it around and its durability are down to the all steel roll-bar cage body, a design it shares with the Dewalt DW745.
What to Look for When Buying a Table Saw
The central tool in almost all cabinetmaking shops is the table saw, probably the most useful single tool the average woodworker is going to have, because the work it does serves as a base for everything that comes afterwards. There are 3 main types – bench top, contractor and cabinet saw – with bench top table saws being the lightest, used most often by contractors and other people who need a lightweight, portable job-site saw.
Once you’ve used a table saw you’ll wonder how you managed without it and you certainly won’t want it sitting back in the workshop when you’re out on site – hence the popularity of lightweight, portable saws. Whatever type you choose there are a number of features that you need to look for. In this Bosch GTS1031 Table Saw Review we’ll take a look at the power of the motor, the guard, the fence, the miter gauge and dust extraction. Since this is a job-site saw we’ll also look at the portability and sturdiness.
Powerful 15 Amp Motor
Despite its compact and lightweight design, the Bosch GTS1031 still has a powerful 4.0-hp 15 Amp motor which gives you plenty of power and cuts beautifully giving you a nice clean cut, even in hardwoods.
Smart Guard System
The Bosch GTS1031 uses Bosch’s Smart Guard System, which is much the same as Dewalt’s system and is a three part modular system consisting of the blade guard, anti-kickback pawls and riving knife. The guard and riving blade can be removed easily and clipped right onto the unit, so you don’t end up leave it behind when you go.
Telescoping Squarelock™ Rip Fence
To increase the cutting capacity in this compact saw, the GTS1031 has telescoping fence rails; this means you can retract the fence rails when you’re carrying it around and then by extending the rails you get the maximum 18-inch ripping capacity.
The fence itself is Bosch’s Squarelock™ Rip Fence which is the same quality fence that you get on all the Bosch table saws– in use it’s accurate and self aligning and slides smoothly on the track .
Miter Gauge
In line with pretty well every table saw on the market, even including expensive cabinet saws, the miter gauge that is supplied with this saw is fairly basic. If you plan to do a lot of cross cutting then you should consider investing in an after market miter gauge. There are some excellent miter gauges on the market and you can read reviews of the best of them at Miter Gauge Reviews
Dust Extraction
Whether you are working on site or in the workshop, dust extraction is very important, and the Bosch GTS1031 has a 2-1/2″ dust collection port that you can attach to a Shop-Vac to safely and efficiently extract dust from the work area.
Sturdy and portable design
This is where this saw really comes into its own. It’s been designed to be a portable jobsite saw and has all the standard features you would expect plus some nice touches – the whole thing has been well thought out
- It’s extremely easy to carry one-handed – the roll-bar body has a padded handle right in the center of one of the sides and it’s very well balanced when holding it by the handle
- The roll-bar body also mean it’s very easy to store because it can be placed on its side – so it takes up less space in the shop or the back of your truck
- Everything can be stored under the table – the rip fence, guard, miter gauge, push stick and wrenches can all be clipped into place under table for maximum protection during transport and storage
The Bosch GTS1031 weighs 52lbs which means it’s still reasonably heavy but because of the clever design it really is so easy to carry. As you can see in the image on the right, the flat tabletop sits against your leg and all the accessories are clipped inside meaning nothing is jabbing into you or getting caught when you go through a door or carry it upstairs.
The extending fence rails also face upwards so there’s no chance of them accidentally extending and hitting the floor.
The saw is 13″ high and the top is 22-1/2″ square meaning that when you place it on its side the footprint is only 13″ x 22-1/2″ which is pretty compact – it’s not going to take up much space in the workshop and you could even put it on the front seat of your car if you needed to.
You can find the GTS1031 for around $350 on the web Click here to view on Amazon
What’s in the box?
The package includes everything you need to get going – GTS1031 10″ Portable Jobsite Table Saw, 24-tooth TCT saw blade, rip fence, smart guard, miter gauge and wrenches.
What are other people saying?
The Bosch GTS1031 Table Saw has received a lot of excellent comments from users
- “It Doesn’t Get Better Than This!”
- “A great product. Worth every penny. You can’t go wrong”
- “Beautiful little table saw”
- “Probably the best made TS in this price range. Way to go Bosch…”
- “The Bosch is a pretty sweet little piece of engineering”
Any complaints?
We couldn’t find any serious complaints. As we said above, if you plan on doing a lot of cross-cutting you really should think about upgrading the miter gauge. You can read reviews of the best miter gauges on the market at Miter Gauge Reviews
What kind of warranty is there?
The Bosch GTS1031 is backed by a one-year limited warranty. Click here to view on Amazon