Table saw motor comparison across brands.

[Bradley Williams]

Hello,

There are very few times when there is a simple question and a simple answer. I doubt this is one of those times.

Can anyone help me wrap my brain around how a 3 hp motor in a jobsite saw like the Bosch 4100 that I own compares to a 3 hp motor in a Grizzly G1023 that I am trying to talk myself into buying? I know a little bit about a lot of things, and the only real thing I know about some electric motors is that the HP rating stated by a manufacturer is often inflated by quoting the brake horsepower measured at startup vs. the actual hp generated during use. Sawstop is a consideration, ...and i know that you cannot A) put a price on safety (although Sawstop certainly did) or B) completely outsource your safety to a blade cartidge, but the pricetag equipped how I would want is a bit out of line.



Is the power of the motors in these saw the same? Different? Is different, how? While the Bosch has been ( and continues to be)a great saw for me over the last 2 years, I fond myself at a point where I would very much like a larger table made of cast iron, a better fence, vastly improved dust collection, etc...I also hope that the Grizzly 3 hp is somehow better than the Bosch 3 hp. Also curious about the 5 hp and its capabilities over the 3 hp other than "Its 2 more hp."

I typically cut hardwoods for small projects and have been doing more furniture as of late. Lots of walnut, cherry, and maple with the occasional exotic wood thrown in.

Sorry for the ramble.
Thank you very much. Be safe.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I googled Bosch 4100 and it actually says it's 4HP! But for 120V at the rated 15A, and 746W/hp, that's only 2.4HP. So, those are "marketing horses", not real horses.

An induction motor (like in the G1023) is 240V, 14A = 4.5 HP. They are saying "3HP" because not 100% of the electrical energy gets turned into mechanical energy. Needless to say, if you buy a saw that uses double the energy and a more efficient motor, I suspect you'll see a significant improvement in performance.

[Jak Kelly]

Not sure on or of the HP specifics and how the ratings may compare or differ.
But the 2 saws that you are comparing is a night and day difference. So much different that the HP is or would be of little consideration to me.
I have owned a Grizzly cabinet table-saw for probably 10 years or more. The saw has been capable of cutting anything I throw at it! Now I did have an issue with ripping hardwoods for a short time, then installed a ripping blade, what a big difference that makes. But all the features you get with a cabinet saw, it could be a Powermatic, Delta, Jet.... the HP matters not really. Or that would be my opinion.
Don't take this as a knock on the Bosch either. Being portable is a huge advantage and a cabinet saw is no where near being portable.
The things I'd probably look at and try to be realistic when doing such would be like 10" vs 12"; a 12" is going to be capable of cutting thicker material. Do you already have a miter saw and what size (being able to have the same size blades might mean something to some and nothing to others).
Good luck.

[Bradley Williams]

I googled Bosch 4100 and it actually says it's 4HP! But for 120V at the rated 15A, and 746W/hp, that's only 2.4HP. So, those are "marketing horses", not real horses.

An induction motor (like in the G1023) is 240V, 14A = 4.5 HP. They are saying "3HP" because not 100% of the electrical energy gets turned into mechanical energy. Needless to say, if you buy a saw that uses double the energy and a more efficient motor, I suspect you'll see a significant improvement in performance.

You're absolutley right about 4 vs. 3. I looked right at it, and still said 3 bc I assumed. Thanks for your answer.

[Bradley Williams]

Thanks for responding. I do realize that the saws are night and day different...and in a preferable way towards the grizzly. Horsepower excluded, if I upgraded and got all of the other benefits, but did not see an uptick in perceived cutting power...I'd be bummed. Hence my consideration of HP. I don't see it as a knock on the bosch. It has been ( and continues to be) a very solid jobsite saw. While it is portable ( upside) I havent taken it out of my shop more than twice in 2 years, and then it was just to the concrete pad outside of my shop door. With what I want to do, my sample size of time shows me that the portability is something I can sacrifice. I could always keep it if I upgrade, but given my space constraints and the value the bosch ( hopefully) still holds, I'd likely move it down the line to someone else.

[Jim Becker]

The job site saw has a "universal" motor, most likely, and they typically are marketed with unachievable numbers unless you are planning on burning out the motor on the first cut. They are also "really loud" when running. The same marketing happens with shop vacs... The induction motors used with contractors' style saws, cabinet saws and Euro sliders, as well as a host of other stationary tools are more accurately rated for horsepower from a mathematical and functional standpoint....completely different animals from the universal motors previously mentioned.

[Bradley Williams]

The job site saw has a "universal" motor, most likely, and they typically are marketed with unachievable numbers unless you are planning on burning out the motor on the first cut. They are also "really loud" when running. The same marketing happens with shop vacs... The induction motors used with contractors' style saws, cabinet saws and Euro sliders, as well as a host of other stationary tools are more accurately rated for horsepower from a mathematical and functional standpoint....completely different animals from the universal motors previously mentioned.

Thanks for the info. I appreciate the confirmation.

[Don Jarvie]

You probably wouldn’t notice any difference between the two until you start ripping 8/4 maple or other hardwoods. Jobsite saws are not designed for ripping larger cuts of hardwood. Will the Bosch cut it sure but not as well. A lot of the jobsite saws work better with a thin kerf blade compare to a full kerf blade. The guts of the 1023 are cast iron, better fence, bigger table all of this contributes to a better cut. You will notice the difference when you start cutting larger heavier wood and the 1023 handles it easier.

Think of it as comparing a compact pickup with a full size. They both do the job until you need to more payload and just a bigger truck. Think about what you would like to do and if the Bosch works use it and upgrade when it’s time.

[Lisa Starr]

I have and use the G1023 and have for probably 14 years. I've never found anything that makes it bog down, provided I put a decent rip blade on for the hard stuff. Most of the time I just keep a Thin Kerf Combo blade on it and do everything with it.

[Lee Schierer]

I googled Bosch 4100 and it actually says it's 4HP! But for 120V at the rated 15A, and 746W/hp, that's only 2.4HP. So, those are "marketing horses", not real horses.

Some companies seek to inflate their products by calculating Hp using maximum current developed during start up or just before the motor stalls while doing heavy work. These Hp ratings are bogus.