The Bosch GTS 1031 10-Inch Portable Jobsite Table Saw Review – A Deep Dive

A Deep Dive Into The Bosch GTS 1031 10-Inch Portable Jobsite Table Saw

When it comes to cutting wood, builders and carpenters alike love the power and versatility they get from using a table saw. Still, as great as those saws might be, they have one major drawback: they’re literally built into a table, which makes them heavy and immobile.

So what do you do when you need the same functionality, but in a form that you can carry around? You get a job site table saw. And very few companies make them as good as Bosch does with the GTS 1031 model. 

The term ‘Jobsite’ table saw already hints at some of its best features. This particular model has a 10-inch blade built into an extremely durable cage-like frame. That frame, with its one-handed rubber carry handle on the side, makes it easy for you to transport this saw to and from job sites.

Bosch is a German manufacturer, and they’ve been a leader in the power tools space for over a century. They bring that signature German precision and engineering to everything they produce. The GTS 1031 is no exception.

For starters, this saw performs exceptionally well thanks to the well-engineered Bosch table saw blade that you’ll use with this saw. But it’s everything else around the blade that shows you how much thought and effort went into designing this jobsite saw.

When you carry this portable saw onto the job site, it brings a lot with it. There are plenty of safety features, like the riving knife and blade guards. Plus, there’s plenty of onboard storage for your bits and whatnot, and a chute that helps you manage any dust you create while working. 

All-in-all, the Bosch GTS 1031 10-Inch Portable Jobsite Table Saw is a well-rounded saw that’s easy to carry around and has all the functionality you’d want on-the-go. 

Who’s It For?

Table saws in general, portable or not, are a must-have for anyone doing heavy-duty woodworking. That’s why tradespeople and hobbyists alike view the table saw as being the workhorse of any woodshop. With a table saw, anyone can cut, cross-cut, square, and do all sorts of things with any type of wood you’d like. 

Having said that, the Bosch GTS 1031 is a perfect fit for mobile woodworkers who move around a lot instead of working in a fixed location like a workshop. These are the kind of tradespeople who travel to different job sites to work on things like built-in cabinetry, for example. 

To put it in simpler terms, anyone who needs a woodshop on-the-go would find the Bosch GTS 1031 to be a priceless tool, especially with its built-in storage options and safety features. This portable table saw isn’t small, but it’ll surely fit in the trunk of your car or truck to take with you wherever you go. 

However, the Bosch GTS 1031 might not be suitable for those who are doing general woodworking jobs that you can complete with regular hand- or power tools. For those uses, this portable table saw might seem like overkill (even though it’ll still look fantastic!).

What We Like About The Bosch GTS 1031 10-Inch Portable Jobsite Table Saw

Bosch gives us a lot of excellent features to love about the GTS 1031, namely its high-quality German engineering, sturdy construction, on-board storage, and safety features. Let’s take a closer look at each of those points.

High-Quality German Engineering 

Products manufactured in Germany adhere to high standards of engineering in most fields. BMW, for instance, is highly-valued precisely for this reason. In the same way that BMW demonstrates the best in German engineering for cars, Bosch does the same in the field of power tools.

For instance, if you look at the welds on the metal parts of the GTS 1031, you can tell that they were done professionally and with great care. These welds provide you with greater confidence that the entire product can sustain a great deal of weight and withstand substantial impact.

Even the 10-inch Bosch saw blade that comes in the package is also of excellent quality. The blade’s teeth are sharp and will give you plenty of smooth and clean cuts no matter what kind of wood you’re using.

See Related Topic: A Deep Dive into the Hitachi C12RSH2 Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Sturdy Construction

To put it simply, the GTS 1031 is built strong. The steel frame or piping that goes all around the portable table saw will stand up to even the harshest working conditions. And as mentioned previously, all steel parts are welded together beautifully.

Everything sits on rubber feet that provide it with added stability and prevent slipping, especially as you’re using it.

On-board Storage

On-board storage is not something that we should take lightly, and it’s pleasing to know that Bosch takes it seriously as well.

Underneath the saw table is an abundance of storage space for the accessories that Bosch provides with the GTS 1031. Plus, there’s plenty of extra space for anything else you’d like to store safely under the table as well.

Safety Features

When you’re working with a table saw that has a spinning blade, you’ll want to have plenty of safety features to keep you protected. Thankfully, Bosch built plenty of that into this product as well.

Among other features, there is the Smart Guard System, the SquareLock rip fence, and of course the kickback pawls. Altogether, these will keep you (especially your fingers) and everyone around you safe while you operate this saw.

What We Don’t Like About The Bosch GTS 1031 10-Inch Portable Jobsite Table Saw

Overall, the GTS 1031 is a fantastic product, but even an industry leader like Bosch could have improved on a few of its features. Sadly, we’re not too keen on the saw’s heavyweight, wobbling saw blade, and excessive noise it generates. 

Heavy Weight (52 pounds)

The GTS 1031 might be a portable table saw, but it sure is heavy! All-in-all, the package weighs a massive 52 pounds in total. That’s a lot of weight to lug around on a job site!

Sure, Bosch put in a nice rubber handle that makes it easier for you to lift the entire piece of equipment. But you’ll run into trouble when you’re taking it from your car to your on-site workbench.

Even worse, you’re going to need a trolley or an extra set of hands if you’re taking the GTS 1031 up a staircase.

Wobbling Saw Blade

In this review, we’ve talked a lot about Bosch’s precision German engineering, which we still maintain is true throughout this product. That’s why we find it very odd and disappointing that the saw blade on the GTS 1031 has a habit of wobbling while in use.

Let’s be clear: the saw blade itself is excellent. It’s a fantastic saw blade. But the components that hold and spin it in place fail to do so as well as they should. When asking other users, it seems that this is a common problem with the GTS 1031.

Even though the wobble isn’t excessive, it’s enough to make any user think twice about their safety while operating this saw.

Excessive Noise

Without any load, this saw spins its blade at 5,000 RPM. That’s quite a lot, considering how the industry standard for equipment like this is only around 3,500 RPM.

Why does that matter? Well, the simple way to put it is that the saw ends up generating more noise than a lot of other competing models.

At its loudest, the saw generates 91 decibels of noise. According to some standards, exposing your ears to 30 minutes or more of that much noise is quite dangerous. So, you’ll need to wear some form of noise protection gear when you’re operating this portable saw. 

What’s Included?

So, if you ordered a Bosch GTs 1031, what can you expect to find in the box? Well, it turns out that Bosch was quite generous with its offerings.

Here’s what you can expect inside the package:

• GTS 1031 table saw. The entire portable table saw comes in one piece, so there’s no assembly needed other than some of the accessories that come together in the package.
  
• 24-tooth Bosch carbide saw blade. The blade that comes standard in the package is a 24-tooth Bosch carbide saw blade. Bosch made an excellent choice using carbide as the material for this blade, as it makes it much more durable when cutting through even tougher types of wood.
  
• Rip fence. The SquareLock rip fence will help you maintain a high degree of accuracy as you work with the saw.
• Miter gauge. When you use a table saw, even a portable one like the GTS 1031, you’ll need a miter gauge to hold the pieces in place. The miter gauge gives you an advantage as it holds the pieces at precise angles so that you can focus all your attention on the sawing. 
• Push stick. As the name suggests, this is a simple stick that you use to push smaller items towards the saw blade. That way, you reduce the risk of injury by keeping your fingers and hands a safer distance away.
• Blade-change wrenches. Lastly, Bosch also includes blade-change wrenches in the package as well. If you ever want or need to change the saw blade for a newer or better one, you’ll need these wrenches to tighten and loosen the blades.
  

Overview Of Features

Now, let’s take a quick overview of all the features in this impressive Bosch GTS 1031 job site saw. Here are the most important traits that set it apart from other models: 

• Speed: 5,000 RPM at no-load
• Weight: 52 pounds
• Handle: Single-handle carry design
• Blade: 10-inch saw blade
• Amperage: 15 Amps
• Abundant storage 

Speed

Without anything in its way, the saw blade on the GTS 1031 spins at a rate of 5,000 RPM. As we pointed out earlier, that’s much higher than the approximate 3,500 RPM that you’d find on similar table saws.

Some buyers might appreciate the additional power, but others might find it excessive. Either way, those 5,000 RPMs contribute to the loud noise that this portable saw generates, so you’ll need protective gear for your ears while working. 

Weight

Is the GTS 1031 portable? Absolutely. But is it easy to move around? Not quite. Weighing in at a total of 52 pounds makes this portable table saw tough to move not only between job sites but even around any particular job site itself.

Handle

Bosch includes what they call a ‘single-handle carry design’ with an ergonomic soft handle. Those qualities do make it a little easier to carry, but it doesn’t take away the fact that the tool is heavy.

Thankfully, the way that Bosch constructed the frame of the GTS 1031 allows for two people to get a good grip and carry this portable tool safely. Depending on how strong you are, you might need a buddy to help you out with this one.

Blade

10-inch, 24-tooth carbide blade is quite impressive. Typically, you’d think that manufacturers would only include a very basic or minimal blade with their table saw. 

Instead, Bosch includes a high-quality saw blade that you can also find in their saw blade product lineup. It’s an excellent blade, so even if you don’t buy any others, you’ll still be able to do a lot of good work with the one that comes in the box. 

Carbide is a superior material when it comes to table saw blades, even better than steel. For one, they’re low-maintenance. You’ll spend little or no time sharpening carbide saw blades at all. More importantly, carbide blades are very easy to lean on as you apply pressure to cut through your wood.  

Amperage

The GTS 1031 runs at 15 Amps, which means that this tool is suitable for most normal, residential wall outlets. Combine that with the six-foot power cord, and you should have enough flexibility to position the saw almost anywhere on the job site.

Compared to other table saws, 15 Amps is somewhere right in the middle. You can find other models with both higher and lower Amperages, as well. 

Abundant Storage

Lastly, we need to highlight the on-tool storage that Bosch included in the design. From a technical standpoint, this might not seem like a significant factor in choosing this saw. However, we’d argue that having this storage will save you loads of stress down the line.

Think about it: when you’re sawing wood on a job site, your workspace is bound to get very disorganized. Things get even worse as you move across multiple job sites. Disorganization like this will lead to lost tools and accessories, which means more dollars you’ll need to spend on replacements!

So, having an abundance of storage space located right under the table of the GTS 1031 will prevent all of these issues. You’ll have a neat place to store all your tiny screws, bits, pens, and so on. You can even keep your rings and watches in there to keep your hands safer while sawing!

Review Summary 

So, what’s the bottom line? We say, go for it. If you do a lot of woodworking, you’ll need a table saw sooner or later. And the Bosch GTS 1031 10-Inch Portable Jobsite Table Saw will be your new favorite tool when you buy it.

Firstly, German power-tool manufacturer Bosch is behind this impressive table saw. Remember: they’ve been in the business for a very long time, probably longer than most brands. Their tools come with the peace of mind from knowing that you’re buying something reliable and long-lasting. 

There’s an old saying when it comes to power tools, the kind of quote that our fathers and grandfathers are very familiar with. It goes, “Buy nice, or buy twice”. What that means is that when you’re buying tools, it’s better to buy a high-quality one rather than a cheaper one you’ll have to replace later.

That quote comes to mind when thinking about the Bosch GTS 1031. It’s precisely the kind of ‘nice’ tool that people have in mind when they say that quote. This portable table saw is a smart investment, and it’ll stay with you so long you’ll probably never have to replace it. 

But look past the manufacturer name just for a second. Bosch or not, the GTS 1031 was engineered well and built by people who know how to do it right. Little details like the quality of the welds on the steel joints and the quality of the saw blade’s 24 teeth demonstrate a very high degree of craftsmanship.

When you’re working on a job site, you’ll need a safe and reliable tool as part of your repertoire. Hopefully, this Bosch GTS1031 review has shown you that this is the perfect saw to meet your needs.