Overall Comments: Strong recommendations
Price Range at Publishing: Upper $500's (but less than comparable quality saws from rival brands)
My Conclusion: BUY... perfect for a DIY gift
I'm not your stereotypical power tool man... yes, cue "Home Improvement" grunt here... but one thing I found myself drooling over back in the days where I actually had the garage and the basement to fulfill any urges to grey my hair in sawdust was...
Doesn't that sound suspiciously like the familiar A Christmas Story quote: "I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!"
Yes. Guys and our toys... boys will be boys. Having been interested in it in the past, myself, I decided to learn more about what people had to say about it online... and I'm not really finding all that much "bad" about it, so honestly... it's still on MY list for some future day in a house I could use it in.
There are two virtually identical models to highlight, but first the important stuff...
What's a miter saw? It's a power saw which may sit on top of a work bench or on its own table used to cut precise angles across wood... to "square off" the ends or cut pieces to join together at a perfect angle like you may see where molding, picture frames or deck railings come together to form a 90 degree angle.
Size matters: No, really. Why settle for an 8" when you can have 12"? Miters are not for long lengthwise cuts, but the larger the saw blade the wider the board it's capable of cutting across, giving greater capability... and that brings us to the slide...
Slide matters: For those not familiar, "sliding" for a compound miter means that you're able to not just "chop" the saw down to cut the wood, but also pull it toward you for additional cutting. Bringing the blade down, you can cut a 12" cut, but sliding toward you you can cut up to 16"... this means you're actually able to make a 90 degree cut through a 16" wide board... in one fell swoop.
Angle matters: Double bevel basically means more convenience in cutting bevel angles by being able to tip the angle of the blade either left or right... handy for cutting crown molding without having to flip boards around too much. Since miter saws are all about cutting angles, the handiness of double bevel as opposed to single bevel makes life easier.
Note: Not all miter saws have all three of these functions.
The two models...
The DWS780 is a slight improvement over the very similar DWS718 -- the DWS780 adds a little bit of extra vertical cut capacity and replaces the laser sighting system with the XPS cross cut positioning system to line cuts up. According to reviewers, the XPS is actually better than lasers in that:
- It works by shining a LED to cast a shadow from the actual blade -- more consistently accurate than a laser which needs to be recalibrated periodically since it shows actually blade alignment.
- The LED also adds a little bit of extra light to see the cut clearer.
On the whole, DeWalt is a trusted name... frequently one of the top in professional circles... but according to reviewers this saw is so perfect for anyone from pro to homeowner. With very few people giving less than stellar ratings, it seems there is a clear consensus that this is a great saw. Since the reviewers that low-balled the saw in ratings cited reasons that were contradicted in multiple positive accounts, my own take is that these were more likely to be malcontents... you'll find one or two in any batch of reviews. It's important to look at the overall trends and patterns of comments.
Common comments include that it...
- Cuts very smoothly, not "bogging down" in wood, PVC or some metals
- Is "dummy proof" - the accuracy of the settings and easy precision make things very simple
- Has very little vibration and is much quieter than many saws
- Is relatively portable for a table saw
- Catches about 75% of the sawdust in the dust bag (no saw will catch all, so 75% isn't bad)
PRICE! The cool thing is that as I look on Amazon while writing this, the price doesn't display. Why not? Because Amazon has it priced under the manufacturer's "minimum advertised price"... lower than the $629 list price and $599 competitors' price.
This has the DeWalt more inexpensive than comparable saws from other quality competitors like Bosch and Makita without sacrificing quality. That's pretty decent!
Have one? Want one? COMMENT! Speak up and let your voice be heard.
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