Motor: 15 amp; belt drive; no soft start; blade brake; 4,000 rpm
Miter angle: 60° left to 50° right; stops at 15°, 22.5°, 31.62°, 45°; detent override
Bevel angle: 50° left to 49° right; 22.5°, 33.9°, 45°; detent override
Horizontal cut width at 3/4 in.: 12 3/4 in. at 90° (16 in. with special setup), 8 7/8 in. at 45°
Horizontal cut depth: 3 3/4 in.
Vertical cut height at 3/4 in.: 6-in. through cut at 90°; 6-in. shave cut at 45°
Nested crown capacity: 6 1/4 in.
Dust collection: 3 lb. 2.2 oz.
Weight: 51 lb.
Price: $500
Website: dewalt.com
Comments: This saw was a solid performer in every manner of testing—from framing to making precise, crisp trim cuts, it was reliable and accurate. Calibrating the miter and bevel settings was easy to do. The saw has impressive cutting capacities, making it extremely versatile, and with the detent override, you can dial-in a miter angle with ease. Though the bevel controls are located toward the back of the saw, you don’t have to reach completely around to access them. You can disengage the bevel detents with the flip of a lever that’s easy to reach. The only thing I didn’t like was the bevel-locking lever mounted toward the back (below the bag in the photo above); it can be awkward to access at times. There’s minimal perceived head deflection in the slide function, though of all the saws tested, this one didn’t slide as easily. Slide functionality is perfectly smooth; it’s just not as effortless as most of the others. The miter table dipped about 1/32 inch on the right side, though that didn’t impact any of my cuts. The fence and auxiliary fences were perfectly square to the table. All in all, this saw performed very well, and for the money, I think it’s the best saw overall.
This tool review originally appeared on Tools of the Trade.
