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I recommend using hearing protection as well as eye protection while using it.Many people in their reviews bemoan the fact that it cannot accept dado blades. I couldn't bring myself to waste $120 on one of those pieces of garbage.I went back to my old standby, Dewalt. I'm a DIY'er who has above-average experience building and fixing things. Unfortunately, for cutting larger pieces, they have to be removed entirely - which is the case for most saws. That said, I was a little taken aback by the manual. I didn't really want to spend a lot of money buying a saw to use only a few times - so I figured I would buy one of the many cheap $120 table saws that are available.Unfortunately, every one of those saws was pure junk - cheap, wavy plastic tables, insufficient (and frequently broken) motor mounts, inaccurate, loose and useless measuring devices. Fortunately, the saw came out of the box perfectly calibrated, so I didn't have to change a thing.The saw is very loud - but then, most table saws are. That said, for ripping boards and so on, they would remain in place and do their job admirably.
It made quite a few references to parts of the saw using technical terms, without really describing what those parts were. It has two well-placed handles right under the table top that make it easy to move around.The guards are very good - using them correctly, it would be very tough to injure yourself. I mean, rock solid. The bottom of the saw is surrounded by a tubular steel frame, and the remainder is tough yellow plastic. Sure glad I didn't waste money paying for overnight shipping.First off, I will admit I am not a carpenter. I needed a table saw to make some replacement kitchen drawer fronts.
I've built furniture, and can fix just about anything. It took me about half an hour to figure out how all the guards, fences and so on all fit together. Removing or installing the guards takes seconds, and does not require tools.Everything is adjustable and all measurements can be calibrated - everything from the blade angle, rip fence, blade parallax - it's all adjustable. It's not light, at around 70 lbs, but it's certainly not impossible to heft around, and weighs far less than my compound miter saw. I own quite a few Dewalt power tools, and while, in my opinion, the quality of their products has slipped a bit in the last few years, they are still far better than a lot of the competitors' tools - you can be assured that it will do what you need, and won't break easily.I ordered this saw online here at Amazon, using the free shipping (7-10 days, it said) - and to my surprise, the saw arrived at my door the next morning. I'm sure a professional contractor who is more familiar with the terms used in the manual could do it much faster.The saw is SOLID.
I couldn't care less, I have no need of dados, and the saw works perfectly for what I need it to do.Overall I'm very glad I spent the extra money to buy this saw, and I expect it to last basically forever, just like most of my Dewalt tools. The table is a very solid, flat, precise slab of aluminum.
The sawn edges were nice and smooth. The cut edges fit perfectly and the board was straight across at top and bottom. This saw and the Incra gauge make a killer combination. When I first turned this saw on, I was surprised at how loud it is (and I wear a hearing aid). I tried a 45 degree miter cut then held the cut edges of the miter together to form a 90 degree angle and checked for squareness. I made some crosscuts then flipped the piece I cut off over and held it against the other side of the cut to see how straight the cut was. I got this saw for Father's Day.
I'm glad I did as it is a seriously accurate device. However I believe I can live with that. I finally had a chance to play with it today. OK I could see a bit of light at one end of the square but it was close. Here is my first impression.Based on the reviews of others here, I use the miter gauge that came with saw to hold down papers and I use the Incra gauge I ordered to use with this saw. I made a few cuts in some scrap wood and was impressed at how smoothly the included blade moved through the wood. The miter joint itself was nice and tight with no gaps.So far I'm more than happy with my Father's Day gift.
Not bad for a 24 tooth general purpose blade.
But that's what they're selling. It is small, so there is no on board blade storage, which is a bit of a bummer. Go with a thin-kerf blade so you don't bog it down. It's straight, accurate, strong, and lightweight. This saw is limited in rip capacity, so know that going in. If you want that, they make that in the bigger model. For what it is, it's a winner. This little dude is great for flooring.
Lightweight, easily stored, portable, good power, and straight cuts. The rack and pinion fence is my favorite feature and keeps cuts true time and again. Not really meant for true precision work, however, competently performs light contracting work for the serious homeowner.
I bought this saw to use around the house and have limited garage space, so its size is perfect for me. And I probably won't need more than the rated 16" of rip capacity anyway, so I guess that really isn't much of an issue. I would have liked to see Dewalt use a T-slot channel, as the first time I carried my saw the miter gauge popped out on the floor. Dewalt doesn't use a 3 prong plug on this saw, instead uses a double insulated 2 prong plug. It was quieter than I thought it would be. Dewalt could have increased the rip capacity by at least another 6 inches.
As others have stated, the miter gauge is cheaply constructed. Also would have been nice to have the Soft Start capability, as their other saws have. My cuts were very clean. It's a very light weight, well designed saw. There is plenty of room to cut more teeth in the fence rail, for the rack and pinion. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase.
I haven't connected the dust port to a vacuum yet, but I'm sure for indoor work it will keep clean up to a minimum.Looking forward to many years worth of use out of my DW745. For the money and being that this is a portable table saw, it does what it does well.
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