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Once again, fantastic saw. If you are cutting wide mouldings though, you should be adept with using the bevel angle and miter angle together (compound cuts). This saw is awesome. I make my living as a finish carpenter and this is one of the best saws I have ever purchased, and I have bought quite a few in my career. It takes a little getting used to the bevel angle lock, but well worth it once you figure it out.
I settled on Dewalts line for a couple reasons. I have seen lots of miter saws go bad and 9 times out of 10 it is the scale settings that is the culprit.
One more thing to note this saw is very lefty friendly. I chose the dw717 over the dw718 due to the deflection that 12 inch blades are famous for.
2)The capacity of this saw is a full 2 inches more than anything else on the market which comes in handy when cutting stair treads which have a run of more than 10 inches. I was very impressed with the fit and finish of this machine as well as the accuracy.
I have been researching and using sliding miter saws for years. 1)the miter scale can be adjusted which is the only saw on the market that offers this feature.
If you are on the market for a new slider take a hard look at this one.
So far, I've installed a floating engineered wood floor and the baseboards with great results.The saw was perfectly calibrated out of the box. The quick release attachments make it very easy to mount and unmount the saw. You won't need to nick the wood to find the cut line. The following accessories are must-haves IMO both for safety and usability:DW723 miter saw stand - Lightweight but super sturdy.
Adding these accessories adds a lot of cost to your miter setup but they really make a huge difference. The quick release makes it easy to swing the clamp over the fence when necessary. DW7082 clamp - Better than the stock clamp because it has a quick release and a bigger pad. I did a lot of research and decided on this one because of the extra tall vertical cutting capacity. No other 10 inch saw that I know of - sliding or otherwise - is able to cut my 5.25" baseboards vertically. The best thing about the saw is the fantastic accessories which are perfectly designed for the DW717. The extension rails help a lot with cutting long baseboards and create a level plane with the saw.DWS7085 LED - Creates a perfect shadow of your cut line while illuminating the work area.
I bought one for each side which might be overkill but is more convenient. This is my first miter saw. I replaced the stock blade with an Avanti 80 which was easy to do. Easy to install.
It's probably just me, but I have yet to figure out the method for doing dados (grooves) at a consistent depth. I read the instructions but did not follow them. First of all, quality control at Makita, Hitachi, and Bosch is dropping like lead rocks. I know I can add one at any time for $60 or so. However, I still purchased the DW717. Frankly, most slider users with lasers find them less than ideal. But, where there is smoke there is fire, and so with an open mind I tried the DW717 and basically fell in love with its features, especially the great fence.
One of the highlights of the DW717 is the fence system. I hate yellow, but evidently the saw is made in the USA, which is good.3. It took a whopping five minutes to set up and test the 0 deg, 45L deg, and 45R deg settings. Plus, for those who take their saws to the worksite, the DW717 seems lighter or at least better balanced to carry than the competitors.
2. The DW717, like most sliders, does not include zero clearance inserts. 4. Table could be a bit wider, but it offers a better platform that most sliders (Makita is better in this regard).
I think my method was faster and turned out to be highly effective. Other than better dust collection and an improved depth mechanism for dados, I am not sure I would change a thing.Now, where is the spray paint, I hate yellow tools.Jack Loganbillhttp://www.thewoodshop.20m.com Even though I am very picky when it comes to tools, I could make any of them function perfectly well. Read the reviews, try the saws. I then locked down the miter lock and override, moved the miter scale to line up the indicator to 0 degrees, and tightened the miter scale screws. Sure it's possible, but the depth mechanism is not designed as I would design it.In Summary.I had a $50 Home Depot gift card and thus was tempted to purchase the Makita 10" slider which was on sale for $399.
I run Forrest and Ridge Tool (In Line Industries) cross-cut blades in my saws, but ordered a Freud LU91M010 blade for the DW717 and will install it soon for our cabinet-making activities. Tested miters at 45L and 45R, and found them to be accurate as well.The included blade works surprisingly well. I preferred to have a newer gen saw with the DW717 features than a stock laser that may or may not be effective. However, in use, when done correctly, there is zero deflection. A 12" saw provides greater specs in this regard, but I don't like paying $$$$$ for 12" blades, and they tend to flex more in this context.In regards to head deflection, the DW717 head deflects no more than any of the others when forcing the issue (not cutting, just pushing left or right). Okay, I realize this is a common problem, but c'mon manufacturers let's take some time to get this right.
But for construction work and trim carpentry, I would not hesitate to use the standard blade.The slider action seemed a bit rough but after closer examination of its competitors, there is little or no difference. Since my work is typically cabinetmaker oriented, I generally do not work with construction lumber and thus its specs are perfect for me.Regarding lack of a laser. I then moved the carriage to set the blade to 90 degrees. Though it will not completely cut through a 6 x 6, we tried it and the power seemed to be more than adequate. Why.
It is simple to setup, erognomic to use, and very accurate. Everyone knows the Makita is a great saw, with a great blade, laser, wide table, smooth slider, etc. Until I add a DC drop, I am using a Fein vac with the saw and still at least 50% of the dust ends up on the bench, the saw, and/or my lungs. Made a couple of test cuts in a sheet of MDF (12" wide) to verify that the saw was cutting accurately, and it was.
I will find or manufacture them. The cutting depth and cross-cut specs are also greater than most 10" saws. I had planned on purchasing the Bosch 10" slider, but after analyzing and fretting and then testing the new DW717, decided for the money, the DW717 was the best saw for our shop.Out of the box the saw was setup pretty well, not perfect. On the negative.1. I loosed the screws that attached the miter scale, then loosened the miter lock and override. They all slide a bit rough, even the Makita. So why bother.
+1 for Festool.5. I say previous generation, because the DW717 is one of the newer designs among 10" sliders. I replaced my 20-year old Delta Miter Saw with the DeWalt 717. The fences are taller and have greater adjustability and versatility that most if not all previous generation saws. Dust collection leaves a lot to be desired.
I'm not a professional carpenter, I'm a proficient amateur in the middle of an extensive renovation of my Victorian. Note that the blade must be lowered to project a clean shadow. I just need more cut capacity. I don't change blades on a miter saw very often so it's not that huge of a deal.
Seems like this could have been engineered a little better. I had thought I would need a 12" slider to build my upper kitchen cabinets but this 10" has more than enough capacity. This seems to be an issue with all sliders since the blade first cuts the wood on the underside. 7) Nice big fence (as compared to the Makita)8) Nice detent controls9) Dust collection works well when connected to my Fein vac. Bad:1) LED installation was a PIA. Even though this saw has a much larger cut than my previous saw, it is roughly the same weight and can be folded into a reasonable size. With my chop style I always put the good face up, placing the good side down or standing the piece makes the problem go away.
Since this is a one time problem I did not deduct any points.2) Blade change seems clumsy compared to my old Delta. Others have complained about poor collection with the bag. It essentially allows you to do a "touch alignment" very quickly and does not require any adjustment as you change blades or cut on either side.5) Nicely portable, just as easy (or hard) to carry as my old saw.6) Huge cut capacity. my 45 yr old eyes often had a hard time seeing the scale on the Delta in poor light with safety glasses.or maybe I just need reading glasses.4) LED light does a nice job. They are trying to keep the packaging small which made connecting the tiny wiring harnesses difficult.
Good:1) Accurately adjusted right out of the box2) Relatively lightweight/compact. keep your soda can to the right. I should get the hang of this over time.Neutral:1) Splintering of the top surface when using the proper pullout-plunge-push method of cutting. This does not "project" a line like a laser, it casts a shadow of the actual blade. read Lots-O-Trim. My first attempts were rather frustrating several times resulting in a "jammed" mechanism. This is also my first sliding miter saw, so many of my observations may be true of other sliders.
While installing the light you need to hold the guard up while trying to connect and conceal the tiny wires without pinching them. old Delta compound miter saw which is still serving me well. The nice thing is that it fits the Fein without requiring an adapter. 2) Smaller table than the Makita, but a better miter scale position and more compact as a result. it's all about the trade-offs.3) More dust escapes from the left side of the saw. If you plunge first and then pull the problem goes away, but this technique it not considered safe since the the blade can "climb" the wood. My previous saw was a 15 yr.
My old Delta was made of cast iron instead of aluminum.3) Nice big bevel scale. I needed to add a little band clamp to strengthen and tighten the mounting point. It takes a little fuddling to figure out how far to unscrew the bolt. not a problem just an observation. I've just recently purchased this saw so I don't have a lot of experience with it yet. When used indoors, my Delta would cast a shadow on the cut line. Gaining access to the arbor requires you to partially unscrew a hold down bolt until you can move the blade guard down to expose the arbor.
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