Customer Reviews

DEWALT DC390K 18-Volt Ni-Cad 6-1/2-Inch Cordless Circular Saw Kit

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I owned the older Dewalt DW939 saw for several years. It was good little saw and I got plenty of use out of it, but I had always wished that Dewalt would make a cordless saw more like Milwaukee's 18V saw, which I felt was designed more like a cordless saw should be.
When first looking over the new model DC390K circular saw kit earlier this year, I was glad to see that Dewalt finally got it right, and purchased one that same week.
The DC390's magnesium shoe is lightweight but rigid, much nicer than the stamped steel shoe on the old model. The trigger safety, which was often difficult to use on the old Dewalt saw, is now easy to operate in any cutting position. The small depth-of-cut adjustment knob on the older saw has been changed to a larger lever that can be used even with gloved hands. In addition, the 0 to 50-degree bevel scale has finer graduations that are more accurate than on the old model. The kit includes a plastic case, rip fence, 16-tooth carbide blade, charger and one XRP battery. You will probably want to replace the 16-tooth blade that comes with the DC390, as I did, with a 24-tooth blade, because the stock blade leaves a noticeably ragged cut.
Surprisingly, I actually paid less for this saw kit than for the old model I bought almost four years ago.
The DC390 may be just a 6-1/2 Inch cordless, but I don't know of a carpenter, plumber or electrician that wouldn't want to have one of these in his truck. They are just that handy for quick cuts of small PVC pipe, crosscutting OSB and 2X.
If you're a framer, or need to rip sheets of plywood continuously, you're not going to be happy with any cordless saw. Not even Milwaukee's V28 model, which is a very good tool. Maybe the new Dewalt 36-Volt cordless line, due out sometime in mid 2006, will be the answer for you.
Overall, when in competent hands and used within it's limits, the I feel that the DW390 is an excellent go between saw that is a definite time saver for smaller jobs and I have no problem recommending it to anyone.

I've been a professional carpenter for 26 years and this saw is terrific. The key word here is "battery". It is not a 15 amp worm drive skillsaw, and it will not completely replace your 110 volt tools. It is extreamly handy to use and capable of real work. In a skilled hand this tool will do a lot of work and not complain about it. Relax, cut straight, let the saw do the work. Highly recommended.

I purchased this saw about one year ago at a big box store. I was debating between this cordless model and one of the lighter duty DeWalt corded models. I selected this one figuring that it could be useful when on the roof or other location where cords would be a hazard or inconvenient.

The saw works well for light duty applications. I have used it easily on 2x4 and 2x6 materials, ripped 4x8 sheets of 3/4 plywood and cut lattice for a porch enclosure project. All done without problems. The battery lasts a lot longer than I expected; I typically can get through medium-sized jobs (say two to four hours for the project) without a recharge.

The blade included with the saw is easy to change and is fine for rough work. If I was framing a house, however, I would want a corded saw, but for a homeowner, there is no need to have anything but this saw.

I just don't see any downside to owning this at all.

I got the DC390 as part of the DC6KITA package. From reading the reviews, I was skeptical about the power of the tool when cutting. I broke out a 2X4 and began testing the saw with a fresh battery and the supplied Dewalt 16T blade. Although you cannot force the tool through as in most of the sloppy framing I have seen, it does cut quite nicely and with respectable speed. It is a matter of just letting the tool do the job. Upon ripping down the 2X4, I purposefully went off line so I would have to twist the tool to compensate. I did not find that the saw binded or bogged down. It just kept the RPMs up and did it's job. Is this going to replace a corded circular saw? NO. But for most little projects this tool will do it's job fantastically.

To make sure that the tool will actually do it's job acturately, I measured everything with my Starrett Machinist Square and it is true 0 and 45 drgrees. The shown measurements are correct and the depth settings worked well.

I rate this at 5 stars because I went into this tool knowing it was not a corded tool. The battery life seems adequate and the portability over the corded is a great bonus.

I recently got a job building a fence out in the country where the closest power outlet is 400ft away from the project and thought that I needed a cordless circular saw to do the job.
I decided on the Dewalt DC390 based on Dewalts' reputation and on the positive reviews here on Amazon. I was a little worried that it came with only one battery but thought I would see how it went before purchasing another expensive battery. Well I took it to the job and started framing the fence using the DC390 and I have to say that I LOVE this saw! It cut through the 2x4's effortlessly, the bevel adjustments were very smooth, and the saw never bogged down once. I would work all morning and plug it into the charger during lunch and the battery would be topped off in 20 minutes and it would run the whole rest of the day without a hiccup.
I was also worried that being left handed would be a problem because this saw is designed for righties (unlike my Porter Cable left handed model circular saw) but it wasn't a problem at all. There is a large cutout in the shoe that makes it extremely easy to see my pencil line while cutting.
I am so happy with this saw and it is so easy to use that it will be my new "go to" saw for all my projects. I can't recommend it enough.

I own Dewalts older version of the 18 volt saw and was always pleased with its performance, but was dissipointed with the saftey switch it was always difficult to keep depressed as you ran a long cut. This new saw has a switch extremly easy to use, the adjustment knobs have better leverage and the handle seems to be more ergonomic. Definetly cant replace a corded saw for long time use, but great for cuts here and there through a job.

this tool has an eletric brake. today I was cutting wet 2x10's at a 45. It rips through subfloor like a coorded. the saw base is precise and it has great levers for depth and bevel. cuts 4x material in 2 passes. great for trim and exposed cuts, use a 24 tooth blade. this is the best saw on the market. more than one battery is essential, but with 2 or more you can saw daylong.If you know what battery power saws are like this tool will make you happy. thaks dewalt for finnally cumming out with solid saw.

I bought this saw about 3 weeks ago and have been using it since while constructing a new deck. I really wanted to test it's limits the first day, so I didn't even bother to bring out my corded saw. All and all, I'm very impressed. It is exceptional for 2x4 and most plywood, and worked great on the 2x6 and 2x8s I was using. I even used it for 2x10s, 12s, 4x4s, and 6x6s. I really gave it a thorough test that was more than it really should be used for. You can noticeably tell it's battery powered when cutting through the 12s and posts, but it didn't die. I simply brought it back a bit, and continued through. The brand new battery worked really well, probably giving me about 2 hours out of it cutting through those big boards continuously. Charge time is great, so you don't have to wait long, especially if you have a second battery. After the first day of testing, I now use the saw for what it is supposed to be used for. I've used it off the side of the deck, left and right-handed on ladders, upside down, everything. It's great to be able to pull it out quickly even if you've got to cut down a 2x10 or more.

Conclusion
Obviously you're not going to use this for replacing a corded saw when cutting through the big stuff. It works great for doing that on small jobs, but is best when used on roofs, decks, etc. where cords can be dangerous. Great value, great battery life, great weight. Love this!

I am impressed with this saw. I was apprehensive about spending this much money for a cordless saw that may see little use if it were slow cutting.I cuts fast enough and ideal for small jobs. Also it recharges in less than an hour.

Knowing what I know now I would not buy this saw again.

My sawdust manufacturing facility is in the cellar and I never build anything that requires a full sheet of plywood. To save on the hassle of power cords I bought this saw to rip plywood as needed into a manageable transporting size. I find this saw to be way underpowered, the blade speed seems extremely slow. I find it very difficult to cut a strait line even when using a guide.

Update 12/12/09

Still feel that it's under power and therefore of limited use; but have put it to use multiple times when I needed to just cut a few 2x4's down to size and did it's job so I've upgraded it to 3 stars. You can't be in a hurry with this saw, you need to let cut at it's pace.