Customer Reviews

DEWALT DW364K 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Electric Brake

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Update 8/19/07 - I have recently discovered that there is a fence/shoe adjustment that allows you to precisely align the blade and shoe for all of your speed square cuts. To my knowledge - this feature is not available on any other saw.

Several years ago I had a chance to use a friend's Dewalt DW364. It was so amazing that I hoped my venerable Makita 8 1/4" contractor saw would die. The Makita is still running strong (it's 22 years old) but I finally bought a DW364 anyway.

This saw was not designed for the homeowner but for the professional carpenter.

It will be too heavy for the casual board cutter and the great design features will only be apparent to skilled pro's.

Circular saws have been built following the same basic design for years. Expensive circular saws had strong, durable motors and heavy duty fences while the cheapies had poor fences and poor motors. The depth and angle adjustments in either group were at best a suggestion of precision.

Dewalt to their credit decided to build a better saw and succeeded masterfully. The other saw manufacturers are still doing things the same old way.

What's great - Heavy duty fence, clear view of the cut point from the left hand side of the saw, notch to position power cord so it is out of the way on rips, clear and precise depth and angle adjustment, unbelievably smooth and powerful motor.

What's not - it's heavy yet it's mass makes it stable, although not as stable as a worm drive.

Caslo

Well, I have yet to buy a DeWalt tool that I haven't been happy with, and this saw is no exception. This saw makes consistent cuts and has a ton of great features. I would make two suggestions when buying it that some people may overlook:
First, I would buy a quality blade for use with your intended projects rather than the one included (it cuts, but as with most blades included with saws, probably isn't going to satisfy your needs)
Second, I would strongly suggest picking up the optional rip fence (DW3278). You can usually find it up for around $10.00, and it makes long straight cuts infinitely easier. Definitely a good investment!
Nevertheless, I am extremely happy with this saw. THe only reason it got 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the included accessories (and lack of an included rip fence).

I picked up this saw/kit about 6 months ago and have used it inside and out up here in Maine. While I like the inside weather, it never cared how think the ice was on the lumber. I am a bit biased toward yellow tools anyway but I am really satisifed with this saw. A few notes though that keep me from giving it a perfect score. It arrived mis-adjusted, and it took some time to get it right. But that is also an advantage. To have a saw with a built in tracking adjustment is well worth it to be able to true up your saw blade with the base plate. Unfortunately, I can no longer use the pre-stamped cutting marks as I had to move it quite a bit to get things square. Secondly, the guard spring is way too tense. I build a lot of stairs and any cut that is more than a few degrees off of 90 to the wood, the tight guard spring will pull the saw off line. Since the saw is hefty, this really makes your wrist tire after a cutting a few ten step stringers. I'm going to take mine apart and loosen up that spring it is really way too tight. The weight does get to you after a few days of swinging it around and fighting that guard tension but I'm telling ya this thing cuts like wood like butter. By the way, do the right thing and break in the brushes like it says - otherwise the blade break will not work properly.

I researched a tested a number of circular saws before eventually choosing the DW364. I use the circular saw for light framing work, finish carpentry, and cabinet-making and I wanted a good, jack-of-all-trades tools that would be appropriate for the variety of projects I would use it for. After looking at comparable saws from Bosch, Makita, Hitachi, Porter-Cable, and Milwaukee, I short-listed the workhorse Makita 5007 and the DeWalt as the two that I would like to own. Initially, Makita's no-nonsense, field-proven design and reputation for reliability were winning me over, but I took a chance on the superior ergonomics and features of the DeWalt and didn't look back.

There are two really standout features of this saw; the first is the precise and heavy-duty depth adjustment. Why don't other tool-makers build their saws this way? The stamped the sheetmetal rail and thumb-knob found on other saws is adequate at best, and unstable at worst. One of my 'tests' involved setting the depth gauge to it's shallowest setting, putting the saw on the floor, and leaning in to the handle with all my (220 lb) weight. Only the Makita and the DeWalt didn't deflect under this abuse, but the elegance of the DeWalt's design and the fact that the rear-pivot design keeps the attitude of the handle in roughly the same place, regardless of the depth setting, gave it a leg-up over the Makita.

The second standout feature is the large and rigid hard-anodized aluminum shoe. The DeWalt's shoe appears to be about 30-percent bigger than those found on comparable saws and, unlike the Makita's die-cut aluminum shoe, the edges are machined smooth. Does this really affect the day-to-day performance of the saw? Probably not, but it is a nice detail. The DeWalt's shoe also appears to virtually scratch- and gouge-proof. I've seen my share of field-worn Makita 5007s to know that the their shoes are susceptible to gouging with use and abuse. For a framing saw, this is non-issue, but I'd hate for my saw to accumulate nicks and gouges that might scar the surface of finish cabinetry materials. Again, it is a nice detail that helps the DeWalt stand out from the rest. I tend to prefer cast shoes or even the stamped-steel ones found on many worm-drive saws but, as stamped aluminum ones go, this is the best.

No saw is perfect, and this one has its faults. The chassis doesn't seem quite as sturdy or well put together as that of the Makita, but it is certainly comparable to those of the Bosch, Porter-Cable, and Milwaukee saws I looked at, and this saw is big and heavy for a sidewinder. But is seems to tackle anything you through at is with flying colors. Using the included 24-tooth framing blade it powers through wet 4X4s like a worm-drive; throw on a 40-tooth, thin-kerf Freud Diablo and you can precisely rip sheets of delicate 1/4" Baltic birch plywood with aplomb.

This is probably the closest thing to the perfect circular saw you'll find. It has fulfulled all of my original purchase objectives and every time I use it, I am impressed with what a great design it is and how well it just works. If you only have room for one saw in your tool cabinet, I can't see how you'd go wrong with the DW364.

Way back in '89 I destroyed a worm gear drive saw. I replaced it with a major brand, big discount store, consumer grade saw,,, then 2 more. Finally I realized that I had spent as much as a nice commercial grade saw would have cost, in just 4 years !! So I began studying and researching and found this saw. I never did like the way that the worm drive saw would torque to the side when I pulled the trigger. The saw wasn't hard to control after the initial start-up but that sideways jump annoyed me. So I didn't even consider another worm drive saw. This saw looked rugged enough and the base plate was precisely adjustable for paralell to the blade. I was sold. It self destructed in '04.
I did a short overview of what was available and still couldn't find anything I liked better,,so, in '04 I bought another one. This time though the saw has been upgraded to 15 amps from the previous 13 amps, and I couldn't be happier. 10 or 11 years from now if this one goes out again, I'll buy another one gladly. The smoothest running, straightest cutting, easiest to control saw I've ever seen has no competition. Well,,, maybe the 8 1/4 inch version of the same saw.

Powerful 7.25" saw. The saw easily rips and cross cuts hard woods such as mahogany, oak, and teak. For the extra few bucks it is worth having the adjustable height adjustment especially if you are thinking about building a deck. Used the saw for about a year with absolutely no problems or complaints.

I have been using this model saw for roughly 20 years and have been a fan of Dewalt tools for about the same length of time. As a finish carpenter it had a lot of features that I liked and has proven rather durable. It seemed that I had finally given the current one enough abuse so I picked up a new one. I needed it for doing precision work on a cabinet project. Although the manual stated that all of the adjustments had been set at the factory, upon removing it from the box I double checked because of the accuracey I need. First the bevel angle would not zero by more than a degree, and then I discovered the sole plate was warped and while one rail was parallel to the blade the other was not. This makes the saw completely useless for my needs and to a certain extent if the blade can't be made parellel to a cutting guide this could cause dangerous binding. First Black and Decker bought Porter Cable and has made it a mediocre product and I fear they are taking the good name of Dewalt there too. Perhaps this was just a lone bad one, but just comparing the quality of the sole plate with the one on my current saw, which I replaced a few years ago, I see a difference there.

After my hand-me-down black and decker (made a few decades ago, when black and decker wouldn't get snickers) finally bit the dust, I needed to get a new circular saw. I picked this one up at the blue home store, and have been very pleased. I've heard many good things about the grey, blue, and red ones, but this one is a beast. Feels good and sturdy too. One word of caution, this model DeWalt is pretty heavy compared to others. If you're doing a lot of work it will wear you out, but thats also why it can saw through things like butter... Power.

Recently used this saw to complete a massive home remodel project which included building an exterior deck, framing 2 new interior rooms and constructing a 1500 square foot wooden floor with furring strips and sheathing over a poured concrete basement. The saw performed flawlessly and ripped through wet pressure treated wood and 2x6's with ease.

The electric brake is great and is a must for safety purposes, I will never work with a circular saw without one again!

The dial knob depth of cut adjustment is the best in the business and is a dream come true for anyone who changes depth of cut often while framing. No more fooling around with a tape measure in one hand and the saw in the other while trying to adjust the saw to the desired cut depth. Just loosen the dial knob, set your depth according to the easy to read dial settings and then lock the knob back up and you are ready to go in literally just seconds. It doesn't get any easier.

Best circular saw I have ever used. Thanks Dewalt!

This saw is quite possibly the best saw I've ever used. It has perfect balance and feel, and plenty of power. The brake makes it easier to use on roofs and decks as well. I have used this saw in my home improvement business for a little over a year and have had no problems what-so-ever. A must for the professional builder.