Customer Reviews

DEWALT DW708 12-Inch Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter saw

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I have owned my 708 for 18 months now and am as happy with it now as when I bought it. The slide rails are very smooth and easy to adjust(needed depending on temperature extremes). The lever cam lock beats those twist knobs hands down. The miter detents are positive but not so deep as to make it difficult to go 1/4 of a degree to either side. The vernier scale on the miter pointer is handy. The depth stop is a useful item for certain uses, except for dados, where you have to keep the work 2-21/2" off the fence to get a flat cut. The tall fence is sturdy and is better than adding wood to the wimpy stock fence (a la Makita, Hitachi). The dual bevel feature is real nice, since now I don't have to move the zero stop to bevel right a degree or two. One improvement would be an overide for the bevel stops so you could bevel 47 degrees without messing with the adjustment. I just leave the stops turned out and go to the pointer for a true 45. The cutting capacity is plain heaven, especially for jig cutting railing parts(not even possible with a straight 12" or slide 10"). All told, the best saw on the market, even if it cost twice as much.

Love it , love it , love it. DeWalt really thought this one through. Form the smooth belt drive to the cam lock table. I can not find fault with this saw. It has absolutely the largest capacity of any SCM saw on the market. It is the only one with such a huge fence to support your material. If you need to bevel cut , just turn the knob , and it slides out of the way. No one else gives you that option. (If Makita did , I would be more inclined to go that direction, since their LS1211 is such a sweet saw, even more refined than the DeWalt.) The cam lock table is a very nice improvement over a screw knob design.The whole saw is very easy to adjust if it gets knocked out of whack by careless workers. It is however pretty heavy to lug around, so I mounted mine on a Trojan Miter saw stand. Now I roll it around instead. It sets up in less than 2 minutes.If you need the capacity , you can't go wrong with this saw. If you don't , consider the DW705.

I considered a number of other leading brands before I purchased the DW708 and I couldn't be happier with my choice. While I have only had the unit for two months, I have really put it through the paces cutting framing lumber, trim moldings, and laminate flooring... in all cases it performed superbly. The powerful saw easily cut through a number of 4"x12" header plates like they were trim molding. In addition to the larger blade and cut capacity this saw further defines itself (and how versatile it is) with all the quick adjustments you can make to help your job go easier (i.e. both vertical & horizontal angles, depth of cut, fence, etc). Depending on your use, many of the accessories are "must haves" such as the material clamp and crown molding stops (One to avoid is the dust bag option for the DW708, as you really need a vacuum system to capture the dust effectively). This is another well thought out tool from DeWalt.

Overall I am very pleased with this saw. There are two features which leave a lot of room for improvment (in my opinion). Although it is possible to bevel more than 45 degrees it requires a laborious changing of the tools adjustments, you have to have tools out to do it and then you would have to recalibrate the machine when you were finished (if you wanted to make quick 45 degree cuts again.) Although it is technically possible to do this I personally will never use this feature as it is too difficult to do. On the other hand the miters beyond 45 degrees are as simple and accurate to use as anyone could hope for. Another area where I found the saw lacking was that it has a depth adjustment to control the depth of cut . In theory this sounds great as you could make dado's but in reality if you are looking to make consistent cuts at the same depth it does not work well enough to meet my standards. The depth seemed to vary a little bit depending how much pressure was exerted on the saw, while it would be ok for some rough applications if your looking for nice precise dados then get out your router or use your table saw. Overall this is a great saw, it cuts wonderfully but I really think that claiming that it bevels beyond 45 degrees without a big disclaimer is a bit dishonest. I also bought the stand for the saw and I am also quite pleased with that, it is lightweight, easy to set up and quite sturdy.

This is my fourth compound miter saw and my third sliding compound miter saw. This saw allows piece of mind. You basically know that this saw will cut whatever stock you have, within reason. This is a very good tool, it is thoughtfully designed and has some real advantages and falls slightly short in only a couple of areas. The BOSCH 3915 ( 10" SCM ) is a fine tool, but only bevels one way, its toggle clamps are quick and easy to engage ( more so than the DeWalt vertical clamps, which are still effective ).I prefer the cast in angle markers on the BOSCH over the DeWalts painted on gauge or Hitachi's C10fs which are too hard to read because they are painted the same seafoam green as the base and they are too small. The detents on the BOSCH are superb, the DeWalt's are also very good, and the Hitachi's are not as plentiful or crisp. The cam action lock down on the DeWalt is great, but the BOSCH's screw type works very well because of its large knob, much easier than the smaller Hitachi's. Regarding the cam lock on the DeWalt, I was really impressed how well it locks down even a degree or less next to a major detent. The adjustable fences on the Dewalt are superior to the Bosch's which only one side moves, and the Hitachi's are too short to be very useful. For the most part the BOSCH has a very nice base, but the direct drive motor and mount is fairly old technology. The Hitachi is a nice and fairly compact saw with a great motor, very smooth start up, but the base needs updating. The DeWalt is a great compromise. It does not fall way short in any category that I can see based on owning the other two saws mentioned. The accessories not being included is a little disappointing, I believe that for the price of this saw DeWalt could atleast include the dust bag. Generally speaking though, I believe this saw is woth every nickel when you consider the other saws are very good, but have distinct shortcomings, the DeWalt really does not in my opinion. I have mounted this saw on a mobile custom cart with locking wheels and storage beneath, I mounted the the Rousseau extensions and stop system on my cart and it is extremely solid and useful. So far, although not perfect - this saw is the best of the current choices. Hope this review helped you.

I shopped online, in stores and through magazines for a top-of-the-line compound miter saw. I was looking for capacity and features at a reasonable price. After careful consideration and much review, I selected the DeWalt DW708. I feel this saw delivered the best "bang for the buck". There are definitely some nice saws out there to choose from so the selection is there for someone who is looking for less in a compound miter or for someone who just wants to pay more money.

I know as well as anyone that it is hard to justify the price if you don't get the use out of the product and it's features. I bought this saw to help in completing some major projects around the home like construction of a fireplace mantel, and replacing door casing, floor molding and base shoe throughout my house.

I chose the 12" blade over the seemingly more popular 10" models early in my decision process. With a 12" blade available from all of the major manufacturers, it just seemed to me to add more capacity to the unit overall. It also seems to me that all of the newer units have 12" blades and are sliders as if these features are becoming more of the standard. Besides, if I am going to drop coin for features, I might as well add a few more bucks for the extra capacity in those features. I really like the way the 12" blade handled the 6" crown molding.

The double bevel feature makes cut setup straightforward (like their add says, flip the saw, not the work). The bevel pointer has markings at 33.9 degrees left and right to help setup cuts on crown molding. Bevel angles can be set from 48 degrees left to 48 degrees right. I like this feature because I can use the 3 extra degrees of bevel to compensate on joints that are greater than 90 degrees.

The miter control is really nice too. You can go 50 degrees left and 60 degrees right which is as good or better of a range than any other modern saw out there. The miter scale has 11 of the most used angles set up as positive stops. This is really nice to me because it reduces the guesswork and speeds up the action. The miter locking system operates sweet. The miter scale is easy to see and read and includes a vernier scale to setup cuts at quarter degree offsets. I've actually used this feature a lot and it is mighty accurate. I am very impressed. The miter scale is also a dual range miter scale meaning there are two sets of numbers on the scale. The larger numbers are used to calculate the proper miter angle by dividing 180 degrees by the number of sides in the box, frame or joint. The smaller numbers are used when the corner of your work has been measured with a protractor. Sounds simple but it is a very nice feature. Wait till you get into some tricky jobs and you will see what I mean. I'm scratching my head and using a protractor all the time.

The adjustable fence is nice too. One adjustment knob on each fence allows you quickly move it to your desired location. Each side of the fence has two holes milled into it that allows me to construct and fasten my own jigs to the saw with a screw through the back as well as just using clamps.

The included manual lacks a little as far as clarity on procedures for maintaining the accuracy of the saw, but it does include some very useful illustrations, tables and instructions on making very specific kinds of cuts.

There are some other nice features that I could mention but I'm going to leave it at this. I wrote this for the person who is looking to buy a saw like I was and is just looking for an opinion. In case you couldn't tell, I really like this saw. I'm not a pro, but I feel like I at least have a pro's tool. If you actually buy this saw and use it, I seriously doubt you will regret it (as long as you follow the safety guidelines and don't hurt yourself).

I was in the market for another compound miter saw and decided I wanted the best. I am a contractor and place a heavy demand on my tools and equipment. I read the reviews, researched the tests, even tried one out(2 cuts on another contractors jobsite). Cost was not an issue, I wanted the best. Well I now own a DW708 and I must say I am very disappointed! The extended height fences are constantly in the way,you have to remove them instead of flip them out of the way like one of the other models I have. Anyone who owns a piece of equipment that requires the removal of a certain piece to perform basic functions knows what happens to that part. The tightening knob on the fence will not allow the saw to bevel to 45 r. at max miter. The whole head sags when the bevel knob is loosened. The knob itself needs to be tightened 1 complete turn or more and the same for loosening. Unlike the competitions 1/4 turn leverlock. And best of all !!!! the blade shaved a nice flat surface on the fence the first time the blade was set at 45 r. bevel and 45 r. miter.....a pleasant surprise. And for anyone who is buying one of these, order 2 wrenches because the cheasy holder will ultimately lead to the loss of the original. O.K. maybe this is a small detail but on my particular saw the DeWalt sticker on the motor is upside down..not a big deal but while I'm at it. And to top this gem off...not 1 accessory!! no bag, no hold down clamp, no extensions. Again...unlike the competition. Don't get me wrong I own many DeWalt tools and will undoubtedly buy others but until this particular model undergoes some major improvements......SORRY......NOT IMPRESSED!!!!!!!!!

I have had several Radial Arm Saws in the shop for years. I got this Dewalt Sliding Miter saw as a modern replacement (substitute).

I have had the saw in operation for about 60 days now. The primary advantage is in the ability to saw while pushing towards the fence. You can do this with the RAS but it is tricky getting the stock in place. The 708 swings the blade downward to the stock. This is very helpful when crosscutting wide sections of hard maple. The saw comes up to full speed and down to a halt very quickly ( less than one second). it seems to have plenty of power.

The miter stops are OK for general use; but you will need to measure and clamp for precision work.

The saw is not effective without both a long support table both left and right. I am a short person and setting the compound tilt requires my walking around the saw. I can't reach over it to the knob on the back. This is awkward with the long support tables in place. The dadoing (depth adustment) is useless. It is just a little screw that bears against an unsound part of the frame. 12" is probably as small as I would go for blade size.

There is a dust port; but almost no dust either naturally nor with vacuum attached; goes out this port. You will need to adapt your shop dust system to collect dust as it exits, fairly straight back from the blade.

My shop is not a construction site, so I have not exposed the DeWalt to the rigors of those tasks. I am happy with this tool; but alas it is not the perfect tool....

Is it possible to love a saw? I've only had this a few weeks, and already I'm looking for excuses to use it. Projects that I've been putting off for ages are getting priority if they give me an excuse to power this up. And power it has. It cuts through 2x4's like they were trim, and really pumps the sawdust out the chute. It has way more guts than my contractor table saw, which now seems to spend most of it's time cutting plywood. I don't want to repeat the technical features of the previous review, but wanted to make it known there's another user who thinks this is a great way to invest the $$. Now why are all those other "parts" sold as "options"? Make sure you have somewhere for the dust to go! Oh, and I wasn't prepared for how deep the saw assembly would sit. I had to place it in an open part of the shop because it wouldn't go flush against the wall like a non-slider.

Like marriage, this tool gives me some incredible highs and some really god-awful lows. I primarily do case work and work out of a two car garage. I bought the saw to fill the shoes of my old radial arm and an ancient Makita chop saw.

The Highs:
1. Well powered with great cutting capacity
2. Electric brake is excellent
3. Easy "D" handle design
4. High fences (hold downs are good but they cost extra)
5. Bevels both sides

The Lows:
1. This saw will not stay square! PERIOD!...
2. Cannot lock down the head to get consistent beveled cuts
3. Forget dust collection--install a floor port for your collector
4. Had to buy an after market blade and there is too much play in the head
5. The depth of cut feature is worthless for anyone who wants ease of adjustment and consistency in cuts

One day I practically ran a Dewalt service rep off the road trying to get his attention. When he pulled over I asked him how do I keep my saw square? He said take it to a service center. Guess what they said at the center? "Keep it adjusted."

This is that god-awful, lowest of the lows. It is not possible to get consistent square cuts on both sides of the blade. I would gladly catch sawdust with a butterfly net if this pricey saw would cut square for precise work.

The saw is great for construction, thick material and rough cuts. But if you want to perform high quality joinery after your final cut, I would re-think dropping "six bones" on this saw for that purpose.

When I find an affordable, more accurate 12" CMS I will sell this one to a construction guy and have no guilty feelings!... Then maybe I can have less frustration on my more difficult projects.