64 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent Saw
I purchased the new DeWalt DW718 shortly after receiving an introductory DVD of the new 12" miter saws sent to me by DeWalt. I was impressed by the presentation on the DVD which exhibited the improvements, compact size, larger capacity, ease of miter and bevel adjustment and the new laser alignment system. I've had a 10" Makita compound slider saw for years and have...
251 of 269 people found the following review helpful:
Serious Quality Issues!!!...
I have just recently purchased the new DW718 double-bevel sliding compound power miter saw with the high hope of a getting something really nice. Boy was I wrong! I really had high hopes since the older DW708 was a nice saw!
Firstly, the table is smaller than the dw708, the rails are 1 inch in diameter (rather than the common 1 3/16") this smaller rail...
This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
I have just recently purchased the new DW718 double-bevel sliding compound power miter saw with the high hope of a getting something really nice. Boy was I wrong! I really had high hopes since the older DW708 was a nice saw!
Firstly, the table is smaller than the dw708, the rails are 1 inch in diameter (rather than the common 1 3/16") this smaller rail system causes major power head deflection!!!! Accuracy is severely compromised by too much head flex - even worse is how over 14 inches of travel, the cut is out by about 16th of an inch, too much play in my opinion! Since the saw is made in MEXICO, I really feel that there are quality issues. As the older model was made is the States (hurray), this new model has a bad finish! There are aluminum slag deposits everywhere! I had to get out my grinder and start grinding off the extra aluminum that appears to be everywhere! The newly redesigned cam-lock handle is flimsy and harder to use than the previous cam-lock system. One thing that I really don't like is that they got rid of the miter-verneer scale for the miter scale. One could easily adjust (on the DW708) to 1/4 or even 1/2 degrees - you still can now, but it is way harder. They now use a wimpy piece of "flexible red plastic" single arrow; very unimpressive; it is hard to read! Also, the bevel lock is hard to use and get at. DeWalt placed it very close to the motor. So you have to pull the power head completely forward in order to get a complete grip on the bevel lock handle if you want to lock into a certain bevel angle, very bad design! They have redesigned the dust collection system. It works by having a black plastic pipe run for about 12 inches before the dust bag is attached. Barely any dust is caught. Even with my 6.5 peak Horse Power vacuum I cannot collect any dust. At least other miter saws have "some sort" of dust collection, this one fails miserably! The bevel lever (this is what allows one to set the bevel into preset detents) is sometimes hard to operate - it can stick and get jammed, so look out for this! THE SLIDE ACTION (FRONT TO BACK) IS VERY JERKY (NOT SMOOTH)! EVEN AFTER LUBRICATION, IT STILL DOES NOT SLIDE EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT IT SHOULD FOR THAT PRICE. ALSO, WHEN THE SAW IS BEVELED EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT (PAST 15 DEGREES), THE SLIDE ACTION GETS WORSE--AS THE WHOLE MOTOR ASSEMBLY PUTS ADDED STRESS ON THE RAILS. WOW-WEE!?#...
There are some positives though: the unit is lighter and smaller, it does cut 14 inches with the regular fence (and when you use the auxiliary fence with a 1 1/4 inch auxiliary wood table built-up, you can cut up to 16 inches, NICE!). The positive bevel stops: crown molding miter-bevel 33.85 degrees Left / Right, 90 degree, 45 Left / Right and right are on the money and very sturdy, They are also easily calibratable if needed. The laser feature is nice, but not needed in my opinion! The laser is sold separately!!!... The left and right fence assemblies are very sturdy and accurate (they too can be adjusted if need be)! They have reversed the 60 degree and 50 degree positions on the miter table. The dw708 went 60 to the right, 50 left. Now the DW718 goes 50 right, 60 left no real bigy here! They have redesigned the saw base for better stability - the saw does NOT tip like the older dw708 did. It does cut really high molding; both nested and flat. I tried 6 5/8 nested crown, and it did it no problems here! It will cut 6 1/2 baseboard vertically, very nice!
I am going to return this saw and buy the MAKITA LS1013, now there's a saw! If you really want to buy a DeWalt slider though, then get the DW708! It is proven. My opinion, buy the MAKITA LS1013 - still made in the good old U.S.A., where quality still remains! DeWalt has seriously dropped the ball on this one!!!...
I have now purchased the makita ls1013, wow what a machine! The dw708 does have more cutting capacity etc, but for the quality that makita offers, you just cannot beat it. I also, give high praise to the hitachi c10fsb (no laser)!
** I do NOT work for makita or any other tool company! I am just giving technical information not given by anyone else on amazon.com; to allow decent people to make informed decisions. ** TAKE CARE!!!...
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
Jay has it right on. I also own a dw706,I am not trying to bash DeWalt,I have many yellow tools and the 706 is a good saw for base and crown capacity upright. This dw718 is something like you would expect from Harbor Freight Tools Brands,the castings alone are very crude. $720 with laser,and a cheap series 20 60th blade is way too much. It went back.
I bought a ls1013L, what a difference,great saw,super build/finish. The laser is preinstalled,can move line without tools to eitherside of kerf quickly and the vertical does not change as on the 718 if you move the laser kerf position you need an allen wrench and have to play with the guard. I would have bought the 12" if I did not have the DW706. The Makita is Made in USA even,except for the blade.
I understand the capacity is good but the accuracy,etc. is crude, even the holdown shaft "D" shaped end looks like someone rubbed it on rough concrete,not even flat.
Checked another display at Lowes and the same thing.esp. rough slider action too.
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
I purchased the new DeWalt DW718 shortly after receiving an introductory DVD of the new 12" miter saws sent to me by DeWalt. I was impressed by the presentation on the DVD which exhibited the improvements, compact size, larger capacity, ease of miter and bevel adjustment and the new laser alignment system. I've had a 10" Makita compound slider saw for years and have used it extensively. The limited capacity and lack of a laser alignment sight were serious drawbacks. I've held off buying a new saw until now because none of the newer saws had that much of an improvement to justify replacing my old Makita. After seeing the DVD and personally examining and playing with the saw in a "Big Box Store," I decided the improvements justified the purchase. Another deciding factor was the smaller footprint and table height. My old Makita was mounted to a roll- around workstation with folding wings to support long material. I hated to give up the old workstation and build a new one. To my surprise the new DW718 easily fit my existing workstation, and the table height was exactly the same. All I had to do was remove the Makita, align the fence of the DW718 to the fence on the extension wings of the workstation and bolt it down. I was back in business in no time. I installed the laser alignment sight and took great pains to set the three adjustment Allen screws correctly to insure maximum accuracy.
When this was done my evaluation started. First, the quality of the saw, detents, table and overall build quality was excellent. Another reviewer complained of several flaws on his saw. I found none of these problems with mine. I did have to make small adjustments to the red angle indicator arrows and the miter detent bar. The adjustments took 5 minutes and were easy to do. The laser system is a real winner, and its illumination of the entire cut range of the saw, both vertically and horizontal, is excellent. The laser will be a real time saver as well as improving the accuracy of my cuts, especially with cutting miters and bevels. If you buy the saw, get the laser system. It works off the saw's power system and will work even when the saw isn't triggered. This is a good safety feature. I didn't find any problem with blade or head deflection mentioned by another reviewer. The slide works very smoothly and the large horizontal handle is a nice feature. The miter and bevel adjustments are easy to make and the detents snap into place firmly. The DW718 is noticeably quieter than my older direct drive Makita. The saw brake stops the blade quickly and the blade guard returns rapidly. Both are important safety features that work as they should. The standard carbide blade cut smoothly and was much better than I expected for an OEM blade. I have replaced the blade with a Freud LU91R012 but will use the OEM blade when cutting potentially damaging material. The only negative thing I've found about the saw is the dust collection system. Most miter saws, due to their ability to be set at many angles, do a poor job of collecting saw dust. My older Makita was one of the better ones, but the new DW718 does a very poor job of collecting saw dust. Other than that drawback, the saw is a definite improvement and will nicely fit into my shop. I can highly recommend the DW718 to anyone requiring a high quality large capacity compound sliding miter saw.
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
The new DeWalt DW718 is a very good saw.
For two months I have been looking at miter saws - and in the end it came down to the new Hitachi 12" or this one.
Who am I - for 20 years I have been building and finishing custom houses.
Why did I buy this one?
1. Because it cuts 16" - and sometimes I really need to do this - when I cut shelves for a closet, when I cut stair treads, 2x16 Lvl, 14" TrussJoists ...
2. Because it cuts a 2x12 at 45 degrees - sometimes I cut rafter tops and tails or facia...
3. It's lighter and less bulky than the Hitachi - I have to carry it to and from my truck.
4. I have used it for a month and I find it accurate ( with reference to deflection - I can make every sliding compound miter saw deflect by pushing it sideways - sometimes I do this when I am going down a line and the saw blade is not quite on it. )This one is no different than any other.
Why would I have bought the Hitachi if it had features one, two and three.
1. Because I really like the digital readouts - to read the Deltas' tilt I have to pull out my glasses.
2. I have owned a Hitachi for 15 years and I love my saw - I trust their workmanship.
PS - The Dewalt has the lousiest dust collection I have ever seen - I don't see how it could possibly work (in a shop this might matter )...
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
I would say this is a great contractor saw, but perhaps not the best trim saw. Then again, you probably wouldn't be buying a slider if you were interested in precision cuts for trim work. And if you wanted a precise long cut, you'd probably be using a table saw. I bought this one because I felt it was the best bang for the buck and the best compromise for everything I was looking for at the time. I can't afford to have a separate saw for every situation, and thought this would serve me well in most anything I would do, except ripping. I had used the 708 for a good while and was extremely happy with it. I was looking forward to the quality of the 708 with the new features.
I've had the 718 for a year now, and I've got to agree with everybody; the good and the bad. I was a little apprehensive about buying it based on reviews of the slide action not being very good. But I have a tendency to research and analyze things to death; so I decided to just get it and find out for myself.
The first one I received, I sent back because of the slide action. It felt extremely jerky, and I didn't feel that I could get a smooth cut. I figured it had been damaged in shipment as the box was damaged. Unfortunately, the replacement saw felt the exact same way. Making a tour of different stores, I found all of the display units felt the same as well. There is a huge difference in the slide action when compared to the smoothness of the 708. I don't feel that you would ruin your cut because of it; but it's not what you expect... especially for the money you just spent. It definitely makes you take your cut slow and easy. However, I will say that the jerky action you feel when you slide it while not making a cut is somewhat lessened while you are actually cutting. I believe as you are cutting into the wood the head is lifted somewhat, reducing the downward pressure and taking the bind off of the rails. Speaking of the rails, I too don't understand why they are smaller. If anything, it would seem that the side-by-side arrangement would need larger rails... Because of this, I have noticed some play in the head; though I don't believe I've suffered from it yet - but, I'm not doing much trim work either. For most of my cuts I don't need the slide action, so I leave the head locked in the back. With the head locked, I can't detect much of any play at all. I've been able to cut smaller, four inch, crown mould accurately in this manner, though I haven't tried anything larger.
The biggest detractor I noticed right out of the box was the finish of the saw itself. I was expecting more for the money. There were slag deposits, unfinished edges, and the holes for the material clamp were not clean enough to remove the clamp with out giving it a solid hit. I don't feel I should have to hit my saw to make it work... I haven't had time to clean things up with a grinder, like everyone else, but it's definitely on my rainy day list. I will say that the table and the fence are finished nicely and that the fence is square to the table. Even the extensions are square and solid.
I have mixed feelings over the dust collector. I notice a good bit of dust not collected, however, the bag does fill up. So, it is working. I just don't know how effective it is overall. For now, I just accept that cutting wood creates saw dust and I'll clean it up just like before. One time, I was becoming very annoyed at how little dust was being collected. When I took the time to investigate, the bag was completely full and the collection pipe was packed solid all the way to the front of the chute. I had to clean out the pipe with a stick, somewhat forcefully I might add, to dislodge the dust. When I cranked up the saw, without the bag, it continued to blow dust out of the pipe and launch it a good three feet! So, dust does go in and air does move through it. I suppose everyone's mileage will vary. I wonder if the type of wood makes any difference? That example was from cutting blood wood, which is very dense. Perhaps heavier wood is collected better?
I do like the mitre cam-lock, though it too looks like it too could have been designed a little nicer. I don't have a problem with the mitre scale and adjustment, but I do have reservation with the plastic indicator. It seems accurate so far, and I haven't had any trouble, but it just feels cheap. The cam-lock for the bevel is very nice and one of the main reasons I chose this saw over the 708. I've not had any trouble adjusting it and it makes adjusting your bevel very easy. The stability of the saw does feel better than the 708. I also have mine mounted on the mounting brackets for the 723 mitre saw stand which increase tabletop stability greatly.
At first I had an issue with how the blade guard and handle were constructed. I was accustomed to the 708 with the handle in front of the guard. Consequently, I was used to letting my thumb hang on the outside of the handle. If you do this on the 718, your thumb will get pinched as the blade guard raises. I later found out that this was done intentionally so that you could use your thumb to raise the guard manually when cutting oversized stock. I don't notice it anymore.
Some people have mentioned that the kerf plate opening is a bit large, and it is; but you can create your own or buy another blank and cut it yourself. As it is, it is just open enough to accept a full bevel in either direction. I've noticed very little rip out. The blade does drop below the plate a little more than other saws, but I believe this is to accommodate the increased cutting width. I haven't had a problem with this so far. This one only spins up to 3,600 RPM; not as fast as the 708 which I believe was 4,000 RPM. I would really like the higher RPM as I feel it would make a cleaner cut; but, I really can't complain with what I'm getting out of it now.
So far I'm satisfied with my purchase. It's handled everything I've needed it to so far, and like any other tool I'm learning how to use it most effectively. I bought it with the intention of having a good-all-round saw and not needing to buy another for a good 10 years or more, and I think this will work for me. I had considered the Makita LS1013, like a lot of people, but I think bang-for-the-buck was the final deciding factor for me; at the time I bought it, it offered the most features for the best price. Hopefully I won't be disappointed too soon.
I would give it 3.5 stars, but I didn't feel that I could justify 4 due to the finish and the slide action.
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
I finally decided to take the plunge and invest in a GOOD QUALITY compound miter saw and retire my large and heavy radial arm saw.
I did a lot of research, looked at the competing models and checked on-line reviews including those here at Amazon. I decided the DW718 was the right saw for me, that is until I saw Jay_C's harsh review on this site (as I was getting ready to order the saw). Because of a few negative reviews on Amazon I decided to wait and do more research. I invested the time to again visit the tool stores and look at all the comparable models. The Dewalt just outshined all the competitors saws feature for feature. Finally I decided it was either the Dewalt or the Bosch. Then while visiting Lowes I noticed they had the DW718 on sale ($100 off retail) with a free Dewalt finish nail gun in the box - so I took the plunge.
Due to the few negative reviews here, I did some pretty extensive testing of the saw prior to using it in production. I must say it came out of the box dead-on. Perfect miters, perfectly square and the factory blade made excellent cuts in hard maple, oak, pine and composites.
I've now used it on several projects and it has performed flawlessly. Tall base board, crown-molding and 16" shelving where all no problem. Anyone that knows me knows that I am an extreme perfectionist. I setup my saws with a dial indicator calibrated in thousands of an inch. I expect miters to be dead-on with no gaps and I can honestly say the DeWalt DW718 delivers.
Do yourself a favor, take the negative reviews listed here with a grain of salt (you just never know who is writing these things and what their motives are). Amazon has an excellent return policy - try the unit yourself before deciding it is junk... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I am very happy with the saw, it is a pleasure to use.
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
Worst saw I have owned
DW708 is great and this is an insult to charge $700.00 for a crappy saw
Great for a homeowner with no clue
Horrible for a daily trim carpenter
. Dust bag is worthless easablility of changing settings SUCK
Its crap, if you want to buy one I will sell it real cheap used once and not again
Very dissapointed
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
I bought this to replace a 10" Rigid saw. After all the good/bad reviews I read I bought one anyway from Home Depot. $679, on sale for $599, minus a 20% contractor coupon equals $479, plus a free 16 gauge nailer and laser kit. Yes, the price is what made the sale. But more importantly I could always take it back as Home Depot has always given me good support.
Setup. There wasn't any. I did some test cuts and everything was perfectly square, 45 and compound miters were right on. Installing the laser was simple, but took over an hour to get it aligned; hence not giving DeWalt the 5 stars.
I did notice some board chipping with the installed 60 tooth blade, so I installed an 80 tooth blade, which I was going to do anyway and it made a huge difference. Not sure if the factory blade is a cheaper version or not, but everything I read says to spend the money and install a good blade which for any carpenter is always a good idea.
Overall finish seems to be good. The biggest complaint I have is not with the saw but with the power cord. It's location seems to get in the way of the slide on the return stroke which can cause you to push with extra force so the slide will knock the cord out of the way but can also cause the board you're holding to move. Not sure how to solve this but I'll rig something up.
Unless you need a 12" slider, stick with a smaller miter saw. The DeWalt 8-1/2" slider is ideal for most all house trimming. The right saw for the right job.
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
I got a great deal on a DW718 last week at the big orange box store. I bought the saw even after reading the negative reviews on this website and I'm glad I did. I mounted this saw on the Ridgid MSUV stand and bought the laser and crown stops for it.
It took me about an hour or so to set up the saw, install the laser an tweak the settings for both. The adjustments are easy and dead on now. The laser is decent and will be great for quickly building decks, pergolas, and the like. You'll still want to eyeball fine cuts for furniture and the like.
The blade isn't the highest quality, but I've cut crown molding with it and had good success. Tear-out was almost nil with a slow enough cutting stroke. Someone complained that the saw cuts on the upstroke for crown near the fence. Well, that's true, but it is true for all miter saws. If they didn't, then they wouldn't have squat for horizontal cutting capacity. Think about it.
I've read some concerns about the play in the slider leading to cutting errors and I just don't see it. First, the 718 switched to horizontal rails vs. vertical rails on the DW708, which should really dampen side-to-side movement (the biggest cause for deflection error). There is a set screw on the right slide that can be adjusted to take all play out of the mechanism while still allowing easy sliding. I will admit that the slider is tight straight out of the box, but it slides smoothly after a short break-in process.
I read these mixed bag reviews and bought the saw anyway. I'm glad I did. You will be too if you take the time to set the saw up properly (which is easy) and put it on a good stand.
If you are considering other 12 inch sliders, the Bosch is a great choice too. I've used a friend's Bosch and it is a wonderful tool. I'd have probably bought the Bosch if prices were the same, but I got the DW718 for about $200 less (got an insane deal at HD).
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This review is from: DEWALT DW718 Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tools & Hardware)
DeWalt dropped the ball on this saw. I am a General Building Contractor and use the 12" sliding miter saw extensively. I've owned and truly liked the DeWalt 708 for years. Wanting to cut taller stock, in particular 5 1/4" base and oversized crown, I sold the 708 and purchased the new 718. I'll keep this short. The laser accessory is worthless as it only casts a single beam on one side of the blade and it is locked at 1/32" - 1/16" distance from the blade. The fence is NOT tall enough to cut 5 1/4" baseboard precisely. Here's why... All 5 1/4" base is scalloped out in the middle back so that when it contacts the wall it only does so at the top and bottom of the base making the base more likely to sit parallel to the wall and not be pushed out by bumps in the wall. This is a smart feature. Here's the problem: Stand the baseboard up against the fence of the DeWalt 718 saw and the fence being too SHORT, falls into the scallop in the baseboard causing it to sit crooked every time. Sitting against the fence at an angle, tilted rearward at the top, instead of perfectly straight up and down means that EVERY cut you make with the 5 1/4" base will be off, every cut! The fence on the DeWalt should have been at least a 1/4" taller so that the base sits square to the fence. This tells me that the fence was designed by engineers with little input from the people who actually use the product. Another flaw: When using the optional crown moulding stops, which I use extensively, when the crown is laid up against the fence at an angle, the short travel of the slides prevents you from aligning the blade on the cut mark you put on the crown. The blade sits too far forward to set it on the mark in order to align your cut. You must then over-cut the crown and then make successive cuts until you get the blade to cut on your mark. Fatal flaws. Back to the drawing board DeWalt. And this time consult your users before you market a product. Finally, I use the saw on a Rigid, collapsable, rolling stand. A stand without wheels is worthless in my opinion, for obvious reasons. The saw must be checked for alignment every time after moving, it is very easily knocked out of alignment. Moving from job to job is enough to misalign it. My research has led me to the New Milwaukee 12" compound slider. I've sold the DeWalt and am headed for the store for the Milwaukee. By the way... DeWalt's crown stops will fit right into the Milwaukee. Buy the DeWalt crown stops and learn to use them. They make hanging crown a snap, no bevel angle needing to be cut. Hope this helps you, as well as warns you. I pointed out the flaws to the man who purchased the DeWalt from me and he didn't seem to care. Good riddance.
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