blackfriday Woodworking is a demanding endeavor that will require knowledge, skill, and the correct tools to reach your goals. Joinery that fits well will not happen by chance but is carefully calculated from concept to complete. One little bit of machinery that’s indispensable to the process may be the compound miter saw. The dual bevel sliding compound saw has made complex cuts a pleasure to create.
Any carpenter plying their trade could have at least two readily available constantly. At Kent Made, LLC, my son and I’ve five on hand, which range from my 10 year old Ridgid 12-inch to his new Festool Kapex. Despite having a good group to chose from, when Pro Tool Reviews asked easily wished to test run the DeWalt DWS709 12-Inch Miter Saw, I couldn’t say no.
Initially the DeWalt DWS709 appears the infant brother of the 780 series, but at near $ 210$ 200.00 less carved from your own wallet, it really is worth a closer look.
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First Impressions
The machine comes well packaged like all DeWalt products. Molded foam secures the saw for transit and protects it well from damage. Our test saw was in perfect condition after arrival with all parts set up and prepared to unpack.
Once unpacked and assembled, I checked the calibration of the angle guide and found it to be 1/32 “ out of square. Not really a lot for a saw that is shipped from the factory, but worth your time and effort to zero out. DeWalt makes this adjustment easy with a straightforward loosening of the 4 star bolts securing the stainless detent gauge. As may be the industry standard, it really is further simplified by the way to obtain a useful up to speed wrench for just this occasion. After adjustment, I checked the bevel adjustment and found it to be perfect. The 709 adjusts the bevel from the trunk like the majority of compounds – simple but effective. The miter detents are solid and effective. DeWalt does an excellent job with the bottom builds and the milling holds true and flat.
The feature set is pretty basic – unsurprising for a Pro-targeted miter saw as of this price. There are miter angles up to 60 degrees on the proper and 50 degrees left. Beveling can rise to 49 degrees in both directions. Both adjustments are created easily and smoothly.
The fence easily slides taken care of for bevel cuts by unscrewing the bolts in the trunk that hold it set up.
Cut capacity is where things get interesting. With the fence installed, I could make a cross cut 9-1/2 inches at 90 degrees miter and 6-5/8 inches at 45 degrees. This appears short for a 12-inch sliding miter saw, in fact it is. For longer cross cuts you will find a Special Setup to improve the range.
To get this done, the manual offers specific instructions on the platform you need to build. After removing the fence, you utilize 3″ wood screws to add a 1-1/2″ x 12″ x 24″ piece to the bottom, creating a clamping platform. Your build will probably be cut together with your workpiece, so it isn’t something you can create once and carry with you. In the event that you regularly make cross cuts that want a lot more than 9-1/2 inches, that is a deal breaker.
Earning a Living
The real test of a miter saw is performance on site with a number of materials and demands. So to supply a worthy challenge, I took the DeWalt DWS709 to 1 of our new construction projects and ran it through the gambit.
First up was basic 5-1/4″ crown with a 45 degree spring angle (most crown inside our area is 45 degree spring angle). As the 709 does have the capability to cut this size standing at fence with easily adjustable slides, I opted to cut it flat. I was pleased to find that DeWalt had included a 35.3-degree angle marking because of this cut as not absolutely all miter saws own it. The 709 handles crown easily and is quite accurate on repeat cuts.
Next in line was window and door casing. Those were hardly a challenge because of this saw with accurate cuts through 80 repetitions.
It really is worth mentioning that the dust collection system with the dust bag isn’t the best. It really is more functional when linked to vacuum pressure, though still short of stellar.
Finally, the best test for just about any miter saw – oak stair treads and handrails. That’s where the difference between “prosumer” tools and professional carpentry equipment collide. Accuracy for stair installs is paramount rather than many miter saws out there can deliver stellar results for the reason that combo of sliding rails and 12-inch blades have a larger tendency to deflect in hard materials. Only the upper echelon of saws in this class can stand it.
As the 15 amp motor delivered ample capacity to carve through the hardwoods. the rail system allowed an excessive amount of deflection for accurate cuts. This is especially noted on long crosscuts where I had a need to shave the edge for scribe cuts. The deflection allowed the blade to skip off the tread rather than truing it up. That is a universal problem with dual slide 12-inch saws, definitely not unique to DeWalt. Furthermore the 709 doesn’t have an extended enough stroke to cut through a typical 11 ½ “ stair tread or skirt without resorting.
