Dewalt 12 Inch Miter Saw Review

Dewalt 12 Inch Compound Miter Saw Comparison Summary

The Dewalt line of 12″ miter saws come with many impressive features and a fairly wide range of choices. Listed above are the models offered by Dewalt for 2018, and as you can see, they all have really good cutting capacities. They also have features that are more exclusive to only a few models. So depending on how you will be using the miter saw, some models may or may not be a good fit for you. Whether it’s for building furniture, building a house, or installing hardwood in a bedroom. Keep reading to find out who these Dewalt 12 inch miter saws are made for.

The Dewalt DW715 – 12″ Compound Miter Saw

This model from Dewalt’s 12″ line of miter saws carries the title of “The Cheapest”. Now that’s not the cheapest miter saw, but rather it’s the lowest priced (in 2018) Dewalt 12″ miter saw.

Yes, it is a really good-priced miter saw with plenty of features that still rank it right up there with some of the best on the market today.

It’s one of the top-sellers online and has a very impressive user review rating on Amazon, almost 5 stars averaged from hundreds of ratings.

They got the price down on this saw by making it only single-bevel, and it lacks the Dewalt Cutline system, which is a really cool alternative to the laser offered by other brands.

This Dewalt is super-lightweight (for its class), only 42 pounds. This makes it really easy to move around on job sites, renovation projects, or anywhere else.

It also offers the sliding fence for added versatility in board support when doing vertical cuts, or nesting crown molding on the fence.

If you plan on using it for trim molding, it can handle baseboard vertical cuts at 6-1/2″ tall, and nested crown at 5-1/4″.

Crosscutting it will go thru an 8″ dimensional board, and at 45-degrees it can cut a 6″. The miter adjustments go 50-degrees in both directions, and the bevel goes to the left, from -3, to 48 degrees.

Our Ratings

Most Professionals – 4 of 5

Do-It-Yourselfers – 5 of 5

Beginner Woodworkers – 5 of 5

Serious Woodworkers – 5 of 5

The Dewalt DW716 – 12″ Compound Miter Saw

This saw is built for professionals and DIYers. Woodworkers will also appreciate the capacities, and if you’re like me, you love the quality of a good Dewalt power tool.

As for beginners and ENTDs (Every-Now and Then-DIYers), it’s a great tool, but usually this market is looking for a less expensive option.

This is a non-sliding 12″ compound miter saw with the cut capacity to handle 6-1/2″ vertical baseboard cuts and 6-5/8″ nested crown molding cuts. This feature makes it a great option for finish carpenters who do alot of large trim molding.

It’s dual-bevel, so these projects are easily handled as the left and right tilt capabilities make it very versatile.

It’s nearly the lightest 12″ miter saw Dewalt offers. Weighing in at 44 pounds, it’s light enough to carry around a job site without a struggle.

When crosscutting, this saw can handle a dimensional 10″ wide board in a single cut. That’s at 90-degrees. At 45, it will cut an 8″ board.

Like any other Dewalt 12 inch miter saw, it has the back-fence option that adds to the cut capacity, allowing for the 10″ and 8″ capacities mentioned above.

Our Ratings

Most Professionals – 5 of 5

Do-It-Yourselfers – 5 of 5

Beginner Woodworkers – 3 of 5

Serious Woodworkers – 4 of 5

The Dewalt DHS716 – 12″ Cordless Compound Miter Saw

Here’s the standard non-sliding version of Dewalt’s 12″ cordless miter saw. It uses their impressive Flexvolt system, which employs dual 60v batteries, in series, to give you 120 volts of power. Plus you can swap the batteries with any other Flexvolt rated power tool that Dewalt sells. It’s worth checking into, I’ve written all about it here.

The cordless feature makes it pretty obvious, that yes, this saw is built for the construction site. Professionals everywhere are getting a lot of benefit from this saw, and reviews online prove that it’s well worth the high cost for the class of saw that it is.

This is dual-bevel, tilting both directions up to 48 degrees. The miter adjustments go 50 degrees both left and right.

It sports impressive trim molding capabilities, with 6-1/2″ vertical baseboard cut capacity, and 7-1/2″ nested crown capacity.

Crosscutting at 90 degrees, it can handle a very impressive 10″ dimensional. This is really nice, as it’s not even a sliding saw. However, to get this much cut capacity, you do have to utilize Dewalt’s ‘back-fence’ system. It takes a little extra set up, but it’s well worth it and is included in this model.

It comes with Dewalt’s 3-year warranty, and the kit (ending in AT2) also has a dual port charger, 2 batteries, and an AC adapter that allows you to plug the tool into a standard outlet if one’s available.

For a non-sliding class, I believe it’s priced high if you are a casual user or a beginner. But for anyone doing a lot of DIY projects on-location, or any professional, this saw is built for you. And at only 48 pounds, it’s pretty light and can easily be carried around.

Our Ratings

Most Professionals – 5 of 5

Do-It-Yourselfers – 4 of 5

Beginner Woodworkers – 3 of 5

Serious Woodworkers – 3 of 5

The Dewalt DWS709 – 12″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Here’s a 12″ sliding miter saw that has impressive crosscutting capabilities. The dual-rail slide system makes smooth accurate cuts, from one end of the slide to the other.

Crosscutting at 90-degrees, using the nice ‘back-fence’ feature, it can handle 14″ wide boards in a single pass. Cutting at 45 degrees, it can do 10″. This is plenty for any framing or deck project. Plus it adds to usefulness for woodworkers who glue up large panels, and need to cut wide-dimension hardwood.

The trim-molding capacity is decent for a 12″ miter saw. It can cut 4-1/2″ vertical baseboard cuts and 5-1/2″ nested crown molding cuts.

This isn’t breaking any records and is the lowest trim molding capacities in this line of Dewalt miter saws. But it still ranks up there with many other brands, so I wouldn’t consider this a ‘Con’. Plus it has the extending fence that helps with trim jobs, and the dual-bevel and miter ranges that go beyond 45-degrees.

At 51 pounds, I would consider this made for being a stationary saw. Add that to the less-than-usual trim capacities, I believe Dewalt made this saw specifically for standard DIY projects, and woodworking projects that need large crosscutting capacities.

As with the other Dewalt miter saws, it comes with a 3 year limited warranty.

Our Ratings

Most Professionals – 4 of 5

Do-It-Yourselfers – 4 of 5

Beginner Woodworkers – 3 of 5

Serious Woodworkers – 5 of 5

The Dewalt DWS780 12″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Here we have a Dewalt 12 inch miter saw that’s built to beat them all. This is the King of Kings for professionals and serious woodworkers.

This is an expensive miter saw, no doubt about it. But it’s the saw that Dewalt packed in almost all of its features, to create a tool that can handle the largest, most custom, most demanding projects you can imagine.

The only feature it’s missing is ‘cordless’. Yes, this miter saw must be plugged into the wall, as opposed to the Flexvolt saws, also reviewed on this page.

This particular model has some of the highest cutting capacities you’ll find in a 12″ sliding miter saw. It has the Dewalt ‘back fence’ feature, so it can handle 90-degree crosscuts up to a whopping 16″ dimensional.

Cutting baseboard against the fence, it can handle material 6-3/4″ tall. Nested crown, up to 7-1/2″ tall.

Miter adjustments go 50° left and 60° right. The Dual-bevel feature lets it tilt 48 degrees, both left and right.

This saw also has the exclusive Cutline(TM) system, which is a blade alignment guide that I believe is superior to the laser guide that’s offered on many miter saws of today.

Plus the vertical material clamp, and sliding fence, both just add to the already impressive versatility.

It’s a little on the heavy side, at 56 pounds. But this is still manageable, and overall the tool is built for the most serious of carpenters and woodworkers.

Our Ratings

Most Professionals – 5 of 5

Do-It-Yourselfers – 4 of 5

Beginner Woodworkers – 4 of 5

Serious Woodworkers – 5of 5

The Dewalt DHS790 – 12″ Cordless Sliding Miter Saw

This is Dewalt’s 12 inch miter saw that is basically a cordless version of their champion, the DWS780. On this model, you’ll find the same cutting capacities and features, with the added benefit of a Hybrid powered motor.

So you can either run this miter saw on the included 60v max Flexvolt batteries, which is a really cool technology by the way. Read about it here.

Or you can use the adapter that changes it to a standard 120v plugin (assuming you buy the kit that includes this adaptor).

This model is pretty heavy, weighing in at 56 pounds. However, that’s not so much you can’t move it around the job site. I would just recommend using both hands to carry it.

It’s a dual-bevel saw that goes 49-degrees both left and right. The miter angles go 50 degrees left, and 60 right.

Like the 780, this model can handle crosscuts up to 16″ wide, baseboard vertical cuts up to 6-3/4″, and nested crown cuts up to 7-1/2″. So yeah, it’s kind of a BIG deal.

It also features the Cutline(TM) system for board positioning (instead of a laser guide), a sliding fence, and a 3-year MFR warranty. Impressive saw, built for the job site.

Our Ratings

Most Professionals – 5 of 5

Do-It-Yourselfers – 4 of 5

Beginner Woodworkers – 3 of 5

Serious Woodworkers – 3 of 5

The Guide To Choosing a Dewalt 12 Inch Miter Saw

If you’re like me, you really appreciate a good Dewalt power tool. They seem to innovate, as well as provide really high-quality products. I know, there are always exceptions, and not everything is perfect. But overall, they put out very good tools, with very good warranties, and really cool features.

While you can get a Dewalt 12 inch miter saw at a fairly low price, most of their miter saws fall in the mid to high price range. What can I say, they build quality tools, and their target buyers are not bargain-shoppers.

At these higher prices, they can offer a higher-quality design and a more solid build. Metal components, tight and accurate miter and bevel stops, smooth sliding action with the sliding models, and other really handy features you won’t find on other brands of miter saws.

Like any other miter saw though, dust collection is less-than-stellar. Using the factory provided dust bag will do you no good. If you want any chance of capturing most of the dust made from the cut, you’ll need to attach a shop-vac to the dust port on the back.

If you work in a shop-environment, you can also build you a dust shroud or dust box around the saw that will capture 90% or more of the dust. This works well, assuming you have a central dust evacuation system.

What Will You Use The Dewalt 12 Inch Miter Saw For?

Professionals

This is a broad category, and depending on your actual type of profession, different saws may apply.

If you do a lot of large-material finish-carpentry, like tall baseboards and large crown molding, then your best option is going to be the Dewalt DWS780. The version of this model that is cordless, in case you work on job sites with limited power supply, is the Dewalt DHS790AT2.

For framers, deck builders, and renovators, you’ll get great benefit from any saw in this category.

The Dewalt DW715 handles these projects with ease while keeping the price low by making it only single-bevel, non-sliding, and limited crosscut capabilities. However, it does still cut through a dimensional 8″ board, so most of your projects it handles just fine.

Go with the Dewalt DW716 if you want to upgrade a bit by getting a saw with higher cut capacity and the dual-bevel feature. Most any project will be handled easily with this saw and you still don’t have to break the bank to get it.

The Dewalt DWS709 is a sliding saw, but a step down from the 780. It’s still got great cross-cutting capacities, but the height of the cut is limited so there’s less capacity with vertical baseboard and nested crown molding cuts. This is how they lower the price, while still giving you impressive crosscuts and a nice high-powered motor, ready for any project.

Professional and Need Cordless?

Dewalt developed a feature they call Flexvolt technology, which I review in detail here. This is how they take the latest battery (lithium ion) technology and apply it to power tools.

User reviews prove these tools can handle any job, with the same power as corded tools, while having the battery capacity to last an entire day.

So now you’ve dwindled your options down to 2 models, ones a sliding, ones not.

The Dewalt DHS716AT2 is a kit that has a non-sliding 12 inch miter saw, powered by 2 60v Flexvolt batteries, and handles any job its corded counterpart (DW716) can handle.

While the sliding Dewalt DHS790AT2 is basically the cordless alternative to the DWS780, so it handles large trim molding and anything else you can throw at it. This is the most expensive Dewalt 12 inch miter saw, as it features the best technology they have to offer, with the largest capacities.

Homeowner or Landlord With Plenty of DIY Projects?

If this is you, then you probably need a saw that does a wide variety of cuts, all with decent capacities.

Trim molding, framing, building decks, furniture building, etc. All the Dewalt 12 inch miter saws can handle these projects.

However, you can save money if you don’t need the cordless Flexvolt feature. Also, the dual bevel and high trim molding capacities add cost to the tool.

So for basic DIY renovation projects, you may find the lowest priced model, the Dewalt DW715, is plenty good for your intended use.

And the Dewalt DW716 is a step up and can handle bigger cuts and larger trim molding. So this may also be a good option if you want to keep your price down.

Hobbyists And Woodworkers

If you build things out of wood, a miter saw is a basic tool that you’ll use time and time again. Really your choice comes down to how much capacity do you need.

As a woodworker myself, I prefer a sliding miter saw that can cut really wide boards. The higher the crosscut capacity, the bigger shelves and panels I can cut in a single pass.

Also, this category of user doesn’t really need the cordless option, as miter-saw use is always in a shop or a garage.

However, with that said, even non-sliding saws can really be great for these users, as they cost less. The lower capacity of the non-sliding saw can sometimes be justified if the tool itself is actually affordable for the user.

So if you need wide cut capacities, go with the sliding Dewalt DWS709.

If you need less expensive and can get by with less crosscutting capacity, go with the non-sliding Dewalt DW715.

Final Thoughts

Overall I love, and personally use, Dewalt power tools. Their features and build-quality are a force to be reckoned with.

You can choose any of the saws above based on your specific capacity and versatility needs, but in the end, I know you’ll be pleased with the tool.

As with anything else (for the most part), you get what you pay for. Dewalt tools are not the cheapest, but they continually get rave reviews and last their users for many, many years.

I’ve read a ton of Dewalt miter saw reviews talking about how they had an old model of Dewalt miter saw for 10, 15, and even 20 years, before finally deciding to upgrade. This brand is truly built to last.

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