Dewalt DW715 Review


Dewalt DW715 - 12" Compound Miter Saw
	Dewalt DW715 Review Highlights Low-priced for the quality and capacity Quick and accurate miter detents Great reviews on capacity and cut quality Handles just about any project Single bevel, but goes 3° beyond standard Impressive crosscutting ranges Cuts large dimensional lumber in 1 pass Low quality (standard) dust collection No laser
For the Professional Contractor	4 out of 5
For the Do-It-Yourselfer & Weekend Warrior	5 out of 5
For the Hobbyist and Beginner Woodworker	5 out of 5
For the Serious Woodworker	5 out of 5
	Specifications 12" blade, 5/8" or 1" arbor 110 vac standard plugin 15 amp 4,000 rpm motor Bevels 0° to 48° to the left Bevels 0° to 3° to the right Miters 0° to 50° to the left Miters 0° to 50° to the right Saw weight of 42 pounds Crosscut capacity @ 90° is 8" Vertical against fence max is 6-1/2" tall

The Dewalt DW715 12″ Compound Miter Saw Review Summary

If you like quality, and solid craftsmanship, with a good warranty to back it up, the Dewalt DW715 miter saw is the way to go.

In this Dewalt DW715 review you’ll see that this is a great saw from a great company. Dewalt makes tools that are built to last, and typically are highly rated by users in the online market, as is the case with this compound miter saw.

Now, this is a different class than the 10″ saws, so you will spend a bit more on this model than the equivalent 10″. But your capacity for cuts is higher, which I’ll cover below.

The tool is built very sturdily and the spring action to return the saw blade to the upright position is slow and smooth, which is a sign of the MFR caring about the details. All good things.

It’s a single bevel miter saw, meaning it only leans to the right. If you do a lot of trim molding, this may be a big deal to you. Many trim molding professionals prefer a dual-bevel saw that can lean both directions, so you don’t have to flip the workpiece over when changing angle direction of the bevel cut. This saw does not offer this benefit.

However most miter saws are single-bevel and you can still cut any kind of crown and trim molding with this type, it’s just a different process (as it requires the board to be flipped).

Overall I like this saw and the company that makes it. I will review each feature and benefit of this model below, and you can decide if its worth the investment for yourself.

Brand new this saw comes with a 12″ blade, wrench, dust bag, and 1 support extension.

Dewalt DW715 Review – Why Choose This One?

Cutting capabilities

This Dewalt 12″ miter saw can crosscut, miter cut, bevel cut, and compound cut. With the tall fence, it can cut vertical baseboards up to 6-1/2″ tall. This makes for a fantastic saw built for baseboards, trim molding, and crown molding.

It’s got a 15 amp 4,000 rpm motor, which can handle softwoods and hardwoods with ease. Couple that with the large 12″ diameter blade, and you can crosscut 90 degrees through a 2″ x 8″ board in a single cut. And it handles a dimensional 4×4 with ease.

At a 45-degree angle miter cut, you can slice through a 2″ x 6″ board in a single pass. This is impressive and makes a great saw for framers and deck builders.

The capacity of this miter saw makes it great for just about any DIY project, construction job, and trim molding project. I would even argue this capacity is enough for most woodworkers.

While some furniture builders like a good sliding saw for the high capacity crosscutting, a standard 12″ blade miter saw like the Dewalt DW715 here is a decent competitor. Many woodworkers are happy with this type of saw. Plus, the smaller footprint and lower tool-weight are big benefits to those who work in a small shop.

The bevel cutting capacity on this model is mostly standard, comparable to the little brother of this saw, the 10″ Dewalt DW713 reviewed here. It can tilt left only, which is what they call a single-bevel. This means you’ll have to flip the board over to create an opposite bevel at each end. This is really just a technicality, and being single-bevel is fairly standard in the industry.

This saw can bevel 3 degrees beyond standard in both directions. That means you can go -3 to + 48 degrees. (Technically that -3 degrees left is the same as +3 degrees right, but that’s not quite enough to consider this a dual bevel.) This extra 3 degrees in both directions makes for a higher versatility saw that can handle more custom cuts, especially when trimming out a wall that isn’t perfectly square.

And it does have positive stops for 0 and 45, making it repeatable and accurate for faster cut setup.

Dust collection performance

The dust collection port on this saw is typical of most standard miter saws. It doesn’t really catch much dust at all.

If you add a shop vac, you can gather a larger percentage, but still, plan on making a real mess when you make your cuts.

If dust collection is important to you, check out my review of the Bosch 10″ Gliding saw here. This saw is a well-rounded saw, geared mostly towards professionals, DIYers, and woodworkers.

But as with most saws, which I ‘ve mentioned before, building a dust collection shroud around your miter saw station and attaching a dust evacuation system is the best way to collect dust.

Opinions Based On Real User Experiences

Positive Reviews

This saw produces very clean and accurate cuts
If you’re upgrading from a 10″ miter saw, this is a fantastic choice
The taller fence is great for many projects, especially baseboards
Can easily cut through large stock in a single pass, the large capacity is well worth the cost

Negative Reviews

A few users had issues with the fence being imperfect but got them replaced under the warranty
One user had issues with the included blade, but after paint burned off they said it started cutting great

Review Summary

Overall this saw has retained one of the highest ratings for years, after hundreds and hundreds of users sharing their opinions of the saw.

For what it is, a standard 12″ compound single bevel miter saw, it performs extremely well and is built to last.

It’s hard to find a negative review on this tool in the online market place. I’ve read many reviews, and they are overwhelmingly positive.

Is This Low-Priced Compound Miter Saw Worthy?

This tool is priced really great for the large cutting capacity. Overall it’s perfect for a stationary shop tool or DIYers. Professionals who need the capacity will love this saw, although it’s a bit heavier than I would like if it had to be moved around a lot.

I love Dewalt tools, and this saw is no exception. It’s built to last and has impressive cutting capacities for a standard non-sliding miter saw.

You can use this saw for just about any project around the house, or on the job site.

Woodworkers also like this saw as it’s got the smaller footprint of a non-sliding saw, but more cutting capacity than a 10″ standard model.

I would strongly suggest this as a first time saw, or as an upgrade to a 10″ miter saw. At the low price point, 3 year warranty, and great build-quality, you really can’t go wrong.