Dewalt DW716 Review
Dewalt DW716 - 12" Dual Bevel Compound Miter Saw | |
 | Dewalt DW716 Review Highlights
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| For the Professional Contractor | 5 out of 5 |
| For the Do-It-Yourselfer & Weekend Warrior | 5 out of 5 |
| For the Hobbyist and Beginner Woodworker | 3 out of 5 |
| For the Serious Woodworker | 4 out of 5 |
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The Dewalt 12″ Dual Bevel Miter Saw Review Summary
In this Dewalt DW716 review, you’ll find that if you’re looking for a compound miter saw that has really good capacity for larger boards and trim molding, and still holds the great accuracy, plus easy to carry around, then you may have found the perfect saw.
This saw is a somewhat basic 12″ compound miter saw. However, it’s definitely an upgrade from the Dewalt DW715.
The main improvements are the extended crosscut capacity and the dual bevel feature.
For these additions, you’re going to pay a bit more, and both saws have stellar reviews. I would suggest reading both reviews before making your decision.
I’ve also created a comparison chart for these 2 saws, which you can see here.
But overall, this saw will give you great accuracy, impressive cutting capacity, and features which make it a very versatile saw. In other words, it can handle about any job you throw at it.
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Dewalt DW715 Review
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Cutting capabilities
Crosscuts
This miter saw has really good crosscutting capabilities. Under normal operating conditions, it cuts through an 8″ board in a single pass.
However, like other Dewalt miter saws, you can remove part of the fence, and using their back fence, you can cut through a 10″ board in a single pass.
This is a really handy feature, and allows for large crosscuts, almost to the capacity of a 10″ sliding miter saw (which is usually 12″).
Miter Cuts
Using this saw for miter cuts, you’ll probably be very happy with its capabilities.
It can cut through a dimensional 4×6 in a single pass.
Plus it offers extra miter range, over the industry-standard of 45. This saw will go 50 degrees, both left and right. This is great for more custom cutting needs and adds versatility to any project.
Trim Molding
This model from Dewalt can handle most types of trim molding. They placed the motor up high and at the back of the saw. It’s not a direct drive, so the this allows the motor to be completely out of the way for increased cutting capacity.
If you do a lot of baseboards, this saw has a vertical baseboard capacity (against the fence) of 6-1/2″ tall.
If you do crown molding, this can handle that really well also. Nesting the crown against the fence at an angle, it can cut molding up to 6-5/8″ wide.
And as far as any basic trim goes, like door casings, window frames, etc., this saw can easily handle that as well.
Dust collection performance
As with most miter saws, dust collection is not that great with the included dust bag. If you want any shot at collecting a good amount of the dust, you’ll need to plan on attaching a shop-vac to the dust port on the back.
For a job-site saw, this is usually not a big deal, or even worried about. But in some cases, especially for those who work in a woodshop, or those doing renovations, dust collection can be very important.
If you use a shop vac with this saw, you can expect to collect up to 75% of the dust off the back of the cut.
If you’re in a shop, you’ll get much better results with dust collection by building a box or a shroud around the back of the saw and connecting it to a central dust evacuation system. This is by far the best way to collect 90% or more of the dust produced by any miter saw.
Versatility
The Dewalt DW716 has the miter ranges on both sides of 50 degrees. This is above industry standard and allows for much more versatility and specialty cuts.
The miter gauge is easy to use and easy to see for quick set up. It’s got very solid, metal detents for quick adjustment to common angles, and a cam-lock for fine-tuning any angle needed.
The bevel capacity of this model is better than most saws. This is due to its dual bevel feature. You can tilt the saw in both directions, left and right.
The max bevel it can be adjusted to in both directions is 48 degrees. This too is above industry standard, and it helps with more customized cuts, especially when doing trim molding.
Who it’s made for
The Dewalt DW716 sells at a higher price point than many other similar saws. This is due to its above-average miter and bevel capabilities, plus the extended crosscutting allowance from the back-fence feature.
Overall, it’s not too heavy to carry around, weighing in at 44 pounds. This saw is geared towards professionals, especially trim carpenters.
With that said, it would also do pretty good in any wood shop, as the need for cutting wide boards is very common with most woodworkers and cabinet makers.
Beginners could likely get more than they need from this model, and for them I would suggest a saw with similar features, but priced lower for hobbyists and beginner woodworkers.
But if you like the idea of dual bevel, and if you’re like me and love Dewalt tools, plus their 3-year warranty, then this saw may very well be worth the added cost for you.
Opinions Based On Real User Experiences
Positive Reviews
- Reviewed as very rugged, solid, well-built, and super-accurate
- Some DIYers review this as a perfect miter saw
- Users love the dual-bevel feature and the added versatility
- Perfect saw for doing any project that requires trim work
Negative Reviews
- The manual apparently is lacking just a bit in quality
Review Summary
Overall this tool has incredible reviews. Many online reviews over the years, and it’s maintained a near perfect 5-star rating.
The Dewalt DW716 miter saw has features that just about every user has loved. From the cutting capacity, to the accuracy, and build-quality from a company like Dewalt, this is a winner by far.
Is This Dual-Bevel Compound Miter Saw Worthy?
The capacity, the weight, and versatility of this model makes it perfect for busy DIYers and professionals.
This miter saw has maintained great reviews in the online marketplace. This is not surprising, considering it’s a mid-priced tool from Dewalt.
It comes with a 3-year warranty and all the features you need for just about any project.
While it may lack just a bit in dust collection performance, and it can’t quite handle the crosscutting capacity of sliding miter saws, its cutting capacities still stand above most of its competitors.
To wrap up my Dewalt DW716 review, I would say this is definitely a step up from Dewalts base 12″ model, the DW715. And if you can afford the extra cost, the saw is well-worth it in the end.
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