Dewalt DWS780 Review


Dewalt DWS780 - 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw
	Dewalt DWS780 Review Highlights Lightweight for its class Better-than-average dust collection Great reviews all around Massive cutting capacities Dual bevel for better versatility Exclusive Cutline (tm) positioning High price range
For the Professional Contractor	5 out of 5
For the Do-It-Yourselfer & Weekend Warrior	4 out of 5
For the Hobbyist and Beginner Woodworker	4 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 belt-drive motor Bevels 0° to 48° to the left Bevels 0° to 48° to the right Miters 0° to 50° to the left Miters 0° to 60° to the right Saw weight of 56 pounds Crosscut max @ 90° is 16" Crosscut max @ 45° miter is 8" Blade speed is 3,800 rpm

The Dewalt DWS780 – 12″ Sliding Dual Bevel Miter Saw

If you’re looking for maximum cutting capacity in a miter saw, plus relatively compact and great overall quality, keep reading – The Dewalt DWS780 Review.

This particular 12″ sliding miter saw by Dewalt offers the highest total cut capacities in its class.

Vertical baseboards, nested crown molding, and standard crosscutting capacities are simply the best there are to offer currently in the market of 12″ miter saws.

This saw is relatively lightweight for everything it is, as it’s not made of heavy material, so you can still transport it easily to and from the job site.

It’s definitely not a low-priced tool. It’s priced right for the features it has, but if you’re looking for a basic beginner saw with good capacity, I would suggest checking out a few of my other reviews I’ll list just below.

But if you need lots of cutting capacity, impressive build quality, great features including Dual Bevel, all with an industry leading MFR warranty, then the Dewalt DWS780 may be just for you.

The saw comes with a 12″ crosscut blade, a blade change wrench, dust bag, and hold-down clamp.

Dewalt DWS780 – What’s So Great About It?

Cutting capabilities

Sliding – Rail System

Here’s a large saw with an integrated sliding feature, allowing you to make massive cuts easily and within 1 pass of the blade.

Dewalt uses the tried and true dual rail sliding system, which provides for stable crosscutting along the entire width of the board.

Cross Cuts

Standard crosscutting with this tool is amazing. With the normal setup, you can crosscut at 90 degrees, up to 14″. This is 2″ more than most 10″ sliding miter saws, which usually max out at 12″.

Plus with this model, you can use the exclusive back-fence feature to expand the crosscut capacity up to an impressive 16″. Finally, you can cut full-size wall-shelving material in one pass!

Miter Cuts

Miters with this saw are also very impressive. You can actually cut a beam that is 4″ x 8″ in a single pass, at a 45-degree angle. That is no small feat.

These capacities of crosscuts and miter cuts make for an impressive saw for anyone doing framing work or building decks.

The cam lock and metal detent system for the miter adjustment system makes for a very tight, accurate, and repeatable cut.

Trim Molding

If you have a trim project, or if you’re a carpenter who does a lot of trim molding (especially baseboards and large crown molding), this saw can handle anything you need it for.

You can cut baseboards vertically against the fence, as tall as 6-3/4″. You can nest crown molding against the fence, up to a width of 7-1/2″.

With the dual bevel feature and the all-inclusive bevel detent system, you can quickly setup your bevel and compound cuts, and not have to worry about flipping the board around for each end. This reduces mistakes and makes the job go faster.

Dust collection performance

In this short video, you can see the dust collection in action. This is when used with a shop vac hooked up on the dust port in place of the included dust bag.

Dewalt claims using this method collects 75% or better of the dust coming off the blade.

This is pretty good for any miter saw. Most dust collection systems on miter saws collect that or less.

The location of the dust port and the fact it’s oversized, and made from flexible material, is what creates the better-than-average dust collection performance.

But as I mentioned in my 10″ Craftsman Buyers Guide, to collect the most dust you would need to build a dust shroud or box around your tool, and connect to a dust-evacuation system. This is really only feasible in workshop environments. If you work on-location, you may be stuck with the 75% dust collection performance, assuming you’re willing to carry around a shop vac with your saw.

Versatility

The Dewalt DWS780 is simply large enough and has enough features that it’s designed to handle any job you throw at it. There’s really nothing it can’t do in terms of miter, bevel, and compound cutting.

The weight is relatively light, considering the massive capacities it offers. It weighs in at 56 pounds, meaning you may not easily carry it around with one hand, but it’s still manageable and can be loaded and unloaded without too much backache.

The footprint is typical of a large sliding saw, so if you’re limited on space you may consider a compact slider, like the Makita LS1019L which I reviewed here.

If you need more of an entry level saw at a lower price, but still higher-than-average cutting capacities, I would instead recommend the more economical Ryobi 10″ Sliding saw, reviewed here.

However, if you’re willing to spend a bit more money and go with the bigger Dewalt 12″ slider, it won’t be in vain. This tool can and will handle any DIY project, construction project, any trim carpentry and finish work, custom-built furniture, hobby projects, you name it.

Any additional noteworthy features – How it stands out

With the built-in LED lighting system (Cutline(TM)), you’ll have great lighting right where you need it.

Also, Dewalt designed this in a way that you can actually see a crisp shadow of the blade, which shows you exactly where the blade will touch the workpiece.

This is really handy in lining up the cut quickly, and I even prefer this feature over the more-common laser guide feature found on many saws.

Opinions Based On Real User Experiences

Positive Reviews

Users find that the super-wide 16″ cut capacity is very accurate
Tool is very easy to adjust, and is built really solid
The saw is highly recommended for DIYers and professionals alike
Users for trim molding projects love the Cutline feature for lining up the blade, makes for perfect trim piece cuts

Negative Reviews

Some users prefer the newer style of front-positioned bevel lock, and Dewalt has not adopted this style yet
At least one user had issues with the dust chute catching on the bevel gauge

Review Summary

This tool has been on the market for years and is being sold all the time online. The general consensus in the online market is that this is a 5-star rated miter saw.

Reviewers from all markets – DIYer, woodworkers, and professionals, all had great things to say about this saw.

Is This High-Priced Large Sliding Miter Saw Worthy?

If you have a need for the large cutting capacities, this tool is well-worth the money.
I highly recommend for woodworkers and professionals.

This is not really an entry-level saw, however, if you know you’ll put it to good use, I would still recommend this tool as a first-time miter saw for most people.

But only if you really need the massive cutting capacity. If you do, this saw is one of the leaders in this class, at the price range it’s in.

Most beginner woodworkers, hobbyists, and DIYers would probably get by just fine with something cheaper.

But to wrap up my Dewalt DWS780 review, I leave you with the suggestion that if you love Dewalt tools and their 3-year warranty (like I do), you still may find springing for the higher-priced saw is worth it, no matter how you end up using it.