3 Responses to “DEWALT DW717 10-Inch Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw”

1. Estrella
   October 22nd, 2009 @ 6:20 pm

   Bottom line – with only about three weeks of use (tons of trim work, light framing, and a large deck) this saw is very good at many things, not great at all of them. First, all saws need good blades – period. If yours did not come with one, don’t review it till you get one (I replaced the stock 40 tooth blade with an upgraded). Secondly, sliding miter saws inherently add a degree of complication (or versatility depending on how you look at it) to your work, so consider what you really need. If your need is just trim – consider a non-slider. With that said I have always been a fan of 10inch sliders – they are the most versatile tool you can bring to the job site. This model replaces a pretty old Porter and Cable model that I was fairly happy with. Here is my take on the DeWalt. This is a very good saw, essentially a sliding version of the very popular DW703 and DW713 fixed models. The fence is an upgrade over those models, and the features make it a worthy competitor to the class leading Bosch and Makita models.

   Here is what I like:
   · Build quality – Solid, Limited plastic, Square table and fence, Good slides with no play.
   · Adjustments – The wide angles right (60) and left (52) and compound bevel.
   · Accuracy – So far (trim work and a deck) cuts are right on, with no slop or wave (I have not cut 12x’s yet only 10x’s and the saw held a compound angle arrow straight through the cut)
   · Vertical capacity – cuts 6″ high molding vertically.
   · Pre-Sets on the Bevel – Seven different pre-sets for crown both left and right – great time saving feature.

   Here is what I am not too keen about:
   · The lock for the slide is a small round dial that is still hard for me to find (I would have liked a larger lever a little more prominent)
   · Dust collection is not great
   · The plates left and right are shorter than I am used to (this is true of the Bosch too) so I have had to adjust how I work a little.
   · Set up took longer than I would have liked – Square and 45 were almost there right out of the box, aligning all indicators and making fine adjustments was tough – adjustment screws and indicators move a little when tightening them. Vertical adjustment for perpendicular (the most important) was the toughest.
   · The blade provided is just not good enough – especially for the money
   · It is a bit more expensive than the Bosch or Makita.

   This is a very good saw – it is good at many things, but not great at any one particular item. I compared it mostly to the Makita side-by-side – the motor (higher RPM), vertical capacity, and the length of cut on a 45 were factors that tilted me in favor of DeWalt. The Makita has a bigger table which I like a lot (more like my old Porter & Cable) but the sliders are low which engineers will tell you promotes more deflection at the head. Most manufacturers now have the slides up higher. DeWalt used to actually stack the slides vertically, but now dual horizontal slides seems like the way to go. The spring that controls the plunge movement on the Makita is just a standard wound spring mounted vertically, this made for a jerk upwards when you let go of the handle and odd feeling back pressure when you pulled down. Also, all these saws need a good table or stand – you can be frustrated using a 10-inch slider with no clamps or a bad set up – make sure any complaints about a saw are not really complaints about a bad work area. Friends swear by their Bosch tools (I have a few and like `em) and the Bosch 10-inch slider is top rated by many, the DeWalt is at least as good, but not much better. So with the DW717, DeWalt only joins Bosch and Makita near the top of this category, not sure it will de-throne anyone – they are all good choices based on work style and preference (I still really like design of the Makita table). The durability of DeWalt, and the features I have mentioned are why I chose the DW717. I admit this review is based on limited use so I will update it after a few more projects.

2. Ulfah
   October 22nd, 2009 @ 11:46 pm

   I will try to follow up with a more detailed review in a couple of weeks but I wanted to point out a few things after a week of using this saw as a full-time trim carpenter.

   Mine was accurate out of the box, cutting all my door casing at perfect 45′s with no adjustment. Same results when cutting a large 7 1/4″ crown on the flat. I didn’t use the detents and I am not sure why manufacturers continue to offer these settings as crown molding is rarely ever set with a proper milling cut to make these detent settings worthwhile. The saw is quieter than my DW706, but the blade is smaller which I am sure contributes to that. You still need to wear ear protection though IMO.

   I really like the cam lock for the miter settings as compared to the turn knob that was on my 706. The miter detent override works great and it’s extremely easy to dial in very minor adjustments of less than .25 degree by hand. I am very happy Dewalt has not changed the blade guard design with respect to the louvers. They work great for siting up your cut line with the blade and I would bet money I am more accurate and faster using this feature than people that really on gimmicky lasers on their miter saws.

   The bevel detent system also works great and is accessible on the left and right hand side of the saw which is great. There is enough friction when the detent override is engaged to keep the setting in place while you tighten the lever to hold it in place when not using a detent setting. When setting the bevel to the left, it can be somewhat cumbersome to reach the lever though.

   The design of the saw head which allows you to cut tall molding against the fence is fantastic. You will have to adjust your cutting sequence when you have to miter to the right because the belt drive mechanism will come in contact with the stock prevent you from getting all the way through it. After a few tries, you will quickly realize that you can slightly alter the way you set up your cuts to overcome this. Then fence could have been another 1/2 ” taller in my opinion, but it’s very useable and better than the fences on the 716′s and 718′s which had too much flex in them if you pushed on them too hard. The simple but effective latch that locks the saw head in place to take advantage of the 10″ blades maximum cutting height works well and eliminates guess work.

   There is some movement in the head assembly when you apply pressure side to side, but that is true of ALL SCMS’s. It is my understanding that this is a design feature that allows the saw to absorb the shock of a piece of wood that becomes jammed between the blade and the fence. This will happen to everyone from time to time and without some flex built into the saw it could cause substantial damage. You need to learn proper technique for using a SCMS before blaming it for sloppy cuts… You also need to buy a good blade as stock blades produce slop even with the best technique.

   The rails slide easily through their range of travel, but not as smooth as the Milwaukee or Makita SCMS which were set up in the tool isle did. I have also noticed that some of the dust stays on the rails and is not removed by the ring which is supposed to seal the dust from entering the housing where the ball bearings are. Not sure if this happens with other saws so I can’t say that is a problem or not.

   The saw is very portable for it’s capabilities rivaling a 12″ SCMS.

   Now, for the bad…. After decades of building saws Dewalt still fails miserably in their dust collection !!! I rate the dust collection on this saw a 1 star out of 5. When the saw is pulled down to the table in cutting position, the dust bag is in a position that causes any dust it did collect to fall right back out onto the table. What is wrong with the designers at dewalt? A moron could have seen this was not going to work. Before buying the saw I figured this was going to be an issue and it is. Milwaukee beat the pants off dewalt with the design of their new 12″ models and if it wasn’t for the 15 extra pounds and $170 higher price tag, I think I would have gone with the Milwaukee.

   The bevel gauge is obscured from clear view and you must duck down to see what your setting is.

   The stock blade is crap. Throw it in a box to be used with framing lumber or shelving and buy yourself a good, high quality 60 or 80 tooth blade. I went with the 70 tooth Makita blade which is standard on their 10″ slide. Why only Makita puts a good blade on their saws is a real head scratcher to me, but they all have to save money somewhere and I guess that is the easiest place to do it.

   I really wanted to give the saw a 4 star rating but the dust collection design really pissed me off considering Milwaukee was able to work out a much more intelligent set up than Dewalt did. IMO, dewalt is just lazy when it comes to dust collection and they put no real effort into benefitting the user with a well thought out dust collection feature. For that I deducted a full star rating and say shame on dewalt for not getting it right this time.

3. Xadrian
   October 23rd, 2009 @ 3:15 am

   I replaced my 20-year old Delta Miter Saw with the DeWalt 717. I had planned on purchasing the Bosch 10″ slider, but after analyzing and fretting and then testing the new DW717, decided for the money, the DW717 was the best saw for our shop.

   Out of the box the saw was setup pretty well, not perfect. It took a whopping five minutes to set up and test the 0 deg, 45L deg, and 45R deg settings. I read the instructions but did not follow them. I think my method was faster and turned out to be highly effective. I loosed the screws that attached the miter scale, then loosened the miter lock and override. I then moved the carriage to set the blade to 90 degrees. I then locked down the miter lock and override, moved the miter scale to line up the indicator to 0 degrees, and tightened the miter scale screws. Made a couple of test cuts in a sheet of MDF (12″ wide) to verify that the saw was cutting accurately, and it was. Tested miters at 45L and 45R, and found them to be accurate as well.

   The included blade works surprisingly well. I run Forrest and Ridge Tool (In Line Industries) cross-cut blades in my saws, but ordered a Freud LU91M010 blade for the DW717 and will install it soon for our cabinet-making activities. But for construction work and trim carpentry, I would not hesitate to use the standard blade.

   The slider action seemed a bit rough but after closer examination of its competitors, there is little or no difference. They all slide a bit rough, even the Makita.

   One of the highlights of the DW717 is the fence system. The fences are taller and have greater adjustability and versatility that most if not all previous generation saws. I say previous generation, because the DW717 is one of the newer designs among 10″ sliders.

   The cutting depth and cross-cut specs are also greater than most 10″ saws. A 12″ saw provides greater specs in this regard, but I don’t like paying $$$$$ for 12″ blades, and they tend to flex more in this context.

   In regards to head deflection, the DW717 head deflects no more than any of the others when forcing the issue (not cutting, just pushing left or right). However, in use, when done correctly, there is zero deflection.

   Though it will not completely cut through a 6 x 6, we tried it and the power seemed to be more than adequate. Since my work is typically cabinetmaker oriented, I generally do not work with construction lumber and thus its specs are perfect for me.

   Regarding lack of a laser… I know I can add one at any time for $60 or so. I preferred to have a newer gen saw with the DW717 features than a stock laser that may or may not be effective. Frankly, most slider users with lasers find them less than ideal. So why bother.

   On the negative…

   1. The DW717, like most sliders, does not include zero clearance inserts. I will find or manufacture them.

   2. I hate yellow, but evidently the saw is made in the USA, which is good.

   3. Table could be a bit wider, but it offers a better platform that most sliders (Makita is better in this regard).

   4. Dust collection leaves a lot to be desired. Until I add a DC drop, I am using a Fein vac with the saw and still at least 50% of the dust ends up on the bench, the saw, and/or my lungs. Okay, I realize this is a common problem, but c’mon manufacturers let’s take some time to get this right. +1 for Festool.

   5. It’s probably just me, but I have yet to figure out the method for doing dados (grooves) at a consistent depth. Sure it’s possible, but the depth mechanism is not designed as I would design it…

   In Summary….

   I had a $50 Home Depot gift card and thus was tempted to purchase the Makita 10″ slider which was on sale for $399. Everyone knows the Makita is a great saw, with a great blade, laser, wide table, smooth slider, etc. However, I still purchased the DW717. Why? First of all, quality control at Makita, Hitachi, and Bosch is dropping like lead rocks. Read the reviews, try the saws. Even though I am very picky when it comes to tools, I could make any of them function perfectly well. But, where there is smoke there is fire, and so with an open mind I tried the DW717 and basically fell in love with its features, especially the great fence. It is simple to setup, erognomic to use, and very accurate. Plus, for those who take their saws to the worksite, the DW717 seems lighter or at least better balanced to carry than the competitors. Other than better dust collection and an improved depth mechanism for dados, I am not sure I would change a thing.

   Now, where is the spray paint, I hate yellow tools….

   Jack Loganbill
   http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com

Leave a Reply