DEWALT DW715 Miter Saw Review | Heavy-Duty 12-Inch Compound Miter
Today I’m going to share my review with you on the DEWALT DW715. I’m planning on doing some restoration work on the house soon and will need a miter saw for the base boards and crown molding. I haven’t purchased a miter saw yet, but the DEWALT DW715 is one of my top candidates that I’m considering so I’ve done quite a bit of research on it.
If you aren’t familiar with the DEWALT brand of power tools, I can tell you from previous experience that they have a well deserved reputation for quality and durability. I own a number of tools from them and I’ve always been very satisfied with their performance.
The DW715 by all accounts lives up to the DEWALT name. It’s a 12-inch compound miter saw powered by DEWALT’s heavy duty 15A motor. The included 12” carbide tipped blade spins at 4000 RPM, which means you get smooth, clean cuts every time. The compound nature of this miter saw allows you to perform bevel cuts ranging from -3˚ to 48˚ and miter cuts from 0-50˚ to both the left and right, which means you have incredible versatility in the types of cuts you can make.
This model also features a horizontal handle for increased comfort, and cam lock miter handles and miter detent overrides for added convenience. It even comes with an extra tall sliding fence for added support and stability.
What to Look For When Buying a Miter Saw
Miter saws are a major purchase, so it’s important that when you’re looking at the DEWALT DW715 or any other model, you make the right choice for your needs. What I’ve found in conducting my research is that it helps to have a game plan for narrowing down your choices quickly and easily. The best way to do this is to look past all the marketing hype and break down the huge field of choices using the following criteria:
- Type (basic miter, compound miter, sliding compound miter)
- Capacity
- Portability
- Additional Features
What Type Of Miter Saw Do You Need?
When you make a major purchase like a miter saw, you want to make sure that the tool you’re getting is not only going to last a long time, but that it’s going to be able to handle every job you throw at it. The last thing you want is to find yourself needing to upgrade a short time down the road because it couldn’t meet all of your needs. Compound miter saws like the DEWALT DW715 are the perfect choice for most users because they balance function and price very well. They are extremely versatile, so you are unlikely to run into any projects that they can’t handle. If you go with a basic miter saw, you will save money but again you run the risk of needing to upgrade later. Likewise, if you go with a sliding compound miter saw, you will have slightly increased capabilities, but at a significantly higher cost.
What Capacity Is Best For Your Needs?
When it comes to the capacity of miter saws, 12-inch models like the DEWALT DW715 are king of the hill. Unlike 8-inch or 10-inch models, you are very unlikely to ever run into any size material that you’re not going to be able to handle on these machines. Many users go with 12-inch models from the start that way they don’t have to worry about upgrading down the road. You may not need that extra capacity today, but it’s always comforting to know that you will when you really need it.
Should You Go Cordless?
My personal preference when dealing with large power tools is to go with the corded variety. Cordless miter saws will give you increased portability, but that’s going to come at a cost. If you’re working on a job site where the miter saw is going to see any kind of regular use, then you are more than likely going to run out of power before the end of the day, which can be a major pain when you’re in the middle of a project. This can be avoided by keeping spare batteries on hand, but miter saws require large rechargeable batteries and they aren’t cheap.
The reason I prefer corded power tools like the DEWALT DW715 is that you never have to worry about running out of power, and realistically you’re going to have access to an outlet most of the time, so that generally isn’t even an issue.
What Other Features Do You Need?
The DEWALT DW715 already has most of the bells and whistles that users typically like to see, including easy to use miter detent overrides, extra tall fence and dust bag.
DEWALT DW715 Miter Saw – How Much?
What’s Included
- DEWALT DW715 miter saw
- 12” Carbide tipped blade
- Dust bag
- Blade wrench
Does It Come With A Warranty?
Yes, the DEWALT DW715 comes with a 3 year warranty, 90 day money back guarantee and a 1 year service protection plan.
What Others Are Saying about the DEWALT DW715
“Everything about this saw is sturdy, and all the adjustments can be made with very little effort. It’s also a little quieter than I expected, which is nice. You can’t go wrong with this saw. “
“I’ve had this saw for almost a year now and can still recommend this tool as a great purchase. Despite the 12″ size, its remarkably light and portable which is a major plus as I don’t have a workshop so I have to pull it out and set it up each time. Plenty of power. The miter stops are solid and extremely easy and accurate.”
“My saw was dead nuts on alignment right out of the box. Parallel, perpendicular and plum to the fence and table. I found all of the saw’s components to be well made and well thought out. The saw is fairly quiet, the dust collection works well and the mitre adjustment is smooth.
I have used this saw for a crown molding project at home so far and it has performed great. So far nothing to complain about. That’s pretty cool.”
Any Problems or Complaints?
This model has an incredible number of positive reviews online, although a small minority of users did find that the dust bag didn’t perform its function very well, but based on my research this seems to be par for the course with most miter saws on the market.
Where Can You Buy the DEWALT DW715?
Hands down the best place to buy this miter saw online is over at Amazon. They had a great deal last time I checked and they were even offering free Super Saver shipping, which really sweetens the deal. Most retailers will kill you on the shipping but not Amazon.
Where Can You Read More Reviews for the DEWALT DW715?
If you would like to read more reviews on this model, head over to Amazon’s website.
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