Dewalt has announced their next-generation FlexVolt 60V Max cordless 12″ dual bevel sliding miter saw, model DCS781.
The Dewalt DCS781 cordless miter saw features efficient dust collection, Regenerative Braking Technology, and delivers 20% more power than the leading competitor’s comparable model.
Additionally, unlike Dewalt’s first-generation FlexVolt cordless miter saws, this 12″ sliding miter saw works with just one battery, rather than requiring two.
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The Regenerative Braking Technology is designed to extend runtime by redirecting lost energy back into the battery while the bevel-drive transmission reduces power losses that may occur with belt-driven designs.
Additionally, Dewalt says that the efficient bevel gear transmission delivers fast, reliable cutting.
The new miter saw is said to capture up to 94% of dust generated (when cutting 2×10 SPF using a 9Ah battery and DWV015 dust extractor).
The dust port is compatible with Dewalt’s standard AirLock-equipped vacuum hoses, and also standard 1-7/8″ and 2-1/2″ wet/dry vacuum hoses with the included adapter. It also comes with a dust bag.
It also features a Cutline LED blade positioning system for accurate cut line indication, which basically shines a light along both sides of the blade to cast a kerf-width shadow on the workpiece that’s to be cut.
The DCS781 cordless miter saw has a maximum horizontal cutting capacity of 12-3/16″. It can cut baseboard up to 6-1/2″ vertically, and crown molding up to 6-1/2″ nested.
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The saw weighs 50.9 lbs (tool-only), and features a large carry handle. It also has outriggers on both sides for workpiece support, as well as a rear base stabilizer.
Dewalt says that it can make up to 675 cuts in 3-1/4″ MDF base molding, or 255 cuts in pressure treated 4×4 timber, per fully charged 9Ah battery (DCB609).
As a reminder, the DCB609 battery (180 Watt-hours) has 9Ah charge capacity when used with 20V Max cordless power tools, and 3Ah charge capacity when used with 60V Max cordless power tools. For simplicity, ToolGuyd describes FlexVolt batteries with respect to their 20V Max capacity.
The saw will be available in tool-only (DCS781B) and kit (DCS781X1) configurations. The kit comes with a 6A charger and 9Ah battery.
Price: $699 for the tool-only, $849 for the kit
ETA: February 2023
Discussion
Dewalt says that their new FlexVolt miter saw, when equipped with a DCB609 9Ah battery, delivers 20% more power – based on MWO test results – compared to Milwaukee’s M18 dual bevel 12″ sliding miter saw, model 2739-21HD, when equipped with an M18 HD HO battery (48-11-1812).
I’m not sure this will sway anyone’s purchasing decisions. And, to be honest, I am far more interested in learning more about the runtime-extending regenerative braking tech, the high efficiency dust collection, and “easy controls” referenced in press materials.
The new model bears some similarities to the first-generation model, DHS790, which launched more than 6 years ago, but is different in meaningful ways.
The power and motor drive systems are completely different, with the new model featuring a bevel gear drive and only requiring a single FlexVolt battery to operate.
The dust collection scoop appears to be larger, and is positioned much closer to the saw blade, which undoubtedly is behind the “captures up to 94% of dust” claims.
The side workpiece supports are also new, and related to updated miter saw safety guidelines.
I wonder, will anyone miss the AC adapter that could be used with the first-gen model in lieu of 2x FlexVolt batteries?
I’ll follow up as I learn more. Do you have any questions I can add to my own?
What do you think about Dewalt’s newest flagship cordless miter saw?
Matt+F
Is there auto on pairing with their dust collector? I use mine with the ac adaptor a lot, plugged into a Flex vacuum with auto start. Not having that would be a big downgrade for inside use.
I don’t travel with my saw a lot and mostly have it because I got a good deal and needed the batteries for other tools. It is very nice to be able to quickly throw the saw outside quickly though and have no dust collection issues.
Andrew
Dust extractors (not to be confused with shop vacs) usually have an auto-on feature, including the model DeWalt referenced in their description. Dust extractors are also 2-4x more expensive than shop vacs.
Big Richard
That only works with corded tools, and since this new saw does not have the AC adapter like the last model, that’s a no go unfortunately.
Drew
It works just fine with my battery XGT 12” Miter.
Big Richard
How do you plug your cordless 12″ XGT saw into the dust extractor’s AC pass through outlet? We may be talking about different things here. Some DeWalt dust extractors have an AC pass through outlet, where you plug your corded tool into the dust extractor instead of plugging it into a wall outlet. And then you pull the trigger on your tool, the dust extractor automatically turns on.
Drew
They pair with each other like Bluetooth electronically, no cords.
Big Richard
@Drew, yes I am aware that Makita saws with AWS can pair to Makita AWS dust extractors (or other brands via their AWS plug in adapter), but we were talking about the DeWalt corded DWV series dust extractors, which are not Bluetooth capable but rather have a plug-in/pass though auto-on feature. So I was telling the OP that since this saw does not have bluetooth, nor an AC adapter, it cannot pair or plug in to a DeWalt dust extractor and utilize the auto-on function.
Unless you are saying the your Makita saw can pair to the DeWalt FlexVolt dust extractor, that would be news to me as I didn’t know that worked.
Stuart
The Dewalt FlexVolt dust extractor does have a wireless remote that can be attached to the end of the hose, or your wrist.
While not tool-activated, that’s better than nothing.
Makita’s AWS system is neat in theory, but very expensive and requires expensive transmitters.
Arnan540
Dude… That’s only in makita.
Big Richard
Yes and no, the North American model does NOT feature DeWalt’s Wireless Tool Control. However the European/Australia/NZ model does.
Craig
Big Richard, you are extraordinarily argumentative. If Stu says the extractor works via Bluetooth button you need to accept that and stop arguing. You are definitely mistaken.
Stuart
It seems “Dewalt extractor” means different things to different people.
I see now that Richard specifically mentions the corded shop vac-style extractors, which to my knowledge do NOT have Wireless Tool Control.
Even if he was talking about the FlexVolt dust extractor, he would be correct in essence.
EU and USA versions of the FlexVolt extractor both have Wireless Tool Control.
This was a launch feature for the USA model – https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-flexvolt-cordless-dust-extractor-vacuum/
The EU version of the FlexVolt extractor can auto-activate via certain EU-version tools, such as the FlexVolt track saw and miter saw.
The USA FlexVolt extractor comes with a Wireless Tool Control remote that requires manual start and stop operation. It *can* also auto-activate via Wireless Tool Control-equipped tools.
USA FlexVolt miter saws and the track saw do not feature Wireless Tool Control.
Thus, the USA FlexVolt dust extractor and USA FlexVolt saws do not match the wireless auto activation of the comparable EU market models.
Daniel Harder
Extremely disappointed that the new 60v mitre saw doesn’t have wireless tool control. But I just bought a tracksaw last week in Canada and it does have wireless tool control. They seem to be just releasing up here.
Big Richard
I certainly can be argumentative and wrong, ToolGuyd can attest to that, but in this case I was neither. I think perhaps you misread the order of comments. My comment, which you replied to, was NOT a reply and argument to Stuart’s comment about the Bluetooth button. Look at the date/time stamps.
My comment was in reply to Matt+F’s question – “Is there auto on pairing with their dust collector?” And my answer was that the European version of this saw has DeWalt’s Wireless Tool Control where it can wirelessly pair to their FlexVolt dust extractor. The North American version does not have this feature. I hope that clarifies it a bit, sorry for the confusion.
Louie+Orama
Hey Craig, I’ve been using this platform for quite some time now. One of the biggest contributors to this site has been BigRichard. He has helped not only me, but many others out. I will tell you that if the man is ever wrong about anything, he would be the first to admit it. Your assumptions about him are misguided. I come in peace, sir. And so does he.
Stuart
Well said!
Phranq
This may all be well and good, but are the table and fences machined flat, and in correct plane with each other?
This seems to be a constant disappointment with ever miter saw I’ve ever purchased.
Festool, Makita, Milwauke, Dewalt, Hitachi. Going back 25 years. Not one has ever had a properly machined table, with a fence that is 90 degrees to the table. Or even a fence that is in plane across it’s length.
fred
We had fence issues with some Bosch saws that we purchased. A few were acceptable other had dished tables and fences not co-planar side to side or square to the table. I don’t remember if the guys complained about earlier Makitas or Dewalts – and we had no experience with other brands. We suspected that some of the Bosch fence issues (which looked like damage in transport) may have been related to its weight and the inadequate packing material (cardboard carton and Styrofoam inserts. But the dished table – was almost certainly a factory issue. The GCM12SD that I purchased for home use – came strapped down to a wooden pallet – and was within acceptable tolerance right out of the box.
The table was reasonable flat – but certainly not compared to my old Starrett granite surface plate or the precision straightedge that I laid across it.
This may all be a QC/QA issue. Overall – it may be that the manufacturers have decided that miter saws are used for carpentry tasks that do not require the high precision (or cost) of some other machine tools. But you would think (in your Festool example) that a tool being sold at a premium price would at least have a fence at 90 degrees to the table and co-planar side to side. In all cases, everyone would want a mitersaw that will produce tight-fitting repeatable miters for casing, decorative and other trim work.
Leo B.
The regenerative braking is very interesting to me. Has any other manufacturer introduced something like that? How much power is it putting back into the battery?
SamR
Great question. And how efficient is the bevel gear transmission?
Craig
Stu touched on that in the article. He said there was allegedly increased power transfer.
MFC
Regenerative braking is neat, but at best would be putting in such a small amount of energy, that I can’t see it justifying the additional cost to manufacture. If it was increasing runtime by 10% then it could be useful, but I bet it’s <1%.
What I EXTREMELY DONT LIKE AT ALL is them moving to 1 battery. If it was able to run on one battery as well as two, then that'd be a great feature, but I wanted them to make more 60v/120v tools that you could plug the adapter into when needed (shop vac, tablesaw, miter saw, etc.) This is 1/2 step forward and 1 step backwards to me. Unless they can get the same runtime out of 1 9ah as the original got out of two. Then they might convince me this one was better and worth the price/upgrade.
Stacey Jones
I was thinking the same thing, not that the prior model was interesting either. The HF model looks identical. Probably made inbthe same factory…
Andrew
^This, particularly the questions around regenerative breaking. Sounds like a gimmick, but it would be nice to see some testing.
Big Richard
I thought it was slightly gimmicky when I first heard about it, until the released the runtime numbers and compared them to the previous DHS790.
The 790 got 289 cuts in 3 1/4″ casing with 2x6Ah batteries, so 216Wh of juice. That is 1.34 cuts/Wh. The 781 paired with a 9Ah has 162Wh, but manages to get 675 cuts, or 4.17 cuts/Wh. That is a huge leap in efficiency. Is it ALL due to regenerative braking? Probably not, but still.
Even more impressive is that they even rate the 781 at 255 cuts in a treated 4×4 with that same 9Ah battery. So the 781 can make more cuts in a treated 4×4 than the 790 could in 3 1/4 casing, all with less juice.
MFC
Yeah, I guess with newer motor technology it might be hard to know whether the RB is actually providing a lot of regenerative power. Theoretically if we compared rb to plugging a battery into another battery to draw a quick jump of juice for 1 second, which seems to be about the braking time, then I might get 1/60 of 1/60th of the rated watt hours. So .045 of a watt hour per brake, or 1/3600th (.00028) of the rated watt hours. This could be completely wrong, but I have nothing much to go off of and I would think it’s not even going to be that good. I really wish engineers from these companies could talk more openly about their technology.
neandrewthal
Well they are claiming twice as many cuts with half the batteries. Ignoring that, the 2 battery requirement was a big negative in my book.
Honestly, using these saws, it’s clear that more energy is used to spin up the blade than to cut trim stock. So maybe they are truly getting much more power back with the regenerative braking than you imagine.
The biggest surprise to me is they only claim 20% more power than the M18 saw. Kind of confirming that 3X the voltage doesn’t really help much
Harrison
For what it’s worth, the 120v Flexvolt miter saw was heavily handicapped by whatever was done to the electronics to make it run off direct AC power. 2x Flexvolt should be capable of something ridiculous like 4800w, more than 6hp.
Don’t forget it’s not just 20% more powerful- You’ll be able to lean into it hard all day, which is not possible with the high output M18 tools without sending the batteries into thermal overload. Never mind the battery life improvements. The true evidence of this is continuous duty, high-demand tools like rotary and demolition hammers- Flexvolt and 80V XGT absolutely steamroll Milwaukee’s efforts in that space. There’s a reason Milwaukee can’t sell a 2” SDS Max.
Harrison
It was (and continues to be) a great concept, but it was obvious after a couple of years that the 120v miter saw was a one-off.
Unfortunately the tool does have a reputation for motor/control board failure if run too heavily off the AC adaptor. I’m sure it’s just a small percentage of the heaviest users, but clearly the tool has more problems than their corded miter saws or other Flexvolt tools.
Stepping all the way up to ~120v was clever as they didn’t need a separate transformer, but evidently Dewalt’s brushless motor tech didn’t tolerate direct AC as well as they thought. It’s hard to find direct comparison on the market- most cordless equipment that offers a plug-in option uses a transformer to feed the electronics clean DC at a lower voltage.
Performance wise, I would expect this new saw to be at least on par with the old one. The 120 Flexvolt was powerful but not ground breaking. Dewalt has already proven a single Flexvolt battery is capable of 2400w, more than the 1800w of a 15A plug. Returning to DC-only should allow for more reliable and better motor control optimization, plus the lower friction bevel gear.
Will there be a plug-in option? In theory a ~120v > ~60v DC transformer wouldn’t even be that large- Smaller than Metabo’s. But based on the fact that Flexvolt can draw more watts than 1800w (minus transformer losses) probably not. Performance levels have moved on.
neandrewthal
It’s funny, the corded vs Flexvolt performance advantages favor certain tools. Both can probably peak well over 3600W (corded definitely can), and Flexvolt 12Ah can definitely deliver 2400W for 10 seconds at a time, which is great for most ripping cuts. But at the 1500-1800 watt level, for coring 5″ holes with SDS max or repetitive ripping, the 216 watt-hour 12A flexvolt battery only delivers about 150 watt hours, depleted and hot in 5-6 minutes.
Tommy
It may have somthing to do with sending the 120v tools out with adaptors into country’s that are 240v then recalling them quietly.
Reid
The run time with a single battery is apparently near double the runtime with 120v That was the biggest innovation. Why would one prefer to use and have to charge 2 flexvolts.
Jerry
At least they are putting out new flex volt stuff. It almost looked they were going to drop that line.
Josh Walters
Idt so that line usually cleans up any tool head to head. Milwaukee won’t even put their fuel line against Flexvolts.
MFC
What? Drop it? They keep coming out with new, or updated flexvolt tools. What made you think they wouldn’t keep going?
Louie+Orama
There are a lot of updated original FlexVolt tools, yes. But aside from rotary hammers, FlexVolt hasn’t really upped their selection. Now there ARE FlexVolt Advantage tools that have new offerings, like the drill press, but many people think that FlexVolt Advantage tools are 60V, which they’re not. When it comes to 60V FlexVolt tools, I own 19 of them and just don’t need 6 rotary hammers. Only ones I really don’t have are the Track Saw, the 20” Chainsaw, the dust extractor, and some rotaries. Even have the 54V Alligator Saw (DCS397). I collect them line they are baseball cards. I’ll have the 8.5 and 10” one day.
Chris
Dewalt also has a reputation with dropping product lines after everyone is bought in…
Stuart
Such as?
They dropped 40V Max cordless OPE presumably because too few bought in. It took them around a decade to phase out the older 18V cordless system.
Michael Reis
I don’t really understand large cordless saws. If you are moving these things around all the time, you’re going to want a smaller lighter saw. If you are going to set this thing up in one location, running a cord makes more sense than swapping out batteries. I got an ancient 780 with an iVac switch. Make a forward control 8.25″ double bevel slider, with a full material supporting rotating miter table, dust sucker ready, under 40 pounds, corded/cordless hybrid & that would sell like beer on Friday.
Cutchemist
What he said but ten inch blade and shadowline. I use milwaukee ten but am constantly adjusting bevel and miter .for some reason won’t hold adjustments .
Mike MV
they should be introducing more 120v type tools that run off 2-60v batteries like the old saw. Example maybe jackhammer, super powerful vac, water pump, 120v law mover, snow blower, 14” concrete/rebar saw, etc…. tools that can really benefit from the power
Louie+Orama
Me too, Mike!!!
Josh Walters
Good to see more of the flexvolt line, although I’d rather see new tools especially since the flexvolt miter saw was already regarded as a leading cordless miter saw.
Adam
It’s still the same old design with the rails, I wonder why Dewalt didn’t make it with the forward rails like Makita and festool, it’s a much better design.
Travis
I had the same thought. But like someone mentioned above, always glad to see any movement on this line.
Droid
For a miter saw regenerative braking actually seems beneficial. Instead of using power to slow the blade they’re gaining the power. With a 12in blade it might amount to something. Also they appear to claim more than twice the runtime of milwaukee’s saw. Wish milwaukee would start innovating again.
MM
It makes a lot of sense to me. That 12″ blade spinning at a couple thousand RPM has quite a lot of energy stored in it. If you can recover that energy instead of wasting it you can get a lot more runtime. And the numbers bear that out, I think Big Richard posted them some time ago and it was showing double the cuts with only one battery, so that regenerative braking clearly does work.
Harrison
Milwaukee can innovate, but MX Fuel was a mistake. Those tools must have cost a mint to design and engineer, and now you have tools like the XGT 14” cutoff saw beating them on power, run time and refinement. Years later, most of the non-influencer MX reviews boil down to “It does the job alright if it’s all you can use, and you’ll need 10 batteries”.
A lineup of powerful light equipment that used the same batteries would have been a great excuse to start moving some of their flagship M18 HO tools to a higher voltage platform. Now they have two unrelated lineups -with a huge gap in performance- that they risk obsoleting if they try to fill that gap.
Personally if I was to invest in batteries that only work with specific light equipment, I might as well just go for Husqvarna or some other dedicated manufacturer.
SecretSquirrel
No thanks. I’ll wait for the Festool KSC60 for my next cordless miter saw. I’m a carpentry and millwork contractor and 12” miter saws are way to big and heavy for what the majority of trim work requires. I used to have the DWS780 and its great, but since using a Kapex for 2 years now, I’ve not needed a bigger blade at all. If Dewalt would come out with a Flexvolt 10″ sliding miter saw I’d get it in an instant. I currently have the Dewalt 20v 7 1/4″ saw and its great for quick mobile work, but the thin blades make it inaccurate for quality trim work.
Bring back the 10″ saws!
Big Richard
DeWalt does have a 10″ FlexVolt available abroad, I still don’t know why they do not offer it hear in the NA market. I get the 12″ will still be the preferred size amongst construction pros, but a 10″ option would still be quite popular amongst non-pro users.
https://www.dewalt.co.uk/product/dcs727n-xj/54v-xr-flexvolt-250mm-mitre-saw-bare-unit
Stuart
That’s not the first either – they had other 10″ and 8.5″ saws in Europe earlier – https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-flexvolt-sliding-miter-saws-europe/
The 12″ non-slider, DHS716, was discontinued a while ago.
Dewalt knows how many cordless and corded saws they sell in each configuration, and that likely determines which cordless models are available in different regions.
Big Richard
Correct, the nice thing about those saws is that they are rail forward. They offer corded versions of them as well.
And I have no doubt DeWalt uses their corded miter saw sales as a metric for how popular a cordless version would or wouldn’t be, totally agree with you there. But it is hard to sell a lot of corded 10″ saws when the only one they currently offer is a single bevel non-slider.
My criticism with them using their corded saw sales to determine their cordless offerings is: someone buying a corded saw is not looking for portability necessarily, so if you are buying a saw for your shop, you likely will buy the larger 12″ vs. a 10″, as it is going to do everything you need. With cordless saws the needs can be very different. From the homeowner who has to drag it out to the driveway every time they use it as they don’t have a dedicated shop, to the contractor that keeps one in the van for small jobs and punch list items.
I guess what I’m saying is that I personally don’t think lower sales numbers on corded 10″ saws does not mean 10″ cordless saws would not be marketable. Especially at a major retailer like Lowe’s than does not carry FlexVolt. I have think a 10″ 20v XR miter saw would be a nice addition on their shelves. But clearly they have done their market research and decided they are not a fit for the NA market, at least for the time being. And if you look at other brands, like Milwaukee, they offered a 10″ cordless version and users were not satisfied, they wanted the 12″ (though the 10″ did not always have the best reviews so that may have played a role).
David Funk
I would take the 10 inch saw not everybody needs a 12 inch tall not everybody needs a saw that’s 4 feet front to back. But of course it’s only offered overseas. Disappointed Dewalt.
Robert
From some angles the pivot arms appear somewhat reminiscent of Bosch’s axial glide’s arms in construction. Though obviously not in the full range of sliding motion. And from some angles it appears the cutting body is high above the table, so 6 and 1/2 inch vertical cutting capacity is a bit disappointing. If I remember right, some 12in meter saws pull off 7.5 inch cuts.
Nathan
bevel gear has a lot to do with efficiency when you consider you don’t’ spin a blade, a pulley, a belt and another pulley. Vs direct worm to gear drive and gear to blade shaft.
Then regen for braking with that big blade spinning would help some also.
Moving to one battery makes them more competitive. I for one will miss the ac adapter only because I wanted on. Cost prohibited me from every buying one of the kits vs the ones that don’t have the battery option. So it would be nice to see that come back or even a flexvolt 1x to AC adapter .
Stuart a question – does the bevel gear require oil changes? The Skilsaw model does but it’s quite a while.
Big Richard
No oil changes needed. This saw uses helical bevel gears rather than worm gears. They are more efficient and generally last longer because of less friction.
bg100
The regenerative braking is a nice addition and definitely has my interest. I’m also happy to see it’s a couple pounds lighter than the 790. Still a heavy beast though!
As for the other specs, I’m mildly impressed, but I will not rush out and replace my 790. I’m actually ok with the single battery setup, and I never plug mine in with the adapter. I wonder if the dust collection has solved the problem of little toothpick pieces getting stuck at the mouth and blocking the whole port…?
Big Richard
This looks great, but I’d really like to see them leverage this tech into the 20V platform. A new brushless dual bevel 7 1/4″ would be a very welcome update. They could even brand it Atomic to expand that line.
Perhaps an even more welcome addition – at least in my opinion – would be a 10″ model, be it 20v or 60v like the euro spec DCS727.
Tom Forward
That 7 1/4” needs an update badly. I got the Milwaukee Fuel because it’s got some better features but it’s sloppy for trim work.
Nathan
follow on thought I wonder if the next dewalt saws will also go bevel gear
I doubt it but maybe.
JoeM
It does appear they’ve shrunk down all of the mechanical housing for holding the blade, because now it just looks like an absolutely massive blade, attached to very minimal machine. Not so much the case as the 790. I’m guessing the new side handles for carrying, double as outriggers for holding material? Another feature that wasn’t there before.
As to the battery situation… The 790 was released many years ago, in tool release cycles, and the batteries have gone through an intense change since. The single 15Ah FlexVOLT (which costs nearly as much as the tool itself) would make this saw capable of basically everything the 790 was, short of the AC adaptor mode for corded use. So no technical loss there. The problem is just down to kits available. The 790 was in a good 4 kits, at least two that included a rolling stand/cart. It sounds like the 790 is pulled from shelves, sure… and the new one’s lower price is very appreciated… Question becomes… how long until they decide to restore all the different kits to the lineup? I know one of the kits used to be a stationary stand that had its own outriggers that extended to hold 12′ stock, or something ridiculously large in that range.
If I felt anything either way, I would say so, but all I have is questions about where this model will stand, literally and figuratively, in comparison to the 790. And, of course, is this the end of the 120V line of Dual-FlexVOLT tools? That AC adaptor becoming obsolete seems like a very expensive waste.
Stuart
I don’t recall seeing the DHS790 in kits with rolling stands. A lot of times, miter saw plus stand listings are simply bundles of two separately-boxed SKUs.
Chris
Looks slick! I think that’s too big, and too expensive for what I would need. I’d like Dewalt to release a 20v max brushless sliding miter saw. Preferably with a 7-1/4” blade.
Mark J
Well your in luck as they have had one of these out for a while now.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-20-Volt-MAX-Cordless-7-1-4-in-Sliding-Miter-Saw-with-1-20-Volt-Battery-4-0Ah-DCS361M1/205983654
MM
That model has been around for a few years, but it is not brushless.
I’ve seen a lot of people wishing for an update to that saw but honestly I think the current model is pretty darn nice. I bought one a couple years ago for one specific job, I wasn’t really expecting a whole lot out of it but honestly it is a great saw. I’ve used it for all manner of materials too, not just trim. 2-by, PVC, copper pipe, aluminum extrusions, ABS plastic for making instrument panels, etc. I just bought a 12″ DWS779 but I’m sure I will keep using this one too, It’s a great saw that is more capable than one might think. Really the only thing I wish it had, and it’s a pretty minor gripe, is a depth stop so you can cut dadoes or slots for kerf bending.
Ronnie Sullivan
I went through 2 of first cordless saws they had and burned both of them up hesitant about getting another
1day@atime
Big Richard is right in that they should’ve done this to their cordless 7¼ miter saw which has needed an update for quite some time now. The flexvolt miter saw didn’t really need an update in that it was already brushless and had double bevel capability. There was nothing wrong with it that needed improvement. The motor didn’t need to be updated with a bevel transmission. The brake regeneration thing isn’t going to make much of a difference in saving battery power. Speaking of battery power, I don’t see how only one specific battery can produce 20% more power than any other battery. What if I want to use a 5ah battery or a 6ah battery? It’s the same horseshit they advertised with the powerstack battery. You’ll get this much more power if you use only this one specific battery. I’d tell Dewalt to provide proof of this power increase in order for me to mention it in the post. Be like I can’t just take your word for it, Dewalt. I’m curious what would happen if blog sites started to call the manufacturer’s out on their claims. Anyways, if there’s anything that they improved on it might be that it runs on one battery instead of two. But that’s really about it. Dewalt wasted time and money on updating a tool that didn’t need it. Maybe they’ll do something for the 7¼ saw next. But who knows when that’ll be. Don’t hold your breath.
neandrewthal
It makes twice the cuts with half the batteries. Solving a lot of issues users had. So they’ve made massive efficiency improvements.
As far as batteries and power, there is a vast range from around 400W to around 2400W of power for 18V tools, depending on the quantity and type of cell, so it is important to match the battery to the task.
Big Richard
That 20% more power is actually based on Max Watts Out measured in this saw with 9Ah/3Ah FlexVolt battery and Milwaukee’s M18 saw with a HD12.0 battery. Since both batteries can theoretically output the same power – around 1800W continuous – that 20% likely comes down to DeWalt’s more efficient gearing as well as the battery/motor running more efficiently at 54v instead of 18v.
Stuart
This is a Flexvolt tool, you cannot use a 20V Max 5Ah battery.
Respectfully, you seem to have a shallow understanding of cordless power tool battery technologies. I responded to your earlier comment where you made similar complaints – https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-powerstack-5ah-battery-answers/#comment-1473368 .
Perhaps you missed the explanation I offered. If not, were there any parts I can explain better to help improve your understanding?
Also, please refrain from vulgarity. Performance claims aren’t “horseshit” just because you don’t understand the engineering.
Battery tech isn’t straightforward, but I have a firm grasp and am happy to explain tool brands’ claims when they make sense.
And when they don’t make sense, I press for and will often receive added information and details as to where claims or figures (e.g. 20% more power) come from.
William+Butler
I’m disappointed it does not make use of the adapter. That was a major benefit for me on custom cabinet installation. Since this is the only 60v tool we have, I only have the two batteries. I liked being able to get an extension cord if my batteries died. I wish they would have upgraded the 7-1/4″ saw to have more power.
I wonder how similar this new saw is to the DWS780. The 780 and the flexvolt were virtually the same saw so aftermarket accessories worked really well. I wonder if those accessories will be compatible with this saw.
Nathan
MOre I think about it I too agree I’d like to see either a nonsliding 12 or a sliding 10 option but I suspect they don’t sell that much.
Stuart
There was a non-sliding 12″ and it was discontinued, presumably due to lower sales.
David Funk
The sad part is there is a 54 volt 10 inch and 8 1/2 inch saw in the UK, designed and built already in production, it’s not 4 feet front to back. Dewalt just need to bring it to the United States. It’s ridiculous.
John+Fal
Dewalt needs to get their heads out of the sand. I was so excited over the 60v line, but it’s like Dewalt just forgot about it;(
Shimshon Yacoby
So now Dewalt is walking in Apple’s footsteps next generation tool with no real advantage. I love my flexvolt miter saw. I bought it when it came out and have not looked back. There’s nothing better than it to me. This new one has one battery. Whoopty doo.
But that now takes away your power cord that they gave you in case your battery died. I don’t travel much with myself, and I really haven’t used the power adapter because I have many flex volt batteries from other tools, but the bottom line is if I ever needed it, I have it and now it’s a new one I won’t Who gives a crap about this regenerative braking technology it’s not saw stop so it’ll charge a little bit my battery are you kidding me so lame what a waste and now it’s promoting this LED line technology like it didn’t have it in the previous version he did just as good now if it gave a deeper cut or even if they improved the slide glide technology, so it wouldn’t be such a big footprint as far as being away from the wall I could see that I mean if it’s a couple pounds lighter and shinier, that’s not going to be justified for me to buy a new one but it’s also pretty lame. The Dewalt really isn’t trying anymore. I feel like Milwaukee innovate and comes out with a newer generation tool that much more powerful, smaller footprint I mean I’m not gonna complain the Dewalt impact is tiny and I love it it’s got plenty of juice the double stack or whatever they call that power stack is great but this chief Kemosabe of miter saws doesn’t even have a material hold down the clamp upgrade. I still have to turn that stupid thing forever so you just don’t use it , but anyways, I still love myself. Won’t be buying a new one and definitely not impressed. I didn’t even type this out. I voice to text it because that’s how lame this review is of some thing I’ve never seen but just read about take care guys.
Kirk
Someone here may have mentioned it, but with all these cross platform battery adapters, could you take a Metabo HTP 120v plug-in battery adapter with a Metabo HTP to DeWalt 20v converter adapter? I just saw someone using Makita batteries on their Ryobi tools with the adapter. DeWalt has the 18 nicad to 20v adapter. I saw an electrician power a coffee maker from a old Ryobi 18v battery years ago, I’m still waiting for DeWalts double bevel 20v 7¼ mitersaw
Kirk
And just curious, is it possible to have DeWalt DCS727 10″ mitersaw shipped to US? Is 54v battery terminal the same compatibility with our 60v tools?
Marc
Yes you can order saws from oversees using eBay and Amazon. I did this before and the only problem you will find is the arbor will be a different size, so the blades in HD won’t fit. You’ll have to order them also which is inconvenient.
Grumbly
Carp! I was about to fly to old Blighty until you reminded me of the 30mm arbor. How much you think a good machine shop would charge to reduce that to 5/8″?
Marc
yes the terminals for 54v and 60v are. Identical
Louie+Orama
I can attest to this. I have the (54V) FlexVolt Alligator Saw (DCS397), only sold overseas. I slap my 60V FlexVolts on there and it runs fine.
John+Fal
It’s sucks and stupid that Dewalt doesn’t have that one in the USA. Dewalt missed a lot of sales on that one. I tried to get one but never could find one here;( Dewalt could do lots of cool handy stuff with the 60 volt line.
John+Fal
Nice job Dewalt what took you guy so long?? Man that’s what I need.
Bill Sung
Do you think that we may see a dual compound , double bevel sliding cordless miter say next year?
Stuart
This is a cordless dual/double bevel sliding miter saw.
frank Pellegrino Jr
Like why would the USA version not have wireless tool control WHY ??? I need a good reason well really there is not one I’m kind of pissed