Dewalt has come out with a new 12″ dual bevel compound miter saw, DWS716XPS. The new saw is described as an updated version of their DW716XPS.
I posted about the Dewalt DW716XPS 12″ miter saw recently in a deal post, and it is also on my current tool and equipment wishlist. Upon seeing this saw being described as discontinued, I reached out to Dewalt, asking for more information about the product update and changes.
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The new Dewalt DWS716XPS 12″ miter saw is almost identical to the DW716XPS, but there are some small changes.
- Upgraded high visibility bevel scale
- Longer base legs
- New vertical quick clamp
- Upgraded dust collection
- Removable table under-guarding
- New blade bolt design
Amazon’s current pricing is $379.
Other Features & Specs
- 12″ blade size
- 3800 RPM
- 2×8 cross-cutting capacity at 90°
- 2×6 cross-cutting capacity at 45°
- 6-1/2″ vertical baseboard cutting capacity
- 6-5/8″ nested crown molding cutting capacity
- Weighs 41 lbs
- Built-in Cutline LED shadow cut-line indicator system
- Miter range of 0-50° left and right
- Bevel range of 0-48° left and right
From the product specs, it looks like 3 pounds were shaved off the weight, as the DW716XPS is said to weigh 44 lbs.
Buy Now via Amazon
Compare(DW716XPS via Amazon)
See Also(DWS779, 12″ sliding miter saw via Amazon)
Discussion
The specs all look the same, except for the weight. Although some specs for the DW716XPS, such as the 10″ horizontal baseboard cutting capacity and 2×8 or 2×10 (with fence) cross-cut capacity, have not yet been explicitly mentioned in the context of the new DWS716XPS miter saw, it’s likely that the new model shares those capacities.
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Although this side-by-side image doesn’t have the two saws at the same scale or angle, some of the differences stand out.
To me, the most visible difference is the addition of a dust collection funnel (scoop?) on the new saw. It’s placed closer to the blade, which should allow more dust to be sent to the included dust bag or to an attached dust extractor. Dewalt says that the saw features high efficiency dust duct is concentrated at the point of cut for maximum collection. Judging from the appearance of the new saw, I believe in that “high efficiency dust duct” part. Dust collection is often problematic on miter saws, and it looks like Dewalt engineers made a conscious effort to improve things with the DWS716XPS.
Here’s the tough question – if you were looking for a new 12″ dual bevel compound miter saw, do you get the new model, or the previous one?
Right now, the new saw is priced at $379 at Amazon, and it’s expected to ship out sometime in August (at least going by Amazon’s estimate). The DW716XPS is currently priced at $289.
Since I’m not ready to buy a new miter saw just yet, I’ll likely add the DWS716XPS to my radar. Upgraded dust collection means a lot to me, and some of the other changes seem worth considering as well. On the other hand, there’s something to be said about the lower price of the DW716XPS. There is also the DW716 miter saw, which is similar to the DW716XPS but without the Cutline LED shadow indicator system. But, I love Dewalt’s XPS/Cutline indicator system and would absolutely spend more for it.
If you’ve been eyeing the DW716XPS, keep in mind that the DWS716XPS will be replacing it, presumably when current inventory levels sell out.
Hoser
I mentioned these new saws, both this and the new 10” DWS713 in the comments a while ago, and I just noticed that they are now on the shelf at Acme Tools last time I was there. I wouldn’t be opposed to either of the 12” saws, new or old, however, I would definitely buy the previous gen 10”, the DW713 since they switched to a new screw type miter lock on the DWS. I don’t understand why they did that, some of my real old DeWalt saws have that type of miter lock and it was so nice when they finally went to to lever lock, I can’t believe that they went backwards. I don’t care if it’s a $100 premium, I would never buy a miter saw without the Crosscut LED.
NewtonsApple
I have the Flex Volt DHS716, It would be interesting to know if the new dust shroud would fit on my saw (or the DW716). It looks like there is a pretty good chance it would.
IPv6Guy
I agree. It seems like this could just be an accessory to add onto an existing unit like the DHS. I’d love to hear Dewalts thoughts on this.
Bob252
I have the DW716XPS and I am in the process of improving the dust collection. I would prefer to bolt on the new DeWalt dust shroud, assuming it really is an improvement. I would do the same with the under guard.
Billy
I have been looking closely at pics of the DW and DWS, there’s a good chance the new shroud will fit.
Matt F
For anyone interested in this, I just ordered the dust shroud parts. Mine is going on a DHS716.
I will report back how it works out.
https://servicenet.dewalt.com/Products/Detail?productNumber=DWS716
Billy
I’ll look forward to how you made out. If it works, I’m next!
MattF
So I got the parts and everything bolts right onto my DHS716. I’ll try to post some photos in a bit and can do a bit of write up, but in general it is a significant improvement. There are 3 new components, a pair of screws and some ring clips. The screws on the parts diagram seemed too big to thread into the middle plastic piece, so I actual used something I had.
The lower rubber flap could use some improvement I think. There is a gap at the top of the assembly that I tried closing off to improve the airflow where it matters, but the rubber is too flexible and gets sucked closed. I am going to experiment with some flexible polyethylene sheet stock and try to get better performance.
Nathan
This is both great news and concerning news at the same time.
Now I can hope to get a good deal on the saw I mostly want – and then wonder how I can update it’s dust collection capability.
That model number differential sure is hard to spot
Stuart
Dewalt and other brands also do update and change their tools from time to time. In this case, the model number change seems to be more opportunistic, bringing the saw into the more modern nomenclature where Dewalt saw model numbers typically start with a DWS prefix instead of DW. But there might also be enough changes where they might have had to have changed the model number and discontinue the DW716XPS saw anyway.
Nathan
question on the new vertical hold down mechanism.
The old one sits at the back and reaches up and over the fence with a turn screw right? Does this new one fit to the front in those notches?
If so wonder why the change. I note in shopping for mitre saws I see a few versions and wondered if there was any benefit to them. I sort of like the ones at that reach over the back.
Stuart
I don’t know, but I’d think they attach in the same way, and that the difference is in the clamping accessory. The difference could be as simple as switching out a simple screw-adjust clamp for a screw-adjust clamp with quick release.
Nathan
FYI – Home Depot sales has the Flexvolt 12 inch non-slider with the plug in adapter only running 279 right now. Really good price.
Hoser
I don’t recommend the DHS716 if you are planning on running it on AC power. The Flexvolt saws when running the adapters are slower to get up to speed, have less power, and just don’t sound good when using the adapters. However on batteries the Flexvolt saws are incredible! If you are using the saw in a shop or have access to AC power I recommend a corded saw.
Brian
Home Depot has the non-xps counterpart in stock and on display. The base is several inches less wide (which I like for my setup, that must be where the weight has been cut). There does not appear to be a back fence any longer for the 2×10 cut. Everything else just as you described in your post.
Matt F
Interesting, looks like they may have eliminated the back fence on just the non XPS version. Did the one you saw look like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-12-in-15-Amp-Compound-Double-Bevel-Miter-Saw-DWS716/308351915
Billy
Pic is wrong. That’s a single bevel saw.
William Mack Jr
For those still following. I have the previous model 716. The new dust guard does fit on the older 716s.
MattF
I’m pretty happy with mine. It’s not perfect, but significantly better in my opinion..
What do you think of how yours?
Ko
Anyone know why some dewalt miter saws have motor on right side with direct connection to the spindle/blade while others have motor on left with a belt that turns spindle/blade? Seems like belt design can induce more slop/error.
Doug
The double bevel saws use the belt drive to keep the motor out of the way.
Hoser
Just wanted to share my thoughts on the new DWS716XPS after using for a bit now. It’s not good. The table is smaller which I really dislike. The cast struts on the underside of the saw are much smaller And weaker and thus will actually allow the whole rotating table to flex when the angle is locked. It’s rather unbelievable. I spent the time to get the saw perfectly square, then set your angle, lock the clamp, and now it’s not square. Swapping the blade is an absolute chore, so much more difficult than it should be. I don’t use them, but the new style material clamp is literally laughable, absolutely the worst clamp design I’ve seen. Lastly, for me, the saw is unusable. It has .013” blade runout. Every cut is terrible and unacceptable. The power is great, the Crosscut LED is great, but none of that matters if it won’t cut square and the blade wobbles so bad you end up with rounded cuts. I am truly disappointed. There’s other thoughts I have, but that’s a brief rundown.
Bryan
Are all these comments in comparison to the older DW 716 model? I just bought both and am reluctant to open both boxes… I assumed the new one was better and would return the older version. How do I test for this flex or runout that you mentioned without actually cutting any wood (wouldn’t be able to return then)… is there a way?
Hoser
Yes, in comparison to the DW716. You would need a dial gauge to test the runout, I use my Woodpeckers saw gauge setup. The flex can be checked by angling the table to 45°, put a square against the fence and the table and see if it moves when you lock it down. You can still return the saw after you have used it. I bought another DWS716 and it’s better than my first one. If you want to sell the old one to me I will be more than happy to buy it from you!
Doug N
I can’t speak to the runout question, but I have the old version and have compared it to the new one on the shelf at Home Depot.
The new one has a plastic bevel gauge with painted markings instead of metal with etched markings. The table is narrower and the underbody has much more plastic. The new one does not have the back fence to allow cross cutting a 2×12.
All these “improvements” are simply cost cutting, aka value engineering.
Bryan
I don’t know if that’s entirely true about “value engineering”. I just talked to the rep from Dewalt in person – or at least he used to be the rep anyway – and he said the electrical standards authority changed some rules recently and so they had to update their products. A good example is the new 2-stage button on the DWS716… You have to press a small lever on the “start” button now – easy to use and a good safety option. Another example is their table saw – they had to reduce the size of the blade to accommodate some new “ratio” requirement of saw blade size to table size (or re-design the entire tablesaw).
Anyway, I took both the DW716 and the DWS716 out of the box – so let me know if anyone has any questions about the differences and I’lll measure etc.
Dave
Hi Bryan,
I was ready to buy the DWS716xps because it is on sale now for $299. Where did you get the DW716? Have you tried both models and which one do you like better?
Thanks!
Dave
Bryan
Hi there, sorry for the late reply. I actually ended up keeping the old model – partly based on Hoser’s comments. I did a bunch of side-by-side comparison, and the new one just seemed to be of slightly lesser quality. Not “unusable” or bad, actually better in some ways, but in the end I figured I could always sell the old one and buy the new model, but not the other way around. I took a bunch of comparison photos, but I don’t know how to post them here… I will try to describe what I took in the photos:
– The older DW716 has a wider table base … almost 2 inches overall in extra material support (23″ vs 21 1/4″). The new one (DWS716) is narrower, but has deeper/longer “legs” out the back (15″ versus 13 1/2″). I don’t really think that adds much advantage, other than probably supporting the new narrower saw better.
– On the issue of size, the new smaller saw is lighter… 41.7lbs versus 45.0 for the old one. It’s not much, but it’s noticable.
– Some of the weight has also been saved in things like a hollow shaft versus a solid shaft on the piece that allows the head to rotate downwards. The fences on the new one have about half of the crossmember supports in the casting on the back – was it ever necessary anyway? Probably not.
– On the issue of fences, the new one does NOT have the back fence anymore – and thus doesn’t have the holes in the lower section for screwing in material supports.
– The handle trigger switch has been updated to have an extra “tab” to push before the button depresses. Easy to use, good safety feature.
– The new one has a more basic mitre angle indicator – a solid red piece of plastic versus a clear indicator with additional 1/4 and 1/2 degree indicators. The new one is easier to read, partly because of the larger text on the angle indicator plate, but if you want to fine-tune the angle it’s harder to see the marks as they’re covered by the solid plastic. That being said, you can fit the old guage on the new saw (buy it separately for $5).
– The new one has an extra mitre dentent stop at 35.3 degrees. The text is bigger on the new one as well.
– The new one has a big yellow, easy to read, bevel guage. Yes, it’s made of plastic instead of machined metal like the old one, but way easier to read. Could be one of the biggest visual differences. There are 2 bevel stops or “tabs” that flip out on the new one, versus 1 on the old one.
– The new one has the upgraded dust collection chute and flap. Haven’t used it, but it is for sure better than the old one. That being said, I ordered the new chute, flap and mounting piece to fit on the old model and upgrade it.
– The new model comes with a material clamp included in the price, versus the old one doesn’t. It may be the flimsiest support every created, but it more or less does the job. It mounts from the front or the back… the old one mounts only from the back.
– The new one may have a slightly different blade mounting bolt… I heard it mentioned but I forgot to check before I returned it. All I can say is that the old one uses an included all-in-one hex & torx tool to do the job… the new one is likely almost identical.
– They both come with the same 60T dewalt blade.
– The new one has a plastic guard on the bottom of the saw – apparently to prevent fingers from getting stuck or something – probably a useless safety feature in reality.
Wow, that was a lot of typing. Someone tell me how to post photos… that would help a lot more. Plus, I spent some good time getting comparison angles.
Like I mentioned, in the end I kept the old one mainly because I felt that when I locked the table in place, it didn’t seem to shift as much as the new one. Arguably, I didn’t test anything with a guage so maybe it’s a useless comparison, but like I said, I can always get the new one… harder to find the old one. It just felt slightly better overall – wider table, better feel clamping down an angle, and has the back fence if I ever need it. Neither of the ones that I bought had the XPS light, however you can upgrade both of them – which is what I did. I got the old saw for cheap enough that I was still saving a bunch of money even after adding the lights and upgrading the dust collection to the new style.
If I forgot anything, let me know!
Dave
Bryan,
Thanks for spending your time to answer my questions! I needed a bigger saw for a project that I have been working on. Therefore, I ordered the DWS716XPS when it was on sale for $299 at Lowes and Amazon. I ordered from Lowes with 10% veteran discount. I paid ~ $294 after tax. I am just a DIYer, so I may not need missing features from the old models. However, I can tell the quality of the new saw is not that good comparing to my DW703, which I bought in 2004.
Thanks again!
Bryan
Yeah, in all reality, the new version is good enough for most. I am in the same category as you, however I already had the sliding DWS780 12″ saw and am selling it because it’s just too much and too heavy as a DIY’er, but I’m scared of losing features so I stuck with the most similar one I could find.