Midwest Woodworker

Though I would say that my woodworking skills outgrew my starter saw in the late 1990's, circumstances did not allow me to buy a new saw until 2004.  Like most woodworkers, I view the tablesaw as the heart of my shop and I wanted to take my time and choose one that would serve my needs well.  I studied the market, put my hands on every saw I could, and read everything I could find on the web about table saw features. Since I work in a library, I also had access to every table saw review in most of the woodworking magazines. 

Eventually I came up with the following criteria:

- I have a one car garage for a workshop, so space was a big issue. I was only looking at saws with 30" capacity to the right of the blade. I also limited my search to saws that could be pushed flat against a wall if need be. This left only hybrids and cabinet saws to consider.

- I wanted the most powerful motor I could get without having to switch to 240 volts, yet have the option to rewire the saw for 240v later if I so choose (thus eliminating 3hp saws).

- I wanted a solid fence that was accurate and DID NOT DEFLECT when locked down.

- I wanted some decent dust collection abilities.

- I wanted a quieter saw with less vibration than my old Delta contractor's saw.

- I wanted to spend less than $1000 to get the saw, yet have lots of options for upgrading/outfitting later.

In my opinion, the best saw for my needs was the DeWalt 746X.  I decided to order it from Amazon.com in August 2004.  With the DeWalt promotions going on at that time and Amazon's usual discounts, I picked this saw up for about $850.  That price included shipping and the DeWalt mobile base.  Shipping time from when I ordered it to when I received it took one week.  The saw package arrived in relatively undamaged crating, and the saw was in perfect condition. Here's a tip - I ordered this saw over the phone and was given the option to pay $25 to have the saw delivered on the ground in my shop - well worth it!

Assembly was not too bad (3 hrs), but the manual could have been a lot better. I felt it was a bit too small and to compound the confusion the illustrations corresponding to each step of assembly were not always on the same page as the relevant instructions. After basic assembly was complete, my initial impression of this saw was very good.  The whole unit has a hefty feel to it and the cabinet/stand is very stiff and strong. I feel that the base of this saw is a much better design than any open stand I have ever had on any other tool. The only small disappointment at this stage was that the rear of the saw is totally open.  I would have preferred a more closed-in look to the back of the saw cabinet, but I suppose DeWalt figured that would make connecting to the dust collection port a hassle. 

The saw came pre-wired for 120v household current (which is what I wanted).  Upon firing it up for the first time I was very pleasantly surprised by how smoothly it powered up and by the relative quiet of the 1.75 hp motor.  I found vibration to be much less noticeable than with my old Delta contractor saw.  After 18 months of use I have not had any problems with power.  Using a quality blade, I have had no problems ripping 8/4 white oak, maple, walnut, or dimensional pine lumber.  Speaking of blades, the one that came with this saw is inferior. I will keep it just for those instances where I want to cut treated lumber for outside projects or some other such task not requiring precision or smooth cuts.  I was also very pleased with the size and placement of the power switch on this saw.  It is very comforting to be able to kill the power with your knee if you get into a dangerous situation! 

Though I was nervous about the fence (I have always wanted a Biesemeyer fence), I had read good things about the DeWalt rip fence and was eager to try it for myself. I am pleased to say that it is a very heavy duty and accurate fence with some ingenious features. Most importantly this fence operates very smoothly, it does not deflect when locked down, it was easy to adjust square to the miter slot and blade, and zeroing the fence scale could not have been easier. I did have to fuss with it a bit to get the fence face set 90 degree to the table, but once I got it there it has held that setting very well.

Dust collection on this saw is, in my humble opinion, excellent. I hooked up my Fein Turbo II vacuum and only the smallest amount of sawdust escapes to my shop floor. I have no doubt that if I had this thing hooked up to a proper dust collector it would be virtually dust free.  I have found that by running a zero clearance insert in my saw I never have any problems with the blade shroud clogging (some other reviews out on the web claim this can be a problem).  As for safety features, I like splitters and hate blade guards so I was pleased to find that the splitter/blade guard on this saw is able to be separated. The splitter works well and is easy to adjust, but adjusting it does tend to take longer than you might want.

As far as downsides go... Well, as I mentioned earlier the assembly manual could have been way better and the blade that came with the saw is junk. Also (and I read this several places ahead of time) the table is not absolutely flat. Using a straightedge I found a couple of very slight hollows in the surface. They are not significant enough to throw off the accuracy of what I am doing with this saw, but be forewarned that if you use a tablesaw to cut something more intricate than tenons you may have a problem with this.  Also, the stock miter gauge included with this saw is total crap - but that is true for nearly every saw's out-of-the-box miter gauge.  The steel wings that come with this saw are not the greatest, but that was expected. When installed properly are they perfectly level to the main table? Yes. Are they perfectly flat? No, but acceptable for what they are. I wanted a good saw that could be upgraded and these are good enough for temporary use. I soon had them replaced with cast iron.  I installed a Bench Dog cast iron router table wing on the left side of the saw and a  DeWalt cast iron wing on the right side. With these wings installed and the addition of a link belt for the motor, vibration is virtually nonexistent. 

When it comes down to it, I am very pleased with this saw. The features all continue to meet or exceeded my personal needs. This is important, because I have no doubt I could have gotten a saw that performed nearly as well for a lot less money, but it would have failed to meet one or more of MY criteria. As for the price - I bought mine at a time when the saw was on sale and the mobile base was included, so I did pretty well.  Nowadays, this saw is selling for $100 to $150 dollars more than what I paid for mine. 

If I had it to do all over again, I would make the same decision in a heartbeat.