DeWalt "de-fingerer" Miter saw

[Terry Bigelow]

I bought the new 12" DeWalt sliding compound miter saw in august for our cabinet business to replace our older model of the same saw. I was planning on using it on the job and getting the other one reconditioned for the shop. After using it a little not only did I find it's not nearly as nice as the older model, but it had a major "design flaw". The fences on either side have a top section (about 2/3 of the overall fence height) that adjusts left to right. The problem is the single screw that tightens it up at the outside edge pushes the end closest to the blade inward! I had two accidents in a matter of a 1/2 hour. The first one grabbed a hold of the work piece and the second did the same while promptly taking off two teeth of my brand new freud diablo finish blade! When I called DeWalt they told me something wasn't right (uh...yeah) and to bring it to the srevice center. When I got there with both saws, the guy asked which one I liked better. When I told him the old one he smiled and said that was everyone's answer.
I was just wondering if anyone else has an opinion on this who has used both saws.

[Steve Clardy]

I still have the older 708's [2]

I've checked out the 718's in the stores.

I'll stick with my older ones

[Noah Katz]

Does the same apply to the non-sliders?

I was going to get the DW716. What oldervmodel would that be for 12" dual CMS?

Thanks

[glenn bradley]

Glad no one was hurt! I don't have this saw but will watch this thread with interest. Thanks for posting!

P.s. What was the eventual fix, if any???

[Walt Caza]

Hi Terry,
This topic is relevant to most of us, as we are always thinking about
getting another mitersaw. It never ends...
Either ya wanna upgrade your 10" to a 12", or non to slider,
or single compound to dual, on and on it goes.
Such a crucial wood tool. Maybe one to stay in the shop, one to carry
to jobsites, and another for small jobs at home, we always watch the
miter saw deals. (lasers, crown molding holder, worklight...etc)

...and the yellow ones are for sale everywhere! I bet many of us will be
watching this post with great interest, like Glenn said...

It would be more meaningful if you could include model numbers in this
discussion. Which are the preferred saws ?? and Why ?
Inquiring minds want to know !
be well,
Walt

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I bought the 716 last month and love it. The fence locking system works great [it's the one screw design], it's hard to imagine how you had accidents with a 'tightened' fence.

[Chris Rosenberger]

A little over a month ago I bought a Dewalt 716 & 718 MS to replace a Dewalt 705 & 708 MS. I am about to finish trimming out a 5500 square foot house. I have installed thousands of feet of oak crown,base, casing & hundreds of spindles with only one problem. That problem was caused when I pulled the saw down to close to the piece I was cutting before starting the motor. When I pulled the trigger the recoil of the motor starting caused the head to lower slightly & grab the piece I was going to cut. I never had that problem again as I did not lower the blade until the blade was turning.
I like the 2 newer saws better than the 2 older ones.

[Craig Zettle]

I have the 708, and just like everyone that buys a compound miter saw, I want it to cut flawlessly with dead on accuracy. I noticed that the sliding fence on this saw is secured from behind with a single wing type screw which, when tightened, will slightly tilt the fence outward. I took my Incra square and held it against the fence and tightened, showing daylight. Just something to keep in mind when cutting that expensive crown or baseboard molding.

You have to wonder who lets these kind of design flaws pass through the developmental stages of these machines. How come we find them so easily, but they don't? Are we really that much smarter than they are? Or do the people designing this stuff never touch a stick of wood?

[Noah Katz]

Chris,

"A little over a month ago I bought a Dewalt 716 & 718 MS to replace a Dewalt 705 & 708 MS."

Do the sliders cut as straight as the non-sliders?

I was at OSH the other day and I checked head deflection on the 715 (AFAIK same as 716 except single bevel) by pulling it down and pushing sideways on the handle while noting how far the blade moves relative to the ZCI.

It's about 3X more with the slider, and even more on the Makita 1013. I'm talking very visible deflections here, like 1/32", at least on the Makita.

To tell you the truth I'm mystified that *any* of these saws makes straight cuts.

Thanks

[Dave Lehnert]

I concluded a long time ago that a miter saw is a carpenter’s tool and not a woodworker’s tool. In my early days of woodworking I thought a miter saw would give me 100% accurate cuts but could never get it right. My incra miter for $100 is way more accurate than my miter saw will ever be.

[Terry Bigelow]

First off, the jury is out on this one! Both my saws are at the DeWalt service center. As I mentioned the new one (model # DW718), which had the fence issue, is being either rebuilt or replaced and the old one (model # DW708) is being reconditioned. As for experience and use of these saws, the old one has cut thousands of feet of 6" crown, 6" base, blah, blah, etc, over the past 5-6 years!! Not one issue. Period. Excellent saw and a real workhorse. But this is not a "hobby saw" it is used on the job for our cabinet business and has served us well. But a few months ago it started to go south. It sounds like a freight train coming to a screeching stop when you cut so it was time. Due to the fact it was our only slider and we were in need of a better "shop saw", I bought the 718 for the job and figured to fix up the other for the shop.
As far as the 718 goes, Kelly, the problem is actually worsened by tightening the screw! If you have the same one maybe you can look and see what I mean. Let's say the left fence as an example, when you tighten the screw(which is at the far left) the other end of the fence closest to the blade pulls inward toward the back of the saw. This happens with both fences and when you place a straight edge across the fence there is gap of 1/8"-3/16" !!! I'm certainly not saying this saw is no good or that any of you will have this same problem. I was just suprised at what seems to be bad engineering or machining (not sure which) and wondered if anyone else had a similar experience or if this was an isolated incident with just my saw, but after the service rep told me "everybody" likes the old one better I really had to put the question out here.
Thanks for all the replies and as soon as I get the saws back I'll be sure to update you all. I'm supposed to get them sometime this week.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I've not experienced that at all. You musta got a bad one. As far as a miter saw not being a woodworker's tool, I disagree completely. You have to set up a miter saw much like a table saw. If this is not done correctly you won't have accurate cuts. Mine are always spot on. Comparing the Incra system to a miter saw isn't fair either...kinda like putting a Toyota Camry up against a big block Chevelle. Any tool with an Incra jig or fence is miles more accurate than one that is not equipped that way.

Every woodworker I know personally has a miter saw, but few have any Incra products in their shop. Saying miter saws are not a woodworker's tool is not altogether accurate.

[Jim Becker]

Even the Incra system needs to be set up properly to be accurate... ;)

[Dan Clark]

After about a month of research, I decided on a the new Dewalt 12" SCMS - DW718. It was overkill for some of my needs, but it looked great. I read lots of reviews about the great 12" Dewalt slider. A few people had problems.

Then, the night before I was going to buy the 718, I read the reviews one more time. On reading closely, I found that the great reviews were on the 708 were uniformly good to excellent. Those on the 718 were uniformly bad.

It appears that, while the new 718 had better features, the old 708 was a much better saw. Dewalt outsourced the 718 to a new, lower cost manufacturer. The new saw's castings, fit and finish are not as good as the old one's. And, the 718's power head is floppy when compared to the old one.

While I didn't physically compare the 718 to the 708, I did compare it to the Bosch 4410 and Makita 1013 side by side. (I decided that a 10" slider would meet my needs.) The overall construction of the Makita and Bosch were much superior to the 718. And, when I pulled the head all the way out, I found the Bosch and Makita head to be rock solid. OTOH, the 718's head could be pushed sideways easily - more than 1/4" with moderate pressure.

I bought the Bosch. Great saw. The Makita is a great saw too. I would have been happy with either. If the DW708 was available, I'm pretty sure I would have been happy with it.

The DW718? It pretty much destroyed my opinion of Dewalt.

I'm sorry that you are having problems with your 718. But it doesn't surprise me; it matches my expectations.

I hope everything works out for you.

Dan.

[Bryan Lord]

I have the 708 and use to all the time and it is dead on ... BUT I use it only for vertical cuts. There is too much deflection in the 12" blade for precision work when it is tilted. This isn't because of it being a slider because my 12" non-slider Bosch did the same thing. I have a Jessem miter for the table saw and use an architects variable angle triangle to set the saw blade angle.

I love the 708, the only objection I have is the built in stops can't be defeated. Setting an angle of 89 1/2 degrees it an exercise in frustration. The new one has fixed this problem.

[Terry Bigelow]

Just wanted to update this thread for those who asked. I have since gotten back both my 708 and 718. I got the 708(older model) back the week after X-mas. I must say it runs like a champ once again. I had it back on the job and it was business as usual! New cord, bushings, bearings, and an overall clean and lube. Price $290.00! No complaints though as the price for good accurate (and safe!)cuts on the job cannot be measured.
As for the 718, I just got it Monday a.m. and have had a chance to use it only a little as it is now the "shop saw" and I spend only a small amount of time at the shop these days. I will say this, there is a vast improvement since the "incidents" I wrote about. The DeWalt service center has installed a brand new fence assembly free of charge (warranty) and after a little griping also gave me their thin-kerf 12" 90tooth finish blade as a replacement for my Freud Diablo finish blade which was short a few teeth after the incidents in question. Overall, I think DeWalt makes good tools and as I said before, I LOVE the 708. But, if I had it to do all over again I would rather buy a used 708 and have it reconned (if needed) and probably still pay less than the 718!
On a side note: based on the info I heard at the service center, don't be suprised to see either a new 12" slider from DeWalt (728?;) )or a revised version of the 718. Seems as though my opinion is shared by many!

[Walt Caza]

Thanks for the follow-up Terry ...
I was waiting to see how things worked out for you.
stay safe,
Walt
:)

[glenn bradley]

Thanks for closing the loop on this Terry. I've been watching with interest. Glad things worked out more or less.

[Dave Ray]

Thanks for the follow up Terry. I have the 718 and your thread made me check it out more closely. Never did have the 708 so was unable to compare, did check Hitachi, and Bosch, (Love Bosch Tools) at the big box store. This first yellow tool, except for 3/8s drill motor. So far I am happy with it. Good luck with your rebuilt, recon tools. I am glad to hear DeWalt came thru for you.