Dewalt DW745 - is it a decent saw?

[Alex Mielko]

I need a small portable saw for occasional use. I just sold my big stationary Ridgid table saw because I didn't have space to store it. The table saw spent most of its time on the deck under tarp because hauling it into the garage for storage was a major pain and two man job.


Anyway, I am looking at the Dewalt DW745 which fits my size requirements and budget. I am beginner and don't do any woodworking that would require extreme precision. Would the Dewalt DW745 be a decent saw for occasional cuts for home projects?

[keith micinski]

If you don't need anything bigger then that for the money it's as good as it gets. I love the old 735 which was a little bigger, and my new favorite tool of all time is a Milwaukee cordless table saw that's basically that same size and does a 100 percent of what I need it to while being absurdly portable.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

It's a good saw, we use it's more portable wheeled bother, the 7491 (I think that's the right model), on pretty much all jobsites. It's a great little saw. I recommend the wheeled one if you want portability, it's a nice design. Everyone seems to love the fence.

[Phil Mueller]

I’ve used that as my principal saw for years. For what you describe as your use, I would think it would serve you well. Keep in mind a few inherent challenges:

It’s a small table. Some sort of infeed/outfeed support is helpful for long stock. You would also need side support if breaking down large panels. The miter slot is pretty close to the blade. With stock width over 4-5”, a standard feather board won’t fit...and there is nothing good to clamp a feather board to on the sides of the saw. The miter slot size itself is iffy. Some jigs/guides just won’t fit snug...even the adjustable Incra stuff.
Some of the jigs I’ve bought needed to have the miter slot rail moved left or right in order to work properly.
Dust collection is virtually non existent. I ended up keeping it in the garage, so when I use it, I can just blow the mess out into the yard.

I’ve never really had an issue with power...seems to work well even resawing hardwood. It needed a wee bit of adjustment to make everything parallel (miter slot/blade/fence). As mentioned above, the fence is good. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth.

[Joe Hendershott]

I have one to use on a remodel project and it is fine for rough construction. Compare it to my Delta Unisaw and it certainly isn't even in the same league.

It does have enough power to do what I've had to do though and seems well made. Can't think of anything negative when you consider the small size and intended use.