DEWALT DW746XB 10-Inch Woodworkers Table Saw with 30-Inch Fence

List Price: $1,200.00

Features:

• 1-3/4 horsepower induction motor offers more power
• Double cam-action fence for reliable accuracy
• Integrated dust collection system
• Easy access shut-off switch
• Cast-iron trunnions and sturdy steel base minimize vibration

Accessories:
DEWALT DW7440RS Heavy Duty Rolling Saw Stand	DEWALT DW7450 Table Saw Stand for DW745 10-Inch Compact Job Site Table Saw	DEWALT DW7441 Side and Outfeed Support	DEWALT DW7462 Heavy-Duty Table Saw Cast-Iron Extension Wing	DEWALT DW7461 Table Saw Heavy Duty Sliding Table

Customer Reviews:

Improved Design [Posted on 2004-12-19]
I'm a Delta loyalist, but I recently had an opportunity to work with this DeWalt and I have to say, I am really impressed. It is a hybrid saw that combines some of the weight advantage of a contractor's saw with the better enclosure and mechanics of a true table saw. This is a new generation of saw that has begun to appear from several manufacturers, but the DeWalt runs away with all the prizes.

The design means that sawdust, which is a problem with all standard contractor saws is now controlled within a covered space. The same enclosure protects the motor (and you from the motor) this allows for a more useful configuration. With the right extension and a mobile base, this is one of the best saws for a small shop.

The feature I like best is the power switch, which is easy to hit with your knee, so you aren't watching your work and groping for the switch at the same time. I found the fence less solid than the Delta Unifence (which as some problems of its own) but it is perfectly functional. There are a fair number of options available for the saw, but this is one place where the Deltas hold a trump card simply because they have been around longer.

Contractor saws have enough power for 98% of the work you might do. But if you plan on cutting a lot of 12/4 maple or rosewood you should be looking at the big 3 to 5 horsepower machines. Me, I just change the blade and feed exceedingly slowly. Give this saw serious consideration in your decision making process. It looks a bit expensive until you remember that it is a 'tweener' and can hold its weight against some of the less expensive big models for no more than the cost of a high-end contractor's saw.

The heart of my workshop [Posted on 2005-01-04]
So many features about this saw impress me but I will try to be brief.
- Power: This saw has all the power you need in a small shop and more to spare. Nothing seems to slow it down, not even for a brief moment.
- Smooth: This goes for the saw itself (no vibration) and for the cuts it makes. I use the blade that came with it for most of my cuts and I never have to sand or plane any of the cut faces. I made a zero clearance insert for it and now it even cuts the cheapest, thin plyood without chipping or noticable marks. I bought a Freud blade for the cross cuts but have not had to use it yet.
- The fence: Smooth-sliding as other reviews mention, very accurate, extremely easy to operate and calibrate.
- The table: Solid and smooth table. The wings should probably be upgraded since they are not as smooth as the main table (made out of sheet steel rather than the cast iron as the rest of the table.
- The controls: just what you need and right where you need them. Large power switch that is easy to bump off with your knee in an emergency. Smooth solid controls for the blade height and angle.
- Solid machine: This is a very solid and heavy machine that will serve you for a long time if you take care of it. Make sure you get the deal with the mobile base (see heavy above) which is so smooth and easy to operate.
There are some features that I would like to see improved. These are few and none of them diminish the value of this saw but I wanted to include them for completeness.
- The splitter and guard assembly is one piece that has to be removed by using wrenches. This is inconvenient and time consuming when you need to remove them for dado cuts (or other non through cuts.) There are splitters that you can buy which do not require tools for removal and installation and DeWalt should learn fron them. Also, the splitter should be seperate from the blade guard so the latter can remain in place for non-through cuts.
- The wings that come with the saw are made of sheet steel and not cast. There are optional ones that you can buy from DeWalt but they should be part of the saw to begin with.

A few gripes, but I would still buy it again! [Posted on 2005-02-04]
As with most woodworkers, I thought long and hard before buying this saw. I have owned mine now for about 4 months, and have been using it frequently, so I feel I can make a credible review.
My saw arrived quickly and packaged perfectly. Everything was intact and went together quickly and easily. The instructions leave a bit to be desired, but they are adequate. The fence was tough to adjust, more on that later. The table is flat, and the stamped steel extensions do their job, but I am going to upgrade to the cast wings soon.

The fence. And here's the rub. As noted by other negative reviewer's, a saw is only as good as its fence. Apparently Dewalt made some of these with bum fences, so if you call dewalt with a fence complaint, they will immediately offer to send you a replacement for free, which I did. The first fence had a slight bow in it with the middle pushing in toward the blade slightly. I'm talking about maybe 1/64th over the full 31" length. Also, the way the fence is designed, you are supposed to square the fence to the table by pushing it sideways and tightening the torx screws. Well, in order to get mine square, I had to push pretty hard, but I did eventually get it squared to the table...at least when I checked beside the torx screws. At the far end of the fence, it was still out of square about 1/32. Square at one end, not at the other...yep. It's twisted slightly. "How do you fix that?" I thought, and called dewalt. My new fence arrived quickly, and...exactly the same. Still slightly bowed and twisted when aligned. Bah! I was frustrated with Dewalt for a few days there.

Then it occurred to me as I was building a custom fence for my miter saw. In order to get the fence perfectly aligned I was shimming it with playing cards and paper to get it perfect. "That's how you fix it. You shim it!" Duh. I went to the saw, loosened the 3 T-knobs that hold the fence face on (not the torx screws, this doesn't change the parallel to the blade), and with a single playing card torn a few times and some paper, I had the fence dead perfect in 5 minutes. Perfectly straight, perfectly square. Ahhh, bliss.

Sure, it isn't fun to have to shim your equipment to get it right, but there are very few saws out there that are truly perfect, especially in this price range. It's an easy fix, so shim it and shaddup. Most folks will want to build a sacrificial fence anyway, so just shim it when you put it on. Dewalt is kind enough to use a piece of MDF in the packaging that you can use... (and I did!)

Last thing on the fence. Except for the above issues, this is really an excellent fence. Mine stays parallel to the blade dead on. I don't even have to use my tape measure, I just set the fence and cut, the results are perfect and completely repeatable. Now that I have the face aligned, it truly is a dream to use.

Dust collection. Comes standard with a 90 degree elbow on the dust port that a few people have commented on. If you take this off, dust shoots a few feet out of the back of the saw making a huge mess. If you leave it on, it stacks up on the floor under the saw in a relatively neat pile. Hence the elbow. If you want to hook to a dust collector, remove the elbow and replace it with any 2" to 4" adapter. It fits perfectly, takes literally seconds to install, and works great. No complaints on the dust collection.

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase, and would do it again today. I am replacing the standard throat insert with a zero clearance. Do NOT buy the dewalt dado insert, as it rattles and is basically a waste of money. The miter gauge isn't great, but decent. I don't trust it for miters anyway, because that's what the miter saw is for. Mine came with a free mobile base from amazon, which is super high quality, tough as nails, and a breeze to install and use.

Why four stars? The fence, of course. It has its problems, but they aren't fatal flaws. If there wasn't a reasonable fix for it, I would have to go 1 or 2 stars, because I agree; A saw is only as good as its fence. Well, with this saw, a few shims and a little patience, you'll be chuckling every time you hit the start button.

Nice Saw but not very Portable [Posted on 2005-04-08]
I have owned my DeWalt Woodworkers Saw for about two years now. If you plan on moving this saw from job to job like a contractors saw then think again. It may be called a hybrid but it is heavy enough to require at least two people to move it with all the rails and wings removed. It is lighter than a Unisaw that takes four people to move.
I replaced my old Delta Contractor saw that the roofer broke by throwing a 10' 2x6 off the roof endo. It broke the cast iron table in half.
That saw was old and tired anyway. I had been using a Unisaw for the past three years for a job saw doing fine woodworking on high end homes. When I first used the DeWalt I noticed that it did not have the power of the Unisaw but it did have a precision fence and a smooth vibration free feel similar to the Unisaw.
I had to shim the fence a hair to make it flat. Squaring the fence to the table was an odd procedure but seemed to work and the fence has remained square since then. The fence locks down securely without deflection at least as good as the Biesenmeyer fence. A nice feature is that the face of the fence can drop down to the table for ripping thin sheet goods so the sheets won't slip under the fence. I have been using the saw for all my finish carpentry in several fine new homes. I also use it for heavy ripping of salvaged wood that I use for exterior trim. I am very happy with this saw. Considering that I have to move it occasionally to a job it is a good comprimise between a heavy cabinet saw and a contractors saw. It can be hooked up to a vacuum for dust collection with success and that is not an option with a contractors saw. I think DeWalt has listened to woodworkers and came up with a lot of innovative features that make this saw a pleasure to use.

Great Table Saw [Posted on 2005-04-14]
I just got back into woodworking recently and purchased this table saw. I have a friend who is a contractor and he said it is very important to have a solid table saw with a good fence for accurate cuts. I did a lot of research and found this to be the best saw. It has a wide arbor mouth that makes it easy to change the blade. It is left tilt which is more stable, and the motor is induction type, which is the safest and least likely to burn out, and the on/off switch is right next to your left knee so you can turn off the table saw easily after a cut.

I've used this saw for miter projects by adjusting the blade to 45 degrees and they've been dead accurate. You really don't need an expensive Biesmeyer fence or other aftermarket fence. The one that comes with this saw is more than sufficient. You should get a different miter for cross-cuts. I recommend the Rockler adjustable miter. It's more than good enough for a hobbyist (no need for sliding tables or expensive Incra miter). You will need to get some decent saw blades. I picked up a Freud ripping blade and cross-cut blade and they've been fantastic. You'll also need a set of dado heads. I got a nice set for about $80. With this I would strongly suggest the dado head arbor plate, or you can use a zero clearance plate - I did this and used 1/2" dado head setup which is the one I use the most. This makes for extremely smooth dados and rabbets.

I also highly recommend the mobile base that is available. I did not find it necessary to purchase the cast iron extensions. The sheet metal extensions are fine for me. I'm just a hobbyist and don't have the extra space anyway.

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