Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
As you know Dewalt just came out with their cordless miter saw, the Flex Volt. Milwaukee just came out with their cordless miter saw and the 9Ah battery. Just want to hear all your opinions on which saw you would get. We just had the chance last week to look at them both. There are pro’s and con’s to both. Just want to hear everyone’s feedback. Do you own one? If you bought one, which would you go with? Just curious.
Dewalt.
and…..I just might! It’d be nice to have the cordless option especially when making my new shop in our new home.
I like the power the Dewalt seems to have; the 780 is a corded legend imo, the Fuel looks amazing, and lightweight. I’m very torn on what way to go.
Dewalt. DWS780 as mentioned is a legendary monster, check. Dewalt’s 9ah batteries are built with better cells, check. 120v power, check. Greater cut capacity due to larger size and design, check.
The Fuel…well, I like the color. I also give them props for ripping off the XPS light system from Dewalt, bout time somebody nutted up and moved in the right direction and got rid of those crap lasers.
Nobody is even mentioning the newer smaller miter saws. Lugging a 56 pound saw into a job site for cutting big wood might be a great idea, but for those who are just doing trim work carrying in a 30 pound DCS361 and a DWX723 stand at 35 pounds or DWX724 stand at 30 pounds might be a better option for the same weight especially if you are lugging it up and down stairs. It is not like you need tons of power to cut most trim and you can use one of the Flex Volt batteries to make it last a good long time. On a job site cutting big wood, the big saws are nice, but for trim they are overkill and overweight.
Not only does the Dewalt plug in, but you can get the flexvolt with the corded adapter for just $50 more than the DWS780 and go cordless sometime later if you need to. The M18 is top for cordless saws but the Dewalt is more in the class of corded saws.
Grumpy MSG wrote:
8 hours ago, Grumpy MSG said:Nobody is even mentioning the newer smaller miter saws. Lugging a 56 pound saw into a job site for cutting big wood might be a great idea, but for those who are just doing trim work carrying in a 30 pound DCS361 and a DWX723 stand at 35 pounds or DWX724 stand at 30 pounds might be a better option for the same weight especially if you are lugging it up and down stairs. It is not like you need tons of power to cut most trim and you can use one of the Flex Volt batteries to make it last a good long time. On a job site cutting big wood, the big saws are nice, but for trim they are overkill and overweight.
Sure, but Eric was just getting input about the two that are in the spotlight at the moment, just saying…
Wrong line of work for me, but I’ve seen accounts where the Milwaukee can’t bevel all the way 45 degress to the right, you would have to take off the fence for that. It also can’t do a miter and a bevel toward the left or something else…. Yes I’m getting this from Instagram LOL
Eric if you get a chance, find out if yours can do that or not.
From Keifer (toolaholic) on the Milwuakee Miter:
“Issue one: the right fence needs to be completely removed to bevel 45* at 0 miter. (A 90* cut) if you leave the fence on, it will not clear. Many saws suffer from this issue, but lets avoid getting into that discussion as its clear this saw is pretty much going to be compared to the flexvolt saw, which just needs the fences slid over. The only reason this is worth discussing is that sometimes fences can be lost/dropped and then damaged.
The left fence will clear if you bevel 45* left, but once you combine 45* left bevel with 30* or more left miter, it will hit. To sum it up, both fences need to be completely removed to fully utilize the saw. If you need to bevel/miter to the extremes on the flexvolt saw (compound miter) the fences also need to be removed
Second issue: deflection – Due to the design of the rails, and the length of the arm from the rail connection to the handle, its very easy to torque the arm in either direction. Im using very minimal force to move the head 3/8″ at its furthest point. Also there is no way for me to be “biased” in this test, because the bevel lock is automatic. There is no way to increase clamping force.”
I could be wrong but I thought Kiefer retracted the deflection statement. Maybe not though. Either way I would say I’m leaning more towards the FlexVolt unit. More money, but more saw, more heritage/pedigree, more capacity, more future-proof.
I’m still waiting for my Flexvolt miter saw.
To clarify, that “like” is because you’re getting one, not because you’re waiting 😛
I wanted to ask @ChrisK about his Kapex, there was some blurb about it not able to to a compound cut one way or the other without removing the fence entirely, would be interested to know if you know that’s common or not
That’s a good question Knarly, seems like it’s actually very common and not necessarily a knock on the Milwaukee. The slide system I initially thought seemed advantageous but have definitely changed my opinion on.
KnarlyCarl wrote:
6 hours ago, KnarlyCarl said:I wanted to ask @ChrisK about his Kapex, there was some blurb about it not able to to a compound cut one way or the other without removing the fence entirely, would be interested to know if you know that’s common or not
i have to slide my fence all the way over but not off for the maximum compound cuts. This is a typical Festool video but it really shows the capabilities of their machines (the Kapex in this case). Personally…if I had had the expendable cash at the time, I would not have hesitated. The dust collection is really awesome as well as tons of features including the micro adjustments and locks for cutting trenches but I bought mine because I got it for half off. That’s the simple truth, for all of the features which I believe far surpass the other machines out there, it still has a few things (like the XPS….seriously, the best lighting system out there) that some of the machines do have. I will say, cut capacity is way more than you would expect from a 10″ machine and is able to do what most 12″ saws can do and for a small weight. Throw in DC and it’s the perfect finish machine or indoor shop machine. I had made the decision to go with another saw when I happened upon the deal. I will tell you, the saw is simply amazing but pretty much if you have to make an extreme compound cut, the fence has to be slid almost off the rails to accommodate them.
I am am still serious about getting the Flexvolt too, having a cordless miter would be pretty sweet but I wouldn’t be getting rid of my my girl! Of course it would cost more than I paid for my Kapex 🙁
Festool makes great tools, but sadly, out of my current price range. Never give up though!
I wouldn’t be shocked if Milwaukee came out with an M18 AC adapter for this.
What about buying the DCB1800 when it’s out, a heap of batteries and using that to power the kapex? “Cordless” kapex anyone?!
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BMack37 wrote:
On September 5, 2016 at 11:34 AM, BMack37 said:I wouldn’t be shocked if Milwaukee came out with an M18 AC adapter for this.
I would be. The FlexVolt AC adapter isn’t connected through the battery pins, it’s a standard grounded plug that plugs in in between the battery pins and the rest of the adapter covers/protects the battery terminals. Could be different solely because of the double battery setup, but I’m skeptical.
marsh942 wrote:
8 minutes ago, marsh942 said:What about buying the DCB1800 when it’s out, a heap of batteries and using that to power the kapex? “Cordless” kapex anyone?!
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Already already there bro! Saving my piggys as we speak!!!!!
Going to be a lot of them going to market that day lol.
BMack37 wrote:
On 9/5/2016 at 0:34 PM, BMack37 said:I wouldn’t be shocked if Milwaukee came out with an M18 AC adapter for this.
Bremon wrote:
17 minutes ago, Bremon said:I would be. The FlexVolt AC adapter isn’t connected through the battery pins, it’s a standard grounded plug that plugs in in between the battery pins and the rest of the adapter covers/protects the battery terminals. Could be different solely because of the double battery setup, but I’m skeptical.
They may have done some black magic in the driver circuit to allow it to run straight off rectified mains power, but otherwise 1080W (60A at 18V or 15A at 120V come out the same) from a supply requires a transformer around 100in3 which is a very expensive and heavy power brick. Basically if a motor needs power converted for it, the transformer needs to be around the size of the motor, unless of course it’s the same voltage like Dewalt or the electronics use the motor itself for power conversion.
tldr: Possible, not probable.
That said I really want this.
LEt me think about this one. I have the DW780 great saw. I also have the DeWalt 7 1/4 20volt nice saw and I have the Kapex a fantastic miter saw. As much as I’m a Red fan I would have to go with the Yellow. A 780 without the cord.
Exactly regopit, Dewalt has too much heritage in this area to ignore. Hell, the whole company was founded selling radial arm saws. Dewalt has cross cutting down lol.
I heard the dewalt 790 isn’t just a 780 without the cord. I heard the performance is better than the 780.
Checked out the FlexVolt slider at Home Depot today. My mind is made up lol, sorry Milwaukee. It’s a beauty of a saw.
Bremon wrote:
6 minutes ago, Bremon said:Checked out the FlexVolt slider at Home Depot today. My mind is made up lol, sorry Milwaukee. It’s a beauty of a saw.
Did they have someone doing a demo of it?
No, there was no power to it unfortunately but I was able to play with the adjustments etc. Based on reviews and the 780 I roughly know what to expect for power.
First post here, and I figured I’d bump this thread with my questions instead of making a new one.
I was looking at getting the flexvolt miter saw come Black Friday from The Home Depot with it being $599. It’s probably a bit much for me starting off (woodworking, projects around the house), but I don’t want to have to ever replace this thing and I feel like the flexvolt would be the better option with the adapter making it corded if/when dewalt goes away from the flexvolt battery design.
So I have a few questions. Has anyone’s opinions changed after a couple months of use of either of these saws? Does anyone regret their decision picking one saw over the other? And with the flexvolt being the same price as the Milwaukee saw, would it be stupid NOT to get the bigger saw for those moments it might come in handy?
Thanks!
which kit did you look at? power adapter only? battery and charger only? battery, charger,and power adapter? is it the 12 in fixed or 12 in sliding? Both the Milwaukee and Dewalt are good saws. From what I’ve heard the Milwaukee saw is good but has some shortcomings/flaws that are hard to overlook. Also heard the Dewalt 12 in sliding is just like the legendary 780 except with a brushless motor and ability to run corded or cordless. I thought I heard the fence of the 790 was not as good as the 780 but I could be mistaken.
The Black Friday sale is the kit with the batteries, adapter, charger and I’m looking at the slider. Didn’t realize they made a fixed flexvolt. While overseas, I used the 780 a lot and really enjoyed it. And after reading about how the flexvolt is that minus a cord, it sounded great. Just at $100 more, I really couldn’t justify it. But now that It’s $599 with all of that (and I’m fairly sure I read the ad right, you get an extra battery free with the sale), it sounds tempting. And being the same price as the Milwaukee, I’m wondering if it’s stupid to not invest in the bigger capacity saw. I’m also trying to see if it’s holding up well in the real world and how the Milwaukee is doing as well.
@CoreyR I tried looking for the deal but couldn’t find it. mind posting a link to the deal?
Jronman wrote:
31 minutes ago, Jronman said:@CoreyR I tried looking for the deal but couldn’t find it. mind posting a link to the deal?
It looks like Home Depot has been getting people to take down their ad. This is the only link I can find that’s still working. Deal is on page 15.
If posting this isn’t allowed due to them asking people to take it down, let me know and I’ll delete it.
http://i.gottadeal.com/blackfriday/scans/pdf/GottaDeal-HomeDepot-BF2016.pdf
thank you. I might pull the trigger on this deal
I think I have found a better way to acquire a deal on the DHS790AT2 flexvolt saw kit. Acme tools is offering the saw for $599 but they arent taking it down. Home depot on their ad had a brief statement on the last page that says “if anyone tries to go lower, we will beat their price by 10%” So I was thinking I should go to Home Depot, show them the Acme ad then get an extra 10% off of the $599. If I figured this right I could get the saw for around $540. Thats quite the deal.
Jronman wrote:
18 minutes ago, Jronman said:I think I have found a better way to acquire a deal on the DHS790AT2 flexvolt saw kit. Acme tools is offering the saw for $599 but they arent taking it down. Home depot on their ad had a brief statement on the last page that says “if anyone tries to go lower, we will beat their price by 10%” So I was thinking I should go to Home Depot, show them the Acme ad then get an extra 10% off of the $599. If I figured this right I could get the saw for around $540. Thats quite the deal.
Technically $599 isn’t lower because that’s what Home Depot is offering, so I don’t think this will work for you unfortunately.
And I also saw you say that Home Depot took their deal down in the Black Friday post. Is that just because they had people take the ad down until Black Friday? Or did you see/hear something different?
@CoreyR oh your right. The ad I saw didnt show the saw as being on sale so I somehow got the idea it was only being sold for $699. But a look at it on the website now shows $599
Well I pulled the trigger. Got me the DHS790AT2 saw
Jronman wrote:
2 hours ago, Jronman said:Well I pulled the trigger. Got me the DHS790AT2 saw
Congrats. I’m stilling debating with myself whether or not I really need this saw. Or if a cheaper one will suffice my needs.
CoreyR wrote:
23 hours ago, CoreyR said:
Congrats. I’m stilling debating with myself whether or not I really need this saw. Or if a cheaper one will suffice my needs.
You have to do the cost/ benefits analysis on that one. Just doing the comparison with DeWALT’s products, you can get the big corded/cordless saw for $599 (DHS790AT2 at Home Depot) with no stand, you can get the big corded with stand for $599 (DWS780 + DWX723 at Lowe’s). You can also go for the DCS361 cordless 7 1/4″ slider for $299 (bare tool at Lowe’s) or $349 (with one battery and charger at Home Depot) neither of which comes with a stand, but there are several stands on sale in the black Friday sale fliers. There are also plenty of other models/ choices in between. The bigger saws go about 60 pounds for the saw alone and the DCS361 comes in at about 30 pounds.
If you are not going to lug it around, the bigger corded probably offers the best value at the moment, If you are going to have to move it around, the smaller saw would be far more convenient unless you had to cut some pretty big crown or bigger lumber. If you are already running the Milwaukee batteries on other tools, that saw may make the most sense to you. I don’t think you are going to go terribly wrong no matter which saw you buy.
I really want the Dewalt but the Fuel might win out. The 2x 9.0 fit better with my other tools. The value with the 790 in Canada is terrible. 780 for $600 with stand here and there. Fuel with bonus battery $900. FlexVolt kit with 2 batteries $1000 (recently dropped from $1100). Milwaukee corded 12″ was just on for $400…
Grumpy MSG wrote:
31 minutes ago, Grumpy MSG said:You have to do the cost/ benefits analysis on that one. Just doing the comparison with DeWALT’s products, you can get the big corded/cordless saw for $599 (DHS790AT2 at Home Depot) with no stand, you can get the big corded with stand for $599 (DWS780 + DWX723 at Lowe’s). You can also go for the DCS361 cordless 7 1/4″ slider for $299 (bare tool at Lowe’s) or $349 (with one battery and charger at Home Depot) neither of which comes with a stand, but there are several stands on sale in the black Friday sale fliers. There are also plenty of other models/ choices in between. The bigger saws go about 60 pounds for the saw alone and the DCS361 comes in at about 30 pounds.
If you are not going to lug it around, the bigger corded probably offers the best value at the moment, If you are going to have to move it around, the smaller saw would be far more convenient unless you had to cut some pretty big crown or bigger lumber. If you are already running the Milwaukee batteries on other tools, that saw may make the most sense to you. I don’t think you are going to go terribly wrong no matter which saw you buy.
My thinking behind getting one of the cordless ones was to get into the flexvolt line and have extra batteries for my other 20v tools. Also if I have to lug it around, it’ll be nice not to deal with a cord and finding an outlet. And my other thinking was, I want to buy a really good one now that should last me a lifetime instead of a cheaper one that may not hold up overtime/may not be that great and I’ll have to end up buying another. My problem is, I’m not sure I’ll ever use it to its full potential and use it enough to justify the higher price, so a cheaper one might be the better option. I have a lot of projects I want to do, one of which includes crown molding. One of the cheaper ones I was considering was the new ridgid, but I keep reading about a bad wobble that you get with it, even with a better blade. That has me questioning the durability of that one.
If I was in the industry, it would be an easy decision. But I’m thinking because I’m not, a cheaper one should hold up just fine.
Bremon wrote:
2 hours ago, Bremon said:I really want the Dewalt but the Fuel might win out. The 2x 9.0 fit better with my other tools. The value with the 790 in Canada is terrible. 780 for $600 with stand here and there. Fuel with bonus battery $900. FlexVolt kit with 2 batteries $1000 (recently dropped from $1100). Milwaukee corded 12″ was just on for $400…
If you are already loaded up on Milwaukee’s cordless tools, I think it would be wiser to go that route. I wouldn’t be surprised if they look at DeWALT’s success/failure rate and customer happiness and see if they want to venture into a corded adapter/ inverter for their own saw. If you have some of the DeWALT tools as well, the Flex Volt might still be what you really want. You just have to look at your needs and the capabilities of both saws. Not knowing where you are in Canada, another option for you might be to slip down into the US and pick one up at a Home Depot over the next few weeks, I don’t have a clue as to what it would cost you on line from them. Good luck in what ever you choose to do.
Grumpy MSG wrote:
10 hours ago, Grumpy MSG said:If you are already loaded up on Milwaukee’s cordless tools, I think it would be wiser to go that route. I wouldn’t be surprised if they look at DeWALT’s success/failure rate and customer happiness and see if they want to venture into a corded adapter/ inverter for their own saw. If you have some of the DeWALT tools as well, the Flex Volt might still be what you really want. You just have to look at your needs and the capabilities of both saws. Not knowing where you are in Canada, another option for you might be to slip down into the US and pick one up at a Home Depot over the next few weeks, I don’t have a clue as to what it would cost you on line from them. Good luck in what ever you choose to do.
A trip to the states isn’t out of the question though I’m not sure how well it would work out financially, It’s about 250 miles if I made it a trip from my sisters/brother in laws place some weekend.
as for which saw; I have about 10 20v Max/FlexVolt tools and a dozen M18. My yellow stuff is almost exclusively wood working stuff while my red stuff covers the spectrum from saws to grinders to impact wrenches. The FlexVolt seems like a saw with a longer lifespan, though Milwaukee seems to plan on supporting M18 well into the future.
@Bremon could one of us from the states buy a saw then send it to you? The you pay us back?
250 miles isn’t much at all, but with the exchange rate, idk if that would be worth a trip for you or not
No, the problem is with exchange the saw turns into $800 CAD, gas is another $100 from Calgary to Montana and back, and then I’d still need to buy a stand. Unfortunately buying local is probably best for me but I’m not pleased about it 😛
There was a guy bitching about the Ego snow blower it went from 700 to 900 and some change now in Canada. I should start a black market tool store in Cananda. Buy the tools in HD USA and sell them for a modest markup there
Lol not a bad idea. We really do get the shaft.
Bremon wrote:
22 minutes ago, Bremon said:Lol not a bad idea. We really do get the shaft.
Strange to see you guys get screwed for some tools but other’s we’re having shipped to the states from Canada. Some places need to get their marketing straightened out.
Lol very true Jeff.
Acme is selling the saw for the same $599 deal as home depot and on cyber monday they are doing a promo code that gives you 20% off. You could get it for around $480 usd. Couldnt someone from Canada buy from a US store then ship to Canada?