DEWALT 10″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw DW717 Review
Dewalt DW717 10″ sliding compound miter saw review
DEWALT DW&!& 10" Sliding Compound Miter Saw
Manufacturer: DEWALT
Model number: DW717
Price: $469
Power source: Corded
Motor size: 15 AMP
Weight: 51 lbs
Out of the Box
The first thing I put my hands on with a miter saw is always the handle. If this is awkward or uncomfortable there’s no point at looking at the bells and whistles because that saw is not going to work for me! On the DEWALT the handle is horizontal with a trigger on the left side. The handle is comfortable and the trigger is large and has no safety so it’s pretty easy to use this saw with thicker gloves on. The blade guard has sight slits in it which allow you to see the work piece and line up a cut. This design is helpful but I still find myself holding the blade guard up so I can get a full view of the work piece. The model we tested also came with the DWS7085 LED work light, which casts a shadow of the blade on the work piece. This is one of the most helpful lights/guides I’ve used which really speeds things up and improves accuracy, which reduces waste.
At 51 lbs this saw is not a light-weight but it’s not a boat anchor either (some saws in this class weigh right around 70 lbs). So while you might not be one-hand carrying this saw it is easy enough to move around the job site by yourself. The top handle is pretty well balanced for those times when you do need to carry the saw one-handed and the side grips under the table have eased edges making for comfortable carrying.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Amps: 15
- No-Load Speed: 4,000 RPM
- Blade Diameter: 10″
- Arbor Size: 5/8″
- Bevel Angle Range Right: 0°- 48°
- Bevel Angle Range Left: 0°- 48°
- Miter Angle Range Right: 0°-52°
- Miter Angle Range Left: 0°-60°
- Miter Positive Stops: 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.62°, 45° and 52° Right and 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.62°, 45° and 60° Left
- Weight: 51 lbs
Accuracy
Out of the box the blade was about 1/16″ out of square with the fence over about five inches. While this was slightly disappointing to the miter alignment is easily adjusted. The sliding portion of the fences were also about 1/32″ set-back from the lower, fixed portion of the fence. The bevel settings and stops were fine though. So it took a few minutes to get the saw tuned up and adjusted but once done it should hold for a long while.
Adjustments
The DEWALT 10″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw DW717 has miter detents at 0, that can be easily overridden by either depressing the lock or by flipping the override knobs located on either side of the miter table. The bevel lock is a large lever on the top of the back of the saw. My only gripe here is that the dust collection bag somewhat impedes the bevel lock lever. So with more difficult adjustments you might need to remove the dust collection bag to unlock and lock the bevel adjustment. A nice feature about this saw is that with the exception of the trigger itself most controls on the saw are ambidextrous.
Fences have wingnut locks that open easily and allow the fences to slide out to either side, either to provide additional support for long work pieces or to make room for bevel cuts. Slide fences are the way to go as they eliminate the potential for losing or damaging a removed fence or the slop found in the flip style fences.
This saw includes a material clamp. It’s not the fastest material clamp around but it works well and holds work firmly in place when needed. There is a wingnut lock that allows for rough height adjustment and a knob to lock down the work piece. Solid, simple, reliable.
Slide Mechanism, Dust Bag
The slide is reasonably smooth on the DEWALT DW717, however there are no bumpers so the beginning and end of the slide stop somewhat abruptly. This can jar the blade slightly and cause cuts to be a little rougher than they might otherwise be. I was a little surprised by this and it would be a simple fix with a few rubber o-rings. The dust bag is small and doesn’t have room for a whole lot of dust but it is easy to clean out with the zippered opening. When hooked up to a dust extractor the dust collection was very good, capturing the majority of dust generated.
Overall
This is a solid workhorse of a saw. Plenty of power and capacity, some nice features, and well thought out design. The only thing holding it back is a somewhat poorly intersecting bevel lock lever and dust collection bag and some accuracy problems out of the box. But this would likely be different on a case-by-case basis. The DEWALT 10″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw DW717 is a great saw for framers and exterior trim and siding installers due to excellent power, good accuracy, excellent cut capacity, and all around durability in a portable package. I’d have no problem recommending this saw to anyone looking for a good saw that will last for a long time at a reasonable price.
About the author
Ethan Bickford
Ethan Bickford has a long history with carpentry. His father worked as a contractor for many years and taught him the ins and outs of home repair and remodeling from a very young age. He now works as a carpenter in the Boston area. Ethan loves teaching and advising on tools and techniques and is a big fan of quality workmanship. His motto is: “Do it right the first time!”
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Where can I get a DW 717 Double bevel compound mitre saw
No longer made I believe. That was over 4 yrs ago