Power Saws Reviews

I have two acres with lots of trees. This tool is a great addition to my tool collection. Fits between my lopers and my trim chainsaw. Works as advertised, but be careful to oil frequently.

This little saw is GREAT at what it is intended to do.....cut small branches overhead without unsafely using a chainsaw on a ladder. It uses the same battery as the set of Black and Decker tool kit that I bought and comes with its own charger. The saw is easy to operate and not too heavy for a woman to hold up.

In Florida one constant is palm tree pruning, that's why I purchased this pole saw. I easily cut through dead and live palm fronds without the slightest bogging down of this amazingly powerful saw. I then went out to one of my 40 foot oak trees and and began cutting off 3 to 6 inch limbs, I got through four 3 inch and one 6 inch limbs before needing another freshly charged battery. Be sure to oil the chain frequently and this machine will rip through projects easliy.

The saw has all the makings if precision cutting system - heavy duty construction, strong motor, precise arbor, and solid fence. The stock blade is average so the saw benefits from a high quality blade. It's very well built and should last a lifetime. It'll also accept many stock aftermarket jigs and accessories. A good miter gauge or crosscut sled is a must, as are zero clearance inserts. Dust collection needs the same help as most contractor saws. I much prefer the steel T2 fence to many of the cheaper aluminum fences on the competitors. The solid cast wings are a great "nice to have" feature too.

What's not to like?

I was intending to get a Delta Unisaw, and own the last saw I'd ever need, but my budget tightened at the last minute, and I elected to go with this one. I have to say, I was very happily surprised. The cast-iron top is the same size as the Unisaw, and will take the same accessories, including the option to upgrade to the 50" Beisemyer fence later on if I want to (though the T2 fence is very good, and was accurate right out of the box)

The pros:
-Cast iron trunnions (not quite as bulky as a cabinet saw, but not flimsy by any means)
-Easy adjustments for every part of the saw.
-Quiet, quiet operation (I wired mine for 240v, 120v may be a little noisier)
-Very nice fence- not the best, but I use a Unisaw with a Beisemeyer fence at work, and I really can't tell the difference.
-Heavy enough to feel solid, but light enough to move around
-Solid, accurate miter gauge
-Plenty of power for sawing 8/4 hard maple with a good Freud blade.
-Feels like a Unisaw, only about $700 less expensive

The cons:
-Belt should be disconnected when not in use to prevent jerky operation if you don't use it every day, but at least it's not too hard to do.
-Powder-coating on the stand was inconsistant, with a couple of large light spots that will need touch-up eventually.
-240v wiring diagram for the motor requires a bit of digging around to find and read (It's under the cap with the breaker in it, and you have to take the breaker completely out to read it)
-A short jump when the saw starts, but it runs smoothly after that.
-No place to store the miter guage or blade wrenches on the case
-Odd-sized nuts and hex keys are needed for assenbly and adjustment, but don't come with it. (make sure you have an 18mm open-ended wrench for the extension wings- all three of my sets jump from 17 to 19, and a 3mm hex key [Delta includes a number of hex keys that I didn't use for anything, but not the one I needed to adjust the height of the insert...?]
-Bolt kit for the fence was for a model with steel wings, not the cast iron ones that come with this saw, making the fence assembly a little different than it should be, it was also missing one bolt entirely.

Overall, it's a heck of a nice saw, and you really can't beat the price. I was seriously considering Grizzly, but after checking this one out in the store, it's hard to imagine a better product in this price range, and the money I saved on shipping made this a much more attractive proposition. I'd definately buy this one again- sure, it doesn't get you the bragging rights of a 5hp Unisaw, but do you really *need* that?

I've used this saw daily for over 3 years and it has never let me down. Compared side-by-side with a Unisaw in my shop, I really have no preference between the saws other than better dust collection on Unisaw. Both perform flawlessly with easily repeatable, accurate cuts.

I have the 240V model with a 50" table extension, the Unifence, and a mobile base. Very workable and reasonably priced setup.

Please ignor people that critize saw for errors in shipping, faulty setup on their part, or issues with Delta that have nothing to do with saw in question.

I guess it's a crapshoot buying power tools these days. The fence on my saw was seriously bowed over the length. I spent an hour or more monkeying around with metal shims to get the thing reasonably straight. The cast iron top is concave by about 2 or 3 thou from corner to corner, but I guess that's reasonable these days. You pretty much expect crappy machining and warped beds unless you're dropping 2 grand or more on a tool so I can't complain. The warped top doesn't matter much though since the stamped steel side wings are so out of whack. Yeah you can upgrade to cast wings and a new fence but with the extra $$$ you're starting to get into cabinet saw price range so why not bite the bullet and get the real thing.

After a lot of tuning, cuts are still mediocre, comparable to a decent portable like the Bosch 4000 jobsite saw.

The plus side - um, the motor's powerful, and it's nice not to have it sticking out the back which is why I bought it.

Bottom line: If you need a portable table saw, get a portable table saw like the Bosch. If you need a cabinet saw, get a cabinet saw.

The dewalt 746 table saw is a good saw; however, there are some things about it that I had to modify and some things I felt should have been included for this price range. The big selling point for me was the fact that the motor is below the table and not sticking out the back.Since I work in a cluttered garage I need all the space I can get and I love that I can park this workhorse right up next to the wall. I got the deal with the mobile base included and it is excellent. My few issues I have
with this saw are: 1) the miter gauge provided is worthless, I will be buying an osborne or some other type of upgrade 2) the dust collection port from the housing around the saw blade is pointed towards one corner, and I plan on removing that and closing in the saw in back and the bottom as another reviewer did. 3) the fence is not like any other on the market and makes it a challenge to make jigs for use with it, it will take some
getting used to. I'm keeping my eyes out for a compatible pgrade or alternative here. If anybody reads this and knows of a good beismeyer type fence that will fit this saw please post the info. 4) the stamped extension wings are just ok, I feel like at this price the cast iron ones should have been included instead of an extra add-on item. 5) The splitter/blade guard won't allow me to tilt the blade to 45 degrees. I wonder if anyone else ran
into to this problem. I had to get a leecraft zero clearance insert and then remove the two metal plates that hold the splitter/blade guard out along with the screws and bolts that hold it in place. The bolts were a special size and the only tool I could find to fit them were the wrench that came with the
saw that has the punchout for them and a pair of small channel locks. And it took me hours to get those off, what a pain. So, I don't use a blade gaurd, but at least I can now make 45 degree angle cuts. The saw blade that came with my saw was actually pretty good.I have a forrest wwII blade and it is comparable to that.I wonder if dewalt goofed and gave me a good blade, hehe.
For the most part though if space is an issue as it is for me you can't go wrong with this saw. The saw has plenty of power at 110v and I'm sure it will be a monster at 220v if you have that capacity. Overall I am very happy with it. Just remember you'll have to do some tweeking on it to fit your situation/liking.

Newly retired, I decided to furnish my home shop with tools that should last as long as I do. It now contains a Jet, DeWalt, Delta and Ryobi mix based mostly on the reviews here on Amazon and what I could find elsewhere. Regarding this saw:

1. Delivery etc. was excellent with Eagle superb here in the Richmond, VA area. Guys moved it right into the shop without being asked.

2. Ensuring the fence was square to the table, and parallel to the blade using the same set of locking screws was a challenge, however I found that following the instructions literally helped. Just a slight release of the rear screw holds the perpindicular setting while you align the fence to the miter guide slot.

3. The only problem noted was the cooling fan blade on the rear of the motor contacted the plastic housing creating quite a racket. I sheared off some excess plastic on the inside to fix. This is why 4 instead of 5 stars. Quality control?

4. Didn't bother with the splitter or guard. As some others have noted, it takes about 10 minutes to install and adjust and I realized this would be required every time I need to remove it (which is frequently for the type of use the saw will get). So I will be very careful.

5. Replaced the throat immediately with a zero clearance Leecraft insert. If you use the spltter you have to make a significant cut in the insert but I solved that with #4 above. Also I had to remove the metal dogs for the splitter as they contacted the underside of the insert when the blade was set to 45 degrees. BTW I couldn't get the DeWalt insert level and solid but didn't try hard enough to call it a problem.

6. I bought the side wings and they are great. Highly recommended. Really finishes the saw off. What to do with the steel ones someone asked? I bolted them together and routed them into the top of my workbench. Seems there is always something I do that needs a metal surface vs. wood for some step. I will include a picture if they let me.

7. What was not highlighted but I find a real plus is that you can adjust the blade angle EASILY. I used to dread changing from 90 degrees with previously owned saws. And the knuckle saving clearances are greatly appreciated.

Summary .. very pleased in all aspects. It is precise, relatively quiet, powerful, and a real pleasure to use.

Being a home remodler I own both Millwaukee and Dewalt cordless drills and saws. I have experianced the problem of removing the battery packs from my Millwaukee tools that other people have refered to, but I was able to overcome the problem with some silicone spray. My biggest problem is that I spent the money for the Milwaukee 18 volt combo pack thinking I was buying a "HEAVY DUTY" product, only to find out that the battery life of my 14.4 volt Dewalt set runs circles around BIG RED.

Bought this kit for building my own house. I'm not dissatisfied with product performance, but a bit disappointed by the lack of ovewrall quality based on other Milwaukee tools I've owned and worked with.

My guess is that Milwauke will implement some improvements in each of component over the next year or so based on customer feedback.

I strongly agree with another buyers frustration with removing the battery packs from the tools. After the first few uses, the batteries can become virtually impossible to remove without beating them against something. Really poor design.

As others have mentioned, the quality of saw cuts from the circular saw are just "ok", but can't hold a candle to my corded Skil saw.

Sawzall has been great, very powerful. Hachet design is smart idea. (I love it, with the exception of the battery removal problem).

Drill/screwgun is built well. However, while screwing down my floor deck I found too much variability in the screw torque setting. I buried some screws while others had a raised head. It got a little frustrating, but not to the point of giving up, it just required that I back off a little on the trigger while finishing each screw.

Surprisingly, the flashlight has gotten ton of use. I thought it would set in the bag, but with some long work days late in the autumn, it has been used virtually every day. It is bright and has a nice wide beam. The adjustable head and ability to stand up the unit and point it at the job is really nice. This light helps me find my way from the work site to the truck each night.

Like I said, overall, I'm satisfited, but I'd expect Milwaukee to fix the flaws in this first generation product. I'd wait for improvements if you can.

Update to my review (3/03) - Well, a few months more use and a couple more problems. My battery charger died. The LED light still came on indicating that the unit was powered, but the batteries wouldn't charge. Unfortunately I had go out a buy a replacement charger since I couldn't wait for a repair. The new charger is still working and now I have a spare.

Then the flashlight that I said I was so pleased with died! Again I really didn't want to wait for a warrenty repair so I took it apart (not much can go wrong with a flashlight, right?). I found a burned off copper trace on a printed circuit board inside the unit. I jumpered the trace with a wire and the unit is again working fine.

I've worked these tools pretty hard so I'll be generous and maintain my three star rating, but if any more goes wrong, I'll have to reconsider.

Being a remodeling contractor I usually give my tools quite a workout. As usual Milwaukee comes through again with a collection of fine tools at an affordable price. I've tried the "Big Yellow Ones" but they don't hold up like a "Milwaukee". I guess the only bad comment I can think of about the whole package is the sawzall seems to use up batteries pretty fast. I would recommend having at least 3 total if you plan to use the sawzall for extended periods. By the time one charges up the other is completely dead. The hand saw, drill and work light seem to operate forever on a battery. I would highly recommend this product if you do a lot of quick in and out jobs where you don't want to drag extension cords and tools around. The contractor bag works great keeping track of your tools and ease of transportation. I plan to buy a couple more of these packages for my crew.

Like other purchasers I also had problems with the blade lock system. I followed the skimpy directions, but the blade would not pivot toward the front. The sparse manual had no troubleshooting tips, and Bosch has no customer support on weekends, when many home enthusiasts are going to need help. (Why is it companies like Bosch do customer support at their convenience, not their customers'?) After several attempts I finally ignored the directions to turn the top adjuster three times, and instead tried it at four, then five turns. Success. The blade-lock mechanism simply wasn't calibrated properly from the factory. I would have to assume from the many postings on the blade-lock issue that Bosch is not doing thorough quality control, pulling its tools off their factory line and following their own directions to see if the calibrations are done accurately. Once I got the blade locked in, it cut like a dream, far above my old B&D. It's a shame that a company will take the trouble to build a first-rate tool, but not provide quality control, directions and support. It's how you turn a five-star piece of equipment into a two-star customer experience.

I bought this to replace the crummy B&D jig saw I had. I spent an hour working with the blade change system. I folowed the instructions in the manual and found the procedure to be cumbersome and illogical. After the first time, I didn't hear the "clicks" at the right times anymore. I returned it and got the Bosch 1590. Push a lever and slide the blade in. Push the lever again and the blade pops out. Why Bosch uses such an absurd blade change system on the 1587 is beyond me.

I don't know, but I wouldn't trade it for anything except maybe the newer model.

The blade change mechanism was a bit tricky at first, but has worked flawlessly once I got it adjusted properly, which took all of 5 minutes to figure out. Just keep turning it open until you can rotate the blade.

Changing the bevel angle is also a bit of a pain, but it's solid and once set it stays that way. And the allen wrench needed to change it stores at the base of the cord, so it's always handy.

the plastic base is great when working with delicate surfaces, and the (almost) zero clearance insert also works great to prevent tearout.

Using a combination of the 4 orbital settings and the fully adjustable blade speed allows you to make great cuts in just about anything from soft wood to plastics to metal.

It's also smooth as silk, and the dust blower keeps the cut line visible.

Great blades only add to what this saw is capable of doing, and the Bosch Progressor blades are amazing.

I'm sure there are other great jigsaws on the market, but I don't feel the need to look any further than this one.

Never really got to use the saw because of the safety recall and the possibility of an "amputation" if I chose to ignore the recall. While this was a minor problem the problem with the plastic base plate would have been a lifetime pain! The base plate lacks dimensional stability in that it will not accept the rip fence insertion without a significant use of force and again more force or a rubber mallet is called for if you need to move it to your desired rip dimension. Additionally the set screw for the rip fence comes with a spring that is to long thus requiring more force during all my aborted attempts to screw it into the base plate! I further found it physically impossible to screw the set screw into the base plate without the spring in place! I own a lot of Bosch tools and have never experienced these kinds of problems with Bosch or any other brand. I returned the saw to the vendor I purchased it from citing poor tool quality as the reason.

I recently purchased a house, and not being a person who has the money to hire someone else to do it for me, I've become my own handyman. Not to mention I was interested in building stuff for my house and garage, as well.

I've never owned a circular saw before. I had never even used one. I went into this completely new to it. I did extensive research prior to purchasing.

My research quickly narrowed it down to three saws - the Bosch CS20, the Milwaukee 6394-21, and Porter-Cable 325MAG. From everything I've read, these are all excellent choices and each have their benefits. The Porter-Cable had the quik-blade change system (no tools required) and adjustable dust port. The Milwaukee had the Quik-lok cord and tilt-lok handle. The Bosch has the quick-disconnect cord and rafter hook (so you can hang your saw from a rafter or something while working). To me, the best way to decide from here was to go to a store and handle all the saws.

After handling the saws, I found that I liked the Bosch best overall and here's why: it wasn't too heavy and felt well balanced. The depth and angle adjustments were EXTREMELY easy to use. I could change them with one hand. On the Porter-Cable, I had to sit it down or support it against my body to change them. Not very ergonomic if you ask me. And finally, the Milwaukee wouldn't even adjust; the handle was so tight, neither me or my friend could loosen it. I also felt that the Bosch had the best line of sight out of all of them. Also, there were detents on the angle adjustment AND the Bosch goes to 56 degrees. And finally, the features - I've read that the tilt-lok on the Milwaukee isn't that great. A friend of mine that owns this model agreed; he set it once and rarely messes with it. The Porter-Cable's features weren't all that important to me. The tool-less blade change would be great but didn't make up for the angle and depth adjustment controls. With the Bosch, the rafter-hook wasn't that big of a deal to me but the quick disconnect was. If I accidentally cut through my cord on the Bosch, all I have to do is go to Wal-Mart and pick up another extension cord and I'm back in business. The Milwaukee has a detachable cord but it's only sold by them meaning you'd still have to order it from them and probably pay an arm and a leg.

So I settled upon the Bosch and ordered it when I got back my tax return. I haven't used it very much yet but so far, it has been an excellent saw. It's without mention that it goes through 2x4s like a hot knife through butter. But I was also impressed with the way it handled 2x6s. The line of sight was also excellent. The saw is easy to handle and doesn't sound to be all that loud. The blade guard is smooth and easy to operate by hand. The trigger also has a nice tactile feedback. The saw as a whole is very easy to control.

To me, this saw is a 5-star in every way. I wish it had a quick blade change feature like the Porter-Cable but it's a minor complaint. Also, the saw, in my opinion, looks as good as it works.

I've always been drawn to Bosch products and this reminds me why - this saw is high quality for the price, looks good and works great. Everything I love about Bosch. And it's made in the good old U.S.A. Can't beat that.

To me, this is the best saw in this price range. Before anyone buys it, though, I recommend you go to your local home improvement store and handle the various circular saws and see which works best for you.

I have used many sidewinder style circular saws over the years, and of them all, this one is the best...

This is a very well balanced saw, and has a very comfortable grip.

It's power is easily as rated, if not better, which is an excewption to the rule as most circular saws seem to be a low less powerful than the manufacturer claims.

Bosch's innovative Direct Connect feature is so smart, it's one of those things that makes you ask "Why didn't someone think of this before?"

I was a little hesitant about the composite foot plate at first, but having broken a mag plate on a saw dropped from only a hight of about 5 feet, I know that while they are more rigid, the additional resistance to breaking that the composite brings is a worthwhile trade-off.

One reviewer said he would have preferred a hard case over the soft case, but in my experience most hard cases are not worth the extra size. I myself tend to buy soft cases for tools that came in ahard case, as they take up less space and are just easier to deal with.

I also found the built-on hanger hook to be especially handy, alowing me to hang the saw from a 2x.

Only flaw I can find is the lack of a built-in holder for the included blade wrench, which would be a very smart addition for a future revision of the product.

BEFORE YOU BUY A DELTA SAW PLEASE READ MY REVIEW ABOUT THE DELTA 36-680.TRUST ME ITS WORTH IT AND MAY SAVE YOU FROM WHAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH.IT TELLS WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT DELTA.ALSO I LOOKED AT THIS SAW AT STORE IN CT. AND THE HEAP I BOUGHT (36-680) LOOKED MUCH BETTER .THE WINGS LOOKED CHEESEY ON THE 36-444 ALSO AND IF I (HAD TO) PICK BETWEEN THE TWO I WOULD GET THE 36-680 $569.IF I KNEW WHAT I KNOW NOW I WOULDNT GET A DELTA AT ALL. THERE ARE PLENTY OF BETTER SAWS OUT THERE.WITH NO SCAMS OR LIES. (WARNING)BEWARE OF OLD SAWS WITH THE LABELS SWITCHED FOR NEW ONES. THIS IS A HONEST REVIEW.GOOD LUCK

If you plan to buy the saw from Amazon, the saw will be delivered by a trucking company because its too heavy for UPS. You'll either need to get help to unload the saw from the truck or open the box in the truck and unload part by part.

The rip fence and fence guide came slightly damaged and I suspect it was damaged even before it left the factory - the box showed no signs of damage but the items were dented. Because the damage wasnt great enough to be worth the hassle of trying to return a 5-foot long box and then have to wait an unknown time for a replacement, I decided to keep it damaged - it leaves a bad taste though. Delta or Amazon probably knew of the damage and was betting (correctly) that it wouldnt be returned

The saw functions beautifully - its sturdy and all the parts that relate to alignment can be adjusted. Couple of minor complains - I wish the blade tilt wheel would have a positive stop at its maximum tilt - as it is now, the wheel feels like its tightening rather than stopping. I also wish the power cable didnt lead out of the dusty inside of the saw - a hole through the side and a rubber grommet would solve that.

If I had to do this again, I would have bought this in a store instead of by mail order so that its easier to return damage parts.

I bought this tool at Amazon.com. The extension wings are warped and I could not get the rip fence parallel to the miter slot, so I made my own extension wings and upgraded the fence to a Vega system. Other than that and a few blade adjustments, this system has worked very well for me.

I am impressed with this saw. I was apprehensive about spending this much money for a cordless saw that may see little use if it were slow cutting.I cuts fast enough and ideal for small jobs. Also it recharges in less than an hour.

Don't retire your 7-1/4" yet. The DeWalt DC390 is a great saw if used for smaller tasks on the jobsite or around the house. On the jobsite, the DC390 is designed to augment, not replace, the 7-1/4" corded saw. This saw would be ideal for the average homeowner who would typically put it to light - moderate use. The advantages of a cordless c-saw are pretty obvious... light-weight, convienence and no cord. This saw is extremely handy for tasks like trimming plywood on the roof ends without the weight and cord of a 7-1/4"; plus, the left-side blade allows you to keep your center of gravity over the support of the roof deck if you are right handed. It is also handy when doing framing modifications or revisions (smaller stuff). If you are framing a house, you may start with the cordless, but you'll be back to using your 7-1/4" when the battery runs dry. A hundred 2x's may sound like a lot to some people, but not when framing a whole house. While rugged, the DC390 is not really designed for full, day-long, continuous production work. If it were, DeWalt would provide a second battery for recharge as they do with their drills and screw guns. Based on my experience, I would say the claim of cutting 100 (dry), 2x4's at 90-degrees on a charge is fairly accurate. Wet or damp wood, pressure-treated lumber, angle of cut, dimension of lumber (2x8's, 2x10's...), and blade sharpness will effect battery drain and, therefore, the number of boards you will be able to cut. As with all cordless tools, it's generally not the ruggedness of the tool... it's the energy demand on the battery that is the limiting factor.

This saw definately has it's place on the jobsite, but its uses have practical limits. As noted above, DeWalt offers this saw with only one battery, which may echo the tool's intended use limitations. If you already have a DeWalt battery and charger, Amazon's third-party vendor, MaxTool.com offers this saw as a 'bare tool' for around $100... a great deal.

I recently got a job building a fence out in the country where the closest power outlet is 400ft away from the project and thought that I needed a cordless circular saw to do the job.
I decided on the Dewalt DC390 based on Dewalts' reputation and on the positive reviews here on Amazon. I was a little worried that it came with only one battery but thought I would see how it went before purchasing another expensive battery. Well I took it to the job and started framing the fence using the DC390 and I have to say that I LOVE this saw! It cut through the 2x4's effortlessly, the bevel adjustments were very smooth, and the saw never bogged down once. I would work all morning and plug it into the charger during lunch and the battery would be topped off in 20 minutes and it would run the whole rest of the day without a hiccup.
I was also worried that being left handed would be a problem because this saw is designed for righties (unlike my Porter Cable left handed model circular saw) but it wasn't a problem at all. There is a large cutout in the shoe that makes it extremely easy to see my pencil line while cutting.
I am so happy with this saw and it is so easy to use that it will be my new "go to" saw for all my projects. I can't recommend it enough.

Some friends and I, one of which works for PORTER CABLE, a couple of contractors and myself went to build a wheelchair ramp as a church project for an elderly couple. The guys laughed at me when I showed up with my Dewalt DW939 saw. About an hour into our work the power went out in their neighborhood. I handed my saw to the professional contractor that was doing all the cutting and he used it and said it cut smoother than his milwalkie 7 1\4" corded. We did the whole ramp and only had to replace the battery toward the end. Both of the contractors and the guy from Porter Cable all said that they were going to get one ASAP!! My DW939 saved the day!!!
My only complaint was fixed in the DC930 and that was the ergonomics of the handle. the DW939 is fine if you are cutting short distances but when cutting across a 4x8 sheet it is hard to hold your hand parallel to the cutting surface.

I have been cutting 2x8s and it does a great job. Especially nice is being able to cut thru the 2*8 at a 45 angel. The blade lock makes changing the blade easy.

The safety latch seems a bit awkward. One has to push the button in before pulling the trigger. For me, the button is in the wrong place and would be easier to push down rather than in. But this is a minor problem.

I haven't used the saw enough to stress test the battery

I bought this saw to cut down sheets of plywood before bringing them into the bsmt where there is a table saw. I've had no problem with the battery and love the freedom of throwing it into the back of a vehicle in case wood at the lumberyard is too long. It's weight makes it easy to handle and while I can see an extra battery might be nice, it's been a joy to use.

Love the saw, although it is too heavy to carry from job to job. My problem is that when I put a high quality 100 tooth blade on the saw, such as a CMT blade, the saw head will not retract to the upright position. The spring seems very weak. I have tried two of these saws and have had the same problem with both. Am I the only one with this problem?

The saw's operation is exactly what you'd expect for something in this price range. I was comparing the Hitachi with the ever-popular DeWalt DW708. Since they were sitting side by side in the store, I figured I'd be able to easily make a decision. Wrong!

Pros:
Clean cuts. Smooth rail action. Good fine tuning of the miter & bevel adjustment. Relatively thin laser line. Easy laser adjustment. Good positive stops on standard angle settings.

Cons:
1) The space-saving statement by Hitachi is misleading. Even though the rails don't protrude out the back, the rest of the machine behind the blade is so bulky that it ends up being a wash. 2) No soft startup like Hitachi's smaller saws. Like the DeWalt, the Hitachi jumps when you pull the trigger. I don't know why they don't make this a standard feature on the larger saws. 3) The angle & bevel gauge, while not completely a gimmick, would have benefited from an extra decimal place. There's a lot of distance between, say, 10 and 10.5 degrees.

Conclusion:
It's a chopsaw, and does a chopsaw's job well. Given that lasers are sprouting on more and more saws these days, the digital gauge is the only significant feature that differentiates this saw from the rest. The gauge's lack of super-fine accuracy doesn't make it a must-have feature. But considering the saw is at the same price point with other saws without the bells & whistles, it doesn't hurt to have them. That's why I bought it. And as far as the others' complaints about the saw's design, just look at the other tool manufacturers. Hitachi's not alone; everyone's trying to make their tools more trendy. Personally, I couldn't care less if it looks like a steroid-induced ninja turtle, as long as it does its job.

There has never been, to this date, a saw that comes close to this saw. Say what you want, but I've been in this business a longtime and I build custom cabinets, stairways, mantles and anything else you can imagine. I would not buy anything else. I have another review about another saw I tried for three days before buying this saw and I returned it to the store. If you notice, this saw is not in stock for the simple fact that, this saw became so popular that Hitachi can't handle the demand, I had to drive 150 miles to get mine and I'm definitley not sorry. So, to put an end to this, just try it, if you don't like it, I'm sure the store will take it back, if you have your receipt. May God bless.