DeWalt Reviews

The customer service I received from Main Street Tools was every informative. The circumventing issues I have are predominantly over the condition of the saw when it arrived at my residence. This saw only traveled from Pennsylvania to Virginia making one stop in Newport News, Va. The box was beaten up pretty badly. So much so that I nearly refused the shipment. Although there was no apparent damage it had received modest cosmetic damage to the saws table top were the paint had been rubbed off down to the metal in two four inch areas. A can of spray paint resolved that issue. The rip scale was way off. I had to use pressure from the fence to square the blade to the table after reaching its adjustment limits. Also, adjustment on both bevel stop points were out of adjustment.
This saw can be found anywhere. Go to a local shop or home inprovement store to purchase it. You may be able to save a few dollars buy shopping the internet but why bother. I feel the saw will be fine and if you do make such a purchase over the internet I strongly suggest you request the product be shipped in a strong and more protective box. UPS may handle music CD's or clothing well but reconsider any heavy power equipment gentlemen.

This is a great tool. I've been in love ever since I used my father-in-law's and couldn't pass up the combo deal. However, when mine arrived it had signs of being pre-owned or mishandled, including some rubbing on the table, fingerprints (don't care if they are from the factory, but if someone had the saw out of the box before me it is annoying) and the rack and pinion assembly was off by a couple of teeth. I had to take it partially apart and do not only "fine tuning" but some serious re-adjusting to get it just right. Wasnt terribly difficult, just not the kind of thing you expect on a brand-new $500 saw. So the initial "build-quality" on my saw wasn't that great. Other than that, it seems fine. And in general, the features, power and useability of the saw are just excellent.

I received my new saw only four days after ordering it, ... and I live in Hawaii. The box was slightly damaged on the bottom but the saw was spared from the abuse.

I ordered one of these saws for my job about a year ago and promised myself I'd get one when I could. After seeing this special "SB" package that included the outfeed and side supports and an extra blade, well, the timing seemed right.

This saw can compete with many contractors saw in terms of power and accuracy. I spent about an hour tuning the usual areas that would need checking and adjustment, not uncommon before using just about any saw when new. It was close to being "right" and corrections were minimal.

Overall, another good product from a company that puts a lot of good ideas into their tools (I especially love the rack and pinion fence).

I just got this unit from Amazon (a GREAT store)and put it together. I am very pleased with the smoothness of operation (inifinetly better than my old Craftsman grinder), but less than pleased with the not very well thought out scheme for attaching the plastic vision safety guards and and the aluminum pedestals for supporting the piece you are grinding. The former attach to steel brackets that can easily come in contact with the grinding wheels (not good) and the latter are only supported on one side and as such can tilt when you apply pressure to a piece being ground (not good, either).

The instructions are also quite poor in showing how to assemble the accesories. It reads like it was written by someone for whom English is a second language.

Also, wish it had a brake as the grinding wheels spin a LONG time after you power off.

Overall, a good tool, but one whose designers stopped thinking too soon when designing it.

This bench grinder is one of the best that I have ever used. I have owned both a Craftsman and a Delta 6" bench grinder in the past, and the new Dewalt really stands out both in quality and strength. The only drawback that I have found is that when removing the wheel cover on either side, one of the screws is close to the bottom and it is very inconvenient to get a screwdriver on it. This is merely an incovenience and has nothing to do with the performance of the grinder. I am very pleased with my purchase, and if I ever have a need for a second grinder I will purchase another one just like it.

I have used an 8 inch Jet grinder for years at my job. It performed it's job perfectly over a decade of day-to-day abuse. But for home use, I decided it was overkill. I had looked at the various Delta bench grinders, but wasn't impressed with the reviews they were given. They also seemed underpowered... And Baldors are just too expensive. That left me with the Dewalt.

I have been pleased with this grinder, although I have only had it for a month. It has plenty of power for sharpening dull lawnmower blades, chisels, punches, you name it. It comes with two grinding wheels of differing grit, and between the two grits, you should be covered for 99% of any sharpening chores. Although it would be wise to also buy a wire brush wheel for metal cleaning and deburring.

The unit seems well constructed. Everything assembled easily and seemed well made, although I would have liked to have seen slightly stronger tool rests. But atleast they were stronger than what I saw on other grinders I looked at.

I would easily recommend this for home or small shop use. It's a great value at this price.

I should say something about DeWalt that not a lot of people know. DeWalt and Black&Decker are one company. So what is behind that black and yellow casing could be Black&Decker!! ( Please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying it is; it could be-what is inside of a Lexus is a Toyota-Don't be fooled by advertising and what other people think ) Many pro. tool users will probably agree with me that DeWalt is not an industrial brand; it is premium household!

Anyway, about this light, I am very happy with the amount of light it produces and the length of the time with one charge. But, there is a problem. The reason why I bought this light is the problem, the flexibility. There is really no flexibility. This light will NOT be flexible as you would think it will. It will loose the balance and will fall. I used it for about a month, got tired of it and got the regular version of this light. That will do anything this "flexible" light does and saves me about 400-500% time on tiring to change the light angle.

Its easily got 3x the light output of a standard 4d cell flashlight. Our use
is to walk the dog at night. We walked the dog every night for 2 weeks
plus some mornings before the battery needed a charge.

The flexible neck makes a comfortable handle, plus we can use it as a
flexibly necked light when the occasion calls for it.

This light has proven to be a real workhorse around the shop. When installing cabinets, getting to hard-to-reach hardware or just doing DIY stuff around the house, it's always helped out. The battery life is very good and the light's tough. I'd recommend it for anyone who owns the DeWalt 14.4v drill. Buy an extra battery just for the light. A simple idea that works well.

I received this drill in like new condition. Except for the R on the top I would not be able to tell it was reconditioned. I used it to build a deck and screwed everything that could be screwed and could not run down a battery before the other one was recharged and ready to go. I would recomend it to anyone in the market for a good tool at a good price.

I have just purchased this Dewalt dw953k drill from mazon.com.
I have not yet received it but would like to mention my experience with dewalt Recon tools. These tools are new from the factory and have not been in use in the field. Dewalt and other manufacturers test and inspect all there tools at the end of the manufacturing process. If by chance they find any abnormality in the operation or generaly missing parts they are rejected and sent back into assembly for correction of the fault.
At this point they mark them with the R and repackage them for sale. Very rarely are these tools ever known to have been used by anyone other than factory quality control personel.
I have two other Dewalt recon tools a DW974 12volt cordless drill 7 years old and a DW628 3-1/2 HP router 6years old. Both are still in great operating condition and used everyday.
Peter Legault

I use this drill extensively at work, and it's great. It has been dropped, rained on, buried in dust, used at full power through 3 batteries non-stop, and generally abused on a daily basis. It just keeps going with no problems. The drill I got from Amazon was in blemish-free, like-new condition with the exception of the 'R' branded on the top to denote a reconditioned tool. The keyless chuck seems to have been updated from the one I've used, since it 'clicks' when tightening, much like a torque wrench. You can find the same thing as this for 90 bucks more at Home Depot (and that's without the extra battery), so this is a good deal.

I bought this stand after talking to Rousseau and being assured that the stand would work well with the Porter Cable 3812. Well . . . .they have included pre-drilled holes for the PC, but that's about it. You can't store the miter gauge on-board anymore (which means the cord storage is gone also), and the fence is in the way when storing upright (although you can move it). I was really disappointed, because this thing is built really well and would have been nice to have. Amazon is picking it up in the morning.

I know it's kind of expensive, but it'sreally worth it. I was having trouble moving my Bosch "portable" table saw even though I'm a burly 6'5, 250 pound guy until I got it. It's a real sturdy stand that let's me move the saw easily - down 50 yards of gravel driveway from my shop to my house, then up six steps to the deck without hassle. I also wheel the saw to make the best use of shop space. I move it inside my shop as needed to cut large boards, or into a corner for storage. I generally don't fold the saw stand up unless I'm loadining it into my pickup.

Simple to assemble, set up and use. I have a Makita, and Rousseau said I had to make a plywood base. It works great. Better than what comes with the saw. It is built for the beasts out there, so it is a bit big to go in and out of my trailer. No more saw off, move stand, saw on. Just push the button and(be careful..pinch hazard!)fold up the wheels.

These are functional, but not very tough. They seem to be a little softer than some other brads I have used, which lets them deflect fairly easily at this long length. Therefore, keep your fingers out of range! They do hold well and are difficult to remove if you make a boo-boo.

I used these in a Senco brad nailer to install 3/4" cedar in a walk in closet as well as to install 2400 square feet of 3/4" pine v-groove in the ceiling of my dome home and they worked perfectly. Although I tried to avoid knots there were some situations where I had no choice but to go through them and the brads worked fine when using the turbo setting. I have a finish nailer and a pin nailer as well and B&C Eagle is the only brand I use because I know for a fact that when I use them there will not be any problems.

Just finished the casing on the closet door frames in my daughters' room. These were flawless in my Accuset 200BN.
Never a jam with the 2" brads or the 1 1/4" brads!

I have been waiting years for Dewalt to make an 18V cordless cut-out tool kit like the DC550K. It's great to finally have a cordless version that can utilize the same charger and batteries as my other 18V tools. I bought one of these as soon as they became available online and now use it almost every day on the job. Before the DC550, I was most indignant about having to drag an extension cord along when using my Roto-Zip, as this is the last holdout in a tool collection that I use daily which still required being plugged into an outlet to operate.
I use the DC550 mainly to make cutouts in wood, drywall, plaster and acoustical tile for recessed lighting or electrical boxes. With a carbide burr bit, it will make cutouts in ceramic wall tile, solid surface or laminate backsplashes, but of course, won't cut harder floor tile materials. It also makes clean, splinter free cutouts in solid wood or veneered cabinets, such as when installing an outlet for a microwave/hood over a range or outlets in kitchen island or peninsula base cabinets. I have even used it for cutouts in thin stainless sheet clad walls that are found in commercial kitchens, and it works well on aluminum and vinyl siding too.
Battery life is very good and since the DC550K kit comes with two batteries, you can have one on charge and keep going all day long. The extra length and weight the battery does make this tool slightly less well balanced than the corded version when using it in the horizontal position, but the rubber grip area allows you to hold the tool firmly in various positions and as with anything else, the more you use the tool, the less noticeable this imbalance becomes.
There is no bump switch on top of the tool but the push through type on/off switch sticks out far enough so you can get at easily.
The tool-less quick-change bit holder is the same as on Dewalt's corded cut-out tool. It takes a little getting used to, but is much better than having to use a wrench every time you need to change a cutter bit. At 27,000 rpm's it's not as fast as the corded version but this doesn't really seem to affect its cutting ability. Overall, I feel that the DC550 is a very good tool that can go along way toward making your workday easier and more productive.

This tool has lots of cutting power and runs forever on a battery. It is a little heavy and awkward at some cutting angles. Overall a good tool.

This tool has excellent battery capacity and is easy to handle;
has plenty of cutting power. The only drawback is the tool just slightly heavy.

This is a nice drill and has plenty of power. It doesn't have the smoothness and quality of Makita products. The charger weights hardly anything(cheap?) so I hope it lasts. Porter Cable and Makita are much better in my opinion. I am a handyman so I know what works and lasts. This is the first Dewalt corless tool I have purchased so time will tell.........

I love the compact design with lots of power and smooth operation. I've only had the drill for a couple of months, it's replacing a similar one that has served me well for several years of hard use. So far I'm happy with this one especially the ability to get into tight spaces.

For the everyday around the house activity, this cordless drill is fantastic. Not good for contractors and carpenters but great for the average do-it-yourselfer homeowner.

I purchesed this router to cut aluminum doors for new locks. Using a special carbide router bit the locking nut continued to loosen and apparantly the collet was defective. I called customer service and they shipped me a new one...so the real test will come next time it is used. The router itself is very smooth and balanced and with the D handle very easy to control...until the nut loosened anyway. Now if the new collet and nut hold up the next time I use it I'm sure all will be well.

I'm a home woodworker and wanted to by a new D-handle router with the latest features. When DeWalt's new line of routers came out, I sprung for the 2-1/4 variable speed model. I'm not a router expert, but loved it from the get-go. It's very comfortable and managable, easy to hold and route with one hand. The detachable cords are a great feature. I just love the variable speed, makes me feel like a pro using this router! Now, I'm also a mechanical engineer and I can be fairly critical with a tool purchase. This DeWalt router does come with a case. And it should, it's a beautiful tool, and I like to keep it that way. The collet lock button is in the most awkward location, hard to get at with even my slender fingers. I think it could have been oriented in a more open direction. And there are no clear plastic side shields to snap in place to limit the extent of sawdust that this router can kick out. My old Sears router has this feature. Would these things have prevented me from buying the router had I done a hands-on before buying? Probably not. I still think DeWalt makes great tools. They just don't take it to 100% to give the woodworker all the creature features. But for all I know, maybe some of these issues exist with other brands of routers at the same category/ price. Knowing things like this ahead of time will at least prepare you for some of the unexpected things that you can probably still accept and claim it as a good purchase as I did.

I've owned this DEWALT DW618D router for about 5 months, and I have to say I love it. I've used it on several projects and it works very well. The 2 1/2 HP is plenty strong, and the D Handle fits very comfortable in my hand. At first I was disappointed It didn't come with a case. But now I'm glad, usually the case is to big and takes up to much room..

I just purchased this saw after owning the previous 12" model that didn't bevel. By the way I have had the previous saw for 13 years(bought it when they first came out) and it is still working fine. I will either sell it or use it as a backup or when I do jobs away from the shop. With Dewalt you won't regret your purchase.

1) The saw is fantastic.....it is everything you expect out of Dewalt. With everything in life you get what you pay for. Couldnt be happier.
2) Amazons deal on this saw with all the promotions applied made this one of the best purchases I have made in quite awhile. For the price I would have paid at the large national chain I recieved the saw,optional laser guide,Freud blade and a Dewalt recipricating saw AND the saws were at my house in 3 days......please. If you arent shopping on this site you arent paying attention.
3) Also by using spare change lying around the house I was able to cash them in for free at the local Coinstar by selecting the Amazon option....it was like a rebate in itself.

Throw your old Compound Miter saw out boys and girls. Dewalt has fixed the table lifting problem that made me regret buying the previous model. Laser schmazer!!! Setting the blade on the mark will always be the method of a craftsman. Now if they would improve the stand I'd really be happy, VERY unstable!!!