DEWALT DWS780 Miter Saw:

There’s no denying the benefits of adding a miter saw to your woodworking arsenal.

Sure, you could make do with a manual saw, or turn to a table saw with a built-in miter gauge and the ability to bevel when tackling your various DIY, hobby, or commercial tasks, but the truth is, nothing beats a dedicated miter saw when it comes to handling complex cutting requirements.

There’s no shortage of competitive-priced miter saws on the market nowadays, either.

From single bevel miter saws that let you tilt the blade in a single direction only, to double bevel models where you can angle the blade both left or right depending on your needs (saving you the hassle of needing to turn the wood to suit different cut angles), there’s something for everyone.

Sounds great, but have you ever heard the saying, ‘too much of a good thing’?

In reality, too many options, or overchoice, is never good.

Add in the models that let you miter at increasingly extreme angles, and the saws that feature sliding mechanisms to allow the blade to slide forward and backward to handle larger pieces of timber with ease, and the chances are, you’re probably feeling spoilt for choice.

Don’t worry though, as we’re confident that this article will help narrow down your selection significantly.

Today, we’re looking at the DEWALT DWS780 miter saw in-depth, a double bevel sliding compound saw that provides more than enough cutting power, capacity, and flexibility, as well as a good deal of affordability, to make it a serious contender on your list of potential purchases.

Sounds impressive…

But is it really the best choice for you and your woodworking needs?

Let’s find out by looking at everything you need to know about this DEWALT miter saw…

We’d recommend the DEWALT DWS780 first and foremost to professional contractors who are tasked with more complex cutting requirements, for example, miters and bevels, regularly on pieces of timber.

The fact is, its dual bevel capability (to angle the blade either left or right), large miter capacity, slidable blade, CUTLINE blade alignment system, and its good degree of portability make it an excellent choice for more demanding users.

Is it overkill for the likes of hobbyists and DIYers? Perhaps.

Given how competent of a miter saw it is though, we wouldn’t be surprised if even small-scale users snapped up the DWS780 too to give them the flexibility to tackle almost any woodworking project imaginable.

Here are a few of the tasks that the DEWALT DWS780 is suitable for:

And here’s what you shouldn’t use it for:

One of the most important criteria to look at when choosing a miter saw is the power output of its motor, as the more powerful it is, the tougher, rougher, and also the larger the pieces of timber it’ll be able to drive its cutting blade through.

In the case of the DEWALT DWS780, it features a 15A motor capable of 3,800 RPM to drive the blade through timber, imperfections such as knots, and pretty much anything else you can throw at it.

And trust us, if you’re in any doubt as to whether the DWS780 is powerful enough for your needs, you just need to check the cutting capacities section below to get confirmation of its stellar cutting performance.

Go ahead…we’ll wait.

Satisfied? We’re not surprised.

The DWS780’s motor is just one part of what provides it with its impressive cutting capabilities.

Just as important is the cutting blade itself, and in this case, it’s a 12-inch, 60-teeth carbide blade that’s capable of being spun at up to 3,800 RPM.

Two factors are worth mentioning when it comes to the blade’s design.

Firstly, carbide is a material that’s known to be significantly stronger than steel, which means the DWS780’s blade is capable of slicing through more robust materials that would typically destroy conventional steel blades.

This toughness also plays a part in boosting the cutting precision versus steel blades which helps provide a cleaner cut, and it also improves the blade’s long-term durability to save you money from not needing to replace it as often.

Secondly, the number of teeth is also important.

Miter saw blades typically have anywhere between 24 to 100 teeth, with the higher the number, the slower the blade’s speed but, the smoother the finish it tends to produce.

On this basis, we can tell that the finish of the DWS780’s blade sits around average in terms of speed and overall finish, and because of this, it’s a great all-rounder that’s capable of tackling a variety of different cutting requirements straight out of the box.

Nothing is stopping you from using a different type of blade either.

So, when the time comes and you need to replace the worn standard blade, or you wish to change to a specialist type early on, it’s super quick and easy to replace the blade using the wrench that comes with the saw (see image above).

Always remember to consult the user manual regarding which blades are compatible for the DWS780. In general, however, there’s a vast range of 12″ options available that have different teeth numbers to best-suit a wide variety of uses.

As we’ve mentioned, the DEWALT DWS780 is classed as a dual bevel compound miter saw, with this designation speaking volumes as to its ability to tackle even the most complex of cutting requirements.

Dual bevel refers to the fact that it’s capable of bevelling in both directions as shown in the image below (as opposed to many miter saws which can bevel in one direction only and are simply called compound miter saws as a result).

The main advantage of this is the time and hassle it saves from not needing to turn around whatever timber you’re cutting depending on the required angle of cut.

The DWS780 takes it bevel-ability one step further thanks to positive bevel stops located at 0°, 22.5°, 33.9°, 45°, and 49° in both directions, and also the handy oversized bevel gauge. All told, these two features combine to let you more quickly and accurately adjust the saw’s bevel angle in preparation for your next cut without any second-guessing.

The DWS780 more than lives up to its designation as a miter saw too, all thanks to its capability of mitering 50-degrees to the left and 60-degrees to the right as shown in the image above to tackle even the most pronounced of miter cuts.

Similarly to its bevel adjustment function, the saw also features a simple but highly effective cam-lock miter handle to help provide quick-yet-accurate miter changes, in addition to positive miter stops (10 in total) built into a sturdy steel detent plate featuring all of the most common miter angles to help you spend less time preparing and more time cutting.

Aside from cutting capabilities, the DWS780 is also very well-regarded when it comes to specific cutting capacities as we’ll discuss in the next section.

A key aspect of the saw’s design that boosts its overall horizontal cutting capacity dramatically is the fact that the unit holding the motor and blade sits on sliding rails (see image above), allowing the user to pull the blade in or out mid-cut depending on the size of cut required.

Aside from the aforementioned positive bevel and miter stops, the DEWALT DWS780 comes with several extra features to boost cutting accuracy.

Firstly, it features dual horizontal steel rails and an innovative clamping mechanism to hold timber securely during cutting, something which aims to prevent any of the movement that could lead to inaccurate cuts and poor finishes.

Perhaps of most benefit, however, is the saw’s CUTLINE Blade Positioning System, a feature which separates the DWS780 from the cheaper DWS779 model.

Akin to lasers which are common on other miter saws, CUTLINE works as a cut alignment system by using the light from an ultra-bright LED to cast a laser-like shadow on the cutting surface.

As shown in the image above, the shadow shows precisely where the blade will impact the material to help improve accuracy.

Part of what makes the DWS780 ideal even for professional contractors is the large cutting capacity it offers.

We’ve already alluded to the fact that its sliding blade design boosts its horizontal cutting capacity, but this is just one of a whole host of features that helps it handle larger pieces of timber.

Just as important is vertical cutting capacity, and the DWS780 shines in this respect too thanks to its innovative gearbox and belt-driven design that maximizes clearance between the saw’s table and the bottom of the blade to increase vertical capacity.

Next up is the innovative fence design that keeps larger materials supported during cutting.

For example, the exclusive back fence design supports up to 2×15 dimensional lumber at 90°, and 2×12 at 45°, while crown molding of up to 7-1/2″ can be nested, and base molding of up to 6-3/4″ can be rested vertically against the fence for maximum capacity and support.

The fence can be easily adjusted too, so it can slide out of the way to accommodate miter or bevel cuts when needed, for example.

Here’s a summary of the DEWALT DWS780’s impressive cutting capacities:

Power, performance, the ability to perform a variety of complex cut types, and the large overall cutting capacity itself are just a few of the things that make the DWS780 stand out against the competition.

Just as important? All of the features that make it safer, cleaner, and easier to use, which while they probably won’t make headlines, will go a long way to improving your experience of using this particular miter saw.

Here are some examples of the DEWALT DWS780’s other impressive features:

There’s no doubting that the DWS780 is a great miter saw, although this is hardly surprising considering DEWALT’s reputation for manufacturing quality power tools, and the lessons they’ve learned from creating a long line of the DWS780’s predecessors.

While there are more powerful miter saws available, it’s still more than capable of handling the needs of most DIYers and professionals thanks to its punchy 3,800 RPM output and its 60-tooth carbide blade that combine to provide it with its impressive cutting performance.

It isn’t perfect though, and we feel that we’d be doing you and this article a disservice if we didn’t voice a couple of our criticisms.

Firstly, there’s the (quite considerable) price increase between this model and the cheaper DWS779, which would be forgivable if the DWS780 were a substantially better saw, but the fact is, it isn’t.

The DWS779 and the DWS780 are essentially the same saw, bar the addition of DEWALT’s CUTLINE system in this particular model. There’s no denying that this is a great feature, but we’d question whether this alone warrants such a price increase.

Secondly, while the DWS780 is capable of tackling non-ferrous, lighter metals such as aluminum when using the correct blade, it’s primarily designed for cutting timber and shouldn’t be used on tougher, ferrous metals.

This probably isn’t going to be a deal breaker, but if you’re looking for a saw that can readily tackle both wood and metal, you’d be better off looking elsewhere.

Does this put us off recommending the DEWALT DWS780 altogether?

Far from it.

Especially if you’re a DIYer, hobbyist, or contractor who’s in the market for a miter saw that comes jam-packed with all of the features needed to tackle routine or complex cutting requirements in timber both large and small.

The DWS780 offers something for everyone.

Whether you decide to opt for the DWS779 or the more expensive DWS780 is ultimately up to you and your budget, but whatever decision you make, one thing that we can be confident of is that you won’t regret it.

Still not convinced? We’ve included a summary of the various advantages and disadvantages of this DEWALT miter saw below to help you make up your mind.

DEWALT DWS779 vs DWS780

As you’ll see from the table below, there is very little difference between the DEWALT DWS779 vs DWS780.

They’re essentially the same saw, with the only difference being that the DWS780 comes with DEWALT’s advanced cut alignment system known as the CUTLINE Blade Position System, whereas the DWS779 does not (it doesn’t include any cutting assistance at all, in fact).

The main benefit of the CUTLINE system is that it helps the user achieve more accurate cutting, all thanks to its ultra-bright LED that casts a laser-like shadow on the cutting surface to clearly mark the cutting point.

Here is a summary of the key details for each model:

(Scroll table if needed)

Model Number:	DWS779	DWS780
Manufacturer:	DEWALT	DEWALT
Motor:	15A, 3800 RPM	15A, 3800 RPM
Power Source:	Corded Electric	Corded Electric
Warranty:	3 Year Limited Warranty	3 Year Limited Warranty
Type of Miter saw:	Slide	Slide
Blade Diameter:	12″	12″
Blade Type:	Carbide	Carbide
Max Cut at 90°:	2″ x 14″ Dimensional Lumber	2″ x 16″ Dimensional Lumber
Max Cut at 45°:	2″ x 10″ Dimensional Lumber	2″ x 12″ Dimensional Lumber
Arbor Size:	5/8″ or 1″	5/8″ or 1″
Max Bevel Left:	49 Degrees	49 Degrees
Max Bevel Right:	49 Degrees	49 Degrees
Bevel Stops:	0°, 22.5°, 33.9°, 45°, 49°	0°, 22.5°, 33.9°, 45°, 49°
Max Miter Left:	50 Degrees	50 Degrees
Max Miter Right:	60 Degrees	60 Degrees
Miter Stops:	10x positive stops	10x positive stops
Dust Handling:	Dust Port & Bag	Dust Port & Bag
CUTLINE LED Included:	No	Yes
Electric Brake:	Yes	Yes
Spindle Lock:	Yes	Yes
Quick Release Vise:	No	No
Slide:	Yes	Yes
Foldable:	Yes	Yes
Dimensions (L, W, H):	32.77″ x 19.05″ x 20″	32.77″ x 19.05″ x 20″
Product Weight:	56 lbs	56 lbs
	Read Reviews	Read Reviews

Want to handle longer pieces of lumber with ease when working with your DEWALT miter saw?

Need a handy way to mount your miter saw at the job site that provides stability, more than enough weight capacity, and the ideal working height to save you straining your back?

DEWALT has you covered.

Here are some of the most popular DWS780 accessories to help you accomplish either (or both) of these requirements:

DEWALT DWS780 Miter Saw/DWX723 Stand Combo

While not technically an accessory, this combo pack bundles the DWS780 with the DEWALT’s impressive DWX723 stand. It’s the ideal choice for contractors needing to use their saw on the job site, or for workshop/garage owners who don’t have the bench capacity to mount a miter saw.

See It on Amazon

DEWALT DWX723 Heavy Duty Miter Saw Stand

The DWX723 boasts a universal design that works with all brands of miter saw. Made from lightweight aluminum (weighing just 35 lbs), it features a folded height of only 6″ for maximum portability and can support 500-lbs of weight, and up to 16-feet of material using its extendable beams.

See It on Amazon

DEWALT DWST11031 Adjustable Legs Sawhorse

An excellent option for anyone working outside with their miter saw, or on uneven surfaces, or even with larger pieces of timber up to 2,500 lbs. It features a sturdy metal and plastic construction, and you can adjust each leg independently to suit whichever surface you’re working on.

See It on Amazon

1. What’s the difference between the DEWALT DWS779 vs DWS780?

2. Does it come with a blade?

3. Is the DWS780 capable of cutting metal?

4. Is this particular DEWALT miter saw direct drive or belt-driven?

5. Is it capable of double bevelling?

6. Does the motor have a soft-start function?

7. Does it feature an electric brake to stop the blade after use?

8. Does the DWS780 come with a stand as standard?

9. Are you able to purchase a stand separately for the DWS780?

10. Does the DEWALT DWS780 come with a laser guide?

11. Does it come with any clamps?

12. How much assembly is required after purchase?

13. Is it capable of folding to make it easier to store when not in use?

14. How long is the warranty period?