Miter Saws have been considered one of the easiest tools to learn as a beginner. Cutting proper angles, carving out crosscuts, and for general woodworking applications – Miter Saws are something that fits the needs of most tasks. With the overwhelmingly massive number of Miter Saws in the market, it could get complicated to handpick the best one out of the lot.
Without getting a miter saw in your hands, you couldn’t do a carpentry task involving crosscuts with utmost perfection. Let it be building a wooden planter for your family, trimming out the plain cabinets, or something as basic as creating a custom picture frame or a serving tray. When we exclusively discuss Miter Saws, a very broad sub-genre, you should have proper knowledge about the big names you can trust while looking up online for the products.
Dewalt has been a household among the community for years. Well known for producing the best saws on the market, Dewalt saws could be trusted with a blindfold. The biggest edge Dewalt has over the other brands is the ease you can operate on the saws they produce.
When I glanced through my whole collection of miter saws, some good, some bad, some pathetic- the best Miter Saws I could pick without a doubt were Dewalt DWS779 and Dewalt DWS780. Both saws are as good as they can get, and today we will be breaking down the whole Dewalt DWS779 vs DWS780 argument to rest. We’ll look into both saws individually, about the good and the bad, then compare them head-on-head for a clearer picture.
At A Glance
Know About Dewalt DWS779
Weighing a little about seventy pounds, Dewalt DWS779 is one of the best-selling miter saws in the market. It comes with a significantly efficient dust collection system that can easily capture about 3/4th of the dust created during working with the workpiece. Dewalt DWS779 is a 12-inch double bevel sliding miter saw, which will get through quickly without handing out any embarrassment when you deal with massive projects.
Moreover, Dewalt features a back fence design that can cut a decently sized 2”×14” lumbar at 90 degrees and a relatively smaller lumbar at 45 degrees. At first glance, you’ll surely realize the worth of this saw by the dimensions.
With a mighty motor of 15 amps delivering 3800 RPM, Dewalt DWS779 is huge compared to an average miter saw. The money you spend while buying this machine could be higher than the average spend on miter saws. But being extremely handy for both professionals and homeowners, or just someone starting, this saw is well worth the dollar you spend on it. Being a mid-range miter saw, Dewalt DWS779 outpowers even the higher-priced saws.
The durability of Dewalt saws is unparallel, so you are totally in for quite too many smooth years of use with Dewalt DWS779. Even if you encounter some operational issues, Dewalt warranty is highly reliable, and they get things done amazingly well with their speedy customer service.
Pros:
- A sturdy build, ensures durability for years
- Easy to use
- Stainless steel miter plate
- Able to cut straight up to 16 inches
- Three-year warranty
Cons:
- Quite heavy
- Peculiar-sized dust collector
Know About Dewalt DWS780
Dewalt DWS780 came out not too long after its predecessor, DWS779. As the name gives away most of it, Dewalt DWS780 is identical to DWS779 but comes up with a lot more features than the 779.
Being a little more expensive, Dewalt manages to make up for every penny you spend by giving out an absolute beast of a miter saw. The 3800 RPM 15-ampere motor provided here is the same as DWS779. Dust at the workpiece personally irked me a lot with other miter saws but is dealt with brilliantly by Dewalt in DWS780 with the efficient dust collection system that manages to sweep in about 75% of the dust!
This powerful beasty miter saw can easily get through most workpieces up to 16-inch straight cutting capacity. The biggest plus you get with this miter saw is its weight, only about 56 pounds. With a specifically designed handle, it’s effortless to carry around. The back fence Dewalt features can accommodate 2”x14” lumbar at a right angle, whereas it will get through a slightly heavier lumbar at 45 degrees.
Pros:
- Fully equipped LED light cutting system
- Improved precision system
- Great dust extraction
- Decent vertical cutting capacity
- Quiet portable
Cons:
- Expensive
- Dust chute sticking on the bevel gauge could be a little problematic
Difference Between Dewalt DWS779 vs DWS780
A product like Miter Saw is bought thinking about years of usage in mind, so the obvious choice is to go for the best saw you can get as per your needs. Though both machines are more or less similar in many senses, let us compare both of the miter saws head to head on several vital factors.
Cutting System
Dewalt features a very top-notch cutting system with DWS780. It’s amazing the technology you get for a few hundred dollars more. Whenever you cut through a workpiece with DWS780, you will see a shadow of bright LED light, which helps you give a clear line that lets you effortlessly get the task done with great precision. On the other hand, Dewalt DWS779 uses a not-so-fancy traditional laser-guided cutting system which isn’t bad by any means but isn’t as accurate as DWS780.
If you are looking to get a miter saw for tasks involving some intricate cuts, Dewalt DWS780 should be the obvious choice. The project’s perfection and the ease of cutting through the workpiece will give you great satisfaction while working with this saw. Also, if you are looking to work somewhere too remote, someplace where you could encounter some darkness- Dewalt DWS780 will help you get your job done easily with the innovative fully-equipped LED cutting system.
Price
When you are looking to buy a machine, it’s always recommended to have a rough estimate in your head. Going a little above or below and having a little flexibility is not bad, but many buyers have a strict budget.
DWS780 and DWS779 are both excellent saws. Having used both of them for several months, with heavy usage, it’s a no-brainer to say that they both excel in their performance as per the price. Dewalt DWS779 costs a little more than 450 bucks. Honestly, it’s a steal in the mid-range budget miter saw. Currently, it’s the best you could get for that money.
That being said, DWS780 is a significantly better saw but costs about 600$. A 150$ could be a make-or-break deal for some people out there. Being a little mid-upper range saw, DWS780, despite being quite similar in many prospects, delivers much better performance than DWS779.
Miter Detent Plate
For the unaware, miter detent plates are the components that are mounted on the miter saws that help restrict the movement sideways by locking the machine until you release it. The application of these plates is solely to provide a high-quality and precise clean cut without putting in much effort. Both of the saws by Dewalt are very distinct on this parameter, with very different miter detent plates with them.
Dewalt features a stainless steel detent plate with a cam lock in DWS780. The additional rail lock helps you cut through the vertical angles easily. Altering the angles with precision gets way too easy with the miter button Dewalt features on the cam lock in DWS780.
Meanwhile, Dewalt DWS779 comes up with a double horizontal rail lock coupled with an excellent clamping system. I found the overall performance quite decent. The linear ball bearings with it help cut more precisely.
Both saws are pretty different yet extraordinary in their ways. They both help you get the job done with utmost precision and give an excellent finish to your work. Unless we are getting into technicalities, you can treat both of the detent plates as significant in what they help you get done. I found Dewalt DWS780’s stainless steel detent plate relatively better than DWS779. But it’s mainly just personal preference, and I do not consider it any superior to the detent plate you get with DWS779.
Cutting Capacity
When we talk about cutting a 2×14-dimensional timber at 90 degrees or a slightly lighter timber at 45 degrees, both miter saws perform well with the 12” blades with 60 degrees to the right TPI. In terms of vertical cutting capacity, DWS780 is significantly better owing to the unique belt drive. DWS780 also has a slightly larger cutting capacity at 45 degrees than you’ll get with DWS779.
Final Words
After breaking down everything about each of the saws and then comparing them head to head on so many essential parameters, the conclusion is pretty straightforward. If you are looking solely for features, DWS780 will be a much better pick for you. It comes up with a superior cutting system, better cutting capacity, and a brilliant overall performance.
However, when weighing in the cost and value of both saws, Dewalt DWS779 seems to give out a lot at a very affordable range. Decent cutting capacity, great blades, and a lot of DWS780 features are what you will be getting with DWS779. So if you are running on a low budget, DWS779 should be the straightforward pick without a doubt.
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