Heavy-Duty 10" Woodworker's Table Saw - DW746  Product Reviews

"So many features about this saw impress me but I will try to be brief. - Power: This saw has all the power you need in a small shop and more to spare. Nothing seems to slow it down, not even for a brief moment. - Smooth: This goes for the saw itself (no vibration) and for the cuts it makes. I use the blade that came with it for most of my cuts and I never have to sand or plane any of the cut faces. I made a zero clearance insert for it and now it even cuts the cheapest, thin plyood without chipping or noticable marks. I bought a Freud blade for the cross cuts but have not had to use it yet. - The fence: Smooth-sliding as other reviews mention, very accurate, extremely easy to operate and calibrate. - The table: Solid and smooth table. The wings should probably be upgraded since they are not as smooth as the main table (made out of sheet steel rather than the cast iron as the rest of the table. - The controls: just what you need and right where you need them. Large power switch that is easy to bump off with your knee in an emergency. Smooth solid controls for the blade height and angle. - Solid machine: This is a very solid and heavy machine that will serve you for a long time if you take care of it. Make sure you get the deal with the mobile base (see heavy above) which is so smooth and easy to operate. There are some features that I would like to see improved. These are few and none of them diminish the value of this saw but I wanted to include them for completeness. - The splitter and guard assembly is one piece that has to be removed by using wrenches. This is inconvenient and time consuming when you need to remove them for dado cuts (or other non through cuts.) There are splitters that you can buy which do not require tools for removal and installation and DeWalt should learn fron them. Also, the splitter should be seperate from the blade guard so the latter can remain in place for non-through cuts. - The wings that come with the saw are made of sheet steel and not cast. There are optional ones that you can buy from DeWalt but they should be part of the saw to begin with."

"My woodworking hobby outgrew my starter saw a few years ago, but circumstances did not allow me to buy a new saw until this year. Since I really wanted to take my time with this decision, I studied the market, put my hands on every saw I could, and read everything I could find on the web about table saw features. Since I work in a library, I also had access to every table saw review in most of the woodworking magazines. Eventually I came up with the following criteria: - I have a one car garage for a workshop, so space was a big issue. I was only looking at saws with 30" capacity to the right of the blade. I also limited my search to saws that could be pushed flat against a wall if need be. This left only hybrids and cabinet saws to consider. - I wanted the most powerful motor I could get without having to switch to 240 volts, yet have the option to rewire the saw for 240v later if I so choose (thus eliminating 3hp saws). - I wanted a solid fence that was accurate and DID NOT DEFLECT when locked down. - I wanted some decent dust collection abilities. - I wanted a quieter saw with less vibration than my old Delta contractor's saw. - I wanted to spend less than $1000 to get the saw, yet have lots of options for upgrading/outfitting later. Eventually I chose the DeWalt 746, and here are my observations: The saw package arrived in relatively undamaged crating (seven days after I ordered it from Amazon), and the saw was in perfect condition. Here's a tip - I ordered this saw over the phone and was given the option to pay $25 to have the saw delivered on the ground in my shop - well worth it! Assembly was not too bad (3 hrs), but the manual could have been a bit better. In my mind it was a bit too small and the illustrations corresponding to each step of assembly were not always on the same page! This saw is heavy and the cabinet/stand is very stiff and strong. I feel that the base of this saw is a much better design than the open stand of my old Delta. The saw also runs very smoothly - it is A LOT quieter than my last saw and vibration is at a minimum. The motor is about as powerful as you can get while running 120v without popping breakers left and right (which I have read is a common problem with the 2hp motors running 120v). I have not had any problems ripping 8/4 white oak with a good sharp blade... Speaking of blades, the one that came with this saw is inferior. I will keep it just for those instances where I want to cut treated lumber for outside projects or some other such task not requiring precision or smooth cuts. I have always wanted a Biesenmeyer fence, but I read good things about the fence on this saw and was eager to try it for myself. I am pleased to say that it is a very sturdy (and heavy) fence with some ingenious features. Most importantly this fence operates very smoothly, it does not deflect when locked down, it was easy to adjust square to the miter slot and blade, and zeroing the fence scale could not have been easier. I did have to fuss with it a bit to get the fence face set 90 degree to the table, but once I got it there it seems to hold the setting well. Dust collection on this saw is absolutely excellent. I hooked up my Fein Turbo II vacuum and basically no significant sawdust escapes. I couldn't be happier in that department. As for safety features, I like splitters and hate blade guards so I was pleased to find that the splitter/blade guard on this saw is able to be separated (I did just that). The splitter is easily adjustable and works well. As far as downsides go... Well, as I mentioned earlier the assembly manual could have been way better and the blade that came with the saw is junk. Also (and I read this several places ahead of time) the table is not absolutely flat. Using a straightedge I found a couple of hollows in the surface. I don't think they are significant enough to throw off the accuracy of what I am doing with this saw, but be forwarned that if you use a tablesaw to cut something more intricate than tenons you may have a problem with this. Unlike other reviewers I didn't have too much of a problem with the steel extension wings that came with this saw. When installed properly are they perfectly level to the main table? Yes. Are they perfectly flat? No, but acceptible for what they are. I wanted a good saw that could be upgraded and these are good enough for temporary use. In fact there are a host of great accessories/upgrades available for this saw. I already ordered a cast iron router table wing (made by Bench Dog) and soon I plan to order the DeWalt cast iron wing for the other side of the saw. When it comes down to it, I am very pleased with this saw. The features all met or exceeded my personal needs. This is important, because I have no doubt I could have gotten a saw that performed nearly as well for a lot less money, but it would have failed to meet one or more of MY criteria. As for the price - I bought mine at a time when the saw was on sale and the mobile base was included (see my separate review of the mobile base). The sale price coupled with Amazon's ongoing deal of 25 dollars off any order over 199 gave me this saw at more than a seventy dollar discount. If your needs are similar to mine, then take a close look at this saw. I highly recommend it! "

"After 7 years of use, it was finally time to upgrade my Skil portable saw. I did a lot of research into different models, including the Jet, Delta, and Powermatic. Finally I went to a woodworking show and talked to the man who literally "wrote the book" on table saws, and he recommended the DeWalt DW746. It was a little more than I wanted to spend on a saw, but he said it should be the last saw I ever buy. I ordered it and the 30" rails from Amazon, and ordered the mobile base from Tyler (Amazon had a long back order and Tyler was cheaper). The suggestion made by someone else here to assemble the base first, then attach it to the feet while the saw was still upside down in the crate was on the money. Can't imagine trying to attach it afterwards. * Pros: Assembly took a few hours, and was very straightforward. The table was very flat, and everything but the splitter was well aligned. I had to resaw some 5/4 x 5 Poplar, and the saw never bogged down at all. Plus it made surprisingly smooth and well aligned cuts for having to flip the wood over to make 2 passes. Dust collection works surprisingly well. I had to rig up a 2-1/2 to 4" adapter, but it removes 90% of the dust. A little dust still blows off the blade. Very smooth running, no vibration. The internal motor and wide belt lend a lot to that. Takes up a lot less space than most other saws, since the motor is inside the frame. The 30" rails were flat and true. * Cons: Removing the guard is a pain, and it's a little hard to get at one of the nuts. The blade that comes with it is lousy. Replaced it with a Freud and it's like night and day. Needs a 20A line, as it occasionally trips a 15A breaker on startup. I'm going to switch it to 240v soon. Should be smoother. The miter guage does not have any holes in it for mounting accessories and jigs. I took care of that. The assembly instructions (as others have mentioned) could stand some improvement. The photos were not matched up with the text, and in some places the text started next to the picture then wrapped under it, making it very hard to follow. This should be a simple fix for DeWalt. * Overall: I'm hoping the author was correct that it will be my last saw. So far I have been very impressed with it."

"I've taught high school woodshop for 13 yrs and have used contractor saws in my home shop and 2 Unisaws in the school shop. Needing to upgrade the saw at home I researched the options. A Unisaw was my first choice but if I bought it I was short on funds for an upgrade fence (Beisemeyer) and sliding table. Looking at the hybrid saws brought me to the Jet and the Dewalt. Reviews of the Jet spoke of a quailty machine but with a few shortcomings such as the link belt for blade adjustment. The DW was newer on the market than the Jet so didn't have many reviews. I decided to purchase a recon unit from Toolking for just under 800.00. The saw arrived in sturdy packing and there was nothing to make me believe it had been reconditioned for any reason. No sawdust, dents, dings etc. A few hours to assemble with decent directions. I had also purchased the 30" Beisemeyer commercial fence and Delta sliding table and Forrest blade. All this took me to under 1500.00 which was the entry level price for the Unisaw. The saw has seen hundreds of feet of cherry and tiger maple. I built an entire set of kitchen cabinets with melamine boxes and cherry doors. The sliding table was easy to install on the Dewalt. I have not had one single problem or noticed any lack of power or performance. I made some zero clearance inserts and a large side and outfeed table. The saw comes with some steel units that are rather light weight. The factory fence looks decent although I have never installed it. My only recommendations for improvement would be to add a 4" or 6" dust port and larger handwheels for blade adjustment. All in all its a great value for the money. Lance A, Chico CA "