A great table saw priced just right, considering.....
Written: Jun 26 '04 (Updated Apr 29 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Frame design, motor, pulleys, sliding table, optional stand, arbor quality.
Cons: I'd rather not have paid for the sheet metal table extensions.
The Bottom Line: It's a great table saw. Wish I'd bought one of these years ago.
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| hdrtheentling's Full Review: DeWalt Woodworker's Table Saw DW746 |
The DW746 table saw shows obvious attention to quality details at a reasonable price. As an experienced small shop operator building furniture, this review reflects my approach to and need for the saw. The stripped down version is a much better value at $850 (plus shipping) than any contractor style saw at any price. This is a partial list of the many excellant features built into this saw:
$Quiet, vibration free motor with steel pulleys. Easily cuts two inch oak.
$Rock solid motor mount.
$Perfect flat top.
$T-slot bar guides.
$Angled degree scale for easy reading. My bad old eyes sure appreciate this feature.
$Large on/off switch positioned for easy knee shut off. $Heavy, well designed cast iron arbor assembly and trunions.
$Stout and stable 45/90 degree tilt stops accessible from the top.
$Metal hand wheels with locks.
$Stable aluminum throat plate that holds leveling adjustment properly.
$The stand is designed for easy conversion to five inch diameter hose dust collection.
$The splitter/guard is easy to install and adjust.
$The basic cross cut guide is a nice fine-tunable, low-tech design. This comes with the saw whether you buy the rip guide or not.
$The optional rolling stand is very solid and stable and does not interfere with the feet.
$The blade arbor shaft has consistent diameter full length: Blades and dado sets fit precisely on the arbor so that accurate depth adjustments are easy. This is a nice feature.
$Rip fence not purchased so cannot comment on it.
$Did not install the sheet metal table extensions. These are a waste of time. (I have a router table installed on the right side anyway.)
The sliding cross cut table is an excellant value, considering what you get. Here are the more important features:
$Heavy cast iron table.
$Solid mounting system.
$ 27 inch cross cut capability.
$ Convenient locking system
$ At full extension, zero free play in the slide bearings.
$ Includes a top quality, feature rich cross cut guide assembly similar to the excellent Osborn unit. This is definately icing on the cake. This is the feature that makes the sliding table so valuable.
$The cross cut guide slides in its own T-slot on the sliding table, or locks in place at any location in the slot. This provides extra flexibility.
I think this saw is well worth the price. For around $1350 plus shipping, you get a well designed, made in USA saw with a sliding cross cut table. The design is better than any contractor saw and as useful as most low-end cabinet saws: none of them come with the sliding cross cut table capabilities at this price.
Some reviewers commented on how hard it is to adjust the sliding table level with the main table. Here is the solution: Three cabinet clamps with the heads reversed and the fixed end standing on the floor under the sliding table make verticle adjustment much easier. (It takes a tripod support system.) Once the sliding table is roughed in, use a molded plastic, shot filled dead blow hammer to gently coax the sliding table assembly into position. (During adjustment, tighten attachment bolts just loose enough to allow adjustment. I did not use the installed adjustment screws, so backed them almost completely out.) Also, make two 1/16 inch brass shims and install between sliding table and main table. Clamp sliding table to the main table using a long 3/4 inch pipe clamp. (Not too tight!) The shims ensure that the sliding table stays parallel to the main table during adjustments and that there is sufficient free play between tables. Took about 30 minutes for a perfect setup.
Additional comments after one year plus heavy use: I like the saw even better than before. No significant problems, except that I had to adjust the blade parallel to the guide bar slots. This is easy because the trunion bolts are very accessible. A Super Bar (w/ dial indicator) and Master Plate make blade parallelism adjustment fool proof: must have for this saw. Once set up and adjusted properly (it aint easy!) the sliding cross cut table is excellant. Once the blade is perfectly parallel to the left-hand guide bar slot and the sliding table is perfectly parallel to the same slot, this saw cuts perfect 90 degree cross cuts every time. Fantastic.
Also, I chucked the useless 2.5 inch dust collector and converted to 5 inch dust collection. That is easy with this saw stand design. Just add a plywood panel to the stand bottom and back. Convenient mounting holes are pre-drilled. Mount a 5 inch male duct flange on the back panel, hook up a proper dust collection system, and dust is eliminated. The Dewalt saw stand design is one of this saws best features. I'd like to see five inch dust collection set up this easily on any contractor saw.
I say again, at this price, the DW746 is a great saw.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hdrtheentling
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Reviews written: 8
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