DeWalt DWS780 12" Miter Saw: Why I Kept It Over the $1,600 Festool Kapex
DEWALT DWS780 12-Inch Double Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with XPS Crosscut Positioning
- The XPS shadow line system never loses calibration, blade change or not, the shadow is dead-on kerf width.
- Massive crosscut capacity (2x16 at 90° and 2x12 at 45°) handles wide stair treads and framing lumber without flipping stock.
- Tall sliding fences support 6-3/4" vertical baseboard against the fence.
- Cast-iron bed and stainless detent plate take jobsite beatings without rattling out of square.
- At 56 pounds, it is a backbreaker if you don't keep it mounted on a rolling stand.
- Stock dust collection is pretty mediocre unless you hook up a dedicated high-CFM dust extractor with an aftermarket chute boot.
- Takes up massive bench depth behind the saw because of the traditional rail design.
The No-BS Reality
Everybody drools over the Festool Kapex KS 120. It’s light, the forward-facing rails save bench space, and it looks pretty on Instagram. But it also costs $1,600, and the second a chunk of 2x8 offcut catches the blade shroud, you're looking at a $300 repair bill.
I’ve had this DeWalt DWS780 bolted to my bench and hauled in the back of my truck for years. At $250 used (or even $600 brand new on sale), this saw is the undisputed king of real work.
The single best engineering decision DeWalt made on this saw was the XPS shadow line. I despise laser guides. The second you bump a laser housing or swap from a thin-kerf blade to a heavy framing blade, your laser is lying to you. The XPS system shines two bright ultra-LEDs past the actual blade kerf, casting a razor-sharp shadow exactly where the teeth will hit the wood. You can drop the arm in bright daylight or a dim pole barn, look at the shadow, and cut to the pencil line every single time. It never needs adjustment. Period.
Where It Earns Its Keep
- Bevel Detents that Actually Lock: The stainless steel miter plate has 10 positive stops. When you drop the cam-lock lever into 45°, it thuds into place with zero slop. You don't have to fiddle with an engineer's square every morning.
- Capacities: It cuts 2x16 dimensional lumber laid flat and tall 6-3/4" baseboards standing upright against the fence. That means I can trim out an entire room without doing bevel gymnastics.
- Motor Power: 15 amps with heavy direct-gear drive. It doesn't bog in wet pressure-treated pine or dense 8/4 white oak.
The Annoyances
- Dust Control: The factory rubber dust boot catches maybe 50% of the chips. The other 50% ends up all over the wall behind the saw unless you install an oversized aftermarket cowl.
- Rear Rail Depth: Because the rails slide out the back, this saw needs almost 36 inches of clearance from the wall. You can't tuck it flat against shop shelving like a Bosch glide saw.
Final Call
If you have the bench depth and a solid stand, buy the DWS780. It’s an American jobsite staple for a reason.
Shop Benchmarks & Specs
| Rating | 4.9 |
| Opp Score | 0.0 |