Entry level miter saw opinions
 

I've been looking at the Dewalt DW703. Any opinions?

"nivek" wrote in message

I've been looking at the Dewalt DW703. Any opinions?


Good saw.

I cannot speak to the specific saw.

I will speak to "Entry level" in you title. I have recently realized that I
am spending the last half of my life replacing entry level stuff with the
good stuff I really wanted. It would have been cheaper and more satisfying
to buy the good stuff in the first place.

With that said take no offense against the Dewalt tool. The make pretty
good stuff.

So there. Said that!

"RonB" wrote in message
news:tTi9d.558$EZ.216@okepread07...
I will speak to "Entry level" in you title. I have recently realized that
I
am spending the last half of my life replacing entry level stuff with the
good stuff I really wanted. It would have been cheaper and more
satisfying
to buy the good stuff in the first place.

But, didn't it take your using some of the entry level stuff to really know
what kind of good stuff you actually wanted?

"nivek" wrote in message ...
I've been looking at the Dewalt DW703. Any opinions?

If this is the 12" compound miter saw your referring to, buy it , it's
an excellent saw. I have used these saws since they first came out, I
am not a big Dewalt fan, but this saw is one of their better tools
they make.
mike

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 17:59:07 -0400, "Upscale"
wrote:

"RonB" wrote in message
news:tTi9d.558$EZ.216@okepread07...
I will speak to "Entry level" in you title. I have recently realized that
I
am spending the last half of my life replacing entry level stuff with the
good stuff I really wanted. It would have been cheaper and more
satisfying
to buy the good stuff in the first place.

But, didn't it take your using some of the entry level stuff to really know
what kind of good stuff you actually wanted?

I think that is a very good point...
the beauty of places like ebay and HF are that you can get tools NOW
at budget prices... to use while learning not only how to work with
and use the tool, but whether or not it will be an important part of
your shop..

My first biscuit jointer was on sale at HF for $40... I made my
learners mistakes while abusing it and realizing WHY the dewalt was so
expensive... and that it WAS worth $140... YMMV

(I'm still using my $99 HF 9' disk / 4x48" belt sander and it does
every thing that I need, at least at my present skill/knowledge level)

patriarch wrote in message 9.17...
(mike) wrote in
om:

"nivek" wrote in message
...
I've been looking at the Dewalt DW703. Any opinions?

If this is the 12" compound miter saw your referring to, buy it , it's
an excellent saw. I have used these saws since they first came out, I
am not a big Dewalt fan, but this saw is one of their better tools
they make.
mike

I think the 12" is the 705, which I own, and about which I agree with Mike.

The 703 is a 10", and runs about $100 less at Amazon.

If you can go for the extra money, the 12" is a "keeper" saw, with capacity
to do everything a homeowner or hobbyist can throw at it. Not being a
contractor, I can't vouch for that use.

Patriarch

Hi all,

SWMBO is warming up to the idea of putting crown molding in the house,
so a CMS (or maybe SCMS) purchase is in the not-too-distant future.
I've always assumed that a 10" saw would meet most homeowner's needs
but Patriarch's post suggests that I'd better rethink that position.
The 12" models typically bump the price up considerably but, if a 10"
model leaves me undersized, the savings is a moot point. What tasks
have you performed on a 12" MS that could not be completed on a 10"
MS? TIA.

Cheers,
Mike - hoping to make a well-informed purchase

"Mike" wrote in message
I've always assumed that a 10" saw would meet most homeowner's needs
but Patriarch's post suggests that I'd better rethink that position.
The 12" models typically bump the price up considerably but, if a 10"
model leaves me undersized, the savings is a moot point. What tasks
have you performed on a 12" MS that could not be completed on a 10"
MS? TIA.

Cutting wider boards. You are correct for the homeowner putting up window
and door trim, but for general wood working, their is always going to be a
board 1/2" wider than the capacity of your saw. The job I bought my saw for
was to install flooring. The 10" would have done the job but I decided to
bite the bullet and get the 12". I'm not sorry and I have used the extra
capacity. FWIW, I have the DeWalt 705. Came with a free ROS at the time
too!

A 10" slider will have additional capacity but the price jumps on those
also.

On 8 Oct 2004 12:31:51 -0700, (Mike) wrote:


SWMBO is warming up to the idea of putting crown molding in the house,
so a CMS (or maybe SCMS) purchase is in the not-too-distant future.
I've always assumed that a 10" saw would meet most homeowner's needs
but Patriarch's post suggests that I'd better rethink that position.
The 12" models typically bump the price up considerably but, if a 10"
model leaves me undersized, the savings is a moot point. What tasks
have you performed on a 12" MS that could not be completed on a 10"
MS? TIA.

Cheers,
Mike - hoping to make a well-informed purchase

Mine is a 10" and when I'm building RV wheel chocks, I have to cut
4x4's at a 30 degree angle... just enough of an angle to have to lift
the front of the stock a bit to cut the last 1/8"... a 12" would do a
4x4 at a 45 degree angle..

5 1/2" crown moulding. By the way, either get a really good book on crown
installation from the library, or find someone to SHOW you how to do it
right. You will suffer far less that way. The process is far more than
just having the right tools.


I'll second the book as a wise purchase, also extra material. In my
home, I used my wife as my assistant. The Crown is "interesting" in a
few places. I would also invest in a laser level which can get close
to the ceiling. After working in my kitchen recently, the last piece
I was putting up turned out to be 1/2" down from the roof to match a
mating piece at a little softit jig. My wallpaper/level/ruler
combination reported the roof to be severely out of plumb. SO NOW I
have to caulk that little bugger.

I also recommend you learn how to cope, it's not that hard, secret is
a fine tooth blade and a bit of practice. If you are not painting
your crown, you have your work cut out for you and I would increase
the budget 50% for replacement pieces.

I would also recommend one of those expanding posts/jack doo dads that
can hold a piece of crown on the roof and wall while you work the
other end. My wife's smidgeon and mine are about .01 to .125+ apart.

Alan

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 00:25:02 GMT, patriarch
wrote:


I think the 12" is the 705, which I own, and about which I agree with Mike.

The 703 is a 10", and runs about $100 less at Amazon.

If you can go for the extra money, the 12" is a "keeper" saw, with capacity
to do everything a homeowner or hobbyist can throw at it. Not being a
contractor, I can't vouch for that use.


I'm a 40-shot handicapper an this and also looking at the 705.
But I just ran across the 712 and wonder if that one wouldn't
make the most sense as a general cutter for someone who
doesn't do anything fancy. I realize that it's limited in the
thickness it can handle but I very rarely do anything with wood
over 2" thick, and then it's for fence posts anyway.