Thread: Need advice for the purchase of compound drop saw?

The Makitas at those prices are made in China, thats why only 1 yr warranty. If you want quality makita by the made in Japan.

The Dewalt at that price is also probably China but Im not 100% certain.

The laser on any power tool is only good for approx cutting, not 100% accurate and they are prone to moving with vibration. More of a gimmick but do have their place for cutting approximately to size.

personally, I have had nothing good to say about Dewalt, the 3 or 4 tools I have had in the past have all been lemons!!!

Your cant do better than a quality compound slide mitre saw, they are really versatile but you have to be prepared to spend the right $ if you want quality.

If you are just doing an owner builder job (new or reno) and dont intend using it much after that, get the cheap Makita.

If you are going to be serious and have constant / continuous use for it, get the quality one.

Look at Bosch as well.

A plain drop saw is a waste of time, too limited in what they can do and do not allow a proper degree of finesse.

Remember, the secret to good tools that cut is SHARP blades, regular disciplined maintenance and work within the design capacity of the equipment.

I have had a quality Makita compound slide saw for 14 yrs that has seen some serious work both on site and in the shed and still cuts like brand new.

Thanks Ray for the advice,
I will be using it for some owner builder reno work. On a previous project a couple of years ago I used a cheap Ozito 12 inch sliding compound mitre drop saw, but the mitre angels were a joke, 45% was never spot on and when I finally worked out the correct angle I just locked it in for all my mitre cuts. I still have this Ozito for basic cuts.

I just noticed the Dewalt at Sydney tools for $380 so if Bunning’s match with their price guarantee then it will drop the price to around $340, would it be worth it at this price?

SYDNEY TOOLS - Dewalt Tradesman 254mm 10'' Compound Mitre Saw

Cheers,

Andrew

I ended up finding the DW713-xe on ebay for $339 including FREE Aust wide postage, I would have provided a link but I can no longer find it for that price.
I took a printout to Bunning's, I didn't think they would match it as it was just an online store, but they did and beat it by 10% so it cost me $305 less my store credit.

Out of the Box it looks and feels solid, bevel gauge is made of what I think is cast iron, the other Makita I was looking at just had a plastic pointer and sticker on it.
Tested a few Mitre cuts and they are perfect, so far I am very happy with my purchase but if I have any issues with it Dewalt have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

Cheers,

Andrew