DeWalt is one of the best-reviewed and most well-known saw and woodworking tool manufacturers around. They’ve produced tons of excellent table saws and similar machines. The DW745 and DWE7480 are two of its mainline tools, but they’re also extremely similar. Figuring out which one is more worth your time and money can be a bit tricky if you haven’t used them before.
Fortunately, I can tell you all about both saws. I’ll break both machines down so you know exactly what each one brings to the table and what they’re worth. Let’s begin!
Contents
Comparison Table
| Features | DeWalt DW745 | DeWalt DWE7480 |
|---|---|---|
| RPM | 3,850 | 4800 |
| Max Amp | 15 | 15 |
| Bevel Cuts | 0-45 | 0-45 |
| Rip Capacity | 20 " | 24 " |
| Weight | 45 pounds | 45 pounds |
| Voltage | 120 | 120 |
| Warranty | 3 Years | 3 Years |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
DeWalt DW745 10-Inch Table Saw: In-Depth Review
Let’s start with the DW745. Right off the bat, it’s easy to see a lot of value with this table saw. It’s got an 1850 W motor, which allows it to cut through virtually any workpiece you feed it quickly and capably. The 10-inch blade that comes with the purchase spins at about 3,850 RPM. Thus, your cuts should be pretty quick and clean no matter how you decide to apply the saw. It can be beveled between 0° and 45°.
It also has excellent rip capacity across the board, with 20 inches on the right side of the blade and 12 inches on the left side of the blade. Therefore, I’d easily call this table saw spacious compared to many other compact offerings.
The fence system can easily be extended with one hand, and it’s durable without being too heavy or tilting the table saw to the side. Sheet materials, wooden planks, you name it… it’s all cut-able with this saw without having to adjust your workpiece too much. The telescoping design of the fence also means that it won’t break too quickly like you sometimes experience with cheaper table saws.
I also really like that the saw has a decent maximum cut depth at about 3 1/8 inches at 90° and 2 ¼ inches at 45°. This will let you make deep beveled cuts as necessary on any workpiece. What about guarding? The DW745 features a modular guarding system, so you can set up the guardrails as you need or however works best for your current workpiece. This is also advantageous because you’ll be able to maneuver your tools around the saw without the guard rail necessarily getting in the way.
The top of the table saw is designed for ultimate stability and smoothness. The surface is coated to reduce friction regardless of material and improve your cut quality. It’s easy to set up. Itdoesn’t require any tools to get going. There is also a metal roll cage which results in a sturdy base that’ll be quite durable compared to table saws that only have plastic bases. It also features a locking mechanism that fits on top of most table stands.
The entire machine weighs 45 pounds, allowing you to move it from your workshop to your worksite without too much difficulty. Even better, you’ll find a couple of onboard storage components. You can use these to store the smaller pieces of the saw or smaller accessories as you decide. There’s an additional 2 ½ inch dust collection port. You can hook it up to any standard shop vac to efficiently extract dust and maintain a cleaner work environment.
Finally, I’ve got to mention the three-year limited warranty. It includes one year of free service for repairs from regular use or catastrophic damage (so long as the damage was because of a manufacturing issue). An additional 90-day moneyback guarantee rounds out all this saw’s offerings.
Pros:
- Very sturdy overall
- Modular rail design is user-friendly
- Telescoping fence allows you to fit a variety of workpieces
- Has a dust collection port
- Motor is well-designed, good power
- Comes with a good warranty
Cons:
- Hose attachment nozzle could fit a bit better
- Setup instructions aren’t great
- Fence lock-down lever can be finicky
DeWalt DWE7480 10-Inch Compact Job Site Table Saw: In-Depth Review
Now let’s take a look at the DWE7480. This comes with a 10-inch blade and a 4800 RPM motor, which blasts the last saw out of the water in terms of blade rotation speed. The motor is rated at 15 amps to provide adequate torque and power, so you shouldn’t have any trouble making precise and clean cuts on a variety of workpieces. The blade is made of carbide and has 24 teeth; this means it should last for a long time even with lots of use. It can be adjusted between zero and 45° for bevel applications, just like the DW745.
This saw also features a telescoping fence rail, enabling you to make your adjustments quickly and easily. They can be locked with a lever just like the last saw’s design, and it provides you with 24 ½ inches of rip. Thus, you can cut a variety of larger materials or workpieces without too much difficulty. Again, this is more than the DW745 provided for even its larger, rail-facing side.
Guarding components return in a modular form as well. You can use these to guard your hands and fingers as needed and position the guards in good spots around the table surface. Speaking of which, DeWalt made this table smooth friction-resistant once again so your pieces shouldn’t stick or slip dangerously when you’re working on them.
Furthermore, the DWE7480 features adjustable rear feet that can help you level the saw on any uneven work surfaces. It’s a great jobsite saw for this reason, where the place you have to set up might not be as ideal as your regular workshop table. A dust port for a 2 ½ inch vacuum is there in almost the same spot, though it suffers from the same difficulties in fitting a vacuum tube in as the DW745 did.
Like the DW745, the DWE7480 has a metal roll cage that can offer extra stability and better durability than plastic bases. It’s also 45 pounds in total, enabling you to move it on and off your worksite relatively easily. On-board storage compartments willlet you place accessories and the push stick securely into place when you’re moving the saw: again, this is a big plus.
All in all, these two table saws are pretty similar, both in terms of form and function. They feature many of the same’s advantages and disadvantages; the DWE7480 is mostly just a little larger and comes with a little more cutting power thanks to its faster motor.
Pros:
- Has slightly faster rpm than the DW745
- Has a telescoping fence rail system for fast adjustments
- Very durable overall
- Easy to guard your hands and fingers
- Has several storage compartments
- Allows you to hook up a shop vac
Cons:
- Shop-vac port is difficult to fit sometimes
- Fence rail durability is a little more fragile on this saw
- Setup instructions aren’t great as well
DeWalt DWE7480 vs DW745: What Features Do They Have in Common?
Now that we’ve taken an in-depth look at both of these table saws, let’s set them up side-by-side and see how their similarities compare. There will be a lot more of these than differences just because of how the two table saws are constructed: they’re made by the same manufacturer for generally the same purpose, with only a few differences in terms of capacity and power.
-
Fence Rails
Both the DW745 and the DWE7480 use a fence rail system that has a telescoping design. This way, you can quickly make adjustments to your fence rail to accommodate larger or smaller workpieces in an instant. There’s a locking lever on this fence rail that you flip to hold the fence rail in place.
Both saws’ rails are durable compared to other offerings on the market, but the DWE7480 is a little more fragile, probably because it’s a bit longer.Ultimately, I’d give this fence rail style a thumbs up overall for both table saws because of its functionality and its ease-of-use.
-
Modular Guard
The DW745 and the DWE7480 both feature a modular guarding system. This allows you to protect your thumbs and other fingers from the blade of your table saw. It’s modular because it can be altered somewhat to fit the shape of your workpiece or your current working position.
Both of these saws use the exact same modular guarding system; they’re even the same size. Thus, I give this aspect high marks as well. Modular guarding systems are pretty standard for table saws all across the industry, so it would really only be a bad thing if both of these saws neglected to have modular systems in the first place.
-
Shop-Vac Hookup
The saws also incorporate the exact same shop vac dust collection hook up port, which is sized for 2 ½ inches. In brief, you can hook up a vacuum or another dust collection machine to this collection port. It’s on the side of the table saw and will automatically let you run a shop vac to clean up the dust shavings and other debris. Doing this prevents the debris from floating around your workpiece and creating a cluttered or dirty environment.
The only trouble is that the attachment port is a bit difficult to work with some types of shop fax. I tried several and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for why some shop vacs fit better and others don’t. For the record, anyshop-vac sized for 2 ½ inches should eventually fit; I’m just saying that the vacuum tube might take some struggling on your part to get it fully secure.
Either way, it’s still a good thing that both of the table saws have the system in the first place. Too many high-priced table saws don’t include dust collection as a feature at all, which would be a big downside.
-
Storage Compartments
The DW745 and the DWE7480 also both incorporate several storage compartments that you can use for the modular guard pieces and the push stick. This is basically slotted into a spot specifically sized for the push stick. This is a small advantage overall, but it’s nice because it helps you carry all of the table saw components together when you move it from your workshop to your worksite. DeWalt clearly wanted these table saws to be as portable and compact as possible.
-
Metal Roll Cage
Both table saws also incorporate a metal roll cage. This is an exterior barrier of metal piping that the table saw rests on, and it provides the first line of defense in case the table saw is ever hit by another piece of equipment, a boot, or anything else.
This is a great development because it helps the table saw balance more steadily on uneven surfaces and it protects the internal components of the saw more than a plastic base. The cage has several feet on both saws, which can be adjusted so you can tilt the saw slightly one way or another in case you need to set it up on a slanted surface.
Overall, it’s a good cage, but it’s also one that DeWalt includes on the majority of their table saw models. So I’m not surprised to see it here.
-
Beveled Cuts
Most top-tier table saws include beveled cut functionality, and the DW745 and the DWE7480 do as well. You can make beveled cuts between 0° and 45° on both table saw models. This is a necessary function for most serious craftsmen.
-
Weight
Finally, both table saws also weigh 45 pounds. This is actually pretty decent given the functionality and power of both saws. Carrying them to and from a worksite will be tiring but not overly difficult for any guy who’s in shape enough to be doing this kind of work in the first place.
DeWalt DW745 vs DWE7480: How Are They Different From One Another?
Now let’s get to the differences; there aren’t very many, but we need to list them so we can fully determine which one is actually better overall.
-
RPM
The DWE7480 has more RPM than the DW745 by about 1000. In a nutshell, this means that theDWE7480 will go faster and produce cleaner, smoother cuts on most workpieces without struggling nearly as hard. It’s a result of the DWE7480’s saw socket design, too, because both table saws use similar motors that can produce 15 amps.
Will it matter so much for your work? It’s up to you; for my money, and given the overall similarity between the two tools, why wouldn’t you go with the one that can produce higher RPM?
-
Rip Capacity
The DWE7480 also has a higher rip capacity of 24 ½ inches compared to the DW745’s 20 inches maximum. Rip capacity is the space you have from the center of the cutting blade and the absolute maximum barrier of the fence rail.
Basically, the DWE7480 can work with bigger workpieces and longer sheet materials because it has a couple of extra inches of room. The minor fragility that comes with the fence rail as a trade-off isn’t really much of a disadvantage in my book.
The Final Verdict: Which is Better?
So, taking all these factors into consideration, which of the two was more worth your time and money? I’d say the DWE7480. While the two table saws are pretty similar through and through, you can get the DWE7480 for not too much higher of an overall asking price. It has all of the same advantages and benefits that theDW745 brings to the table.
But the DWE7480 also comes with its own unique perks like greater rip capacity and faster RPM for its saw blade. Thus, you’ll be able to work with more workpieces and chew through more cuts even more quickly with the DWE7480 compared to what you could do with the DW745.
Ultimately, both table saws are great pieces of equipment. But serious woodworkers or professionals will probably want the DWE7480 overall.
See Also:
