by "shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
Published 02/09/2017 at 10:40
by "shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
Published 02/09/2017 at 10:40
Tags: Shop-Teacher's Tool Corner
STARS: 7
This morning I was perusing the tools for sale section of Craigslist, as I am apt to do whether I need something or not, and I came upon this ad for the original DeWalt sliding compound miter saw. I was immediately taken back down memory lane.
My uncle was the foreman of my dad’s construction company back in the day, and he purchased one of these saws brand new. It was a bit of a watershed tool, because before it if you wanted a saw with this kind of capability, you had to drag a damn radial arm saw to the job site.
I remember him being really happy for about a week, and then cursing it every chance he got after that. He passed away when I was in middle school, and I inherited his tools. The miter saw sat in a corner of my dad’s shop for several years. When I was in architecture school, I got a bug up my butt to make my life infinitely harder for no benefit, by building my design models out of wood instead of foam core. I dragged the saw out of retirement and set it up on the enclosed porch of my dumpy coach-house apartment.
It was there, while undoubtedly driving my downstairs neighbors insane (they never complained though!), that I got intimately familiar with the saw’s short-comings. To put it as nicely as possible, this saw was a pile of hot garbage. When you used the compound feature, the blade would actually eat into the frame of the saw itself. That was GREAT for the blade. The blade which is a weird and hard to find size, by the way. So you had to be really careful when compound cutting to only go down just far enough to get through the wood.
That was not the worst part though, not by a long shot. Miter saws all have preset stops at certain angles, generally 0, 22.5, and 45 degrees and a couple others in there too. The problem on this saw, was they were off by about 3/4 of a degree. That doesn’t sound like much, but I assure you it’s enough to mess everything up. So to get the saw square, I’d have to put it just to the left of the stop with one hand, hold a square against the blade with my other hand, and then tighten the angle stop down with my other other hand, but not so much that it would suck the saw back into the preset stop I was trying to avoid. I really got to hate my life whenever I had to reset the miter angle on that pile.
I think I dispatched that heap for $50 to some bonehead who didn’t understand the value of his time. When I saw the ad for this one, I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s the only other one of that saw I’ve ever seen. You’d have to pay me to touch one of those again.
If a used sliding compound miter saw is what you’re after, look about a decade past the not ready for prime-time 1707, and get yourself a DW708 like this one. When the 708 came out, it put every other tool manufacturer on notice that their junk was now hopelessly out of date.
The 708 was the first miter saw to move the motor on top of the blade and connect it with a belt. This made room for the saw to be able to compound in both directions. It miters up to 60 degrees in one direction and either 50 or 55 degrees in the other, and compounds 48 degrees either left or right. It was a real game changer, and this time the quality was there to make the new features meaningful.
At my insistence, my dad bought a new one when it came out, and I cannot tell you how much time having the ability to compound in both directions saves when you’re doing a big trim job. Adjustments to the angles are quick, easy, and most importantly accurate. The blade guard is both effective and unobtrusive, the electric brake stops things quickly. This saw is a delight to use, especially for those of us who remember what they used to be like. It only had one minor flaw, it’s so top-heavy that it needs to be screwed or clamped down.
Even the good miter saws I used, that were made in between the 1707 and the 708, felt like cumbersome dinosaurs in comparison. In the early 2000's, only a brand-loyal fool bought any sliding miter saw other than the 708. Teamed up with their 18 volt cordless tools that were the first really powerful and really good cordless tools, and the DW744 , the first really accurate and easy to use portable table saw, DeWalt became a juggernaut. There were a lot of job sites during the building boom where just about every tool you saw there was yellow.
I bought a used one about ten years ago for $400. It still kicks butt and takes names. Other saw manufactures have caught up and in some cases surpassed DeWalt. There are other tools with more wiz-bang features, lasers and junk. But none of them can do a single thing that my trusty old 708 can’t do. It still feels like a finely tuned machine, and it still puts a smile on my face every time I use it.
I’ve been thinking about starting a sub-blog about tools. All kinds of tools. I’m wondering if anybody here has any interest in that?
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/09/2017 at 10:52, STARS: 4
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"vondon302" (vondon302)
02/09/2017 at 10:53, STARS: 3
Sub blog on tools? Hell ya I’m in. This right here is a great start.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 10:57, STARS: 0
Thanks!
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 10:58, STARS: 1
I thought about calling it Tool Time, but that’s been done :)
"Wacko" (wacko--)
02/09/2017 at 10:59, STARS: 1
I’m in
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/09/2017 at 10:59, STARS: 0
How about Toolin’ Around?
"Tennessee Dreamer" (smokymtnhigh)
02/09/2017 at 11:02, STARS: 1
cool write-up, I’m also down for a tool sub-blog
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 11:13, STARS: 0
Thanks!
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 11:14, STARS: 0
I like it. There’s already somebody using that on facebook making birdhouses.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 11:15, STARS: 0
Haha!
"Wacko" (wacko--)
02/09/2017 at 11:16, STARS: 1
what ever it is, the sponsor has to be BinFord tools
"osucycler" (osucycler)
02/09/2017 at 11:17, STARS: 0
Nicely written!
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
02/09/2017 at 11:17, STARS: 0
I have a soft spot for old tools, but I’m always impressed at how refined the new stuff is, and how they make life so much easier.
I used to work for a construction company that had an assortment of different chop-saws, which really opened my eyes to the differences between them. There are so many little things that make a difference. There was a DeWalt that I really liked that folded into a more compact shape than the Makitas, and while they all locked and had a carry handle on top, this DeWalt had an extra handle on the side so that you could carry it sideways like a briefcase. It had nothing to do with the performance of the tool, but it was an outstanding feature nonetheless.
Of course, it was also easier to make adjustments and do blade changes than the older equipment, and that laser guide... mmmm, LOVE it.
"Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif" (lumpy44)
02/09/2017 at 11:19, STARS: 1
I would be in, spend most of time in the tool/DIY/Woodworking Reddit but would like to branch out!
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 11:20, STARS: 1
Yeah, those little things make a big difference. I have a soft-spot for old tools as well, especially hand tools. I just like fining the best tool for the job. Sometimes that’s the latest and greatest, and sometimes that’s finding the perfect old wrench at an estate sale.
Personally I don’t like the lasers, they mess with my eyes or something. The great thing about a slider, is you can bring the tooth of the blade right to the mark most of the time.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 11:22, STARS: 0
I’ve never gotten into Reddit. I like the kinja-sphere around here, and it seems that tool stuff pops up pretty regularly. I’ve been kicking around the idea for a while.
"Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif" (lumpy44)
02/09/2017 at 11:26, STARS: 0
Ya its tough to get a big following here since people mostly just share stuff right to Oppo. Reddit is nice since there is just soooo much content.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 11:29, STARS: 0
The Tool Box.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 11:30, STARS: 0
Yeah, I’ve seen many sub-blogs come and go because of that.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
02/09/2017 at 11:54, STARS: 0
BTW, I’m totally game for a tool blog. Please let me be an author if you start one!
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 12:07, STARS: 1
Oh, you’re definitely in! :)
I’m going to take a look at how to start a sub-blog tonight. I think I’ll call it The Tool Box.
"Roundbadge" (Roundbadge)
02/09/2017 at 12:21, STARS: 1
The lumberyard I worked in had a 708 and it was the first sliding compound miter saw I ever used. That thing was sweet. Corporate eventually standardized all the locations and made them phase it out in favor of a Delta panel saw, so it was stashed in a back room until one of the salesmen asked the manager to borrow it, and then just never returned with it. The manager quit and another manager came in, who never knew it existed.
That salesman probably still thinks he got away with it to this day....BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU DID, MIKE!
Honestly, he probably sold it for meth/beer money a few weeks later anyway.
I like the idea of a tools blog, though.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/09/2017 at 13:40, STARS: 1
I wonder what percentage of illicit drugs sales is funded through the sale of stolen tools? I’m guessing it’s sizable.
My old landlord had once been in charge of the maintenance division of a large property management company. He would have guys bring their tool belt to their job interview. If they had a cheap new belt full of junky Chinese tools, he knew that either they didn’t have the experience they were saying, or they had a drug problem and had hawked all their tools at a pawn shop.
"lleiro" (lleiro)
08/16/2019 at 14:35, STARS: 1
Hi! I just stumbled upon your post while doing some research on this apparent unicorn I got. I bought these Dewalt miter saw on gumtree (British version of Craigslist) and I checked it and although it needs some TLC it runs well. Now for the fan part I can not find the model number as all the usual identifiers are gone. I wrote to Dewalt US and UK and they don’t know either. It is a sliding one but only has one slider vs. t he more common two and the finding of the model has become a project on its own delaying the shed I am building. It would be so cool if given your expertise you or some of your followers can shed some light. It’s a 220v model.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
08/16/2019 at 15:20, STARS: 0
WOW! That is a unicorn! I’ve never seen that model. I’m guessing it was never sold here in the US. Hopefully somebody else here will know what it is. Maybe try contacting other saw makers? Perhaps this DeWalt was a short-lived rebadge of somebody else’s saw. That might explain why DeWalt has no “memory” of it . In the US I would try contacting Skill, Milwaukee, Makita, and Porter-Cable. There may be other European tool makers I don’t know about that you could try as well.
"lleiro" (lleiro)
08/16/2019 at 16:08, STARS: 1
Thanks! I am planning to remove the motor casing to see if there is something on the inside that can help. If it is a counterfeit one is really well done because is heavy as a rock it looks like is 20+ years old and still going so I need to find a way to add a lower guard to be on the safe side
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
08/16/2019 at 18:56, STARS: 0
I’m sure it’s not counterfeit, but I wouldn’t be surprised if DeWalt sold some other b rand’s saw as theirs for a short time while they were bringing theirs to the market.