I broke my Dewalt DW705 miter saw.

[MikeInOr]

The blade guard on my Dewalt DW705 12" compound non-sliding miter saw cracked when I dropped it. Everything else seems to be in good shape. A replacement guard is going to cost me $100. I can buy a DW715 off Amazon which appears to be comparable for $229. Should I buy a $100 replacement guard for my 20 year old saw, a new comparable saw for $229, or look for something else?

I have no interest in a sliding compound miter saw (SCMS). I have never seen one that comes close to keeping an angle like a non-sliding saw. I own a 1947 - 7.5hp 16" RedStar 60A turret arm radial arm saw (predecessor to the Rockwell/Delta turret arm RAS's) that makes SCMS's bow their heads in shame. What matters to me is an accurate repeatable angle and a 12" blade is all the cut capacity I will ever need.

Are there any CMS that are any better than my old DW705? Are the new Dewalt CMS (DW715) as good as the original? Are there any new CMS's that would be an upgrade? Mainly for accuracy? Weight and portability don't matter to me. Dust collection... might matter a little. I see there are belt drive CMS's that give a touch more capacity. Do they have any other advantages other than a minor bit larger cut? Sound?

The one thing I have been disappointed in with my DW705 is the Irwin laser guide that replaces the retaining washer on the blade to give a nice laser guide line doesn't fit on my DW705.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[chip maker]

Can't you just repair the guard, maybe epoxy of some type. If it is only cracked doesn't seem to be that big of deal to do some type of repair.

 

[brino]

I did a quick check on Thingiverse to see if someone had already made a 3-D model, but no luck.
I searched by both "Delta" and "DW705".
If you are good at CAD, perhaps you could model it yourself and get it 3D printed in either ABS or Nylon.

-brino

 

[MikeInOr]

The plastic part is actually unscathed, it is the aluminum inner part of the guard that actually cracked and is warped all out of shape. I tried beating it into submission but that just extends the crack. The part is so warped the lower guard doesn't really operate properly. The aluminum part is only available as a kit and $94.95 on ebay is the best I can find. My 16" radial arm saw only has an upper guard and it is my most used saw. I will give the Dewalt a try without the lower guard and see how it does... and see if I feel comfortable with it.

After thinking about it for quite a bit I think I am just going to run it without the lower guard. The upper guard that covers the majority of the blade is fine.

So many miter saws come up on craigslist that have practically no use on them I think I am going to just run what I have and pick up a double bevel CMS when a deal comes up. There has been a couple times that it would have been handy to be able to bevel in the opposite direction. I couldn't find any CMS's that seem to out perform the Dewalt so that is what I will probably stick with.

Thank you for the replies, I appreciate them!

 

[mksj]

FYI, I had a DW705 for 20+ years and it served me well but the cord started to rot out. I no longer have an overhead saw and my table saw is a little Dewalt unit that I inherited. I ended up getting the DWS780 a couple of years ago when they were running sales and it included a free folding stand. It is a slider, but it cuts as well if not better than my DW705 and it is a double bevel. I also like that the motor sits on top of the drive so out of the way. I do use the laser positioning light but not sure it is worth the additional cost, the DWS779 is $200 less and other than the laser the same saw. You can lock the sliders and they work as a fixed pivot. This allows me to cut wider boards and do more bevel work. I have a mess of 4x4's and 2x8's sitting in a pile for a project, my DW780 is going to be rolled outside and see a lot of use if it ever stops raining here.