Dewalt DW744XRS Table Saw Review

Dewalt DW744XRS Table Saw Review

The Dewalt DW744XRS Table Saw is Dewalt’s dedicated 10-inch job-site table saw. Aimed squarely at professionals and contractors who want a highly portable, large capacity table saw it has a number of excellent features, including Dewalt’s exclusive rack and pinion telescoping fence rails which extends the large 26-1/2-inch x 19-1/4-inch table surface to give you that all-important 24-1/2-inch rip capacity (all-important because a rip capacity greater than 24 inches means you can do anything you need to with a full sheet of plywood).

Weighing in at 58 lbs (excluding the stand) and with the integrated rolling stand with folding legs it’s designed to be be hauled around the job site and hoisted into the back of the pickup or van. In use, the folding stand puts the table top at 30-inches off the floor which is just about the perfect working height for most people.

The powerful 15 amp motor is smooth and has tremendous cutting power, and the DW744XRS also comes with Dewalt’s new Site-Pro Modular Guarding System which is a tool-free, adjustable guard system.

What to Look for When Buying a Table Saw

The central tool in almost all cabinetmaking shops is the table saw, probably the most useful single tool the average woodworker is going to have, because the work it does serves as a base for everything that comes afterwards. There are 3 main types – bench top, contractor and cabinet saw – with bench top table saws being the lightest, used most often by contractors and other people who need a lightweight, portable job-site saw.

Once you’ve used one you’ll wonder how you managed without it and you certainly won’t want it sitting back in the workshop when you’re out on site – hence the popularity of lightweight, portable saws. Whatever type you choose there are a number of features that you need to look for. In this Dewalt DW744XRS Table Saw Review we’ll take a look at the power of the motor, the guard, the fence, the miter gauge and dust extraction. Since this is a job-site saw we’ll also look at the portability and sturdiness.

I’ve given it five stars for its combination of quality, portability and competitive price among saws with comparable features

Powerful 15 Amp Motor

Despite its compact and lightweight design, the Dewalt DW744 still has a powerful 15 Amp motor with a no-load speed of 3,650 rpm which is adequate to rip through hardwoods and pressure treated lumber.

Site-Pro Modular Guarding System

The Dewalt DW744XRS uses Dewalt’s Site-Pro™ Modular Guarding System which is a three-part, modular system that includes a rise and fall riving knife, anti-kickback pawls and top guard. This tool-free, adjustable guard system provides an easy-to-use blade guard that offers a clear line of sight when making cuts, and minimizes installation and removal of guard components to 30 seconds or less.

The tool-free riving knife helps to reduce the occurrence of kickback and allows users to easily change riving knives in order to accommodate for various blade thicknesses. Additionally, the riving knife can be situated in two different positions for making through cuts and non-through cuts. A spring-loaded lock helps users quickly find the detents for each position.

Telescoping Rack and Pinion Fence

To increase the cutting capacity of this compact saw, the DW744XRS has telescoping fence rails; this means you can retract the fence rails when you’re carrying it around and then by extending the rails you get that all-important 24-1/2-inch rip capacity to the right of the blade. For contractors and anyone else using full-sized sheets of plywood 24 inches is the magic number as it means you can do anything you need to with a full sheet. Another excellent feature is that the fence rails have rack and pinion adjustment which makes adjusting the fence fast and smooth, and most importantly accurate – once you’ve locked down the fence it doesn’t budge at all.

Miter Gauge

In line with pretty well every table saw on the market, including expensive cabinet saws, the miter gauge that is supplied with this saw is fairly basic. If you plan to do a lot of cross cutting then you should consider investing in an after market miter gauge. There are some excellent miter gauges on the market and you can read reviews of the best of them at Miter Gauge Reviews

Dust Extraction

Whether you are working on site or in the workshop, dust extraction is very important, and the Dewalt DW744XRS has a 2″ dust collection port that you can attach to a Shop-Vac to safely and efficiently extract dust from the work area.

Sturdy and portable design

This saw gives you everything that you need in a portable saw – although the DW744XRS is not that compact, it’s reasonably lightweight at only 58lbs (excluding the stand which weighs 33lbs) meaning you can easily move it around and lift it into your pickup, and as it’s designed with the job site in mind it’s also very sturdy with a number of useful features, including a heavy-duty kickstand which allows the stand to balance upright, quick connect stand brackets, a wide stand base and offset rear legs for stability, folding legs with quick release levers which collapse under the stand, minimizing overall size and heavy-duty aluminum construction which can withstand loads up to 200lbs.

What are other people saying?

The Dewalt DW744XRS Table Saw has received a lot of excellent comments from users

  • “This saw has been the only real choice for professionals wanting a portable table saw for the last 15+ years”
  • “Overall this saw is the best when it comes to yanking it out of the truck and making a quality cut within seconds of plugging it in”
  • “Highly recommended and add a freud 24 tooth thin rip blade and it is amazing”
  • “You would have a hard time matching this combo of saw and stand”
  • “I’ve given it five stars for its combination of quality, portability and competitive price among saws with comparable features”

Any complaints?

We couldn’t find any major complaints about this table saw, although there were a couple of minor gripes about the miter gauge. As we said earlier, the miter gauge that is supplied with this saw (and with pretty well every other table saw including high-end cabinet saws) is fairly basic – you should consider upgrading if you are going to do a lot of cross cutting. You can read reviews of the best miter gauges on the market at Miter Gauge Reviews

What kind of warranty is there?

Even though this saw is aimed at the job-site and can expect to get a bit of heavy treatment, you still get a three-year limited warranty, one-year free service, and 90-day money-back guarantee