Dewalt makes tools for the professional on the go. They cater to contractors who travel from jobsite to jobsite and have to carry their tools with them. Dewalt table saws are well suited for that purpose. They are designed for portability, but also to be able to stand up to everyday use.
The entry-level Dewalt table saw is the DW745. If portability is your main concern, the DW745 could be your ultimate table saw. It is super light weight at only 45 pounds, and is one of the smallest professional quality table saws out there. It has a "roll cage" that protects the cabinet and gives you plenty of handy places to grab it and carry it.
The DW745 has a 16 inch rip capacity, and uses the trademark Dewalt telescoping rack and pinion fence. Rather than manually sliding the fence, you turn a knob that moves the fence left and right. It has a 15 amp motor, and max depth of cut is 3-1/8 inch.
This saw gets terrific ratings overall. Gathering Dewalt table saw reviews from a number of different sources, I came up with over a hundred different reviews for this model, with a combined rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. The average rating would be even higher except that some folks seem to expect full-size performance and features in a lightweight, portable saw.
Owners in general love the rack and pinion fence, and say that it has plenty of power. The light weight and small overall envelope is great if you are getting the saw in and out of a vehicle frequently, or lugging it up and down stairs.
The most common complaint is the low quality of the blade that comes with it. Many don't like the plastic miter gauge, and say that it is loose in the slot. Another common complaint is that it will not accept a dado blade. The motor starts abruptly and is loud, but that is common among most portable table saws in its price range.
Next up is the Dewalt DW744X. It has similar specs and features as the DW745, but offers a larger table surface and a 24-1/2 inch rip capacity. It comes with the same type of rack and pinion fence, and has a folding stand instead of the roll cage design. It also has a soft-start motor to eliminate the abrupt start-up of the DW745. It will also accept up to a 13/16" dado blade.
The DW744X Dewalt table saw reviews are not as great as the DW745, but are still good overall. I came up with an average of 4.2 stars out of 5, with over fifty ratings from several different sources. Some of these reviews were quite old though, and I believe Dewalt has corrected some of the issues that showed up in early reviews.
People still like the rack and pinion fence system on the DW744X, but find that it doesn't seem to hold its alignment as well as it does on the DW745. I imagine this is partly due to is being one and a half times longer than on the smaller saw. This one has the same complaints about the plastic miter gauge and it being loose in the slots.
Finally we have the DW744XRS. It is essentially the same machine as the DW744X, but comes with folding legs and wheels. The DW744XRS gets better overall ratings, averaging 4.6 out of 5 stars with over thirty reviews found. It of course has the same complaints as the DW744X: plastic miter gauge that is loose in the slots, and some fence alignment issues.
If you are in the market for a portable table saw that can stand up to daily use, a Dewalt should be on your must-see list. They are light, durable, and designed for portability. Pricing is very comparable to other professional jobsite saws. The telescoping rack and pinion fence gets high marks, especially on the little DW745. Overall, the Dewalt table saw reviews are excellent, and they are definitely worth a look.
