DEWALT DW705 Review: Buy Used or Choose the DWS715?

Bottom line

The DEWALT DW705 is a used-tool purchase, not a normal new-saw recommendation. It can be worthwhile for a buyer who wants a simple 12-inch compound miter saw on a fixed bench and can inspect the actual unit before paying. It is a poor fit for anyone shopping remotely, expecting current warranty support, or assuming every old DEWALT is automatically a bargain.

There is also a safety gate that belongs before price. DEWALT’s 2001 recall-to-repair notice covers DW705 Type 1 saws with date codes 9201 through 9340. A separate 2005 safety announcement revised blade-changing instructions for several models, including the DW705 family, with date codes up to 200525. Check the saw’s nameplate and date code against both notices before plugging it in.

For most buyers, the cleaner decision is the current DEWALT DWS715 . It keeps the straightforward 12-inch, corded, non-sliding format while adding a current manual, warranty, included clamp, and known package contents.

DW705 or DWS715: the quick decision

The DW705 only wins when the individual saw is demonstrably sound and the discount pays you for taking on age-related risk. If the used seller is asking anywhere near the cost of a current saw, the value case disappears.

The safety check comes first

Do not start by cutting scrap to see whether the saw works. Start with the model plate.

1. Confirm that the saw is actually a DW705, then record its type and date code.
2. Compare those markings with DEWALT’s 2001 DW705 Type 1 recall notice . The affected range is 9201 through 9340.
3. Read DEWALT’s revised blade-changing safety announcement , which includes specified DW705-family saws with date codes up to 200525.
4. If the seller cannot provide clear photos of the plate or evidence that an affected saw was repaired, walk away.

The recall issue is not cosmetic. DEWALT says bolts on affected Type 1 saws could loosen and allow the blade to detach. That makes an unidentified marketplace listing a bad place to save money.

What a used DW705 must pass

Once the safety identity is clear, inspect the machine as a system.

Guard and blade area

With the saw unplugged, check that the guard moves freely and returns without help. Inspect the blade-changing hardware described in DEWALT’s safety instructions, the arbor area, and visible fasteners. Reject a saw with improvised hardware, a cracked guard, unexplained rubbing, or side-to-side arbor movement.

Fence, table, and repeatability

Look for a bent fence, deep blade strikes, cracked castings, and repairs around the pivot or base. A used miter saw earns its keep through repeatability. It should return consistently to zero, hold its bevel setting, and settle positively into the common miter detents.

Bring a known straight board and square if the seller permits a test. Make a full-depth crosscut, then check the cut rather than trusting the pointer alone. Repeat the cut after moving away from and back to zero. One square cut is not proof of repeatability.

Brake, switch, cord, and bearings

Listen through start-up and coast-down. The switch should feel deliberate, the electric brake should behave consistently, and the blade should not wobble. Reject damaged insulation, taped cord repairs, burning smells, heavy bearing noise, or a trigger that sticks.

Completeness

Missing clamps, wrenches, fences, dust parts, or fasteners matter. They turn a cheap saw into a parts-search project, and compatibility claims on third-party listings are often broader than the actual model/type fit. Price the exact missing parts before making an offer.

What the current DWS715 gives you

DEWALT lists the DWS715 as a current 15-amp, 12-inch, single-bevel compound miter saw with a 4,000 RPM motor, 14 positive miter stops, a tall sliding fence, and a cam miter lock. It bevels from 0 to 48 degrees left and 0 to 3 degrees right.

Its published dimensional-lumber capacities are 2-by-8 at 90 degrees and 2-by-6 at 45 degrees. The package includes a carbide-tipped blade, wrench, dust bag, and vertical clamp. Those facts make the real comparison clearer: the DWS715 is for buyers who want straightforward trim and framing cuts without paying for a sliding mechanism.

The limitation is width. If your regular work includes shelving, wide base, or broad crosscuts, first read our guide to when a sliding miter saw is worth the upgrade . Buying a simple non-slider and immediately wishing for more crosscut capacity is not economical.

Who should still consider a DW705?

A DW705 can fit a buyer who:

• can inspect and test the saw locally;
• has verified that the model/type/date code is outside an affected range or has documented repair;
• wants a fixed-shop saw for repeat trim and framing cuts;
• is comfortable calibrating and maintaining an older corded tool; and
• is paying a price that leaves room for a blade, clamp, dust parts, or minor service.

It may also suit an owner who already has a sound DW705 and needs a decision about keeping it. A functioning, square saw that has passed the safety checks does not need replacing merely because a newer model exists.

Who should skip it?

Skip the DW705 if you are buying sight unseen, cannot verify its date code, or need the saw ready for paid work immediately. Also skip it if you want current warranty coverage, easy return rights, sliding capacity, dual-bevel convenience, or a cordless jobsite workflow.

First-time miter-saw buyers should use our miter saw buying guide to decide on blade size, slide, bevel, dust control, and stand space before comparing used prices. The cheapest saw is rarely the cheapest setup if it is the wrong class.

A practical offer rule

Do not value the DW705 from the DEWALT badge or the seller’s claim that it was “built better back then.” Value the individual saw from four things:

1. verified safety status;
2. repeatable accuracy;
3. complete, serviceable hardware; and
4. the gap between its all-in cost and a current warranted alternative.

Add the likely cost of a correct 12-inch crosscut blade, missing accessories, transport, and the time needed to calibrate it. If that total approaches a new DWS715, buy the current saw.

Verdict

The DW705 is not an automatic avoid, but it is no longer the easy recommendation the old title suggested. It is a condition-dependent used tool with two manufacturer safety notices that buyers need to understand.

Choose a verified, square, complete DW705 only when the price is decisively low and the non-sliding format matches the work. Choose the current DWS715 when you want the same basic class of saw with a known specification, current support, and fewer unknowns.

Sources

• DEWALT DWS715 product specifications
• DEWALT 2001 DW704 Type 1 and DW705 Type 1 recall-to-repair notice
• DEWALT 2005 revised blade-changing instructions notice