Dewalt DWE7485 Review – Is this the best compact table saw?

The DeWalt DWE7485 is the successor to the much-loved DW475. The DW475 was discontinued due to changing safety regs.

The DeWalt DWE7485 table saw is a fantastic choice for carpenters; it’s a compact and portable table saw that can easily be transported between job sites, and I’ll show you why I love it in this DeWalt DWE7485 review.

This isn’t a 10-inch table saw, and that’s the change in safety regs. The DeWalt DWE7485 is an 8-¼” table saw, so for some, its rip capacity may be a bit lacking, coming in at 24.5″; if that’s you, then I suggest you check out the DWE7491RS which is a 10-inch table saw with a 32.5″ rip capacity.

If the smaller blade isn’t an issue, then you won’t be let down by this quality product from DeWalt.

The DeWalt DWE7485 offers exceptional angled cuts, cross-cutting, and ripping. It shares the same 15 amp power supply that you’ll find on the DWE7491RS and DW745 but weighs less than either of them; in fact, if you are after portable table saws, then this is about half the weight of the DWE7491RS package.

Sure it doesn’t have the same rip capacity, but the DeWalt DWE7485 jobsite table saw’s 8.5-inch blade is still up to the task; its 24.5-inch rip capacity is more than enough to break down those four by eight plywood sheets.

It continues the same usability provided by its predecessors by offering clear markings, easy-to-use controls, and micro-adjustability. You can find standing proud in Its included rack and pinion system, which makes making fence adjustments fast.

This DeWalt table saw has been designed for job site professionals and DIY’ers alike; for a small shop hobbyist, this is the perfect power tool for storing when not in use, and for contractors, moving this between job sites is just a breeze.

When you purchase this DeWalt table saw, you get a portable saw, the table rack and pinion telescoping fence, anti-kickback pawls, a miter gauge, push stick, a 24 tooth carbide blade, riving knife, blade changing wrenches, and a modular guard system.

DeWalt DWE7485 Review Pros & Cons

When purchasing a new tool, you want to know where it sails and where it falls.

Pros

• Lightweight, portable table saw
• Compact size for ease of transportation and storage
• Easy adjustments rack and pinion system
• Easy to use
• Accurate cuts from accurate controls
• 15 amps and 5,800 RPM motor
• Site pro modular guarding system
• Tool-free adjustments to the guard system
• Safety features are a huge focus, such as including push stick and blade brake
• Fantastic customer support and warranty
• Switch lock rack and pinion system
• Miter gauge and blade angle adjustment
• Power loss reset prevention
• Good onboard storage

Cons

• The 8.5″ blade does limit the max rip capacity
• No included wheeled stand
• It cannot accept dado blades or a dado stack (which is no different from the DW745)

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Dewalt DWE7485 Table Saw Main features

Size and weight

This is a portable, and compact table saw; its dimensions are 22.75 x 13 x 22.75 inches. This thing is small! This is great; you can store this table saw where other table saws can’t be. There is a downside to this, and that’s its table size; it is smaller than others.

This table saw is not only a compact size, but it’s also lightweight; it weighs only 46 pounds; this is a huge bonus as it’s incredibly easy for one person to carry it around. But to save weight, some features and materials were left off of the design.

Table and Rails

You’ll find on almost if not all DeWalt table saws the DeWalt rack and pinion telescoping fence rails, and this is no exception.

The pinion fence rails make it incredibly easy to use, and they provide excellent support beyond the table surface. This keeps those heavier loads balanced between the table and rails; this ensures that those loads will not tip the table saw if they aren’t fastened to the bench.

The tabletop is made from lighter compound metals, this is the first tabletop I’ve expedited using these compound metals, but this design element is what helps reduce the overall weight of the table saw.

To the right of the blade, when fully extended, you get 24.5 inches of rip capacity, that’s easy enough to handle four by eight sheets of OSB of plywood. Making this a fantastic choice for those doing cabinetry, though, for those doing large cabinetry, this could be a challenge for the DeWalt DWE7485.

To the left of the blade, you only get 12-inches of max rip capacity. Though this isn’t a limitation, it’s fairly standard among other power tools. This is something left-hand users have had to deal with as they have to control the material with their non-dominate right hand unless the workpiece is of 12-inches or less in width.

Blade and Adjustments

The DeWalt DWE7485 table saw uses an 8.25-inch blade over the larger 10-inch blades that you’ll see on other jobsite table saws. This is a good thing; a change in safety regs has come into force, and it’s a good one, it aligns with what many professionals feel, and that’s that a smaller blade diameter helps to reduce kickbacks.

The smaller blade also requires less energy to spin and reduces waste thanks to its smaller kerf.

Kind of a win, win situation here!

The main downside to using a blade of this size is that it just can’t cut as deeply as a larger blade, your end up with a depth of cut of 2 9/16-inches at 90 degrees and 1 3/4 at 45-degrees. But this is still fine for those of you who need to do a 45-degree bevel cut in two-by-four framing lumber.

Adjusting the bevel of the blade is simple thanks to the easy-adjust miter gauge, which works in increments of 1-degrees; towards the table top on the right of the miter gauge is a micro-adjustment knob, which allows you to make those micro-adjustments to your bevel angle.

The DWE7485 has a 5/8-inch arbor which is a common size, so a wide variety of table saw blades will be compatible.

Dust Collection

The DWE7485 has a 2 1/2 inch dust port which will fit many shop vacs such as my Bosch shop vac VAC140A dust extractor; if you need to source a conversion kit to fit shouldn’t be difficult. Though you do need to keep an eye on the hose to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the riving knife.

A secondary dust port can be found underneath the table saw; this is a larger opening that’s designed to handle shop-sized dust extraction hoses; this dust collection point will suffer less from interference than the dust collection mounted on the blade guard.

Safety Components

Safety features typically begin with the blade guard; this one is clear, so you can easily see the contract between the blade and what’s currently being cut. Though you will need to clean it regularly to keep the view unobstructed.

Anti-kickback pawls are provided, and these keep your workpiece secured against the fence as you make your cuts. These help to eliminate the chance of kickback from loose materials, though no system is fool-proof so remember to keep yourself stepped to the side and not directly behind the workpiece. that way, if kickback does occur, you aren’t in the way of a chunk of wood that’s been flung from the blade.

Another non-kickback element included is the non-through cut riving knives; these prevent the blade from being pinched by the wood, which can lead to stalling or, worse, the workpiece being launched at you.

This has all been designed with DeWalt’s modular guard system. This guard system and its safety features have been an industry standard for a few years now.

This system allows you to remove parts of the safety system, such as the riving knife, without having to remove the entire system; it also allows for tool-free adjustments.

These basic safety features ensure that you are safe from the saw blade, as DeWalt knows that if it’s difficult or time-consuming to adjust the safety features, then people just won’t use them on the DeWalt dwe7485 table saw.

A blade brake helps to bring the blade to a complete stop once the table saw has been turned off. This means that the blade isn’t left spinning after the cuts have been made, reducing the chance of injury.

DeWalt also included on the DeWalt DWE7485 a power-loss reset; this prevents the saw from automatically turning back on if the power is temporarily lost. You can also interrupt the power quickly to prevent injury by hitting the quick stop button.

The power button itself has a guard, which helps to prevent accidental starting, and a push stick is included to ensure that you keep your fingers away from the blade while you push the wood through and make the cut.

DeWalt Support

The DeWalt DWE7485 comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. This should give you plenty of confidence when you purchase this table saw; if it doesn’t work for you, you can return it within the first 3 months.

That’s a very good trial period.

On top of that, DeWalt offers one year’s worth of free service; this is an offer you don’t see often provided to power tools; all you need to do is to pay for your power tool to be shipped if shipping is required.

DeWalt also has a website and several social media platforms where you can ask for help and get support. There’s also a number to call to speak to someone. You’ll find the warranty and owners manuals on the DeWalt website should you lose the ones included with your table saw.

And finally, if all that wasn’t enough, this table saw comes with a three-year limited warranty. Which is one of the longer power tool coverage packages included in the industry.

Safety Tips

• Always wear proper protective equipment for your eyes and ears.
• Don’t operate the table saw if you have loosely fitting clothes, a tie, or dangling jewelry.
• Wear covered shoes when working with a table saw.
• Never leave the table saw running unattended.
• Ensure that your body is not in line with the blade during use, so kickback doesn’t cause you serious harm
• Pay full attention when handling a table saw.
• Never operate your table saw if you are stressed or intoxicated.
• Stand firmly on the floor when operating a table saw.
• Make sure you turn the table saw off at the power source when changing the blades
• During the cutting process, keep your fingers away from the blade.

FAQ

Which table saw is better, DeWalt or Bosch?

This is one of those questions you just have to expect; hell, if it isn’t asked, you have to double-check to make sure the person has really looked over the market.

For me, they are both reliable table saws, and both will do you proud. You need to look over what it is you are looking to do, but both of these brands offer top-notch options; that said, DeWalt table saws tend to include a more powerful motor.

A look at the DWE7485

Check out this video:

Final Thoughts

I hope that this Dewalt DWE7485 review has been useful; for me, this is a fantastic table saw and one of the best tools at an affordable price.

Sure the rip capacity isn’t as large as others, but that’s not a deal-breaker; in fact, it’s a positive, something you’ll see offered more and more by the competition as it turns out that reducing the blade size means a lower chance of kickback.

Even with a smaller kickback change, DeWalt has still kept this table saw packed to the gills with anti-kickback assembly.

While this has a portable design, the onboard storage hasn’t been compromised. Sure it doesn’t have the roll cage found on other saws, and yes, it does have more hard plastic, but that just makes it a more portable option.

It’s a small table saw taking up a small footprint, so you’ll have more space in your truck or garage when storing this.

While it’s small, the power output is still incredibly impressive, and it shows in the rip cut, easily making others of the same size or bigger; not once during my use did I feel like I needed more power, and I think that’s partially to do with the smaller kerf of the blade.

I absolutely love the pinion system on DeWalts, and the site pro modular guard system really does work to reduce the chance of severe injuries.

Don’t let the blade size put you off; this is an amazing table saw that you really should buy. With the 90-day money-back guarantee, you can always return it if and it is a big IF it doesn’t work for you.

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