I have both saws and I would say value for money the Dewalt wins. The Makita is better for its space saving, but it costs more and has more downfalls. The main being the detent plate is aluminum so wears out fast with use. This a bigger deal to some more than others. you can buy an aftermarket for about $90 but the saw is currently almost $900 vs the Dewalt at $650 (got mine on sale for $499). I have calibrated my makita several times and it seems to come out of calibration a lot easier than the Dewalt. Makita wins on dust collection, not perfect but a great deal better than the Dewalt. The bevel function on the Makita seems better, being up front, but upon use its really annoying. I’m a trim carpenter, so cutting 1x8 baseboard all day when you have miters bigger than 45 on the Makita you have to unlock the bevel knob tip the saw, disengage the 45 detent, lock it in make the cut the to bevel right, unlock disengage the 90 bevel lock tip the saw, disengage the 45 detent find your angle and lock it. Whereas the Dewalt you just pull the 90 pin move the 45 and you can flip back and forth all day locking in on your desired angle. Dewalt is a great deal lighter which for me is nice but not a deal breaker. Accuracy is more important to me and I have found I spend a lot of time recalibrating the Makita which is wasted time on a Jobsite. The Dewalt seems To hold up to Jobsite abuse better than the Makita. The miter cam lock on the Dewalt is more convenient than the twist lock on the Makita. Shadow line is better than the laser but personally only use them to line up off angle cuts, I turn them off to cut to my pencil line. That said, if you have the budget for the Makita and the space is more valuable to you it’s a decent option so long as you know and accept its pitfalls. If it’s not moved daily it would probably stay truer than knocking around in the back of a van on commutes. That’s my 2 cents anyways.

After researching both saws one of the criticisms I saw with the Makita was that the vertical rails would not stay in alignment causing inaccurate cuts. The Dewalt has been known to stay calibrated much better with its horizontal rails. Lasers like on the Makita are not known to be as accurate as the shadow line feature on the Dewalt. I did like the better clearance on the Makita. But accurate cuts were more important to me.

21 years experience as a trim carpenter. Ive used DeWalt miter saws a majority of that time. All worked flawlessly. I tried a Makita slider and I liked it at first but it simply did not last. After only a short time I had to raise the blade guard to get it to go down as it had become worn or bent. The Makita never had the ability to hold a miter or any kind of angle. it was Always sloping. You can read several reviews stating the same thing. Fruststrated with it I finally picked up the makita and tossed it as far as I could repeatedly on the concrete driveway of the house I was trimming and then put it in the dumpster where it belongs. Dewalt really got this right!! The laser on the makita does absolutely jack. It gets covered in dust and is only on one side of the blade so your cuts will still need to be adjusted

You made a good choice , I got the 40v 12" cordless version and it's a beast cuts any hardwood with ease and it's very accurate out of the box , had milwaukee which is the worst because I went trough 2 of them , dewalt is a good saw but the head had deflection even without sliding it out, of course every sliding mitre saw has that issue but I found the Makita is way less because of the design ( they kind a went festool kapex route) it's a heavy saw and the best stand for it if you are planning to take it to the field is the bosch gravity rice mitre saw stand , I also like the shadow cast line on mine , got it with 2 40v 4ah batteries and a rapid charger , on average the battery lasts about 4 -5 hours on moderate use but the battery can charge very fast so all you need is 2 batteries and will last you all day , I am very satisfied with the saw and I went through many mitre saws

If you are buying based on the price, dewalt is a clear winner. But we all going to keep our tools for many years to come, and makita will put the smile on your face every time you use it. So 10 years later, extra $200 is not that much. I was looking at the dewalt and ended up with makita for all the same reasons. Love it.

I got the same model Makita a month or so ago and I've been putting it to good use. I love the soft start, and even the laser is useful for cutting framing material. I'd still manually align the blade for cabinet components. I did change the configuration of the dust ports by 3D printing a new lower adapter to allow for me to hook up a standard ShopVac hose and printed a plug for the top dust port. The top port still is connected to the lower one, it just evacuates from the lower one now instead of the top. The dust collection is a LOT better now.

I got so much more out of this video than the instruction booklet can ever give me. Thank you sir!

Muy buen video, gracias. Estuve a punto de comprar la Dewalt 780 en una tienda de Holanda, pero incrementaron el precio 300 Euros en el envío y la descarte. Buscando descubrí la mákita y sinceramente me fijé en 3 detalles: el primero es que la Makita tiene unas barras de deslizamiento en vertical. Lo segundo es más pesada que la Dewalt y creo que ha mayor peso más robusta. Y la tercera me fijé en que su plato central está rectificado. La cuestión es que llame a una tienda de Madrid y me hicieron un buen precio y esta tarde de viernes 19 de Abril la he comprado sin mirar muchos detalles más que algún vídeo cortando vigas de madera grandes, después de ver tu vídeo no me cabe la menor duda que es mejor máquina que la Dewalt y que he acertado al comprarla, tengo un proyecto para arreglar todo el techo de mi nave y hay mucho trabajo con madera. Te mando un saludo desde Valencia España.

I almost came to the comments to say that's a dumb reason to change saws, but if I'm being honest I've completely hated tools for even smaller reasons. From that point of view your decision is totally reasonable.

I still would get the DeWalt, I’ll just stick it in the middle of the room on an island. 😂

So your complaint is you have a small shop. Cool.

Very nice review of both saws, IMHO if you dislike something about your tool, whatever that is, and you can find a tool that makes you happier, its equivalent to making the "money jobs" less stressful and the "hobby jobs" more enjoyable. Being happy with your tools, car, home and wife (not necessarily in THAT order) goes a looong way to keeping you sane and productive.👍

I’ve used my DW708 steadily since 95’. Its a workhorse and easy to calibrate, but I’m ready to replace it with the Makita. Footprint and dust collection make it suit my needs better than a new Dewalt, and it’s price and depth of cut make it superior to the Kapex.

I like the hide away saw table. That’s “genius”. Thank you for the review

You got to do a video on that flip up miter bench. That’s one of the best ideas I’ve seen in a long time.

It’s the last 3 min I appreciate. Nice job with the cabinet.

I have the DWS782. That's the non-light/laser version. Thing takes up a lot of real-estate. The thing that pissed me off with it is dust collection. When I finally found the correct adapter in the plumbing section and hooked up my shop vac, the front dust boot collapsed making the shop vac pointless. I ended up building an enclosure for it making the miter station huge.

Dewalt does not care about your wall.😂 great video

I have the same song you got and I hate it on the workbench thinking about getting a different one I think you made the right decision

Yo, your finished table saw station at the end is a serious flex!! 💪😂 Genius, all of it!

I have a DWS779 as well and have the same issues. The main reason why I bought the DWS779 was it had a good sliding distance which was important for me when I was repairing the outside wood trim on my house such as fascia boards and what some call “bird boxes” where the corners of your roof meet at a slope. Those require challenging long beveled and angled cuts and the DWS779 slide was long enough to make those cuts. The long slide of the DWS779 also came in handy for making long triangular cuts for the sloped platform for tool holders such as for jigsaws, oscillating saws, reciprocating saws, etc. My question about this Makita miter saw is this. Does it slide as far as the DWS779? If so I’m getting it. If not then I will continue to look for a miter saw with the same features as this Makita miter saw, but slides as long as the Dewalt.

Great choice. Same concerns as you. I’ll be going with the same.

The makita looks like a beast of a saw! I love my 779, but think you made a good swap!

Thanks for going over these as I have the dewalt and am considering switching to the Makita for this same reason. BUT... the biggest issue is the price... that Makita is almost double the DWS779... :(

At 0:41 You do know you are suppose to put a hole in the wall first to fit that saw against the wall. 😂

The Makita looks good. I've never had that problem with the DeWalt though. I just put in on a stand

The price difference is pretty huge. Easy to find the dewalt for $399 where as the Makita ranges from $650-900. I like the makita better but I’d rather save the money and get the dewalt.

I like everything about the Makita, except for the fences. I don't understand why they did that angled design. I'd rather have the option to slide the upper fence back out of the way of a bevel cut... instead of having to remove the entire fence & give up all that height.

You said the Dewalt saw was a DWS 779. The saw in the video is a DWS 780.

I’ve had this Makita for two years now and I’m getting rid of it for the Dewalt 😂 I really hate the “accuracy” on Makita btw

Really appreciate this video!

Makita is a no brainer if you want to set it on the counter with the wall behind it. However, I think Dewalt is a better over all saw with more user friendly controls. XPS on the 780 is a game changer. I use my miter saw clamped down to a folding table or with the rolling stand so the room behind it is irrelevant.

Dewalt 780 for 500 bucks last weekend. And I like shadow line

After a year of use, have you noticed a difference in side to side deflection compared to the Dewalt? I ask because I am torn between which of these to purchase.

I have an older version of this dewalt. I think the table is worn at its rotation point or something. When I set the blade so it cuts square vertically (like cutting base standing up) its no longer square (plumb) when I swing the bed to a 45 degree

Helpful, I am with you on the Makita! Thanks

Im a high end finish carpenter and I love using the Makita. I am going to buy my own, and I used your link, but Im sad to see that they seem to have done away with the nice deck extensions. now its just a cheap bent bar. Meh!!! I cant believe you were talking about taking them off. Why would you? well Im on site all the time, and Im guessing you will mostly be working at a home shop. I can see how they could be obsolete sitting on a bench with a off feed tables. Maybe you can sell me yours!!! lol

Love the video! By any chance to you have plans or pictures of that fold down table? Thanks.

As others have noted, the reports from users that the Mak blade is not parallel to the rails on their sample and cannot be adjusted has given me pause. While I lean toward Makita, I just cannot get those negative reports out of my head. Too many of them from different users. It saddens me that Makita continue to market this saw without remedying such a serious deficiency. While I have not yet committed, I am leaning heavily toward introducing a little yellow in with my currently all teal-coloured tools.

The only thing I think is better on the Dewalt is the fence, the makita fence doesn’t slide which is a mystery to me why makita did that.

In all fairness these types of saws are designed to be placed on a stand and used on a job site, they were never designed as a workshop tool. I see so many people moaning about mitresaws in the workshop, you have a table saw? I suggest using that with a sliding attachment instead.

Looks like the Makita has some decent features. I have the DeWalt 780 and quite like it, however I'm not concerned about the depth of the saw since I use it on a separate stand away from the wall. One thing I noticed in your video was at around the 9:10 minute mark. I was surprised by the amount of vertical flex/deflection when you pulled the saw towards the front. It looks to be at least 1/32" deflection, which would be a problem if you're trying to limit the depth of cut evenly through your work piece. Other than that, it looks like an OK saw. I'd be interested to see a follow up video from you once you have used it a bit more ... especially on dust collection. That's the one area that the DeWalt is weak on.

It’s definitely better than the Dewalt, the Dewalt is an old design.

I'm currently thinking about buying the Makita are you still happy with your purchase now that you've had some time to play with it

I’ve had both saws and my opinion the makita is better I also have the 10inch makita which is my travel saw the 12inch stays in the shop

I have that saw - I LOVE IT!!!!!!! I have had both and much prefer the Makita. I came from a large cabinet shop with over a dozen chop saws, Dewalts, Bosh, and one Makita. We replace the Bosch and Dewalts once a year. The Makita is at least 5 years old and it stil performs perfectly.

I have the DeWalt and love it, but there is one reason I am looking for another miter saw. That reason is the depth of the saw. I built a new garage with a third of it will be a wood shop. I plan on building a new work bench/cabinet for the miter saw. My DeWalt is so large (depth wise) that I would have to build it so wide! So I am considering the Makita. There two issue with the Makita; it has a laser instead of a drop shadow for marking the cut. I like the shadow much better! For the second issue I have heard that the Makita doesn't hold a true cut, you have to adjust for true cuts too often! Any thoughts on the accuracy of your new Makita?

Big price difference between the saws

Sliding mitarsaw for almuniyam work is GOOD or bad

How could DeWalt, who's been the miter saw refetence, have let itself distanced so much by Makita... The new sliding setup was such an obvious thing to do.

The laser seems like a weak spot to me... Double laser from Bosh looks great but has weak dust collection. LED in DeWalt is great and seems flowles.

Awesome video! I just sold my Cadillac DeWalt (DHS790 - same saw but it was corded and cordless) for the exact same reason. I moved it all over the place in my 500 square foot shop and it just takes a RIDICULOUS amount of space. I am trying to decide between the Makita and the Ridgid/Delta Cruzer (I hate lasers). What do you think of the saw after 4 months and does it have a lot of lateral play?

The Makita is a boat anchor. Yup It’s a great shop saw but it weighs 70lbs. The dewalt is 56lbs. So one is a jobsite saw one is a shop saw

I am about to part ways with my longtime DELTA Miter saw which has been mounted to a DEWALT Miter Table. I was going to replace it with the DWS779 which is on its way to my house from HD as I am writing this comment. Subsequent to your review; I came up with Seven Unique Features that the Makita possesses by comparison to the DEWALT which more than offset the U.S. price difference of $166 between the two saws without added taxes and S/H. I was a bit apprehensive about return the DW779 despite of your great side-by-side comparison video due to my existing DW table. Therefore? To the best of your knowledge? Can the MAKITA be clamped to the Dewalt Miter Saw Table? I'll understand if you do not have an answer on that. Cheers!

Hows the saw going.. i like the look of the makita.. I've always had makita saws. The makita is actually cheaper in the uk

love makita, you made a right decision

How tall is fence On the makita ?

The Makita looks just as deep as the DeWalt tbh, both really nice saws. Personally I'd go for the DeWalt DWS781

I like makita

First although it was too simplistic in the beginning you eventually got to the part where I have been searching to see. That was the grooving feature. The manual doesn't cover it well. Dewalt is pretty smart. Why make it fit small applications when they can sell you one of three saw stands. I have the DEWALT Miter Saw Stand, Collapsible and Portable, Holds Up to 300 lbs (DWX726) because I must move my saw outside to cut. My shop has so much equipment there is no room for it inside. As far as was it the right choice...to me it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. The more important thing is will it work for what you want it to do and will it last the same amount of lifetime.

Great review. I have the Dewalt, agree with your points. I have since seen the Bosch saw that has an interesting slide mechanism. One of the popular boat builder KZfaq guys uses one and it appears to take up even less depth.

I have a laser on my Skill circular saw. It’s not accurate. But a great saw anyway.

What do you think of the BOSCH zero clearance one.

The Dewalt looks like it is belt driven, the Makita direct is that the case

mobile dewalt rolling base... problem solved.

It's a commercial saw. Not made really for standard benches. Why Dewalt makes a stand for it. It's like parking a Cadillac in a dog house, doghouse wasn't designed for a Cadillac

Black Friday sale: Dewalt 779 $399 w/ stand VS. Makita $799 and NO stand. 🤔

That looks like a space problem not a tool problem.

Makita wins

Don't buy Makita 1219 . It has accurancy problems. It appears more on wide cuts

Nah, personally I'd go for DeWalt, but I'm not limited by setup area.

But you are talking about a $400 vs $800 saw. 😂

Put it on the proper stand ... problem solved !🤔

Just get a mitre saw stand.

I've had nothing but trouble from the Makita. I'll never buy another one again! POS!!!

I bet he's back on the DeWalt by now , Makita no longer has the quality since the move to Chinese manufacturing. If a Makita has a silver base it's garbage. Old yellow base is definitely a excellent tool .new silver base saws are garbage 😭

It is the 799 not 779

Makita = Meh. $1400 later and the blade wobbles horribly out of the box, dust collection with bag is a joke, when extended fully toward you, the handle/blade move left/right enough to double the blade width. For the money, I had much higher expectations. And, the 4ah battery it came with only lasts about 50 cuts. Just enough to cut vinyl flooring in a 4x10 closet. Pretty sad.

WhyTF would you put a sliding miter saw on a 25" workbench? Shop's not big enough for a proper miter saw table? dOnT BUy DiSs sAw! LOL