DeWalt DCS7485 Portable Table Saw Review

The DeWalt DCS7485 is a portable jobsite table saw that brings together two recent trends in one tool. The first is a growth the popularity of cordless table saws, brought about by recent advances in battery technology. The second is a move towards 8 1/4” table saw blades, at least for small portable table saws. That’s been the result of new UL safety regulations limiting the size of a table saw blade relative to the saw itself.

The DCS7485 is similar in most respects to DeWalt’s corded DWE7485, though there are a few small differences. Is it a good fit for your needs? Read on to find out.

Check Price on Amazon

Features and Benefits

I’ll walk you through each of the features of the DCS7485 and explain how they might affect your use of the saw. Check out my complete guide to buying a table saw for more details on each of these areas.

Battery Power

The DCS7485 is powered by a single battery from DeWalt’s FLEXVOLT line. FLEXVOLT batteries can power either 20-volt or, in this case, 60-volt tools. DeWalt offers its 60V MAX FLEXVOLT batteries in a variety of sizes up to a whopping 15.0 Ah.

In the past, running a table saw on battery power just wasn’t very practical, because the batteries died too quickly. But battery technology in recent years has improved considerably. You can complete realistic projects on a single battery. Some customers have been able to break down 6 or more 4×8’ plywood sheets with a single 9.0 Ah battery.

One disadvantage of the DCS7485 is that it’s battery-only. Unlike some DeWalt products, you don’t have the option of plugging in AC power if your battery dies. So I recommend always having at least two batteries, letting you keep working while one charges.

If your battery dies in the middle of a cut, you might forget to turn off the power switch on the saw. It would be very dangerous if the saw started up again when a new battery was installed. The power-loss reset system on the DCS7485 means it’ll automatically stay powered off even when power is restored.

Motor

Under no load, the motor spins the blade at 5,800 rpm. When comparing products like table saws, use caution in interpreting the rpm numbers. Manufacturers always measure these with no load (i.e., no blade) on the motor. In reality, they don’t always bear much relation to how the motor will perform in the real world, so shouldn’t be your primary criteria when choosing a saw.

Table and Fence

The DCS7485 features a perfectly square table, 22 3/4” on each side. The saw is 13” tall overall. This is quite small even for portable table saws.

The small size makes it very easy to move around from jobsite to jobsite (or just within your workshop). Especially if you’re limited on space, this could be a very attractive feature. For cutting large sheet goods like 4x8’ plywood you’ll definitely want some external support beyond what the saw table provides.

The rip fence can extend out to a respectable 24” to the right of the blade. This gives you just enough rip capacity to handle 4’ wide material (assuming you support it properly). To the left of the blade, the rip capacity drops to 12”, which is fairly typical for this class of saw.

The fence itself is DeWalt’s standard rack-and-pinion design. This design is consistently noted for its smooth and accurate operation. Once you get the position dialed in and locked, it won’t move around on you.

The DCS7485 doesn’t come with a stand, although you can buy one separately..

Blades and Cutting

The DCS7485 takes 8 1/4” blades rather than the 10” blades you may be more accustomed to seeing on a table saw. This size blade is becoming more common due to new safety standards governing the size of table saws relative to their blades. While manufacturers are producing more 8 1/4” blades, it’s possible some specialty blades might be hard to find in that size. But unless you have very specific requirements for a 10” blade, I wouldn’t let that stop you from considering this saw.

The saw can cut up to 2 1/2” with the blade vertical. That’s roughly 5/8” or so less in cutting depth compared to a full 10” blade. Again, for many typical uses, this won’t make a huge difference. But it’s something to be aware of if you anticipate needing to cut thicker material.

When beveled at the maximum 45° angle, the cutting depth is 1 3/4”.

One important limitation of the DCS7485 is that it does not support the use of dado stacks. If you’re a woodworker who wants to make use of dado blades, you’ll probably want to look at another option. The Milwaukee 2736-21HD, for instance, is a similar cordless saw that supports dado stacks up to 3/4” wide.

Miter Gauge and Slots

The DCS7485 features T-shaped miter slots in the standard 3/4” by 3/8” dimensions. So if you have any T-slot accessories, you can use them with this saw. Of course, regular rectangular miter bars will also fit in the slots, but you won’t get the added security of the T-slot.

The miter gauge bundled with the DCS7485 is functional, but not great. It can be a bit loose in the slots, making it difficult to achieve precise cuts. It’ll do the job just fine for work like framing. But if you are looking for the most precision, you’ll almost certainly want to look into a third-party miter gauge. (The INCRA Miter 1000HD is a great choice, or you can check out our full roundup of miter gauges.)

Related: The Best Table Saw Miter Gauges

Safety

The DCS7485 offers the typical safety features that you’d expect from a modern table saw.

The modular guard system surrounds the blade to keep your fingers safely clear. Unlike some competitors, DeWalt has made this guard system very easy to remove and attach. This is good for safety, since you will need to remove the guard to make non-through cuts, and you’re more likely to reattach it afterwards if it’s a simple task.

The riving knife mounted behind the blade helps keep wood from pinching back on the blade and causing kickback. Some table saws make you remove or replace the riving knife in order to make non-through cuts, which can be a hassle. The DCS7485 has a riving knife that can simply be adjusted to be flush with the blade for non-through cuts. And resetting it back to its normal position takes only a few seconds.

In its normal position, the riving knife also holds two anti-kickback pawls to further prevent workpieces from being flung back towards you.

And in case your battery dies mid-cut, the power-loss reset feature I discussed above adds another element of safety.

Related: Table Saw Safety: Tips to Live By

We should consider dust collection as a safety feature as well, since you don’t want to be inhaling sawdust if you can help it. It’s easy to connect the DCS7485 to a shop-vac or other dust collector through its 2 1/2” dust port in the rear. An enclosure around the blade bottom does a good job of channeling dust towards the exit. If you have a different dust collector setup, 2 1/2” adapters are readily available.

Alternatives to the DeWalt DCS7485

In order to decide if the DCS7485 is right for you, it helps to compare it against similar competitors. So I’ll point out a few that are also worth your consideration.

Milwaukee 2736-21HD

Check Price on Amazon

The Milwaukee 2736-21HD is another 8 1/4” cordless table saw. In most respects, it’s got nearly identical capabilities to the DCS7485. One big difference that might matter to woodworkers is that the Milwaukee, unlike the DCS7485, can support up to a 3/4” dado stack.

DeWalt DWE7485

Check Price on Amazon

The DeWalt DWE7485 is the corded sibling of the DCS7485. It offers basically the same features as the DCS7485, and also takes 8 1/4” table saw blades. But it operates on standard 120V AC power, so might be a better choice if you’ll be using it primarily in a workshop. You lose the flexibility of taking it too far from a power source, of course, but don’t need to worry about keeping batteries charged.

Compare: DeWalt DCS7485 vs. DeWalt DWE7485

Full review: DeWalt DWE7485 Portable Table Saw Review

Conclusion

Overall, the DCS7485 is a great choice for a DIYer or contractor needing an easy-to-move table saw with modern safety features. Its lack of support for dado blades might make it less appealing to the aspiring woodworker.

For a more in-depth look at table saw features, you can read more at my complete guide to buying a table saw. Or for a wider assortment of alternatives, look at our roundup of the best portable jobsite table saws.

Specs