DeWalt DWE7491RS Jobsite Table Saw Review

Portable jobsite table saws are designed to satisfy the needs of contractors moving from site to site, but they appeal to many homeowners and hobbyists as well. Their relatively small size makes them a great choice for those without space for a permanently-installed table saw. Collapsible stands let you bring them out when needed, then fold them up and wheel them out of the way to save space.

The DeWalt DWE7491RS has been on the market for several years now and is one of the best-known entrants in this category of table saw. While there are newer competitors with some additional features, if you need a high-quality portable table saw with the capacity to make wide rip cuts, this should definitely be on your list of products to investigate.

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Features and Benefits

Let’s look at some of the important factors to consider when choosing a table saw and see how the DeWalt DWE7491RS stacks up.

Motor and Power Supply

This saw features a 120-volt, 15-amp motor, like most of the products in this category. So it’ll work fine on a standard residential electrical circuit, and it should have plenty of power for most DIY or hobbyist projects. These motors will struggle when cutting very dense hardwoods or thicknesses over about 2”.

This saw doesn’t have a soft-start feature like some competitors, but it does start up fairly smoothly. The power switch is easy enough to turn off with your knee in case your hands are busy, though it is not quite as big a target as on some other models.

Pushing the motor too hard can cause circuit breakers to trip. If this happens, the saw’s power loss reset feature will automatically flip the switch to the off position. This will prevent the saw from turning back on when the power is restored, avoiding what could be a very dangerous situation!

Table and Fence

The table itself is average-sized for the category at 26 3/8” x 21 7/8”. It features a smooth coating to help material slide across it, though some people have reported that the coating can wear off with frequent use. While the table generally gets high marks for flatness, there have been reports of models coming from the factory with uneven tops that require replacing, so be sure to check yours before using it for any precision work.

While the table is not especially big, this saw has a huge 32 1/2” rip capacity to the right of the blade, among the largest on a portable jobsite saw. An L-shaped bracket on the fence can flip over to help support the end of the workpiece for these wide cuts. It can also be used on very narrow cuts where the fence would otherwise bump into the safety guards on the blade. If you want to rip to the left of the blade, the saw has a 22” capacity.

The fence itself is attached via DeWalt’s highly-regarded rack-and-pinion system and adjusted using a knob on the front. You’ll want to calibrate this fence out of the box, but once adjusted, it is very reliable. Be sure not to let sawdust accumulate in the toothed moving parts, or over time you’ll find it becomes difficult to operate.

Stand

The stand on this saw is consistently rated one of the best in its class, second only perhaps to the Bosch 4100-10. The heavy-duty wheels will stand up to rough terrain and can’t go flat. Operating the stand itself is straightforward and does not require a lot of effort. When fully assembled, the saw and stand together weigh about 90 pounds, so while it is portable, lifting it will require a bit of muscle.

When in its operating position, the stand has a very wide base for excellent stability. This is a major benefit when using that huge rip capacity to its fullest to cut large pieces of material.

Note: There’s a variant of this saw called the DWE7491X that features a stationary X-shaped folding stand. While it is a fine stand, in my experience the price savings are minimal and most people will want the portability of the rolling stand in the RS model.

Blades and Cutting

This saw accepts a 10” blade, and comes with a 24-tooth blade optimized for ripping. While the included blade is perfectly adequate for ripping lumber, if you want precision cuts or need to do much crosscutting, you’ll want to consider upgrading the blade.

Related: The 9 Best Table Saw Blades

The blade can be beveled anywhere between 0 and 45 degrees. It has a maximum cut depth of 3 1/8” when vertical and 2 1/4” at 45 degrees. For anything but rough work, you’ll want to calibrate both the blade alignment and the tilt angle before using them out of the box.

In order to be the best table saw for woodworking, a saw needs to support stacked dado sets. The DWE7491RS can accept up to a 13/16” dado set, but you’ll need to purchase an optional dado throat plate to make it work.

Miter Gauge and Slots

Historically, the miter gauge has been the biggest downfall of this saw. Made of cheap plastic, it is both sloppy in the miter slots and not very precise at holding an angle for bevel cuts. It also lacks any positive stops at common angles. Users wanting any kind of precision have been well-advised to replace it with a quality third-party miter gauge. Since the miter slots are standard 3/4” rectangular slots, any standard miter gauge would work.

Related: The Best Table Saw Miter Gauges

Some more recent purchasers of this saw, however, report that the DWE7491RS now ships with a higher-quality metal miter gauge. I’ll try to confirm this information and update this review as appropriate. It would be a welcome upgrade to an otherwise good product. In the meantime, if everything else about this saw appeals to you, you may want to order it and wait to see which miter gauge you receive before deciding to order a replacement.

Dust Collection

Like just about every other portable jobsite saw, there is a 2 1/2” port suitable for connecting a shop vac at the rear of the unit. It does an adequate job of removing dust from the blade compartment.

Unique to this model is an additional dust collection port, a 1 1/2” connection on top of the plastic blade guard. The idea is to capture and remove dust and chips thrown off by the blade. This is a somewhat non-standard hose size, and you’ll need to purchase an adapter in order to use it. There are third-party Y-adapters to attach a single hose to both ports, though it would be nice if one was provided by DeWalt since this is an unusual configuration.

With both ports hooked up, dust control is quite good. But if (as I suspect you will) you leave the top port unconnected, it can have a tendency to fling dust across the room rather than just let it collect on top of the saw. This second port might be more annoying than helpful, depending on your dust collection setup!

Safety

The power loss reset feature discussed earlier deserves repeat mention here, since it can be a valuable safety feature if you blow a circuit breaker.

As far as safety around the blade itself, DeWalt have included the features standard in this class of tool. Anti-kickback pawls will dig into wood that’s about to be thrown back at you, limiting dangerous kickback. And a clear plastic blade guard lets you see the blade but prevents your fingers from making contact, while allowing your workpiece to slide through underneath.

An unusual wrinkle is that the blade guard is permanently attached to a splitter behind the blade that prevents your workpiece from pinching the blade and kicking back. You need to remove the blade guard and splitter as a single unit. A separate riving knife without a blade guard can be installed for cuts that don’t go all the way through. This setup is a little different from models where the blade guard can be removed independently from the riving knife, but shouldn’t take too much getting used to.

Overall Pros/Cons

How Does it Compare?

On most counts, the DWE7491RS compares very favorably with all of its competition. Nevertheless, you may have specific needs that steer you toward one of these models instead.

Metabo HPT C10RJS

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The 32 1/2″ rip capacity of the DWE7491RS is hard to beat… but not impossible. If you’ll be cutting large materials such as plywood sheets, you may want to look at this product from Metabo HPT (formerly Hitachi). Its 35” rip capacity is the largest in this category. And it features up to 10” of additional outfeed support at the rear of the table as an included accessory.

The design of the stand doesn’t get such high marks as the DeWalt, but the trade-off might be worth it if you need the additional rip capacity.

Compare: DeWalt DWE7491RS vs. Metabo HPT C10RJS

Full review: Metabo HPT C10RJS Portable Jobsite Table Saw (Review)

SawStop JSS-120A60

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SawStop is the only table saw manufacturer right now that offers blade brake technology. Using electrical conductivity to detect the presence of flesh, it can instantly stop a blade and leave you with only a minor nick.

The other features on this saw are standard for the class, with a maximum rip capacity of 25 1/2”. You’ll pay quite a premium for the blade brake technology, so it’s up to you to decide if the extra peace of mind is worth it.

Bosch 4100-10

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If the ultimate in easy portability is your goal, the Bosch 4100-10 features the best wheeled stand in this category of portable table saw. Its “gravity-rise” design allows it to be unfolded simply by walking the stand forward, with no lifting required. The maximum ripping width is 25”, so you’ll be trading off some capacity for the fancier stand design.

Compare: Bosch 4100-10 vs. DeWalt DWE7491RS

Full review: Bosch 4100-10 (and 4100-09) Jobsite Table Saw Review

Conclusion

DeWalt makes highly-rated table saws, and the DWE7491RS has been popular for several years now. It has a very stable and easy-to-operate stand and an impressive 32 1/2” rip capacity. Overall, it’s made of quality materials and, once calibrated, should not require much adjustment. The one exception is the notoriously sloppy miter gauge, but more recent reports suggest that it’s now shipping with an upgraded version.

If you want the portability of a jobsite table saw and want the flexibility to rip large sheet goods, this is an excellent choice.

Specs