Excellent saw, but not perfect (Rating: 4.00)
Review : In 1998 I was buying a few of the last high-end items needed to start my own roofing company when I bought this saw. After dealing on several other tools, I asked the salesman (a retired general contractor) what was the best circular saw in the store. Without pause, he grabbed this DeWalt. I have other saws available, but this is practically the only saw that I've used since June of '98. I'm a teacher so I only do carpentry in the summers, but still this saw has been subject to a lot of use and more than a little abuse. It still works perfectly. It's an incredibly powerful and durable saw. If you use good quality blades, I don't believe that the wood exists that it can't cut through with ease.If there were three things that I'd do to improve it, it would be these:
1. make it lighter
2. left-side cutting blade instead of right-side
3. laser-light guide for cutting I know that the first two are already available on newer models, but I've yet to use them. If everything else is the same, those saws should be darn close to perfect. My next circular saw will be a DeWalt, but it might be several years until I need one.
It's not a Super Sawcat, but it's decent. (Rating: 3.00)
Review : If you've ever used a B&D Super Sawcat-either 7 1/4" or 8 1/4"-you'll understand my point of view. The Sawcat is the saw to which I judge all others. The first and most obvious comparison is the DeWalt's electric brake-the blade still turns after the saw is shut down. When you shut down a Sawcat the blade stops, and I mean now. The next item is the shoe plate. The DeWalt is wide enough, but if you look at a Sawcat's shoe plate you notice B&D turned up the edges just a skosh so when you run it down a straight edge it won't hang up in that invariable gap between the straight edge and the item you're cutting. No turned up edge on the DeWalt. In addition on the DeWalt's shoe plate where there are the marks indicating the blade path at 45 and and 0 degrees there is a bit of residual casting that makes the 0 degree line indistinct. I suppose a slight high speed modification with a file will cure the problem, but a Sawcat wouldn't require any file work. These, of course, are details, but, hey, that's what carpentry is all about. On the plus side are all the items mentioned by other reviewers-good long cord, easy depth adjustment (although the indicator on the depth gauge sits far enough away from the gauge to make exact reading questionable), external brushes, good balance, and power. Whether or not the DeWalt can stand up to years of gaff like a Sawcat, I can't say. In sum, the DeWalt is a decent saw for the price, but guys like me will keep looking for that stash of new old stock Sawcats.
Excellent saw! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Nothing but good experience with this saw. Great power, good ergonomics, and totally reliable. The shoe is sturdy, perfectly aligned, and promotes smooth cutting when used with a straightedge. The front-mounted depth adjust knob is far more convenient and more sturdy than the usual rear-mounted depth adjust nut. The blade brake works exceptionally well. Highly recommended!
Has It All! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Owned this saw for over 10 years. Has really good power, even when the cut is off and the blade gets twisted a bit. Depth gauge and trapeze blade drop are great features--the later moves the blade up/down while maintaining the saw grip at the same angle. Most others rotate the grip up as the depth decreases. Forward grip handle twist locks the depth, easy to use and secures tightly. Good line-of-sight for the cut-line, never a problem! Great buy for the $'s.
The Best DeWalt Circular Saw ever made! (Rating: 4.00)
Review : While it being an impressive claim considering the quality of DeWalt portable tools, the DW364 is still a far cry from the Super Sawcat of the late to early 90's. The DW364 was the first Dewalt (of the yellow variety) circular saw that featured an electric brake. It's strong shoe/base coupled with a strong knob/depth adjuster makes this as solid a saw out in the market. Blade changing is practical with the blade lock feature. Easy motor brush access, makes this saw very easy to self-service. Good saw that has only proven itself
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