Milwaukee Vs DeWalt: Who Sells The Better Cordless Table Saw?

Whether you're a professional or a DIYer looking to up your woodworking game, you may be in the market for a new table saw. While industrial table saws are better for larger pieces, these days you can get a lot accomplished with a smaller, cordless model. Plus, you can get a lot more work done with a portable tool than a furniture-sized, prohibitively expensive one, as you can take a cordless table saw from location to location and work wherever you need to.

While many table saws typically utilize 10-inch blades, two popular models — the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Table Saw and the DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Max Table Saw — both use smaller 8 ¼-inch blades. However, this hasn't stopped either product from selling or receiving relatively positive reviews from both customers and professional experts that have put them through their paces for reputable hardware publications.

That's not to say these two products are carbon copies of each other. While their blades are the same sizes, there are some differences between the saws, including in battery power and other specs. Here is a detailed look at how Milwaukee's and DeWalt's table saws square up against one another. The comparisons made here were composed by researching both the listed specifications of the tools as well as several hands-on reviews from reputable publications. More information on how each saw was evaluated can be found at the end of this comparison.

The Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation has a long and storied history of making power tools. Today, it offers a wide range of equipment and accessories that are used by both professionals and DIY enthusiasts for a wide range of applications ranging from electrical to plumbing to automotive and more. Its exhaustive list of products includes some of the best Milwaukee power tools for woodworking. But, while the brand manufactures plenty of different circular saws, recip saws, and other handheld cutters, as well as a few heavy-duty miter saws, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 8-¼-inch Table Saw, which has product code 2736-20, is the only table saw it currently offers. Fortunately for Milwaukee, its one table saw also happens to be one of the best portable table saws you can buy.

Like many Milwaukee tools, it's more powerful (and more expensive) than many of those from competing brands, but as part of the brand's M18 line of battery-powered products, it's optimized for portability and productivity. Weighing a little over 40 pounds, it's entirely possible to bring the table saw from job site to job site, or out of the garage and into the yard for a more comfortable place to work. As part of Milwaukee's One-Key connectivity system, you'll be able to locate and track the tool — as well as harness other useful data — with a handy smartphone app.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 8-¼-inch Table Saw is available for around $449 from retailers such as Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Acme Tools. It comes with a set of anti-kickback pawls for added safety, though this shouldn't dissuade you from always using proper form when cutting.

DeWalt, which is currently owned by Stanley Black & Decker, can actually trace its roots to a couple years before Milwaukee, and its vast inventory of power tools can often be found on shelves alongside the latter. Unlike Milwaukee, DeWalt offers more than one table saw, including a larger saw with a 10-inch blade and a corded electric 8.25-inch option. But, if portability is what you're looking for, the best choice from the brand is its battery-operated Flexvolt 60V Max Table Saw, which has product code DCS7485T1-EB.

At 52.69 lbs, the tool is more than a dozen pounds heavier than its Milwaukee counterpart. That doesn't make it much less portable, as you're likely not walking with it across town to the job site, but depending on your preferences, the extra weight might be an issue depending on how often you need to relocate it and how you're storing it. It doesn't cost any more than Milwaukee's cordless table saw, though, and has the same list price of $449. It's a bit harder to come by, as fewer retailers offer the product than those that have Milwaukee's in stock, but you can still find the DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Max Table Saw at Acme Tools and Home Depot. Included with the tool, in addition to its carbide blade, is a push stick, blade guard, miter gauge, two blade wrenches, a non-thru cut riving knife, and a rip fence.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 8 ¼-inch Table Saw has a very slight edge when it comes to rip capacity — it's capable of 24.5 inches, compared to the DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Max Table Saw's 24-inch rip capacity. Neither tool will have much trouble cutting through various sizable shelving and trim materials, including 4x8 sheets of plywood. DeWalt's saw can deliver up to 5,800 rpm and can cut 1.75 inches at 45 degrees or 2.5 inches at 90 degrees. The brushless motor of Milwaukee's table saw can also generate up to 5,800 rpm, but when paired with a high-output HD12.0 battery pack, it's powerful enough to deliver an additional 500 rpm.

Both table saws also employ a rack and pinion fence system for more accurate cuts and quick, easy adjustments, as well as on-board storage for the tool's accessories. With its all-metal frame, Milwaukee's saw is durable enough to handle transportation to and from rough job sites, as well as the sites themselves. DeWalt's saw can also boast durability thanks to its metal roll cage and includes adjustable rear feet that can keep the tool level if you're using it on uneven surfaces. It's also engineered with table coating to reduce friction while cutting, and a built-in power-loss reset will prevent any accidental restarts if the tool is left on during a power disruption. Milwaukee's table saw utilizes a similar safety power-loss feature.

Battery performance is a key factor when considering which cordless tool is right for you, but you shouldn't assume DeWalt has the superior product just because it uses a 60-volt battery compared to Milwaukee's 18-volt power supply. Similar to how Ryobi's 18V ONE+ HP Brushless 6.5-inch Track Saw has a similar performance to DeWalt's 60V Track Saw, the difference in battery size doesn't affect the cutting power between the latter and Milwaukee's saw.

That's partly because Milwaukee's cordless table saw can be paired with a beefy high-output HD12.0 battery pack, which can generate the power of a 15-amp corded saw. The 12 Ah battery has 216 watt-hours, enough for up to 600 linear feet of cutting per charge. The standard DeWalt 60V is only 6 Ah, and can only cut 160 linear feet per charge. However, a more powerful 9 Ah battery that's compatible with the tool is available.

One issue with battery-powered tools is that the batteries and chargers typically cost extra. A standard kit that includes a 60V battery and charger with DeWalt's saw adds $100 to its retail price. Milwaukee's M18 Fuel 8 ¼-inch Table Saw Kit (product code 2736-21HD), which includes the powerful 12 Ah battery and M18 rapid charger, is an additional $150. You may find one product more preferable over the other depending on what other tools you own. If you already have several Milwaukee M18 tools in your garage and won't need to spend more money on additional batteries and chargers, then the Milwaukee table saw may be a smarter choice. The same goes for DeWalt's saw if you already own other 60V tools from the brand.

If you're still unsure which table saw is right for you, you may want to consider what experts who have hands-on experience with the products think. The DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Max Table Saw has generally positive reviews from several reputable sources known for their tool reviews. Tool Box Buzz rated it 5 out of 5 stars and highlighted its cutting power and fence system, as well as how easy it is to set up. Journal of Light praised the portability of the cordless tool, as well as its smooth and accurate cutting. However, the reviewer noted that while it's "ideal for pickup/punchout and warranty work" or if you're in a rush, you may want to opt for a corded saw for longer jobs.

That seems to be the general sentiment from other reviewers, as well, such as Pro Tool Reviews, which recommended DeWalt include a bigger battery, or even an AC adapter so it could be used as a corded tool. Even with this caveat, Pro Tool Reviews gave DeWalt's saw a solid 8.8 out of 10 score. The same publication gave a slightly higher 9 out of 10 score to Milwaukee's table saw, which it reviewed with the high-output HD12.0 battery pack. However, while the review found a lot to praise about the tool, including its stability and cutting power, it also mentioned the lack of an AC adapter as a drawback.

Tool Box Buzz was also "very impressed" with Milwaukee's table saw after using it, praising its "nice unique features" and saying that it "competes with the DeWalt Flexvolt" saw. Tools in Action, which gave the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 8 ¼-inch Table Saw a 4.3 out of 5 score, echoed the desire for a hybrid corded option in its review.

To provide the most thorough and accurate comparison possible between the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 8 ¼-inch Table Saw and DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Max Table Saw, information was gathered and evaluated from multiple sources. This includes the listed specs provided by the respective brands through their websites, as well as through retailers like Home Depot and Acme Tools. To ensure that the tools are reliable and that these specs are actually accurate in real-world applications, hands-on reviews from several reputable publications known for quality tool reviews were also referenced. These publications include Pro Tool Reviews, Journal of Light, Tool Box Buzz, and Tools in Action.

Based on their listed specs and the general impressions from these expert reviews, DeWalt's and Milwaukee's table saws have a lot in common and are pretty similar in most aspects. Which one is better for you may come down to how much importance you place on battery performance, in which case Milwaukee has the slight edge. However, if you already own DeWalt 60V tools, it might be worth adding the brand's table saw to your collection for the sake of cost and efficiency.