DELTA vs DeWALT || Side by Side Comparison 

By the way, this was the best comparison I’ve seen anywhere on RU-vid. I’ve been watching your other videos and you really do a thorough job and I appreciate it.

The DeWalt sits in the back of my flooring installation van. A Delta (60's vintage) sits in my woodshop. If you have the space in your work area for the larger saw, in the long run it will be a more satisfying experience, as noise issues and longevity issues will plaque your jobsite sized saw, as will issues with accuracy as your skills advance and you begin to demand more from your saw. This is not to denigrate the jobsite saw, just pointing out that trying to get repeatable .010" accuracy on a jobsite will have you saying things you don't want your children (or spouse) to hear. Just sayin'...with 35+ years of sawing experience.

Thanks for doing this video it helped me 100% decide on the delta since I don’t necessarily need the portability. The time and effort is greatly appreciated.

I have both. If you are choosing between the two, the choice is about mobility. If you need to move it to locations, get the Dewalt. If not, the Delta is easily the better choice.

this video helped me make my decision on which saw to buy. Thank you.

Thanks for this detailed and thorough review. You've helped me make my final choice. I'm shopping for my first table saw that has the room for plywood along with the finesse to make more precision woodworking projects. The Delta looks like a fine value.

Thanks for the good side by side comparison.

Someone just getting started in wordworking and i do have the room in my shop with no vehicles to worry about im looking towards the Delta. I like parts of the dewalt but with learning my skills as i move ahead i may go with the Delta. Awesome comparisons on these two.

Thanks for the detailed comparison. I wanted the Delta but settled on the DeWalt because I can wheel it out of my shed and cut in my backyard without any dust collection. A note about the miter gauge, I had been unhappy with the size and slop allowing the angle to change mid cut so I got an Incra v27. Fantastic miter but when I tighten the adjustment screws to get rid of the slop, I discovered why it's there. The channels aren't uniform machined. So when sliding the miter gauge there are areas where it will stick. I might try to go in with some sand paper remove these narrower spots. I didn't realize how loud it was I thought all table saws were like that. I wear ear protection so it's not a big issue. Over all I'm happy with the DeWalt especially the easy of movement, compact and fast setup. The small size is does make it tricky cutting longer pieces. Either find a way to support it or know when not suitable to use.

This is the best comparison review of the two saws that I have been looking at. The decibel difference is huge for me, but so is storage. I'll have to go with storage & mobility. I always wear hearing protection nowadays anyway, something I unfortunately did not do when I was younger; now I have hearing protection staged all over, for myself as well as for visitors:). Thanks again for the great review.

Great vid. Currently looking for a 7491 to replace my craftsman 113. I had one of those deltas in my sights a couple years back, theyre great too. Nice breakdown

Don’t know if you mentioned it, or if it’s in the comments somewhere, but don’t forget to flip the fence on the Dewalt to save even more room and keep the fence better protected! Great video! I think I’ve watched every table saw video you’ve done! Love them all!

Thank you for posting. Wow, I didn’t realize how quiet the Delta is.

Thank you for this review! I will have to go with the Delta.

Awesome video btw! Very informative 👍

went with the ridgid clone of the delta and could not be happier with the decision. I feel the cast iron top itself made a huge difference for me and was able to achieve accuracy (thanks to your other adjustment video) I was looking for. I had to rearrange my garage for this (since I park my car in it) but it was worth it. I was able to secure one for $320 and felt like a steal!

Great review my friend. Thanks

Thank you for this. I've looked at both of these (plus the Ridgid that is similar to the Delta). I am leaning toward a mobile saw as I want to store it in my shed and bring it to my driveway (or use in the backyard for projects there). The large wheels are critical to that, but the ability to fold down is essential for shed storage as well. However, all the jobsite saws I looked at could not take a dado stack, so this is encouraging. I almost pulled the trigger on the 8-1/4" Dewalt with the crazy sale last week ($250!) but want to future proof myself a little. While I have no need for a dado stack yet (still learning my router), I feel like I will want one within a year or two. I'm concerned with the fence strength, though, as I could see myself wanting to clamp sacrificial fences. I wonder if anyone has done this successfully with the weak aluminum. Really enjoying your channel. Thanks again!

Thank you for this video! Exactly the internal debate I'm having right now

I own both of these saws, started with the DeWalt and then added the Delta about 6 months ago. I feel like the delta is an upgrade for sure, better fence with more surface to align material with, way quieter, more space on the top and my dado stack does not slowly creep down like with the DeWalt.

Delta is the better saw IMO. I replaced my Dewalt with the Delta and have zero regrets other than wishing I had bought the Delta instead of the Dewalt in the first place.

Excellent review.

Remember the decibel scale is logarithmic, so a 10 decibel difference is twice as loud. Thanks so much for the review! I'm going to end up going with the Dewalt as I only have 1/2 of a typical "2 car" garage to work in, and space is thus at a premium.

These are my 2 choices right now to upgrade from my craftsman. Thanks for helping me make up my mind. I believe that I am going with Delta.

I'm a musician that works with mixing music in the studio and the standard for maximum levels mix music at is 80-85 dbs. So the fact that the Delta is only 85 is really impressive. I've been agonizing over what to replace my Ryobi job site saw with and while I was already leaning toward the Delta (longer lead in, space for an auxiliary table (i.e. router), height and angle locks) the lower sound level seals the deal. This review was thorough and really informative. The only thing I didn't see was how to do squaring adjustments...but I'm sure there are other videos on that.

I went through making this same decision on which saw to buy over the past couple of months. I finally settled on the Delta a couple of weeks ago and brought one home. (Getting that heavy bastard in and out of the back of my Toyota Rav4 was fun 🤣) I have used it for a couple of projects and I have to say I am really happy with it as it is a significant step up from my crappy plastic and aluminum job site saw. The Delta saw was perfectly aligned with the miter slots and fence right out of the box and I really like the accuracy I have been able to achieve with it. It is definitely not a cabinet saw but the size and mobility really works well in my small shop. (I wouldn't want to have to load it up and take it to a job site though) I have no problems cutting 4/4 walnut and maple with the saw. I do want to upgrade the wings to cast iron eventually and I did swap out the blade for a better CMT 24 tooth ripping blade.

It really comes down to how and where you will be using the saw; job site- DeWalt; permanent location-Delta. Thanks for the video.

Thanks for the in- depth comparison especially the noise level and I don't see a similar comparison in YT. Overall the Delta is a winner obviously.

Great comparison video! I've owned the DeWalt for several years, and prior to purchasing it I had narrowed it down to the DeWalt or the Delta. As you surmised in your video, the deciding factor was the much smaller storage space required for the DeWalt. My shop is in my garage and since I need to park our vehicles in there when not woodworking the DeWalt was clearly the best choice for me. I've frankly been amazed at how versatile and accurate it is, I thought I was making more of a compromise in capability than it's turned out to be. The biggest issue is the smaller table size makes cutting larger pieces a bit of a challenge. To get around that I use a Bora saw guide and my circular saw to break down sheet goods before cutting them down to final size on the DeWalt. An extra step, but since I'm only a hobby woodworker the extra time isn't a big deal.

Enjoyed the video! I’m trying to decide between these 2 saws. How flat is each surface? The cast iron on the delta seems like it is likely potentially much flatter. Can you measure them? Thanks!!!!

I chose the DeWalt since I have a duch a tight place. It's working well with a ton of jigs even though I would have preferred a larger saw. It takes a dado stack but then the height adjustment started moving on me. Had to lock it with cable ties😅. Thanks for the video.

I am not a contractor needing to haul a saw around. The Delta is much more substantial and love the cast iron table. Th cast iron table is convenient for flat surface when needed for other needs.

Mike, missed you buddy! Another great video. I need both types, so thanks for this demo. The Delta (though, I don't have the T2 model) is for the shop and I'm not giving it up. But, that DeWalt is a sweet portable machine that I can get into the truck and work on-site ; therefore, I needed to know if it was worth the money. Believe it or not, I've been rocking a Craftsmen portable saw with a rolling stand for the last fifteen years. It doesn't owe me any money and it's tired; so, I guess I can retire it.

the delta is heads and tails above the dewalt. The fence alone makes it a much better choice..it is much more precise. It does move easily and it is very stable when the foot peddle is down I use it everyday and it is as good today as it was three years ago.

Awesome video sir! Do you have any plans to review the Metabo HPT 36v Table saw? The specs seem pretty impressive and the option to go battery powered or plug in seems like an awesome idea. Thank you for the great content!

I really appreciate the decibel measurements. I have the DeWalt and it's a great saw, but it is *extremely* loud. I work in the unfinished part of my basement. Because It has cinder block walls, sounds have a tendency to echo, making the noise levels that much louder. Hearing protection is an absolute must.

I just got the Dewalt. It looks like they recently upgraded the miter gauge. The one on display at Lowe's still had the gauge like the one you showed. Mine was all metal and sturdy. I think it was the same size, but better material. It still wasn't as good as the one on the other saw, but at least it might be usable.

I am torn between these 2. I still can't decide. Great video.

Great video!, still trying to decide on what would be a great beginner / novice saw.

Excellent review, my man. I like your no BS approach. I’ve watched this video several times and I’m so torn between the two saws. My issue is getting the Delta down a flight of stairs to my basement. I’m thinking I could strap the cast iron top to my hand truck and take it down step by step. The remaining pieces I can carry down by hand then assemble the whole thing. Anyway, I’ll probably go for it and just buy the Delta.

Mike I know we talked about the wings on the delta but I basically made a maple butcher block 1 1/2” thick and replaced the wonky wings in the saw. Definitely added weight an stability. Idk if you remember, We were talking about hardware to lock them in to the angle iron an I wound up using cross dowel bolts to lock in the wings and came out perfectly and beautiful now I have hurt feeling issues sliding wood across them because they’re so nice looking but used urethane to protect the wings but truthfully it is a saw and most important it worked really well ! Another great video! Ps I still love my delta!

Is there a metal piece on the Delta at the end of that plastic piece? Basically I’m wondering if it breaks, is there a longer lasting metal piece to clamp a flex hose or diy fix to?

I’m happy to report that I finally got a dial indicator made to run in the miter slots(actually an amazing Temu buy, 30bucks give or take). I can’t believe that my delta was factory set absolutely perfect. I’m a beginner and finally making jigs as well as taking the time to dial it all in. I’d love a cabinet saw but honestly, the delta will do everything I need it to. Good blades and having it dialed, the potential this saw has is amazing for the price point. I’d love some cast iron wings but these ones haven’t affected anything I’ve done yet. I cut some strips of oak today to trim out my sled, just to see, I put them together and got glue line joints no matter how I rearranged the strips. I’m no expert but that means everything is perfectly aligned. Can’t beat it with a simple trip to the store

Excellent video. I got the delta. It’s a no brainer if you have space.

Have you done a video comparing the larger Skilsaw worm drive jobsite saw to the Delta? They’re pretty comparable in price, and the worm drive is supposed to be next class powerful. I wonder if those are closer to each other for a woodworker on a garage on a budget without a dedicated 220-240v outlet. I’ve searched and failed to find a video from you on that. Apologies if I have missed it tho. Thanks for the great content

I bought a Dewalt 10” contractor saw model 745. It is mounted on my “Total station” work bench. As much as I want a cabinet saw, I can’t justify the cost. I’m a hobbiest not a pro.

The delta, in my opinion, is the best value out there. The right wing was dipping, I must not have tightened it all the way, but I figured it out and fully dialed in. I finally started making jigs and am only starting to unlock its potential. People complain about the dust collection. I have a Camvac high pressure DC, when I turn on all three motors, it collects 90 percent of the dust. It’s amazing. The electrical upgrade was worth the money just for the ability to run the Camvac. Low pressure systems will be a thing of the past once the High pressure systems catch on inthe states I think.

Thank you for these reviews, I'm in the market for an affordable saw but one that I can still make precision cuts. I think I'm going to go with the lowes Delta.

@17:25 The DEWALT fence can be stored UNDER the table, which further decreases its folded-up storage size and helps protect the fence in transport. Wow. EXCELLENT comparison review. The decibel difference was astounding though. Ouch!!! I own the DWE7491RS--needed portability, but good to know it stacks up so well against the much larger Delta saw--except for the noise and the larger table/fence size.

Thanks for this and your other table saw review/comparison videos, they've been very helpful. I'm a bit torn, the Dewalt (or any good jobsite saw) seems like the better choice for the size of my small one car garage and ability to get it out of the way, but noise and short infeed length seem problematic. I could rig up some sort of infeed extension, but at the cost of compromising access to controls/the power switch. And there doesn't seem to be any workaround to the noise, universal motors are just freaking loud. Would limit when I can work due to neighbor proximity. On the other hand, I feel like if I'm gonna get something bigger like the Delta that will prevent me from parking in the garage, maybe it makes more sense to save a bit more and get a cabinet saw with fewer compromises (or at least a hybrid with cabinet-mounted trunnions and flat cast iron extensions).

I have the dewalt and the t72 delta and man what a difference

Great Review!! If it helps someone Rigid has the clone to the Delta also. Made by the same company in the same factory. I love the Rigid!! But you want some kind of dust collection ! I was able to fab the 52” rails delta offers onto mine since Rigid doesn’t offer it. But obviously can’t be moved around as easily. Leaves a nice place for a router table built in though!! It’s extremely accurate just using the fence

was wondering- thx- now i know

Wasn't sure what to get but since watching your videos on the Delta, I'm leaning towards getting one of them.

Hi Mike, I enjoyed this comparison. I recently purchased the DeWalt. Your information about the miter gauge material is out of date. They are now metal. They are still not good because the bar is too short and has too much play. Yet they are metal not plastic. Also I was not concerned with the noise because I wear ear protection and the loudest noise comes from cutting wood not running the saw without cutting and this is true whether using a cabinet saw or a contractor saw, both of which I have used for decades.

I love my Dewalt (DWE7491RS). The portability and folding option were a must. I can pick it up and load it in a truck or in out of a shed by myself.

Do you think the Delta is quieter due to the fact that it's more of a stationary saw vs jobsite saw? Would a jet tablesaw be similar in terms of decibals?

Love my delta. Only had it since Dec but it's a huge improvement over my old one. Quite and with a zero insert cuts quite well with the included blade but I will be changing that soon. Just wish the dust collection was a bit better.

Is the delta cast iron top

I used to have a Delta cabinet saw, bought about 1989. When I moved from the Northwest to the Southeast, from a good sized garage to a townhouse with a single car garage I gave the saw to a friend. Regrets! After some research I bought the Dewalt about 2018 for $599.99. I wasn’t aware of the Delta at the time. Deciding factor was the 32.5” capacity and most important, being able to use my dado set. It’s sitting on the stand, which is easy to operate and sturdy. Dewalt has made some changes it looks like, the one you reviewed seems to have more plastic. Back to mine; the fence is very good, probably the best thing about the saw. The miter gage is aluminum on mine, but it’s crap! The small size and no features were expected, but the sloppy fit in the table slot with no adjustment makes it useless. The table is NOT cast iron or even steel. I’m not sure what it is, probably aluminum with a durable coating. My magnetic angle finder won’t stick of course. The height and angle adjustment sucks. There are no detects, as soon as you unlock it the weight of the motor swings it to the center. To get it back to 90 takes some adjustment, every time. It’s very loud, ear protection is a must. I really dislike this saw and regret buying it. I never use it. It’s brand new and just sitting there used once. I want the Delta, but can’t justify having both.

On the Dewalt, when storing the fence, place it upside-down under the table on the left lug. Then it is protected from damage while stored by the table itself and the frame. Also reduces storage area needed by the height of the fence.

I would go with the Delta; more top surface and you can also add a router tabletop to it if you want love how quite it is, but I hear that's because it's a belt drive which I'm happy with.

I have a smaller DeWalt the blade lift just stripped out, it's been a good saw, but it has a aluminum table, the Delta I assume is cast iron which I don't think you mentioned, so much more you can do with it, good miter bars , mag switch ect..., I bought a aftermarket cross cut sled and the ball bearings wore out the coating on the table and now it has slop, I would much rather have a cast iron table !!! But then space and portability, what a dilemma! Damn it ! Good video though.

I am a 68 yr old woman, and I have the Dewalt. I have 2 move it daily out n2 my driveway 2 work on it. Let me tell u, it's a breeze 2 move around and set up. Big wheels and very well balanced.

The Delta is a much better saw all the way around. I’ve had mine for about a year and it was a huge upgrade over my DeWalt FlexVolt job site saw.

The decibel difference is insane! If I had the room, I'd have a delta size saw all day long even thought my DWE7491 is very capable for it's size. Thanks for the reviews as always sir!

Dude... the Delta is a beast, but it purrs. That's crazy.

Mike, have you had any reliability issues with the Delta? I like the Delta but too many negative reviews complaining of motor issues and poor customer service kept me from buying. I really enjoy your detailed and comprehensive review videos. You’re definitely one of the best on YT! Thanks!

I agreed with Woodrawsmith, but I own a Dewalt Job site Saw for about eight years and I am constantly calibrating and fine tuning my saw to get the best results, again for a portable saw, in my opinion is the best in the market (price and availability). I have fabricated from fine furniture to a complete home with it… in the old days they use to do everything by hand and all was done as accurate as they could, and that furniture still around… workmanship is the craftsman, not the machine, with all do respect.

Been watching a few of your reviews lately. Honest views and concise. a big plus is you don't feel the need to insert that dipshit filler muzac. Wish more would follow your lead. You've earned another subscriber. Thanks and keep up the good work, Sir.

Thanks for your most honest opinions on the Delta vs other brands. I currently have a Ryobi 10 inch I bout about a year ago I haven't used it much until recently. I will say this I am very disappointed in it I have begun the look for a better saw and while I looked at the Delta saw when I bought the Ryobi I jut didn't want to spend that much. Now I wish that I had. I am now planing on buying the Delta. how ever I am curious, you said the wings on the saw are not quite adequate, and your fence hits the corner bad enough to cause you concern, Have you spoke with the company to see if there is anything that could be done? also I just thought and you may have already looked at this. is there an adjustment on the rail or front bar to maybe stop this from happening? Is the rail itself perfectly square and level? It is possible it may have been damaged in packing or shipping. Anyway I like your reviews keep them coming. One last thing I have been looking and have not seen anything on the 36-725T2 Vs The 5000 Series they look very similar It would be nice to see a comparison.

One of the biggest reasons I'm considering the delta is the fence. From what i understand once it is set up it is dead accurate which is what you need for actual woodworking. As far as ive been able to figure the Delta is the cheapest saw that has a descent fence? Correct? I mean i don't want to have to measure the front and back of the blade to check for a straight cut everytime.

Im pretty sure that's not a support fence on the Delta. It's for cutting very thin material. The Dewalt needs that feature because of the smaller table space. If you need to take a saw away from the shop and into a job site get the Dewalt. Both saws can easily be moved around the work shop. As price is competitive, the Delta is the superior workshop saw.

I have the first generation Delta saw and the motor has a switch to change from 120v to 240v. I watched a video where they showed that when using 240v that the saw is less likely to bogg down, even though the power (wattage) is the same. It also uses less amps when higher voltage. Im betting the T2 alao has this. Just and added benefit (if you habe 240v accessibile or are building a ship like i was, and planned for it.)

On the delta fence can't you unbolt the 2 aluminum rails and flip them so you can use the secondary fence on the right side of the saw?

Thank you for the video. One question? Can the Delta saw be mounted on a mobile cart like the smaller Delta job site saw? I don't care for the Dewalt cart. If anyone that follows you has done so, please advice.

This is a very interesting comparison. I own the delta table saw. I don't think you can compare a portable job site saw to the Delta. Maybe Delta has their saw described in the wrong category. I think the delta is in the same stationary class as the Laguna or saw stop. After I added the Incra TSLS fence and the Incra router table add on, the Delta in my case is hard to beat for accuracy and money spent. btw I am operating this saw on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. Thanks for the review. Cannon with until you get your hands on a Incra LS Fence!

thanks good honest review

what i find weird about the dewalt 7485 is the angles. the wheel is hard to move and get in the right spot. the red thing to choose the angle with isnt the best. also the mitre gauge slot has loads of play in it. why??????????? the fence is solid (95 percent) sometimes get play in one end. and its not always at 90 to the table.

I had the Dewalt and gave it away! I hated the fence! I love the DELTA all around!

With some minor modifications the Delta will perform almost any task that a cabinet saw will major difference is horsepower. I have used this Delta and the UniSaw.

Nice video. These are 2 saws on my list. Hard part is finding 36-725t2 in-stock in my area. Did find 1 about 100 miles Away. #RoadTrip

Nice video on two of the best non-cabinet saws available, Mike. The DeWalt is the top of the line jobsite saw. The Delta is the best shop saw. Once you get above this level prices go triple and above quickly. It seems like there is a big void in the market for shop saws in the $1000.00 range that are a step up from the Delta, but less than Grizzly, Powermatic, or SawStop.

I have the Delta but have used the Dewalt. In my personal opinion, the two saws have different purposes. The Dewalt is better for Job site but the Delta is better for small shops. As for storage, it depends on how you have your shop laid out as to if the storage really matters.

Is the delta rack and pinion on the fence? My concern is trusting fence parallel with blade

I wonder if the fence on the delta can be unbolted and spun around so the secondary fence can then be used to support stock. Just a thought it may not work sir

i love my dewalt but youre right it is noisy.. it stores out of the way easily and i can put it in my car if i need to.. its the first table saw ive owned (after i returned the craftsman the day that i bought it) who knows ..if i had a bigger shop? thanks for your review

Oh what I'd do for that Delta 🤤 Can only hope to get one in the future but I feel like knowing my luck won't be on the mark anymore. That's just the type of luck I have lol! What's that model going for right now, out the door?

Im using a dewalt DWE7491RS right now, and although I like it, I wish i got a steel table rather than the aluminum. For me that's the biggest factor. The wood slides more smoothly on a steel table than the dewalt.

Try Delta or Dewalt saw with a Diablo blade could make it easy 10db less noisy

where is the extra 100 pounds in the delta tablesaw? I don't quite understand that the price is about the same but the weight is doubled in the Dewalt. Can anybody answer that question? Is it in the table the stand or wherever? 24:09

Have you compared the Rikon 10 table saw to the Delta

Oh i didnt see this video. Its funny pros on one machine but cons on other (including skilsaw) its like no machine has both lol. Prices running atm dewalt is on sale for 549, skil is 649 and delta is 700. Noise isnt much of factor as i use my gun ear muffs (tho i guess neighbors lol). Ill eventually pick one, main concern is any major flaws. I would be usin rip fence alot idk how accurate they are or if there easy to align if not. I know dust collection is important since im in basement (cold is hard on tools and if i make a side job i dont want to ruin it more than i need to. I dont want to have too much dust everywhere. I do have a standard shop vac.

delta for sure if use that my ears would not be ringing and forget it the dewalt to dam loud

I have the exact same DeWalt saw displayed/discussed in this video. It has performed flawlessly, but I do have a gripe ... OK, 2 gripes. Yes, the miter is crap and I knew that up front, but the 2 miter slots are not the same width. And that may be related to my second gripe. The aluminum table top is far from being flat. I haven't measured the thickness variations, but I've grown sick of this issue. Likewise, the Delta table has also been reported being not perfectly flat. Two videos I've seen measured 0.008" in one, and around 0.030" in another. I can probably live with 0.008", not not with 0.030" (almost 1/32"). Thus, the search for my next table saw continues.

Why would you compare portable saw to stationary one? Delta also makes portable jobsite saw!!!!!

Did you say 200 lb? Online it's said 77lb. Which is it?

I'll take the delta any day.

Dewalt for travel. Delta for diy shop

Get the Delta and a bigger garage. :)