Preorders for the new Dewalt DCS785 cordless miter saw just went live.
The DCS785 is dual bevel 12″ sliding miter saw and the first of this size that can be powered by a Dewalt 20V Max cordless power tool battery.
Previously, Dewalt has only had FlexVolt 60V Max 12″ cordless miter saws, with the most recent being the DCS781 that launched in 2022 (see also New Dewalt FlexVolt Miter Saw has Several Surprises DCS781).
Advertisement
Prior to the DCS781, Dewalt only had 120V Max cordless 12″ sliding miter saws that were powered by dual FlexVolt batteries.
Dewalt’s newest 20V Max cordless miter saw looks a lot like their 60V Max model. To my eyes, it looks largely identical except for different colors and 20V Max battery compatibility.
At the time of this posting, the 20V Max model is priced higher than the 60V Max saw.
Bare Tool Pricing
60V Max DCS781B – $599
20V Max DCS785B – $699
Kit Pricing
Advertisement
60V Max DCS781X1 – $849
20V Max DCS785WW1 – $879
The new 20V Max model – aptly advertised as Dewalt’s “largest cut capacity 20V Max miter saw” – can make horizontal cross cuts up to 14″. It can cut baseboard 6-1/2″ vertically or crown molding 6-1/2″ nested.
Given its battery form factor, the new DCS785 is “compatible with the full range of Dewalt 20V Max batteries and Dewalt FlexVolt batteries.”
Despite this, users will likely want to stick with Dewalt’s more powerful batteries, such as the 8Ah PowerPack it’s kitted with.
Features include an LED cutline blade positioning system, bevel gear transmission, and large carrying handle. The tool-only saw weighs 51.7 pounds.
Price: $699 for the tool-only, $879 for the kit
At the time of this posting, the shipping ETA is late April to early May, which is 2-3 weeks from now.
Dewalt DCS785 Cordless Miter Saw Features & Specs
- 12″ blade size
- Traditional sliding design
- 3800 RPM
- 50° max miter range (right and left)
- 49° max bevel capacity
- Bevel stops at 22.5° and 33.9°
- Horizonal cutting capacity at 90°: 14″
- Horizontal cutting capacity at 45°: 10″
- Vertical baseboard cutting capacity: 6-1/2″
- Nested crown molding cutting capacity: 6-1/2″
- Wireless tool control for dust vacuum activation
- Weighs 51.7 lbs (tool-only)
- Includes dust bag, vacuum adapter, material clamp
- Kit comes with XR 8Ah battery, charger
Plain+grainy
I assume there’s no AC voltage option? The original dual battery model was ac/dc compatible.
Big Richard
No, that was the only hybrid corded/cordless tool DeWalt ever offered (besides things like radios/speakers/lights and the DCV581 vacuum). The gen II flagship 60v miter saw didn’t have that feature, no way would they offer it on the “lesser” 20v model.
Stuart
They seem to have to given up on hybrid cordless/AC powered tools. From what I heard, a lot of people were unhappy with the FlexVolt miter saw performance when on AC power.
Wayne R.
Would building a “charger” into it (to keep a battery always topped off) be too costly? Or just too clunky?
MM
That would be neither costly nor would it take a lot of space, at least from an electrical engineering perspective. This is something that really makes me scratch my head, it would be trivial in terms of complexity and cost to make any “stationary” sort of cordless power tool like a miter saw, table saw, big vacuum, radio, etc, double as a charger, but it seems to be rarely implemented.
I wonder if there are any potential legal concerns, like extra safety certifications that corded tools might require that cordless can avoid?
Adam B.
To be honest, I think it just conflicts too much that they make so much of their money off of battery sales. Why sell you one battery you only use on the occasions you just need to make a couple of cuts and then use the adapter the rest of the time? When instead they can sell you multiple batteries so you always have enough for your saw and you might evenbuy a second saw with a cord for when you need to do a lot of cutting on the job site. There’s really no incentive for that for SBD. I think the only reason metabo did it was to establish themselves more competitively in the market
Stuart
Metabo HPT offers an AC adapter for their MultiVolt 36V tools, and so it is feasible, but that was a decision they made platform-wide from the start.
fred
I bought their ET36A QOY AC adapter for their 36V router. I tried it – and for me it made the router cumbersome. So. like many other tools/accessories that I thought might be a good idea when bought – it now just gathers dust.
Bonnie
I think you’d run into problems stressing the battery out with frequent topoff cycles.
Oarman
Generally these battery systems charge at much less current than peak discharge rates, so the AC chargers are a lot smaller than they’d have to be to direct power the tool. Look at the Metabo HPT 36V AC adapter, which is way bigger than a battery charger, and a Dewalt 20v version would have to be non-trivially larger.
Eric
There was a problem with the adapter and it would kill the motors in them. Then it was $325 to get a new motor put in. Finish Carpentry TV on youtube made a couple of videos about it.
Josh Walters
Yeah I have this saw and just run it cordless 99% of the time. I have enough batteries and they last all day anyway
CMF
I also have the saw. At first, I never had a need to use the AC adapter. After hearing from YT Finish Carpenter, then later on I heard or read more on the AC burning out motors over the long haul.
Since then, I will not use the AC adapter.
will
Why is the 20V model $100 more? Does the regen braking really cost that much to implement,or am I missing something? Besides inflation and tariffs of course. The regen braking started with formula 1 cars i believe,but j wonder how much time yoy can gain from say an 8ah battery? I dont see any claims so it must not be a huge difference but enough to be implemented. So Hats off to Dewalt for moving the needle if only a little bit. Unless another company already uses the system.
Jronman
Apparently there was an issue with the corded mode that killed the motor that cordless mode did not have.
Big Richard
They also have the 10″ DCS714, a fixed non-sliding model.
I still think a single 10″ sliding model would have been the way to go for 20V. Going to be enough for 95% of most jobs, it would be smaller/lighter, and the cost would likely be lower.
Stuart
Not via authorized dealers or channels (yet?). I think they should have updated the brushed motor 7-1/4″ slider by now – it’s been 10 YEARS!
Big Richard
Not available for pre-order yet, no. But it has been known for a couple months and recently featured in authorized dealer’s sales flyers (along with the also known 4Ah compact PowerPack battery) – https://www.fastenersinc.net/pages/flex-sale-flyer
An Atomic branded brushless dual bevel 7 1/4″ would be a very nice addition to their growing cordless miter saw portfolio. Maybe next year.
TB
I visit the site daily hoping for that update. Make it double bevel, please, Dewalt…
Big Richard
Here is the official press release that also mentions the 10″ 714. As well as the new compact XR drills, DCD801 and DCD806. They are essentially the DCD800 and DCD805 with their Anti-Rotation feature. Abroad they simply came out with a Type 2 of the 800/805 that included the Anti-Rotation, but in NA they are releasing them as new model numbers.
https://dewalt.mediaroom.com/2025-04-15-DEWALT-R-Sets-New-Benchmark-in-its-Cordless-Cut-Capacity-with-Release-of-the-20V-MAX-XR-R-12-In-Double-Bevel-Sliding-Miter-Saw
will
I wonder why they didn’t make the 10″ a slider? My best guess would be they didnt want to eat in to the 12″ sales. So maybe once the 12″ model’s sales decline they can introduce the 10″ slider. I wonder what it would cost? Probably $450-500 is my guess. Now would be a great time to introduce a 7 1/4″ BL slider with 5ah tabless batterie and a quick charger for $300?
eddiesky
I’ve planned on replacing my 12″ Hitachi corded as its almost 80lbs and not portable, even on a porter-cable stand-cart (too top heavy). Good saw, and can cut 4×4 oak no issue. But I need a portable miter saw, and even the DCS361 smaller one would work for trim. The Hitachi (now Metabo) has never been a solid, repeating and accurate cutting miter yet has some little features that I don’t like on DeWalt (like the secure button trigger).
Kingsley
I’d buy the DCS781 for $600, sadly here in the UK it’s $1300 and they’re a bit big to fit in my luggage to bring one back on holiday!
Why they cost more than double in the UK, I have no idea!
The new DCD1007 is another example, it’s $400 bare in the UK. In the USA you could recently get it for $225 with an 8ah power pack battery.
Almost tempted to import one via a drop shipper. The 8ah power pack battery hasn’t even been released here.
will
Wow,how high is the VAT in the UK? I cant see how Dewalt can even sell one of these for that price. Better to buy one on Ebay with international shipping.
Kingsley
20% and if you’re trade you claim that back. Doesn’t explain the price difference, just SBD playing the UK market. They’d sell a lot more if they were more competitive.
Jared
I assume we’ll have to wait for testing to know, but it’s interesting to know if the bottleneck was the batteries or if there were efficiency and motor improvements that allowed them to make this a 20v tool now when it had to be 60v before. Or maybe it’s both.
E.g. Milwaukee has had larger form-factor saws in the 18v category for some time. It seems to me like, while they worked, they were pushing the limits of the then-existing battery tech when they launched. That’s likely less of a problem than now that Forge and other very large packs exist.
But why now with Dewalt? Did the battery tech get to a point where 60v-like performance was possible with 20v packs – or did they make a saw that could play well even with the lesser packs?
Maybe another way of asking the question is just: is this a 20v saw that needs the next-gen batteries to work well?
MM
I think many improvements came together to make this possible, with more efficient motors being part of that. But I think that improved battery tech (pouch or tabless), and the regenerative braking tech that came out on the 60v saws a while back are the two biggest factors.
will
I didnt realize the 60v had the braking regen. Why else is thr 60V $100 cheaper? Can you use 20V batteries in the 60V saw with reduced power? Looks like it works the other way around. It’s been a long time since I’ve paid attention to power tools since I have what I need,or thought I did. Anyways they’ve come so far with the battery tech,I hope they can get graphene batteries that can offer the power thats needed. In phones at least they offer much higher energy density so they could make batteries even smaller. The question is, would we need new tools to use them or would they force new tools on us just because they can?
Big Richard
On paper it is still much less efficient than its 60v twin, or a good bit more powerful. Or maybe a combination of both. DeWalt used the same runtime metrics for both:
20v with 8Ah PP
– 371 cuts in 3-1/4″ MDF baseboard (46.25 cuts/Ah)
– 153 cuts in pressure treated 4×4 pine (19.125 cuts/Ah)
60v with 9Ah FV
– 675 cuts in 3-1/4″ MDF baseboard (75 cuts/Ah)
– 255 cuts in pressure treated 4×4 pine (28.333 cuts/Ah)
Both runtime/cut numbers are ~50-60% higher per Ah in favor of the 60v. That tells me, while the power is there in 18v/20v with modern packs, 60v still has the advantage in efficiency.
will
There’s no way around it, higher voltage requires lower current which leads to less resistance. So the higher voltage will always be more efficient.
Adam
A Dewalt 20 volt 12 inch miter saw, well that has to be way under powered, in fact it’s probably junk.
Tdot77
Milwaukee has had a m18 12″ sliding miter saw for awhile. Let me guess; that one is amazing, right? Smdh Lmao
potato
you pay a price premium over the 60v version, which is almost the price of a low end 60v battery but also the 60v kit is cheaper than the 20v kit? huh what kind of sense does this make?
Big Richard
It might not necessarily explain the price difference, but this 20v model does have their wireless tool control. Something the NA 60v models do not have (international 60v models do have it for whatever reason).
will
I hate when they pull crap like that. Offering different features in different regions. Then again i bet the international model costs twice as much and they add tool connect to justify the outrageous pricing. Does tool connect even matter other then keeping track of the tool? I mean do they have the features that milwaukee offered years ago where you could control certain aspects of the tool or just a tracker with a few extra useless features?
Big Richard
This is not Tool Connect, rather Wireless Tool Control (WTC) is their wireless pairing to dust extractors. So when you pull the trigger on this saw, your WTC enabled dust extractor will automatically turn on as well.
But I agree, I was upset when the 60v model launched and I discovered that the international model had WTC, but the domestic model did not. So it is nice to see they have included it on this new 20v model, but I’d like to see a new Type come out for the 60v with this feature.
Nathan
My understands is the 120v adapter wasn’t able to provide the full DC current draw or geats from batteries unless on an actually 20a circuit. Not everyone has those and even then it’s still not has powerful as 2 flex volt batteries
Question the bevel gear drive caught my attention. Is the 781 also a bevel drive vs the belt drive
Big Richard
Yes, the 781 was also a bevel gear. This really is more or less the same saw with a 20v motor instead of a 60v motor, and different color scheme.
neandrewthal
Just like the 60V, the regenerative braking tech is super cool. Especially for trim cuts, the energy to spin up the blade is clearly much more than to cut the piece. It would be cool if someone did a dive into how the tech works. It has to somehow generate more voltage than it takes in to run.
Maybe as simple as shorting the motor to the battery when braking, and when running there is some throttling with pulse width modulation, like most of the variable speed brushless tools.
Roger
Knew something like this was coming, but dam… That’s heavy!
For the price difference I’d shift towards the FLEXVOLT.
Hoping for a brushless XR update to the 7-1/4″ version, with better lighting, and specs. Especially faster RPM and longer rails.
Anderson
Agree with Big Richard above. A 10″ sliding miter saw most definitely should be in the 20v line. As a finish carpenter, a 10″ slider will do 99% of what I need. Lighter, more compact, cheaper blades, etc.
Maybe one will come eventually but it’s baffling to me that they would release a second 12” slider alongside a 10” fixed.
For some reason Dewalt seems to think people don’t like 10” sliders even though most of the competition has them and many of them are quite popular.
Big Richard
I almost feel part of doing the 12″ slider was to give one of their biggest customers, Lowes, a premium full size 12″ miter saw (Lowes does not carry Flexvolt). They more of less cloned the 60v, so it wasn’t a difficult tool for them to design/manufacture.
And with that, maybe they thought a 10″ slider would be too redundant in terms of size, price, and capability on the 20v line. So they only did the fixed to make it a bigger difference in size and price. Hoping this is “phase 1” and next year we see “phase 2″ with a 10″ slider and updated 71/4”. But that is a lot of cordless miter saws, I don’t know that they want that many options/models.
Stuart
I don’t think so. They’ve been moving towards 20V Max over 60V Max for a number of tools, such as the cordless air compressor, which never appeared at Lowe’s stores. This continues the trend.
I don’t think Lowe’s is going to dedicate promo floor space to a nearly $900 cordless miter saw.
There’s a sales volume differential when it comes to 10″ vs 12″ sliders. It seems feasible to shove users towards the 12″ rather than have both, or at least that seems like the call I think SBD is likely to make.
They launched FlexVolt with fixed and sliding 12″ saws. I believe the slider sold a lot better. Dewalt launched 10″ and 8.5″ sliding miter saws overseas, but they never brought those sizes here.
Even if they launched a 10″ slider, I think that the pricing would influence sales interest and purchasing decisions. From what I’ve seen, 10″ sliders tend to be almost as large, heavy, and expensive as 12″ sliders.
I think they could build a sliding 10″ saw but don’t want to.
OldDominionDIYer
One of the few power tools I have that is not cordless is my Ridgid R4221 12-Inch Miter Saw. Wow it is such a solid saw! Honestly, I had a big job coming up and thought it might go better if I had a miter saw and I was amazed at how much better and faster the job went. I was convinced about the virtues of the miter saw after that. It cuts 2×16 or 4×6 at 90 degrees and has a miter capacity of 70 degrees left and right! It also has positive miter stops at the most common angles of 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.6°, 45°, 60° and 67.5° left and right. Its over a decade old but still more capable than most built today, though its heavy at 64lbs I keep it installed on Ridgid’s awesome foldable MS-UV stand and love it! I have made a lot of cuts and it has always been a pleasure to use. In fact I have another project coming up that I will be using it on and I can’t wait. One of the best things about this saw is the lifetime warranty that comes with it, if I ever get a cordless miter saw, it will be a small 7-1/4 size for ease of mobility. I’m glad to see DeWalt building a 12inch sliding miter saw in 18V but I have to wonder what took them so long? Because I am so fond of my Ridgid Miter Saw I don’t have any desire to get a cordless version since I feel like it will never live up to my current models capabilities and excellent functionality. Even at over 10 yrs old it has features like a LED cutline shadow and blade brake and it was on sale over the Black Friday when I purchased it for $350 plus the stand for $99, so I got the total package for $449! Feels like I stole it at that price today!