Dewalt has officially recalled about 1,364,000 12″ sliding miter saws in the USA, and about 118,600 units sold in Canada.
This recall affects Dewalt DWS779, DWS780, and DHS790 12″ sliding miter saws that were sold from April 2019 thru May 2022.
According to the US CPSC recall notice, Dewalt has received 571 reports of the blade guard assembly breaking or detaching. There were 9 reports of laceration injuries.
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Dewalt’s notice says:
The plastic rear guard assembly can break/shatter when struck, exposing the saw blade and posing a laceration hazard.
Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the recalled miter saws and contact Dewalt for a free repair kit. Alternatively, you can take affected saws to a Dewalt service center for a free repair.
To determine whether your saw is affected, refer to the date code, which is located on the nameplate (DWS779, DWS780) or battery mount (DHS790).
Dewalt date code format is 20XX YY-ZZ, with 20XX being the year, YY being the week of manufacture, and ZZ being a plant code (CJ or 49).
Affected date codes are numbered 2019 04 through 2022 04.
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If your saw has a green or black dot next to the serial number or on its frame in the designated location, it has already been inspected and is not affected by the recall.
Recall Number: 22-196
Contact Dewalt at 800-990-6421 from 8am to 6pm ET Monday thru Friday.
Dewalt’s recall notice also has a web form for repair kit requests.
Dewalt issued a stop sale for the same miter saws in June, and so this recall has been anticipated.
Thank you to Pete for bringing this to our attention!
Leo B.
Thanks for the heads-up! My saw was affected. Hopefully the retro-fit guard is a pretty straightforward install. Thanks!
Pete
It is. You have to remove the blade though. The new rear guard that DeWalt sent me a few weeks ago is metal and not plastic.
Jim Felt
Sounds like a nice upgrade regardless. Unless, of course, it adds too much weight?
Bill L.
On my saw the piece has already broken off and dropped off from the saw, and I have been using the saw without that piece. I wonder what if I just continue using the without having the new replacement piece installed, because right now without that piece on, the saw works just fine, and I have been careful not getting anywhere close to the rear of the saw. Is there any risk of that piece not being there?
Stuart
There is always the risk of injury when using power tools, and far greater risk when safety guarding is compromised or defeated.
I will always encourage the proper use of safety guards.
Joe
what is the purpose of this guard?
Stuart
To prevent unintentional contact with the spinning saw blade.
Josh
I’m considering removing mine so that I can use it without worry as I’m in the middle of a job. I’m having troubles figuring out where the big safety risk is of running it without that piece. But this is coming from a guy who used his hitachi mitersaw without any blade guard for the past 4 years or so haha
John G
Bill, Bill, Bill,
a forum is not the place to ask, “Is there any risk of…”
Of course there is! That is why the manufacturer is recalling/replacing it.
Stuart
It’s good then, that this isn’t a forum.
Stacey Jones
Chinese Junk. May as well buy Harbor Freight.
Stuart
According to the CPSC notice, the affected saws were made in Taiwan and Mexico.
Ben
But doesn’t Taiwan = China?? 🙂
Pete
Not yet. Maybe soon 🙂
Jackson
]parts made in China shipped to Taiwan and Mexico then assembled
Allen Maury
There appears to be no shops in Albuquerque that repair Dewalt mitre or table saws. I almost a finger when a Dewalt table saw engaged in kickback that threw a piece of wood and my hand toward the blade. I am not willing to use the saw blade or guide is adjusted to prevent kickbacks.
MichaelT
So I checked mine even though I knew it was too old (bought in 2017). That part is originally metal, at least on the 2017 models. Looks like this is one of those cases where cost cutting crept into the equation and backfired.
Matt
The repair part I received from dewalt was defective. Not even close to centered when installed. Off by a quarter inch. The new guard is dangerously close to the blade and binds with the dust collection nozzle when lowered preventing a full range of motion. This part would create a severe safety hazard. I had to remove it. Dewalt is going to make these saws less safe if bad repair parts are installed. What a collosal failure.
Greg
Absolutely! I have the exact same issue with the replacement part. What the h&?# is going on at SBD?
Jack
Thank you, Stuart – request submitted to Dewalt for the repair kit. Doubtful that I would have become aware of this w/o your announcement.
Stuart
You’re welcome!
Jack
Dewalt Support sent this link to the video showing how to retrofit the part: https://sbd.hubs.vidyard.com/watch/MYw9nGSbNJ6DZZcJoPebWv
Ron
I got one too on the way they say repair kit
J. Newell
Wasn’t there a “soft” recall on this already? I could be mis-remembering. If that’s right, I wonder what changed? Bureaucratic process working slowly? More injuries?
Jay Dee
Dewalt quietly removed all stock from the major retailers about two months ago (it was covered here at the time)
Kent
1.5 million mitre saws in North America in the past 3 years, not shabby numbers at all.
Bob
And that’s only the ones that got the bad plastic during certain dates….
MFC
So some tools get a retrofit kit, but others have to be returned and I’ve wondered how recalls like this affect the bottomline of manufacturers. I can’t imagine the scale of a recall this large if the tool had to be returned. You’d have to have a huge warehouse just to process them, let alone the laborers and everyone in between. Do these get retrofitted and resold or donated, trashed, or turned into parts? Or do only a small portion of buyers ever follow through with returning them?
My brother had a tablesaw from porter cable or someone that got recalled and they had him chop off the extension plug and send a picture to verify he had “destroyed” the faulty tool. Then they mailed him a check for the price he paid.
Brian Wilkerson
Purchased my saw from Lowe’s and was using it laying some unfinished red oak hardwood. About the 3rd cut or so with it and the plastic piece shattered with pieces thrown into my hand. I’m sure there isn’t any compensation since I didn’t save the pieces and who has time in the real world to run to the doctor everytime something happens. Just had to wrap it up and deal with it hurting.
Craig
I see a very very small black dot on my saw, but then again I lift the guard just before I start to cut then release when it touches the material. Idk. My guide light went out 2 weeks after I purchased it which was dumb, but never had one before so I called for a replacement and they said it would be 2 months before I would get a new one so I just forgot about it haha…
Jeff
People who don’t know how to use power tools shouldn’t use them at all anyway, guards and such just get in the way of making precise cuts, leave the carpentry to carpenters!
Stuart
You wouldn’t say that if you read even a fraction of the professional and jobsite injury reports I have.
People who know – or should know – how to safely use power tools injure themselves all the time.
Greg
Thanks for this. My saw is in that recall.
Bob Adkins
CPSC is a hammer looking for a nail. If they don’t like the cut of your jib, expect repercussions.
Blade guards can give you a false sense of security, never rely on them. When you stop being careful, you’re going to get hurt no matter how many safety features are piled on your tools. Saws and angle grinders are so violent you should only use them when you have to. The best safety feature of all is to always get in the right frame of mind before using them.
My crystal ball just notified me, the message says “Buy DeWalt tools before the price increase”.
Jack Smith
The piece that is recalled is not the main guard it’s a small plastic thing and mine already exploded when a piece of wood hit it. The piece does not get in your way there’s nothing wrong with having it on there and I’m a professional user. If I’m doing something where the main guard is in my way I just lift it up and hold it up with my thumb and carefully make the cut, it’s not that big of a deal.
Duane henry
I have one of these
Storm in a teacup this .
Great saw.
Would buy another tommorow.
Rodney E Ellis
Some of the best advice I ever got if you are stressed or distracted watch TV or exercise do not turn on a tool.Remember Norm Abrams starting statements read and understand.if that project is on your mind wrap sandpaper around a block of wood and get busy maybe have one beer not two or six .NEVER EVER remove or alter blade guards the manufacturer isn’t the stupid party!
Rodney E Ellis
We actually used to call blade guards FINGER SAVERS
Ken J
I have a DWS780 saw that I bought a couple of months ago. My saw has the “green dot” indicating that it was inspected and not part of the recall.
I went ahead an ordered the part anyway. The replacement guard is metal whereas the one on may saw is plastic.
How is it possible that the plastic guard is okay with the green dot yet the part they are sending out is metal?
Doesn’t make any sense to me.
Ty
received mine today however the replacement is half metal and half plastic. The metal piece is the base plate in which screws mount to; however the spring loaded guard piece is still plastic. The spring loaded plastic doesn’t detach like the old all plastic guard. IMO still risk of the plastic breaking. Oh well I suppose.
Ken J
Ah, yes you are right. The inner piece is plastic on the new part. There is a YouTube video I watched where someone installs the new part. The old plastic part’s mounting hole was cracked when he removed it.
My feeling is that the plastic outer piece mount on the original part was likely cracking/failing when hit by wood debris thus making contact with the blade which would then shoot plastic shrapnel everywhere. The metal mount is much less likely to fail compared to the plastic.
Jack+Smith
I had a black plastic piece on mine explode when a piece of wood hit it. I’m not exactly sure what it was because it was in a bunch of pieces afterwards. I think it is the part that is recalled. I ordered the new one just now and will install when it arrives. The main guard is still intact I’m not worried about using it I’ve been using it since it broke which happened after not even a half a dozen times using it. I got the 779 and it’s a great saw and was only $399.
Dave
I recently received the kit that replaced the guard/saw dust deflector. Made from sturdy metal, and should not break. Easy to install, just remove blade and use the wrench that came with the saw.
Rodney E Ellis
Dissapointed I’VE contacted dewalt several times still waiting for replacement guard for my dws779.just glad I’m retired not still depending on tool for a living trim carpenter over 20 yrs.
Rodney E Ellis
Mine came today 1/8 inch thick steel 2 piece 20 minute install impressive upgrade.lots of liars on this forum!
Greg
So my replacement part is so shabbily designed that the blade is very close to touching one side.
I removed it and tried reinstalling with no success, and I used both the written instructions and the video, so I am positive it is not user error.
I’m going to try calling DeWalt again, but this is really disappointing.
Joe
I will be contacting Dewalt on Monday regarding this. As their problem and safety defect should not be on my account to correct. I am not going to install their repair part to keep me safe. I live 4 hours drive from the closest repair facility. I will be requesting an RMA to ship it to them and back to me at their expense. Sure, I can absolutely install this simple part myself. I do work on machinery for a living. But this should not be my problem. I might be convinced to do the work if they pay me my hourly rate at their book marked time hack to perform this service.
Greg
@Joe,
Any luck? One representative on chat said they would send me a shipping label to ship it to the nearest factory repair center but that I needed to call.
When I tried the number she provided, I got a representative who directed me to a local business, which promptly told me they are not a Dewalt repair facility and that they told Dewalt this six months ago.
I’m going to try getting Dewalt’s attention on Facebook, but I have wasted a number of hours already.
Joe
@Greg,
They sent me a shipping label to some place in Georgia I think it was. But they won’t provide packaging materials. Those cost money as well. This should NOT be on us to handle at all. I will be installing the part. (which I still have not gotten) and then sell ALL of my dewalt stuff. I am switching to Milwaukee because of this.