This is not simply an orange or "rebadged" DeWalt, you can't just look at the spec sheets, you have to look at the saws, or better yet use them like I have. Yes, it does have the same motor and motor assembly and cutting capacity (an important aspect), and therefore much of the specs are the same. However, there are lots of important differences (some important, some not) that make the DeWalt "Heavy Duty" and this one, well, not:- The dust bag support is different and weaker, it can't support a full bag without bending or even (yikes!) breaking.
- The base is made of thinner/lighter stock and won't stand up to as much abuse without bending or warping.
- The base doesn't have any clamping holes in it, and B&D does not offer any aftermarket clamps for it.
- The blade guard isn't metal reinforced like the DeWalt.
- The included blade is inferior to the standard DeWalt blade, and really should be replaced by anybody serious about the quality of their cuts.
- The miter and bevel metrics are either plastic or sticker on plastic, whereas on the DeWalt they are silkscreened stamped metal.
Is the saw a great deal? YES! For [money]vs [money] for the DeWalt, I *easily* think it's the better value for the average Weekend Handyman. But you *do* get something for that [money]. I'm not saying the differences are worth [the money], to most people they aren't (including me), but to somehow try to make yourself feel better about this saw by saying "oooh...it's really worth [more money] since it's identical to that [money] saw" is simply not true.
From a cutting standpoint, if they had the same blade, they would perform the same, and how well a saw cuts IS the most important feature. For [money] you can buy the identical blade which comes with the DeWalt and you'd still be [money]ahead and have the "same saw" from a quality of cut and cutting capacity standpoint. But it would *NOT* be "the same saw, only orange". There are a lot of things that work in unison to make a great saw, and in many of these areas the DeWalt has improvements over it's cheaper sibling to help justify the heftier pricetag.
I'm not advocating that you go out and buy the DeWalt, in my opinion it's overpriced for even these changes I've stated above. Sears sells a Craftsman (Ryobi) for [money] which is the quality of the DeWalt, and one for [money] which blows it away. I'd buy one of those two models, or this B&D, before the DeWalt.
Simply stating that this is identical to a DeWalt but different color is a misleading falsehood. I've seen this posted on multiple review sites, and it's wrong everywhere it is posted.
It doesn't mean it's not a good value, to the contrary, I think this saw is probably the best value in the 10" compound miter non-sliding category. It *blows* away all of the [cheaper] models, and even most of the [more expensive] models, and from a cutting standpoint keeps up with the [most expensive]models.
This saw is a tremendous value @ [the price]. It's just not a DeWalt. :-)
