The one thing that all the DeWalt saws got right, that most other saws did not, is how the fixed detents for standard angles are built in. Most of the saws have “as cast” detents. Those will never be extremely accurate. Better, but expensive, would be to machine the detents post-casting. Most of the saws I saw when I was shopping did not have machined detents.
What DeWalt did, was add a metal stamping to the saw with the detents stamped out. Those stamped openings can be made with very close tolerances, probably +/- 0.003” to 0.005”.
In addition the way the stamping is mounted on the saw allows adjustment of the angle. Also the individual markings are etched on the plate. Many saws have the markings as part of the casting process. The image below shows the stamping. Also note the black screw on the lower left that resides in a slotted hole. There are 3 or 4 of those screws, and the entire plate can be moved to match up with the blade’s angle.
Unfortunately, my saw never lived up to its accuracy promise. Either the motor’s shaft has some runout or the bearing is not tight enough, but if I want very accurate miters, I need to go the a sled on my table saw, or use my 45 degree angle dedicated picture framing sliding table saw.
How does the Festool saw make the detents?
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