Mitre saws · 400 watts apart
Does the bigger motor earn its €100?
Same blade diameter, same XPS shadow line, same maker. The DWS777 adds 400 watts and a sliding fence for roughly a hundred euros. Whether that is money well spent comes down to one question: what are you cutting, and how often?
| Compared on | DWS774 | DWS777 |
|---|---|---|
| Blade diameter | 216 mm | 216 mm |
| Motor | 1 400 W | 1 800 W |
| Cut line | XPS shadow line | XPS shadow line |
| Sliding fence | Not stated | Yes |
| Price in Germany | €294 | €420 |
| Supplied blade | 24-tooth TCT | Not stated |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these machines answer different questions.
Buy the DWS774 unless you cut hardwood every day. It has the feature that matters — the shadow line — for a hundred euros less, and on trim, flooring and studwork the smaller motor is never the limit.
Buy the DWS777 if the saw earns its keep. The extra motor shows on the tenth cut in 45 mm oak rather than the first, and the sliding fence restores the bevel capacity a fixed fence takes away on tall workpieces.
An LED behind the blade casts the blade's own shadow onto the workpiece. Unlike a laser, it needs no calibration, never drifts, and moves when you change the blade — because it is the blade. On a saw you will own for a decade it is the single feature worth paying for.
The DWS774 ships with a 24-tooth blade, which is a framing tooth count: fast through studs and coarse on anything that will be painted. Budget for a 60-tooth negative-rake blade at the same time — see our saw blade hub for why the rake angle matters on a chop saw.
216 mm · XPS shadow line · 1 400 W
The cheapest way onto DeWalt's XPS shadow line, which is the feature that changes how a mitre saw is used.
Best for: Anyone who wants an accurate cut line and does not need the bigger motor
≈ £345 / 295 €
216 mm · XPS shadow line · 1 800 W
The DWS774 with 400 more watts and a sliding fence — worth it if you cut hardwood all day, and not otherwise.
Best for: Daily use in hardwood, where the extra motor stops the saw bogging on the tenth cut
≈ £490 / 420 €
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
