DeWalt DWS774
216 mm (8.50 in) · 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
Mitre saws
The best mitre saw for trim and flooring
Two things decide a mitre saw for interior work: how wide it crosscuts, and whether you can see where the blade will land. The second is where the money should go.
Shadow line, not laser
A laser is a separate part aimed at where the blade is supposed to be: it needs calibrating, and it drifts. A shadow line puts an LED behind the blade and lets the blade cast its own shadow, so the line is the kerf and moves when you change the blade.
That is the feature to pay for, and the DeWalt DWS774 at €294 is the cheapest way onto it here.
The blade in the box is not the blade you want
Almost every mitre saw ships with a 24-tooth framing blade. It rips through studs and tears anything you intend to paint. A 60-tooth negative rake blade changes the machine — and the rake angle matters more than the tooth count, because a positive-rake blade on a chop saw self-feeds and snatches.
Which saw fits your shop?
- You cut skirting and architrave
- Capacity at the angles you actually use matters more than the maximum crosscut in a straight line.
- You fit flooring
- Repeatability and a good stop system decide the day, because the same cut is made hundreds of times.
- You cut wide boards
- A slide is what gives the capacity, and it needs clearance behind the saw.
- You work in finished rooms
- Dust capture and the ability to work against a wall become the real criteria.
Picking by the cut you need
Trim and moldings
The core job. Compound angles and a fence that holds the piece square are what matter.
Flooring
Repetitive crosscuts to a stop. Accuracy matters less than consistency here, and a good stop gives consistency.
Framing and structural cuts
Capacity and power, with less demand for a fine finish. A coarser blade suits it better.
Site work in occupied rooms
Where dust extraction stops being a workshop nicety and becomes a condition of being allowed to work.
What matters once the blade is turning
- Capacity at angle, not just straight
- Quoted crosscut capacity is at ninety degrees. At forty-five it shrinks, and that is exactly where trim work happens.
- Slide or fixed
- A slide adds width capacity and depth behind the saw. In a van or against a wall, that clearance is the deciding factor.
- Detent accuracy and adjustability
- The common angles need to land exactly and repeatably. A detent that is close but not right makes every mitre a fight.
- The fence and its support
- Tall fences support skirting on edge; sliding fence sections allow bevels. Both decide what you can actually cut.
- Dust capture
- Mitre saws are among the worst offenders for airborne dust. Capture is never complete, and a shroud plus extraction makes a real difference.
Which figure for which cut
| Your work | What to look for | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| Skirting on edge | A tall fence | A fence too low to support it |
| Wide boards | A slide | No clearance behind |
| Repeat lengths | A stop system | Measuring every piece |
| Finished rooms | Extraction and a shroud | Believing capture is total |
Where it goes wrong in the shop
- Lifting the head before the blade stops
- A spinning blade lifted out of the cut catches the offcut and throws it. Waiting two seconds is the whole rule.
- Cutting on the pull stroke
- On a slide saw the head is pulled out, plunged, then pushed through. Cutting on the pull climbs the blade into the work and it snatches.
- Trusting the detents without checking
- A saw can be a fraction out at forty-five and every mitre will show it. A test cut on scrap is faster than fixing a fitted joint.
- Holding a small offcut by hand
- Short pieces near the blade should be clamped or held with the workpiece, never fingered into position.
By the woodworker you are
- The trim carpenter
- Accurate detents, a tall fence and a stop system. Consistency over headline capacity.
- The floor fitter
- A stop, dust capture and a blade suited to laminate. Repetition is the job.
- The occasional user
- A fixed-head saw is cheaper, more compact and entirely adequate for narrow trim.
Blades, alignment and working life
A mitre saw drifts through its detents and its fence rather than its motor. Dust packed under the turntable is what makes an angle read right and cut wrong, and it accumulates unseen.
- Blow or vacuum dust out from under the turntable and around the detents.
- Check the fence is square to the blade periodically with a reliable square.
- Keep the slide rails clean and lightly lubricated as the maker specifies.
- Replace a chewed kerf plate: it is what supports the fibers at the cut line.
Safety
A large blade descending at the operator's hand height.
- Let the blade stop completely before raising the head.
- Keep both hands clear of the blade path; clamp short pieces.
- Push, never pull, through the cut on a slide saw.
- Support long workpieces so they cannot drop and twist at the end of the cut.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-08-12. The live price is at the top of the page.
Our picks, and the case for each
Metabo KGS 216 M
216 mm (8.50 in) · sliding · six markets
The cheapest saw on this page that is sold under one reference on all six Amazon stores — and the one we would put in a small workshop.
Best for: A small workshop that wants a saw from a serious brand without paying for a professional one
Scheppach HM216
216 mm (8.50 in) · 340 mm (13.4 in) crosscut · 2,000 W
The cheapest saw here that states its crosscut width — 340 mm (13.4 in) — and the widest on this page below €200.
Best for: Trim, flooring and framing where the budget is the constraint and the cuts are not tall
What comes up most often
Do I need a sliding saw?
For anything wider than about 150 mm (5.91 in), yes. A fixed-head saw crosscuts a little more than the blade radius; a slider adds its carriage travel, which takes a 216 mm (8.50 in) saw to around 300 mm (11.8 in). Most interior trim needs 250 to 300 mm (9.84 to 11.8 in).
What crosscut width covers most work?
Around 300 mm (11.8 in) handles almost all interior trim and most floorboards. Going to a 305 mm (12 in) blade buys depth for skirting on edge and costs several kilos.
Slide or fixed head?
A slide gives width capacity and needs clearance behind the saw. For narrow trim a fixed head is lighter, cheaper and often enough.
Why do my mitres show a gap?
Usually a detent that is fractionally out, a fence not square, or the workpiece not held flat against the fence. Test cuts on scrap find it quickly.
Do I need a laser?
Useful for rough positioning and never a substitute for a test cut. Lasers drift, and the kerf plate tells you more.
How much dust does it really capture?
Less than most people expect. A shroud and an extractor help considerably, but a mitre saw indoors always needs more than the bag.
Which blade for laminate flooring?
A high tooth count with a grind suited to faced boards. Blade choice changes chipping far more than the saw does.
Why does the offcut fly?
Almost always because the head was lifted before the blade stopped. It is the commonest and most avoidable event on this machine.
Each saw, and the cut it was bought for
DeWalt DWS774
For cutting: Anyone who wants an accurate cut line and does not need the bigger motor
Where it shines: XPS shadow line — no calibration, ever, and it follows the blade you fit
Where it disappoints: 1,400 W against the DWS777's 1,800 W
Metabo KGS 216 M
For cutting: A small workshop that wants a saw from a serious brand without paying for a professional one
Where it shines: Available on all six markets we checked, under one reference and one EAN
Where it disappoints: The listing publishes almost no dimensional specification
Scheppach HM216
For cutting: Trim, flooring and framing where the budget is the constraint and the cuts are not tall
Where it shines: 340 mm (13.4 in) of crosscut, stated on the listing rather than left to guesswork
Where it disappoints: Laser rather than shadow line — one more thing to keep aligned
What else the cut needs
Blades, inserts and spares from the same aisle, at the price we recorded. Check they fit the saw you pick before ordering: it depends on the bore and the part number, which the listing states.
- ANGELSWORD 114 mm, 24T and 40T, 4 pack · Saw blades — Ø 114 × 22,23 mm (4.49 × 0.88 in) · 24T and 40T · 1,8 mm (0.07 in) kerf · 2 bushings · $18
- Bayerwald Werkzeuge 254 × 30, 24T ATB · Saw blades — Ø 254 × 30 mm (10 × 1.18 in) · 24 teeth · rip
- 3M Peltor X2A, SNR 31 dB · Safety gear — SNR 31 dB · headband · $34
- Blue Eagle B1BL+FC48 face shield with spare visor · Safety gear — Polycarbonate · ratchet band · spare visor · $24
- Acrux7 3-piece spring caliper set, 8 in · Measuring & marking — 8 in · outside, inside and divider · forged legs · hardened points · $20
- CCIEAO A01-2508-HZ scribing set, 10 piece · Measuring & marking — 10 pieces, none named · aluminum alloy · CNC · includes sharpening equipment · $70
The quick cut
- If the cut demands our rating → look at DeWalt DWS774
Pairings that settle the choice
Saw against saw, where the comparison already exists in this guide or this aisle.
How this selection was built
The saws above are drawn from the catalog of this site. Specifications are the published ones, from the maker and from the Amazon product page; prices are the Keepa figure for the date below, and both shift. Ranking uses declared specifications, the balance of stated strengths and stated limits, and price. No machine here has cut wood for us, and the page claims nothing else.
Last checked on