DeWalt 60V MAX Brushless 12 in. Double Bevel Sliding Miter Saw (Tool Only)

Why I reached for a cordless 12-in slider

I spend a lot of time working in occupied homes, bouncing between rooms where power outlets are scarce, breakers are touchy, and cords are trip hazards. That’s exactly where the DCS781 has been living for me—close to the work, quiet enough not to shock the household, and powerful enough that I don’t miss the cord. It’s a 60V, 12-inch, double-bevel slider with a brushless motor and some thoughtful engineering touches, the most notable being its regenerative braking and CUTLINE shadow light.

Setup, build, and first cuts

Out of the box, my saw was square to the table and fence and held true through its first week without a tweak. The sliding action is smooth with minimal play, the head feels tight under load, and the detents on the miter plate lock in with the confidence you want when you’re toggling among 0, 22.5, 31.6, and 45 degrees all day. The bevel scale is clear, and the dual-bevel range to 49° left/right covers everything I need for crown and compound work.

The CUTLINE LED shadow system deserves special mention. It’s consistent across blade changes and exactly where a finish saw should be in 2025—no mirrors to bump, no lasers to misalign, and the line remains true in bright rooms. I still dry-fit critical cuts, but the light makes repeatable, fast alignment noticeably easier.

As for power, the brushless drive and bevel-gear transmission deliver a good balance of torque and blade speed (rated 3800 RPM no load). In hardwood casing, 1x poplar, and pre-primed MDF base, the saw stayed composed and didn’t bog. Crosscutting 2x12 SPF at 90° is within its sweet spot (the rated capacity is roughly 3 x 12), and at 45° I stayed under the 3 x 8-ish capacity without drama. The brake is brisk, stopping the blade promptly between cuts.

Capacity and accuracy where it counts

This platform wears a 12-in blade for a reason: it handles full-width trim and wide shelving better than 10-in sliders. Vertical capacity against the fence hits that 6-1/2-in sweet spot, so standing baseboard isn’t an issue. The dual-bevel travel means I can keep crown nested and still find my angles without flipping stock. The fences are flat and tall enough for most residential trim; I did pull the right fence for a few acute miter/bevel combos, which is par for the course on a saw this size.

Accuracy has held up through transport. I haul it in and out of a van, on and off a stand, and it’s stayed square to the fence. The detent plate has been repeatable, and the bevel stops return home consistently. That dependability—more than anything—is what makes or breaks a miter saw for trim.

Dust collection: one of the best I’ve used

Cordless or not, dust collection is where I judge a modern miter saw. Hooked to a DEWALT AirLock extractor or a decent wet/dry vac using the included adapter, the DCS781 captures a surprisingly high percentage of fines, even in compound cuts. The hooding and chute behind the blade actually channel dust into the port instead of blasting the wall. With the included bag, collection is just okay (as usual), but plumb a vac and it becomes jobsite-friendly indoors without turning a client’s living room into a haze.

Runtime and the regenerative trick

I ran the saw primarily with a 9.0Ah FLEXVOLT pack and occasionally with a 6.0Ah when that’s what was topped off. Runtime has been excellent for finish work: a day of base and casing with intermittent cutting on a single 9Ah pack is realistic, and heavier ripping of 2x stock or repetitive wide crosscuts obviously shortens that.

The regenerative braking is not a gimmick, but it’s also not a magic battery charger. It recovers a bit of energy when the brake engages, which adds up over a day to extend runtime somewhat—think incremental, not dramatic. Where I notice it most is the consistency late in the day; the saw seems to “hold on” longer before hitting that noticeable drop-off in power as a pack nears empty.

Ergonomics and portability

At 50.9 lb bare, this isn’t featherlight, but for a 12-in slider it’s manageable. I carry it with two hands or wheel it on a stand, and I’m glad it’s a few pounds lighter than some other 12-in platforms I own. The head lock, slide lock, and carry points make moves less awkward. You’ll still want a robust miter saw stand, especially to support long runs of base and crown—once on a stand, the weight becomes a non-issue and the saw feels planted.

Controls are familiar to anyone who’s used yellow miter saws. The safety, trigger, and guard behavior are predictable, and startup is smooth instead of jerky. Right-handed users will feel immediately at home; left-hand operation is doable but less natural given the orientation of the handle and switches. Bevel and miter adjustments are straightforward and tool-less, and the included hold-down clamp works well for narrower stock and repeated miters.

Blade, cut quality, and vibrations

The included blade is fine for general cutting, but swapping to an 80-tooth finish blade transformed cut faces in hardwoods. Vibration is well controlled; I experienced minimal deflection on full-extension slides through 12-in stock. The saw tracks straight if you let the blade do the work and keep the rails clean. The motor’s soft ramp-up helps with delicate cuts on thin moldings and prevents that unpleasant “snap” on startup that can shift a workpiece.

Living cordless day to day

The practical benefits of cordless here are huge: no cord wrangling in a hallway, no searching for a circuit that isn’t already loaded with the painter’s lights, and the ability to set the saw inches from the work. One battery slot keeps the footprint clean. I prefer running a 9Ah pack for balance and runtime. The saw will run on smaller FLEXVOLT packs just fine; expect proportionally less runtime.

Pair it with a vac and a compact stand and it’s a highly mobile finish station that respects indoor spaces. I’ve even run it off a small solar-charged battery bank in a van between cuts—another spot where the single-battery design simplifies life.

Reliability, serviceability, and ownership

Modern cordless miter saws pack a fair amount of electronics—speed control, braking, lights—and that brings both benefits and complexity. So far, mine has been trouble-free, and the electronics behave predictably. That said, the trigger/electrical module is an integrated assembly rather than a simple mechanical switch. If something does go wrong outside the service window, expect replacement of assemblies rather than a $10 part. For pros who lean on a miter saw all day, it’s worth registering the tool, keeping receipts handy for the 3-year limited warranty and free service period, and knowing your nearest service center. I keep a corded backup on the truck for mission-critical days, and that’s just good practice regardless of brand.

What I’d change

• Left-hand ergonomics could be better; the control layout favors right-hand operation.
• The included dust bag is a last resort—plan on using the extractor port to realize the excellent dust performance.
• It still needs rear clearance for the rails. You’ll want to position your stand thoughtfully in tight hallways.
• Tool-only pricing plus the cost of high-capacity FLEXVOLT packs is a real investment. For crews, budget in a second 9Ah pack and a fast charger.

Who it’s for

• Finish carpenters and remodelers who work in occupied homes and want outlet-free flexibility without sacrificing 12-in capacity.
• Trim installers who prioritize dust control, repeatable accuracy, and a clean CUTLINE shadow over laser gizmos.
• General contractors who need a portable, full-capacity saw that can live on a stand and move room to room.

If you’re a framing crew ripping wet PT all day, this isn’t your primary saw. And if you run a high-volume production shop with multiple operators cycling a miter saw non-stop, I’d still keep a corded model on hand as a failsafe.

Recommendation

I recommend the DCS781 for pros and serious DIYers who need full 12-in capacity in a cordless package and value accuracy, excellent dust collection, and strong runtime. In my use, it’s been precise out of the box, stable under load, and genuinely jobsite-friendly indoors when paired with an extractor. The single-battery design and regenerative braking keep workflow simple and extend time between charges. Be mindful of the right-hand-biased ergonomics and plan for a quality stand and high-capacity FLEXVOLT pack. For finish work and trim in real homes, this is the cordless miter saw I want to roll into the next room.