The DeWalt DCS578B is the best cordless 7¼” circular saw to hail from the brand. In the opinion of many, it is the best cordless circular saw, period. While more expensive than the trusted 20V MAX DeWalt saws, it is a more efficient and powerful machine.
You may be wondering if this higher price is really justified. After all, the DeWalt DCS570B has been revered by contractors and DIYers for quite a long time. This review should help you decide. An epic showdown between the 60V DeWalt DCS578B vs the 20V DCS570B.
To spice things up a bit, I’m also going to include the DeWalt DWE575 120V corded electric circular at the end of the review. It is a much cheaper option for those who don’t mind using a power tool with an electric cord. This is a saw that has stood the test of time and remained a popular choice.
The general trend is to move away from traditional corded tools to the much more convenient cordless equivalents. Especially since battery and brushless motor technology has advanced to a point where cordless power tools are on an equal footing with their corded counterparts. In the end, corded power tools are much cheaper. Not everyone wants to pay extra, simply for the convenience that battery power has to offer.
DeWalt DCS578B Review
Features:
- Up to 47% more power vs the DCS575.
- Uses a 7¼ in. circular saw blade and features a maximum cut depth of 2-9/16 in. at a 90° bevel.
- Maximum bevel capacity of 57°; with bevel stops at 22.5°; and 45°.
- Electric brake stops the blade after the trigger is released.
- Integrated LED for increased visibility and cut accuracy.
Review:
The DeWalt DCS578B is powered by their amazing 20V/60V FlexVolt battery and a 60V Brushless DC motor. Deciding between DeWalt 60V vs 20V can be a little complicated and is a big part of this review. I’ll be comparing this 60V circular saw to the cheaper 20V model. I don’t want to complicate things too much with all the technical details around the DeWalt 60V battery platform versus the more comprehensive 20V MAX range. If you wish to know more about the DeWalt 20V vs 60V debate, this article is a must-read: DeWalt 20V MAX vs 60V MAX ǀ Do cordless tools need the extra volts?
The DeWalt DCS578B is quite an incredible 7¼” cordless circular saw. Even Festool, arguably the best saw manufacturer in the world, has not yet given us a cordless circular saw that can hold up to the 60V DeWalt model. It is certainly one of a kind. It is the super-efficient 60V setup that sets the DCS578B apart from the crowd.
When it comes to power, there is only one word that can describe this saw. Wow! I mean a cordless power tool with 2,456 Unit Watts Out (UWO) was previously thought almost impossible. What makes this power even more impressive is the relatively lightweight design, only 8.2 pounds for the basic tool. The battery will obviously add a few pounds. If you’re using the largest (and heaviest) DeWalt FlexVolt 12AH battery, this will add a further 3.2 pounds to the total weight of the saw. Not at all bad for the world’s most powerful cordless circular saw.
Moving beyond the miracles of modern technology that makes for such a powerful machine and the most advanced battery system, the DeWalt DCS578B is not really any different from the much-loved DCS570B (20V MAX), or the even the more traditional DWE575 corded saw. These saws have already proven themselves to be top contenders in the competitive power tool market. No need to try improve on what already works.
Like the other range-topping DeWalt circular saws, the DCS578B has an easy bevel adjustment up to 57°, with stops at 22.5° and 45°. You have a maximum 2” depth of cut with the blade angled for 45° bevel cuts. With the blade in the normal (90°) position, depth of cut is 2⁹⁄₁₆”. You lose a little over ½” depth capacity shifting from 90° to 45°. Pretty much what one would expect.
The saw has a very robust blade guard and base. In fact, it is a mighty tough tool in every aspect of its design and has a great handle. Wonderfully comfortable and large enough for anyone’s liking. Some pretty cool extras add a little more delight. The built-in LED light is great for improving general ease of use when trying to work as accurately as possible. It also has a nifty hook that attaches to the saw to hang it from a rafter or your ladder. When not in use, this hook clips conveniently onto the handle. Out of the way, yet always easily accessible when needed. An electric brake is now standard on most of the top DeWalt circular saw. Being at the very top of the range, this obviously included on the DCS578B.
I’ve always liked DeWalt circular saw blades. They last and remain sharp longer than cheap blades. You also have a great variety to choose from. A 24-tooth carbide blade is included when you buy the DCS578B which is a great all-rounder, preferred by most contractors.
DeWalt is undoubtedly one of the top power tool brands. A legacy going back more than a century makes DeWalt practically an American institution. They have always been at the forefront of technological developments, making them a leader in the rapidly growing cordless power tool market. Well, the DeWalt DCS578B has taken this leading brand to new levels of excellence. Like I said: Wow! Simply amazing. The only thing that may deter some tool buyers is the price. The 60V DeWalt circular saw sure isn’t cheap.
DeWalt DCS570B Review
Features:
- Brushless motor provides 5200 RPM and maintains speed under load.
- Runtime: 100 cross cuts in a 2×4 (Pine).
- Capacity: 7¼ inch blade provides 2⁹⁄₁₆ inch depth of cut.
- Bevel capacity up to 57 degrees.
Review:
Apart from the recognizable DeWalt XR insignia, you can’t make any visual distinction between the 60V DeWalt DCS578B and the DCS570B. For those of you who are not familiar with what DeWalt XR means, allow me to offer a quick explanation.
The earlier DeWalt 18V and 20V cordless tools used a brushed electric motor with very basic electronic controls. To improve efficiency, power, and reduce weight, DeWalt introduced the XR range of 18V and 20V MAX cordless tools. These are equipped with a much more efficient, lightweight, brushless DC motor. Because the previous generation tools, with a brushed motor, have not been discontinued, the more advanced tools are distinguished by the XR logo.
The 60V and 120V cordless tools are their most recent development and they have done away with brushed motors entirely. There is no need to display the XR logo on these newer tools, because it’s a given. They all use the more efficient brushless technology, with the added benefit of a higher voltage which further increases efficiency.
The battery voltage is the only technical difference between the DeWalt DCS570B and the DCS578B. At a lower voltage, it is not that easy to provide the kind of power delivered by the 60V DCS578B. Technically it’s possible, but at a lower voltage your battery amps are reduced much faster and the tool becomes heavier and bulkier because conductivity is reduced as the volts drop. Power for the DWE570B is 900 watts out, whereas the DWE578B is more than twice this – 2,456 UWO.
So the DeWalt DCS570B won’t handle thick pieces of hardwood as easily as the more powerful DCS578B. If you were to use both saws for exactly the same task (cutting the same type of wood and thickness), the DeWalt DCS578B will give you slightly longer working times for the same battery AH. This is simply because high volts increase efficiency. The less powerful motor offers an advantage as far as weight goes, the 20V model weighs more than a pound less than the DWE578B, 7.5 LBS vs 8.8 LBS without the battery. Though, the DWE578B wins on the more realistic comparison of power to weight ratio, probably the best in this regard.
In all other respects, you’re getting the same great cordless circular saw. It has the same maximum bevel capacity (57°), with positive stops at 22.5° and 45°. It uses the same size 7¼”, with the 24-T carbide blade supplied with the saw and numerous options for additional blade types. This means your depth of cut remains unchanged – 2⁹⁄₁₆” at 90° and 2” at 45°.
The DeWalt DCS570B has all the cool extras too. This includes an electric brake, LED light, and integrated rafter hook.
If you’re uncertain which is the best cordless circular saw for you, the DeWalt DCS578B or DCS570B, you need only ask yourself one simple question. Do you need the extra power? If you find that a less powerful circular tends to labor, possibly burning the wood that you’re cutting, then the more powerful 60V DeWalt DCS578B is going to be worth the higher price. It is, after all, the most powerful cordless circular saw, even more powerful than most corded machines. If you work mostly with softwoods or pieces that aren’t particularly thick, then the less powerful DeWalt DCS570B will be perfectly fine and a lot cheaper.
DeWalt DWE575 Review
Features:
- 15A Electric motor.
- Lightweight – only 8.8 pounds.
- Improved smooth glide blade guard.
- Bevel angle up to 57°, with stops at 22.5° and 45°
The corded DeWalt DWE575 7¼” circular saw has been around a lot longer than the cordless models and has remained basically unchanged for all these years. It does not have all the cool mod cons that find on the newer cordless models. Then again, it’s much cheaper and does pretty much the same job.
There’s one big surprise that many find quite unbelievable. The 120V AC DWE575 saw is not as powerful as the 60V battery-powered DCS578B. It has always been generally accepted that cordless tools are at a slight disadvantage when it comes to power. Not so anymore. The DeWalt DWE578B pumps out a whopping 2,456 UWO, whereas the 120V corded model only provides 1,958 UWO.
The DWE575 can also boast its credentials as being one of the lightest circular saws – only 8.8 LBS. This is the same weight as the DeWalt DWE578B bare tool. When you add the battery weight it is heavier than the corded model. Both can be seen as best in class, but the corded tool wins overall.
The DeWalt DWE575 has the same convenient 57° bevel angle as the two cordless models in the review. It also has the same positive stops at 22.5° and 45°. The blade is the same size, 7¼”, but they supply a different (18-T) carbide blade with the saw.
The handle isn’t as cool as the cordless saws. The DWE575 handle doesn’t have the same sumptuous padding for extra comfort and is a little smaller. It also doesn’t have an electric brake, something I find a bit of a nuisance. Other extras, like the LED work light and hanging hook, are reserved for the more expensive 60v and 20V XR DeWalt cordless circular saws.
You’re saving a lot of cash when choosing to buy the DeWalt DWE575 when compared to the DWE578B and DWE570B cordless models. Okay, that’s always going to be the case when comparing corded to cordless tools. Other savings come in the form of more basic features; you forego some of the modern luxuries included in the cordless tools. In the end, you’re getting all the DeWalt quality and reliability for which the brand is famous, without an extraordinary price tag. It is a basic, wonderfully affordable workhorse. I know many can appreciate this austere attitude toward old-fashioned value for money with no frills, bells, or whistles.
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