DW716 & DWS7085 LED Light

[VTSean]

Greetings, I tried to submit my issue via the impossible to find "contact us" form on the DeWalt website... But even that doesn't seem to work right. Given that nobody is available to talk on the phone except for when I am working, I guess I will try a blog to see if there is someone at DeWalt that actually cares about their customers. Here is what I tried to submit via the website:

 

I recently purchased a brand new DW716 specifically for its ability to attach the DWS7085 LED light to it. There is an abundance of literature and information available, posted by DeWalt, that says these two specific items are compatible. I understand that there are model sub "types" and that you need a type 1-3. Surely, this information has no importance whatsoever. I say this because absolutely nowhere on the box for the 716, which is the size of a small condo, is there any information on the "type #". Given that you have instructions in no less than three languages all over the the box, my thought was: "Surely if the type # was so critical then DeWalt would put it on this massive box somewhere, and surely DeWalt would not intentionally go out of their way to reduce the quality and capability of their products." Right? Who in their right mind would intentionally make something worse? I can't believe that the new 716 will not accept this LED system after getting such rave reviews. Have you launched a campaign to make your products worse? If you can't buy a type 1-3 anymore, then why are you still stating that they are compatible directly on your website? After doing all of my diligence as a consumer to research every source of available information, I have been defeated by the complete incompetence of others (you). I have been waiting to get a rep on the phone but apparently you are only open when everyone is at work. So now, on Saturday, after holding onto this saw for a week and delaying jobs I need to do with it, you are still closed. I actually need to work on Saturdays. Using tools. Many of which are DeWalt. Including this saw. I have been a loyal customer and pay extra for the DeWalt name, which I have felt, until now, carries with it some level of integrity and quality that was worth paying extra for. Now I walk by my brand new saw, needed to replace my old saw, and all I want to do is smash it because I just dropped 450 bucks on a lie. This issue needs to be addressed. I need to have the DWS7085 mounted on my DW716 or it is all going back and I am buying another brand. If this is the way you conduct business, and now part of your culture as a company, then I will never buy another DeWalt product again. Between myself and my closest friends, we represent five small construction and home improvement companies. This saw came personally recommended to me because of the great experience one of them had with the DWS7085 accessory he added. I was trilled to buy it. Now I am angered by it. Your word-of-mouth reputation counts for a lot, and if this doesn't get fixed, it will be getting worse. All I ask is that people do what they say and say what they do. You have failed at this. Send me the parts to make this new watered down model a more capable and better older model. I will do it myself.

 

-Sean

[Gatorb8881393434512]

I have sent a e-mail to one of our product mangers and am waiting on a response. I'll follow up here.

[deedub35]

I understand your disappointment and frustration.  Hopefully they can come up with a solution to get the light mounted.

 

However, you can't rely on the light to do what it is supposed to in all situations.  I have the DWS7085 mounted on my DW718.  If my saw is set up outside then a lot of the times with the brightness or direct sunlight, I cannot see the shadow line of the blade on the material.  In other words, I have to do it the old fashioned way and sight down the blade to get an accurate cut.  If the saw happens to be indoors or in the shade then it works like a charm.

[VTSean]

Update:

 

While buying some lumber at Lowe's this past weekend I saw that someone had returned a DW716 Type 4. It was an open box sale for $315. So I returned my Type 20 to Home Depot and bought the older Type 4 model for $85 less. The light works great. However, the RPM on the blade is very sluggish. Noticably different than the newer Type 20. I think they have the same specs. So that is probably why it got returned. That is what I get for buying something with Hecho in Mexico on the box. Never again... Truly disappointing to see such an obvious sales scheme of lessening the quality and capability of a product just to sell the more expensive model.

[Gatorb8881393434512]

The decision was made a while back when we were switching manufacturing locations to remove the ability to add the DWS7085 to the DW713, DW715 and DW716 so everything that has been built since the beginning of 2013 is affected. You cannot purchase parts in order to convert the saw to an earlier "type" because the motor no longer has the lead wires that are required to plug the DWS7085 into. 

 

This decision was made because of very low sales of the XPS light and laser. Currently the only saw manufactured today that will accept the DWS7085 is the DW717. The DWS780 has the XPS light already built in.

 

The product manager I spoke with is looking into the wording on the website to see if communication of compatibility can be improved. 

[Gatorb8881393434512]

Update:

 

While buying some lumber at Lowe's this past weekend I saw that someone had returned a DW716 Type 4. It was an open box sale for $315. So I returned my Type 20 to Home Depot and bought the older Type 4 model for $85 less. The light works great. However, the RPM on the blade is very sluggish. Noticably different than the newer Type 20. I think they have the same specs. So that is probably why it got returned. That is what I get for buying something with Hecho in Mexico on the box. Never again... Truly disappointing to see such an obvious sales scheme of lessening the quality and capability of a product just to sell the more expensive model.

 

Sounds like they may have reinvested some of the money they saved by removing the XPS light functionality and reinvested into the power in the motor in the type 20? Also, it's not a scheme to get people to buy the more expensive model. Customers aren't going to spend an extra $200 for the DWS780 slide saw just because it has the light. It was a business decision based on poor sales of the DWS7085.

[VTSean]

If the DWS7085 was such a bad product, why is it included in the most expensive top-of-the-line miter saw DeWalt makes? Furthermore, why is listed as the very top product feature right on the DeWalt website?

 

Link: http://dewalt.com/tools/machinery-miter-saws-dws780.aspx

 

Quote: "Integrated XPS cross cut positioning system provides adjustment free cut line indication for better accuracy and visibility"

 

So if this thing was soooo bad... Then why is it the feature that DeWalt felt was the number one item out of the 12 features listed? Sure... I guess I am just another American sucker... I mean consumer.

 

DeWalt had mold(s) made to produce the covers for the handle that had the removable portion to accept the power supply. That was removed and replaced by a one-piece cover that does not have the access to the power cables. The cable connections cost pennies each when purcashing on a production level quantity. The casting at the end of the blade guard which mounts the light was already made as well. So DeWalt had already made the capital investment to produce this model to accept the accesory. There was probably more money spent to make the design changes to dumb it down.

[Gatorb8881393434512]

If the DWS7085 was such a bad product, why is it included in the most expensive top-of-the-line miter saw DeWalt makes? Furthermore, why is listed as the very top product feature right on the DeWalt website?

 

 

I did not say the DWS7085 was a bad product. I said it doesn't sell very well. 

[deedub35]

I do find Dewalt's decision to modify the saws so that they do not accept the light or laser intriguing.

Changing the molds for the plastic parts and castings for the aluminum parts costs money. So it usually isn't a good business decision financially to spend money to save money.

Also it was mentioned that the sales for the light and laser did not meet expectations and were low. Well the new saws with the mods will further decrease sales! They should have just put the new motor on and left it at that so that they could still be able to sell some of the lights and lasers.

I'm with the OP on this one. Poor decision on Dewalt's part. I'd be miffed too.

[Gil Gomes]

I too was sucked in by this.  The display models at my local Home Depot and Lowes both have the upgrade capabilities.  When you purchase a new saw with the same model number... There it is, gone...  I totally agree.  Modifying the parts to dumb it down had to cost a certain amount of money.  Why would they spend to eliminate that when it was already in place?  If they weren't selling well, at least they were selling.  You can still buy the XPS system on Ebay if you're lucky enough to have an older saw.  If these guys, and there are a number of them, are making money selling these units then what the hell is DeWalt talking about?  Or was this just another boneheaded decision by someone high enough up in the food chain to have his head up his butt and no clue what the customers want and need?  

[collinsbj911]

Hi All - If you want to make the DWS716 Type 20 miter saw an XPS lighted miter saw it is actually quite easy.  I purchased the N030317 Dewalt XPS Worklight off Amazon for $23.00. I then searched around the house for an old generic USB charger as USB chargers operate at 5V with at least 500mA of current and the XPS worklight operates from 5V roughly 380mA of current so a USB charger is a perfect AC to DC converter.  If you open up the USB charger and remove the PCB inside you can install it in the handle of your saw, there is plenty of room.  The input side of the PCB (120VAC) will get connected to the AC input of the saw in the handle. and the output of the USB charger will get connected to the XPS light you installed on the saw.  I included a rocker switch to be able to shut off the light when the saw is plugged in and idle.  The light works perfect.  Total Cost $23.00 + approx 12" 22AWG wire ($0.23) and an old USB charger laying around the house.  

 

A simpler modification would be to install the light and cut the phone end connector off a phone charging cord, find the + and - wires inside and connect appropriately to the XPS light. then just plug the light in when you want to use the saw using a USB charger.  I wanted my installation to look like the saw came with it so mine is all nice and tucked away inside the handle where it can't be seen sans the on/off switch I installed on the top of the handle.

 

Cheers

 

Brian