Dewalt DW861W Wet/Dry Masonary Saw Review

I choose the first option and purchased the Dewalt DW861W masonary saw from Amazon.com

At first I considered purchasing a stationary tile saw. However, the saws I could afford didn't say in their description that they were designed to cut anything but thin bathroom tiles - not the 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" patio blocks and pavers I wanted to cut.

As the DW861W is basically a circular saw with a 4 1/2" diamond blade, I considered just purchasing a diamond blade for my 7 1/2" circular saw, However, I knew from past experience that cutting concrete dry causes clouds dust. This meant a wet/dry saw was the only option.

The thought of hooking an electric power tool to a garden hose just sounds wrong. When the DW861w arrived, I was glad to see that a GFI safety switch with a test button was attached to the cord of the saw. If water gets into the saw, the GFI should instantly cut the power. This also means that you can use the saw on a non-GFI outlet with a certain amount of safety.

I felt comfortable putting the saw to work after reading the instruction sheet. Basically the saw is just a small circular saw with a water attachment. If you have ever used a circular saw, you will have no problem cutting with the Dewalt DW861w masonary saw.

The only problem I encountered setting up the saw was getting a tight connection between the pressure regulator and the garden hose. The pressure regulator is plastic and the fear of stripping the threads was always a concern. To prevent this in the future, I added a male and female hose connector to a very short piece of garden hose and attached it to the regulator semi-permanently.

My first cut with the saw was a concrete patio block. A small knob at the back of the saw turns on the water that cools the blade and reduces dust. The saw cut through the patio block as easily as a circular saw cuts through 3/4" plywood.

The saw does not cut deep enough to go all the way through patio blocks or pavers. However, this does not pose a problem as a couple taps from a hammer will separate the two pieces fairly cleanly. Any remaining material is easily removed with a hammer and chisel.

The diamond blade that comes with the saw is not exceptionally long lived. While mine still cut after about 20 cuts, additional effort was required to move the saw through the concrete blocks. I would plan on purchasing additional diamond blades for the saw if you have a large project with many cuts.

My Conclusion:

Overall I was very happy with the performance of the Dewalt DW861W Wet/Dry Masonary Saw and recommend it for any project that requires cutting stone, tiles, or concrete blocks and pavers.