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It was a gift for a family member. The saw was shipped on time and I recieved it before Christmas.
I'm shocked that DeWalt puts their name on it.This is CERTAINLY not a saw that should be used by professionals or anyone who needs to rely on their cuts and the saw that makes them. Third, it won't cut straight due to the slight wobble of the blade. Last, but not least, if you use the saw for more then 30 seconds, it smells like burning wires. My boss purchased this saw as an extra saw on site. This is really not much more then a weekend do-it-yourselfer's saw. First, as mentioned, the base is missing a corner for some unknown reason. Most of the crew own DeWalt circular saws, but quickly found faults with this one. Second, the base is cheap plastic, and I can guarantee that it won't last more then a month or two.
It's lightweight (composite guide), does not scratch or mar the material, and powerfull enough for what I was doing (3/4" maple plywood). No compaints at all with this saw.
The only thing I totally dislike is the spindle lock. It fits small and medium hands better than most. This makes it very maneuverable in tight spots. Excellent line of sight to the blade contact point.
The 369 doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but it does everything well. It is a crude metal part with a finger-unfriendly shape and it requires a bit of pressure, so changing blades is unpleasant. Yes, it will not follow a fence as easily as a saw with a long footplate, but a good carpenter will have no problem with this. After much hands-on testing against the Bosch, Milwaukee and Porter, the DeWalt turned out to be the best compromise.
It has a small footplate with the left rear corner cut out. Overall, this is the best circ I could find for my needs (remodeling contractor). It is light. It has a blade brake.
I called the DeWalt technical assistance hotline and asked why the base had been designed like that. No mention was made of the strange shape of its base. None of the pictures show the rear left corner of the saw's composite baseplate. Rather it is a rectangle with a large part of one corner "missing". I recommend that you choose one of them. I have made a number of purchases through Amazon and am very happy with them. Because of this, the left side of the saw's baseplate is only 8 1/2 inches long. It is an older style, which is a bit heavier than the newer 369CSK, and it does not have a detent at 45 degrees.
Some other saws have a small triangle missing from the left rear corner of the base, but no other saw that I have seen has nearly as big a cutout as the DW369CSK. Do not buy this saw unless you have actually held one of them in your hands, and realize what you are buying. The man was very nice, but he said that he didn't know, but it may have been to save weight. But it is completely adjustable for squareness, and it has plenty of power, and it has a BIG FOOT. The baseplate is not a rectangle, as one would expect. The DeWalt DW364 is one of them. By the way, the DeWalt website has pictures of the saw, but none show it from an angle that lets you see the "missing" portion of the base. The Amazon website for the DeWalt DW369CSK is deceptive, although I am sure this was unintentional.
I had searched the web and read reviews of circular saws before buying (and later returning) the DeWalt 369CSK, and the reviews showed that it was light, had detents for two angles of cut, had a composite base, and cut at a good rate if given a good blade. He said that he got one of the Porter Cables and it works fine. The Milwaukee 2390-21 is one of them, but even with the cutout, the remaining straight portion is longer than the entire base of the of the DeWalt DW 369CSK, and you can easily keep it square as you move it along a fence. The Porter Cable saws have large rectangular bases. However, if you use a circular saw to make furniture, and you use it to do precise cuts of large sheets of plywood by running the saw along a fence, then you want a saw with a base which is long, especially on the side which rides along the fence.
I recommend that Amazon add a picture of the DW369CSK which shows the base so a potential customer can make a more informed decision. He said that he had bought one but he returned it as defective because the motor burned out quickly. This is the first item that I have returned. While at Home Depot last night, I asked another shopper, who happened to be a professional carpenter about the DW369CSK. The rear left corner of the baseplate DOES NOT EXIST.
While all of the alternatives to the DW369CSK that I have listed are heavier than it is, they are easy to hold and are well balanced. I have since learned (by actually looking at the real saws, not pictures) that there are still plenty of these available. This, together with the placement of the main handle (grip) of the saw, make it more difficult to make a straight cut by running the saw's base along a fence. If you do framing, this saw might be OK.
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