DCS391 vs DCS565
DeWalt finally released a brushless, rafter-hooked, 6.5″ 20V circ saw 6-8 years after Makita and Milwaukee released their hooked brushless 6.5″ 18V saws. So, is the new DCS565 brushless worth the upgrade over the brushed DCS391? Let’s find out!
Power
In my testing the 391 had a bit more power under-load than the 565. The 391 was faster on rips and more easily powered through 45° cross cuts.
Runtime
Starting with fully charged 5 amp hr batteries the brushless 565 was able to cut 18′ more board feet than the brushed 391.
I ran the test twice switching batteries between tests to let both saws run the same battery. In both tests the brushless had about 50% better runtime.
Features
The brushless (above right) is more compact and adds a led light, rafter hook, and dust port. Otherwise, these saws are nearly identical.
I’ve been waiting for a rafter hook but it was the dust port that got me to upgrade. It collects the majority of the dust and will be an asset when cutting indoors.
Bottom Line
The DCS565 is not an XR tool. DeWalt says XR tools have “enhanced components.”
The DCS391 is an XR tool. It’s also more powerful and cheaper than the 565, but with much less runtime.
Update: It’s been 18 months and I can tell you the increased runtime of the 565 has been worth the upgrade. The dust port works great and the rafter hook is nice to have. That said, I highly recommend either saw and will be keeping my 391 for a backup saw.
ToolRev earns commissions on purchases made through our links.
DeWalt 20V 6-1/2″ Circular Saw (DCS391B)
DeWalt 20V 6-1/2″ Circular Saw (DCS565B)
See the tools in action here:
To learn more about the DeWalt shop vac adapters I use check out this article.
Great review! Thank you Alex. Like you I have been using the 391 for a couple of years. But it’s time for the upgrade!
As you say, the dust extraction is a big plus point. I managed to find one at Toolstation (UK store) for £169.00.
They aren’t normally the cheapest retail outlet for Dewalt so I reckon they’ve bought a bulk buy!
DWV9000 also ordered. Thanks to ToolRev.