Out of the box the 90 degree stop was a bit off, but easy enough to adjust – you need an engineers square. The throat plate height also needed a bit of a tweak. Everything else was perfect, but like any piece of equipment, expect that moving it and vibrations WILL cause stuff to get out of adjustment. Once set up (and moving it a half dozen times), it has remained in adjustment.

As for using a dado with it, you need a compatible throat plate which I bought through Sears Parts Direct (part number is in the manual). They should make these parts/accessories more accessible.

I agree with you on the riving knife, it is a bear to install and keep installed – it just does not feel like it is locked in securely. I also agree that the stand it a huge asset, it is much more stable than my old $100 Skil table saw with a non-portable stand.

Things I have noticed with use: A few of the plastic inserts at the end of the tubes vibrated off over time, so I recommend if you want to keep them you may want to put a gob of Goop on each of them and reinsert while you do your initial setup. Lastly, the handle on the adjustment to raise and lower the blade keeps coming off – it is very difficult to lock into place.

Was it worth the price tag? Absolutely. I previously purchased the entry level Skil for around $100 and used that quite a bit over two years, but found the smallish table, no outfeed support, cruddy miter gauge/slot, and non-rear locking fence way too limiting causing less than ideal cuts. If I had to do it over again knowing what I know, I would have purchased this saw right off the bat. The other thing you should do is buy a top notch blade (like a Freud), it makes all the difference in the world, regardless of what saw it is in.

I have tested all 3 ( milwaukee, Makita, and dewalt 20v) and Dewalt is far superior