DEWALT DWE398-QS Review

Cutting bricks, blocks, and masonry materials accurately is one of the most demanding tasks on any construction site. Angle grinders with diamond blades are the traditional go-to, but they produce clouds of silica dust that are harmful to breathe and settle on every surface within metres. Hydraulic splitters are cleaner but slow and expensive. What professional bricklayers, landscapers, and builders need is a dedicated saw that cuts through clay blocks, Poroton bricks, and cellular masonry cleanly, quickly, and with dramatically less dust than a grinder. A dual-blade alligator saw — so named because its two blades move in opposite directions like an alligator's jaws — solves this problem. The counter-moving blades grip the material rather than kicking it back, producing chips instead of fine airborne dust, and cutting speeds are fast enough to maintain productivity on a busy site. For anyone laying bricks, building walls with modern thermal blocks, or doing hard landscaping, a purpose-built masonry saw is not just a convenience — it is a tool that pays for itself in saved time, cleaner air, and more accurate cuts.

Alligator saws are a specialised category of power tool designed exclusively for cutting masonry — clay bricks, Poroton and Porotherm thermal blocks, aerated concrete, and similar materials. Unlike a reciprocating saw that uses a single blade with an up-and-down motion, an alligator saw uses two long, straight blades that move in opposite directions along a shared track. This counter-motion grips the workpiece between the blades, eliminating the violent kickback that makes cutting masonry with standard saws dangerous, and produces coarse chips rather than fine dust. The key specifications are motor power (1,700 watts input for professional models), blade length (430 millimetres handles the full width of most blocks), stroke length (40 millimetres for efficient cutting), and the stroke rate. DEWALT's DWE398 alligator saw has earned strong recognition in the trade — it is officially recommended by Wienerberger, the world's largest manufacturer of terracotta bricks, for cutting Porotherm blocks — and carries a 4.7 out of 5 stars rating from over 100 reviews.

This review examines the DEWALT DWE398 alligator saw in detail: its 1,700-watt motor and 3,000 strokes-per-minute cutting performance, the 430-millimetre blade length and 40-millimetre stroke, the dustproof aluminium gear housing and jobsite durability, the dual-handle ergonomics at 5.5 kilograms, and how it performs across the most common masonry cutting tasks — from Poroton blocks to clay pavers. If you are a bricklayer, builder, or landscaper looking to retire the angle grinder for block cutting, this review covers what you need to know.

The DEWALT DWE398 is a 1,700-watt (input) corded alligator saw built around a unique dual-blade cutting system. Two heavy-duty 430-millimetre tungsten carbide-tipped blades run along a shared track, moving in opposite directions at 3,000 strokes per minute. The motor delivers 900 watts of output power — impressive for a saw of this type — and the 40-millimetre blade stroke is optimised for the material structure of clay bricks and thermal blocks. The opposing blade motion grips the workpiece securely, holding it in place as it cuts rather than kicking it back. This makes the saw inherently safer and more controllable than an angle grinder, especially when cutting large-format blocks that can be awkward to handle. It is designed for cutting Poroton Class 20 bricks and similar cellular clay blocks, aerated concrete, and other masonry materials.

Durability is a priority in the DWE398's design — and rightly so, given the punishing conditions on a building site. The gears and bearings are housed in a sealed, dustproof aluminium housing that prevents the abrasive masonry dust from entering and grinding down the internal components. This is a significant upgrade over saws with plastic gear housings that can wear prematurely in dusty environments. The 430-millimetre blades are replaceable and made from tungsten carbide for extended cutting life — a critical consideration because blade replacement is the main ongoing cost. The saw weighs 5.5 kilograms, which gives it enough mass to sit stably on the workpiece without bouncing, and the overall length of 107 centimetres provides good reach across wide blocks. A blade brake stops the blades within 0.2 seconds of releasing the trigger — fast enough to be a genuine safety feature rather than a spec-sheet number.

Ergonomics are well thought out for a tool that sees heavy daily use. The DWE398 features two handles — a rear D-handle with the trigger switch and an auxiliary front handle — giving you a secure, balanced two-handed grip. The rubber overmould on both handles absorbs vibration, which DEWALT rates at 5.4 metres per second squared — noticeable but manageable for a tool cutting through dense masonry. The dual-handle design distributes the 5.5 kilograms of weight between both arms, reducing fatigue during repetitive cutting. The trigger is a full-size switch that operates easily with gloved hands, and the saw's balance is slightly forward, which helps it settle onto the workpiece naturally. At 107 by 21 by 23.5 centimetres, it is a long tool — designed to span the width of a standard building block in a single cut rather than work in tight spaces.

One of the DWE398's most compelling features is the dust reduction compared to an angle grinder. Because the alligator blades produce chips rather than grinding the material into fine particles, the airborne silica dust that causes respiratory problems is dramatically reduced. This has real health and safety implications on site — less dust means better visibility, cleaner air for everyone working nearby, and less cleanup at the end of the day. The chips fall down around the cut rather than being ejected at high speed, so there is less risk of debris hitting the operator or bystanders. The saw is CE certified and meets European safety standards, and DEWALT's robust build quality — manufactured in the Czech Republic — is evident throughout.

The DWE398 has earned strong recognition from both users and industry bodies. Wienerberger, the global leader in terracotta brick production and the company behind the Porotherm brand, officially recommends the DEWALT alligator saw for cutting their Porotherm blocks — a significant endorsement that speaks to the saw's effectiveness on the specific materials it is designed for. Customer ratings average 4.7 out of 5 stars from 106 reviews, and the saw ranks number 110 in Reciprocating Saws (a category it technically falls into but functionally transcends). While the purchase price is a meaningful investment, builders and bricklayers who cut blocks daily report that the time saved, cleaner worksite, and longer blade life compared to diamond grinder discs justify the cost within the first few projects.

The DEWALT DWE398 alligator saw is the ideal specialised masonry cutting tool for professional bricklayers, builders, and landscapers who regularly cut Poroton blocks, clay bricks, and cellular masonry — offering safer operation, dramatically less dust, and faster cutting than angle grinders.