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Mitre saw


chrisjpainter
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Looking at getting my first mitre saw. It's not going to be heavily used, but used it shall be, so something that doesn't fall apart would be pretty handy. Any suggestions? Or any advice as to what to look for or avoid much appreciated.

It'll be used for...cutting wood, mostly. I don't really know beyond that, but if you think of something that I probably haven't considered, then let me know about that too! Questions as well as answers are appreciated, because the chances are I haven't thought of the questions worth asking either...

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Been using my evolution for the last couple of days, even managed to chuck it on the concrete floor a couple of times as I did not hang on to the handle at the end of a cut (trying to be too quick as usual), apart from needing re-setting nothing broke. Do not rely on any mitre saw markings, always check for square with a square in both planes before use. The only thing I do not like is that it does not quite cut right through a 6 x 1, but that is more than compensated for by it being small and lightweight and so far very consistant cuts after 6 years or so with no discernable wear/movement in the fulcrum.

This is the one I use, only 60 quid 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-r210cms-210mm-electric-single-bevel-compound-mitre-saw-240v/7277p

Edited by 243deer
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1 hour ago, lampro said:

I use an evolution saw for chopping stair nosings and timber flooring, great peace of not not to big to chuck in my van and has never let me down, screwfix sell.them.for around £100 

Do you happen to know which evolution you have?

1 minute ago, 243deer said:

Been using my evolution for the last couple of days, even managed to chuck it on the concrete floor a couple of times as I did not hang on to the handle at the end of a cut (trying to be too quick as usual), apart from needing re-setting nothing broke. Do not rely on any mitre saw markings, always check for square with a square in both planes before use. The only thing I do not like is that it does not quite cut right through a 6 x 1, but that is more than compensated for by it being small and lightweight and so far very consistant cuts after 6 years or so with no discernable wear/movement in the fulcrum.

And again, which evolution do you have?

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All depends what sized wood you usually use. If 4x2 for framing/sheds/shed roofs is the biggest you do not need a slider, whereas if you are say building an extension and need to cut 8 x 2 joists the the sliding saw is handy. A sliding saw is also handy for angled cuts on 6 x 1 for example where the length of cut is 8 inches or more.

For the odd longer/bigger cut you can still use a hand saw, they still work. You can also do a lot of these bigger cuts with a circular saw but if you are doing a lot of repetative cuts the sliding saw can be quicker. The slider does take up more space if this is a consideration.

I can cut 4 x 4 posts on mine, I just need to turn them. I have become so used to where the blade 'lands' that it is almost second nature now.

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, chrisjpainter said:

Looking at getting my first mitre saw.

You just asked the tool equivalent of 'which shotgun should I get as my first?'

Depends on your use and budget.  There's a world of difference between whatever Screwfix have on special and a Festool Kapex.

Evolutions are great, my 10 year old one has just done another day's duty chopping through knarly old wood with embedded screws and nails for firewood.  But, they are compromised because they spin the blade slower, in order for the blade to cope with steel.  This means they don't produce clean cuts for 'nice' woodwork, or at least not with the standard blade.

Speaking of cutting steel, take it slow, or the blade will dull quickly.  They are not cheap.  A squirt of WD-40 will prolong blade life, but Rocol is better.  And wear safety glasses!

To answer your question, yes get the slider, provided you have the room.  They require a lot of room at the back.  Not a problem on a temporary stand, but in a UK-size single garage-***-workshop....er...nope.

For what it's worth, I have the older model of the 255mm slider, like this one.

Finally, no matter how expensive the saw, do not expect it to cut square out of the box.  Be prepared to adjust it on first use.

 

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Contact evolution and ask if they have any ex demo's in stock or check the bay of plenty for evolution "seconds" - these have been opened and returned for whatever reason and sometimes the original box is missing. Just had a quick look on the bay - put evolution mitre saw in the search and select new (other).

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1 hour ago, udderlyoffroad said:

You just asked the tool equivalent of 'which shotgun should I get as my first?'

Depends on your use and budget.  There's a world of difference between whatever Screwfix have on special and a Festool Kapex.

Evolutions are great, my 10 year old one has just done another day's duty chopping through knarly old wood with embedded screws and nails for firewood.  But, they are compromised because they spin the blade slower, in order for the blade to cope with steel.  This means they don't produce clean cuts for 'nice' woodwork, or at least not with the standard blade.

Speaking of cutting steel, take it slow, or the blade will dull quickly.  They are not cheap.  A squirt of WD-40 will prolong blade life, but Rocol is better.  And wear safety glasses!

To answer your question, yes get the slider, provided you have the room.  They require a lot of room at the back.  Not a problem on a temporary stand, but in a UK-size single garage-***-workshop....er...nope.

For what it's worth, I have the older model of the 255mm slider, like this one.

Finally, no matter how expensive the saw, do not expect it to cut square out of the box.  Be prepared to adjust it on first use.

 

That's really helpful. I've just had a look at the basic Evolution and its no-load speed is only 4,000RPM; a lot of the others at the cheaper end are around 5,500rpm. That's a hefty drop in speed when I can't see myself wanting to cut steel with it anyway. I guess hitting the odd nail in a pallet would be less of an issue though. 

I have a few projects in mind that'd need a fair amount of pallet cutting; the clean cut isn't so essential for an owl box, but I'd like to knock up a pallet table too, and it'd be nice if the finish wasn't terrible on that!

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in all the time I have used chop/mitre/circular saws the no-load speed has never been a consideration. The evolution blades cut very well. if you think you might hit metal then as above take the cut real slow and when you do hit lubricate - the slower speed is an advantage now as the blade will not heat as quickly as a faster turning one. The evolution will cut a lot better than pallet wood finish and the cuts will be clean, sanding down the pallet wood to a good finish for the table will take the time. 

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I'm looking at the EVO R210CMS. I think the space issue is worth considering (and something I'd not appreciated, so thanks for that). It's got a 20 tooth disc, which I think  I'd prefer over the 16 tooth sliding model that's the next one up. It's the cheaper end of the market, but reviews on screwfix look good and it seems to come well recommended here? Weirdly, the reviews are rather more dicey on B&Q! 

Evolution R210CMS 210mm Electric Single-Bevel Compound Mitre Saw 240V | Mitre Saws | Screwfix.com

any thoughts?

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Personally I'd go for something with a bit better spec. Tools like this always seem to be under-gunned for that one particular project. ie,,,, if you want a saw with specs a b c and d,,,, go for one with e and f or even g. Just my opinion on what is after all a budget saw 😉 Can't actually recommend a particular saw, but I think you understand where I'm coming from 😊 The two I own cost almost 20 x that one, but would be OTT for your uses.

Sorry if that's confused the matter 🙏

Ps. I'd also go for a blade with more teeth=finer cut 👍

Edited by JKD
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We have three chop saws. A Makita, an Evo and now an Evo sliding one. The Makita is clearly the best but almost never gets used as it is big and heavy. The little Evo gets used the most because it’s easy to throw in the back of a van “just in case”. The sliding one is used when you know you are going to need a chop saw but don’t know how big the biggest cut will be (which is basically every time you are using a chop saw). I will get pictures of the model numbers. 

Evo is fine for occasional DIY use. If you are mobile I wouldn’t bother with sliding. If you have a workshop go with sliding. 

Edited by WalkedUp
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13 hours ago, chrisjpainter said:

I'm looking at the EVO R210CMS. I think the space issue is worth considering (and something I'd not appreciated, so thanks for that). It's got a 20 tooth disc, which I think  I'd prefer over the 16 tooth sliding model that's the next one up. It's the cheaper end of the market, but reviews on screwfix look good and it seems to come well recommended here? Weirdly, the reviews are rather more dicey on B&Q! 

Evolution R210CMS 210mm Electric Single-Bevel Compound Mitre Saw 240V | Mitre Saws | Screwfix.com

any thoughts?

Hi Chris,

I was in the same situation as you. I wanted a saw for everyday diy stuff, and its mostly bigger things like building sheds etc, not neat little jewellery boxes! Eventually after spending hours looking at reviews and youtube stuff, I came to the conclusion, the 185 was too small and the 255, to large for my needs. And also came to the conclusion, that the extra advantages of a sliding saw were huge. So, I bought the 210sms+. I have to say, its fantastic for the money. I absolutely cannot fault it. It really has the quality feel of saws twice the price. It took no time to put together out of the box, and make minute adjustments to get it all square. I should have bought one years ago!! I bought the dedicated stand for it too, which is superb. Link below to a review. Bear with him as it is interesting. Hope this helps.

 

 

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3 hours ago, WalkedUp said:

Looks good. You may want some bracing on the door to stop the frame sagging. 

Thanks Walked up. All the joints are pre drilled and double nailed and glued, then the wire is super tight and stapled with an air gun.....think it will be fine👍

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