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I’ve seen one at Screwfix which looks decent enough, also seen the evolution ones that look good, but wondering if there are any knowledgeable folk who might have better options, I did look at secondhand but it looks a bit of a minefield for powered tools like this, below is the link to the favourite so far, only because I’m not 100% knowledgeable about the evolutions, cut wise, it’s going to be the usual angled cuts for wood that’s no thicker than 50mm usually, will have some 80mm but can do that separately if required
also seen the evolution ones that look good
The Evolution ones have their uses being able to cut a multitude of materials but the trade-off is pretty poor extraction (if you plan to use an extraction) and some pretty annoying fiddlly, cheap, fragile component choices for things like adjustment to the fence, blade changes and so on. You're also getting into a bit of a two-part pricing thing with Evolution as you tend to be tied to their own-brand blades.
Something like that dewalt will be much better put together. That one is a pretty old design ( - very popular in its day mind its an iteration of the saw ELU made before Dewalt bought the company in the 1980s)
If you're on a budget and only planning on working with pretty small timbers then non-sliding mitre saws will be more robust and accurate for your money. There can be a fair bit of slop and twist in the sliding mechanism if its not well designed and made. A well made sliding mechanism cost money which means thats being saved elsewhere.
I bought a Wickes own brand one with a sliding saw on it as you can cut bigger stuff than a straight pivoting saw.
They don’t sell the exact same one now - but the below seems to be the replacement for it. Been really good - I’ve build a pergola with it, then a massive frame for decking and the actual deck boards underneath it. Also used it loads of times for stud wall frames etc.
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-210mm-Corded-Sliding-Compound-Mitre-Saw---1800W/p/223747
Edit - the below mcallister one looks exactly like my Wickes one and it’s only £100. I wonder if it’s just a rebranded saw that a few companies sell.
I have the WorkZone from Aldi and it's fine. Swivel, tilt, slide, all good. I'm no joiner so don't use fancier brands, but it's been excellent for skirtings, flooring, decking, fencing all of that. Looks like this:
Buy the dewalt one. I've been using one of its predecessors for 15 years.
Your link is to a 110v are you aware of that ? To use 110v you need a transformer too(cost about £50).
My Evolution has been fine, easy enough to adjust for any inaccuracy. The supplied blade has come in very handy for all sorts of metal stuff (curtain poles and the like) or just chopping up rough old wood that might have nails and all sorts. I bought a nicer fine blade for just wood. It's an unusual bore size that I can't remember off the top of my head but lots of blades come with a few adaptor rings to fit.
I've looked at quite a few others and concluded I needed to spend £400+ to get something that felt much better than what I've got.
I’ve looked at quite a few others and concluded I needed to spend £400+ to get something that felt much better than what I’ve got.
I put it down mostly to the quality of blade in it. They all mostly do the same thing and have very similar features. Only really the festool has extraction that actually works, the rest, even professional level project the dust across the entire workspace.
My Dewalt 700 would have normally cost about £230. The blade im using in it though is an 80 tooth one that cost £170
Depends on how much you want to use it, and how accurate and reliable you want it. The Evolution saws are pretty popular, I've seen a fair few about, and you don't have to go Festool Kapex for a decent saw, but for occasional use, where accuracy isn't paramount, it'll be fine. As above, the £400 mark is about where a 'professional' tool will sit, going right up to the £800, £1100+ the Festool stuff costs. I think mine is a Makita, I haven't actually used it in so long I'm not actually sure if it's that, or a Bosch! I actually use hand saws for most stuff, as it's just quicker and easier for me to do it that way, but I'll be cutting relatively small pieces of material, and then getting that fine accuracy using a chuting/shooting board and plane.
If you're anywhere near the north east and want an evolution one you can have mine for beer money. I've hardly used it since we did the house up and it's just getting in the way in the shed.
and then getting that fine accuracy using a chuting/shooting board and plane.
Have you ever seen one of these @Bridges ?
Stanley No51 and No52
https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/extra-fine-stanley-no-51-52-chute-shoot-board-and-plane-complete-79467
Rare enough to cost more than a large Kapex.
That Dewalt doesn't have a trenching facility if that matters to you. It can be dead handy for knocking out halving joints etc when building framework.
Also, the colour is fairly strong. Will it go with anything you already have?
northernmatt
Full Member
If you’re anywhere near the north east and want an evolution one you can have mine for beer money. I’ve hardly used it since we did the house up and it’s just getting in the way in the shed.Posted 2 hours ago
Cheers for the offer, but i'm South West ;o)
Think i'll have a hunt round, i did see it's a 110, but not that bothered as already have the transformer that i needed for the concrete breaker that was last years god awful DIY job, might focus a bit on the evolutions, and check out wickes/toolstation/etc around my area.
kayak23
Full Member
That Dewalt doesn’t have a trenching facility if that matters to you. It can be dead handy for knocking out halving joints etc when building framework.Also, the colour is fairly strong. Will it go with anything you already have?
I lost my fashion sense and colour coding a long time ago!
I've got an Erbauer one from Screwfix. Happy with it & would take features over brand all day.
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My Evolution has been fine, easy enough to adjust for any inaccuracy. The supplied blade has come in very handy for all sorts of metal stuff (curtain poles and the like) or just chopping up rough old wood that might have nails and all sorts. I bought a nicer fine blade for just wood. It’s an unusual bore size that I can’t remember off the top of my head but lots of blades come with a few adaptor rings to fit.
Its an unusual bore size for safety reasons - their saws use a special design of blade for allow them to cut metal as well as wood and that in turn required a different cutting speed so their arbors are geared differently. The bore on their blades is deliberately a unique size to try and prevent you putting the wrong type of blade on (which is pretty much any other brand of blade) and smashing it into some steel and having it kick back in your face 🙂
Have you ever seen one of these @Bridges ?
Stanley No51 and No52
https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/extra-fine-stanley-no-51-52-chute-shoot-board-and-plane-complete-79467
Rare enough to cost more than a large Kapex.
Nice, but a ridiculous price. Pre-Covid, you'd have picked something like that up for £50, probably. I'm using a standard low angle block plane, but I'd like something like this:
https://www.axminstertools.com/veritas-shooting-board-plane-rh-c-w-pm-v11-blade-25-717195
If such things were ever available...
I’ve looked at quite a few others and concluded I needed to spend £400+ to get something that felt much better than what I’ve got.
This.
A few years ago I went from a £50 Screwfix special to a full-on sliding De Walt, luckily it was a run-out model at a big discount but the new retail was +£700.
Really depends on how much you're doing and where you're personal VFM sits.