Sliding mitre saw

[elcaro]

Freddie yeah not all saws will be the same to use. E.g. I’m left handed and Evolution make a point that trigger thingy is ambidextrous

 

[elcaro]

JobAndKnock yes deals come and go I suppose.
Regards from Terry

 

[Diver Fred]

You really have to consider 3 things for ease of use after the size, angle* and mitre angle**.
Grip, switch and safety interlock.
Grip is it intuitive and comfortable to use?
Switch is it a trigger switch, Soft start?
Safety interlock single handed or double.

* Not all mitre saws tilt both ways.
** Some mitre saws stop at 45 degrees others go a few degrees over 45 degrees.

 

[elcaro]

Diver Fred yes I love soft start. And I would prefer double bevel.
- Terry

 

[tell80]

elcaro,
Snap, me too, i wondered who this new manufacturer SMS was?

FWIW: DeWalt are owned by Black&Decker and definitely dont make their sms's in the USA - most of their power tool parts are sourced from most anywhere but mainly China, and assembled in the USA.

Having said that, DeWalt are, for me, still the benchmark power tools.
But just too expensive for the occasional use.

 

[Diver Fred]

If you want to cut metal as well as wood I'd keep the old saw just for metal and never use the new saw with metal. I was given a mitre saw that had been used in a engineers workshop as a spare. The bearings are worn, the blade is ok, but it cuts wood OK for rough work but not for fine stuff.

 

[ETAF]

double bevel

I guess if you are doing a lot of that type of cut - its worth paying extra or - I have the dealt DWS778, which is single bevel, been fine for DIY work , and again was on offer from FFX

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Freddie yeah not all saws will be the same to use. E.g. I’m left handed and Evolution make a point that trigger thingy is ambidextrous

The trigger thing is ambidextrous on pretty much every trade saw I've used - safety at the top/back of the handle, button at the front

I'm not a huge fan of Evos - maybe 9 or 10 years back they made a big splash of having a 110 volt version and a numbwr of guys bought them because they were "a bargain". The saws were hardly well finished, I saw multiple failures and returns (mainly electrical, but a couple of times the guards janmed/broke), they weren't reliably accurate out of the box, and the blades had non-standard bores (25.4mm as opposed to the 30mm DIN standard common in Europe, and the 15.9mm or 5/8in US standard) which means having to always have 30 x 25.4mm blade washers on hand, so you weren't stuck with their blades. And in any case their blades are nothing to write home about - for woodworking Saxton or Dart blades are a far better bet

The big plusses of the "industrial" saws like DW and Makita is that they are well nailed together, they are pretty durable and generally don't break that easily, they are made to withstand a modicum of abuse, and parts are readily available for a long time (I have a DW777 bought new in 2012 which sort of bears this out), but against that they have less bells and whistles than an equivalent price DIY saw and they cost a lot more if you want the bells and whistles. That's really the choice.

As to the guys on the "site next door", the type of saw they are using is likely to tell you as much about them as it tells you about the saw. If they are using a 230 volt saw, any 230 volt saw, then they aren't too fussy about safety regulations and TBH they'll probably use any old carp (and often their workmanship reflects this, although there are exceptions - sorry, big site bias). If they are using 110 volt or cordless take a look at the brand - there is probably an 80% chance that they have either a yellow (DW) saw or a teal (Makita) one. Having a DW or Mak saw doesn't indicate skill or ability, but does indicate financial commitment/faith in themselves. But even if it is 110 volt, the saw might be a hire saw (the vast majority of them are yellow or teal, too, never seen an Evo hire saw, despite them being cheap)

 

[opps]

When fitting my composite decking I needed to cut up to 310mm.

I ordered a Bosch GCM 8 JSL from Amazon, with stand for just over £300 (about 4 years ago). Annoyingly, the day before the purchase it was about £30 cheaper. I think that Amazon occasionally slashes the price of stock that they cannot return to the manufacturer and then put the price up once people start showing interest in it. The day after I purchased it the price went up by about £40.

Ours was shipped from the continent and had a two pin plug. The GF complained about that and they knocked an additional £50 off.

Bosch GCM 8 SJL 216mm Electric Single-Bevel Sliding Compound Mitre Saw 240V

Order online at Screwfix.com. The Bosch Professional GCM 8 SJL sliding mitre saw is a lightweight and accurate cutter. The saw's improved 2-point dust extraction facility protects you from airborne dust particles during use and it also features a laser cutting guide so you know exactly where to...

www.screwfix.com

It is £309 at screwfix. I haven't used it a massive amount, but be warned that it has a big footprint.

For the price, I was happy enough.

 

[opps]

As to the guys on the "site next door", the type of saw they are using is likely to tell you as much about them as it tells you about the saw. If they are using a 230 volt saw, any 230 volt saw, they aren't fussy about safety regulations

My work is domestic, and so I use 230v.

My understanding is that even in domestic building sites, 230v is acceptable but that 110v is recommended (assuming that proper consumer units exist).

Case 355 - All tools on building sites need to be a maximum of 110V

If a site or company decide to impose a higher (disproportionate) standard in this lower risk environment they can but it is not health and safety law that requires this.

www.hse.gov.uk

Edit-- the only time I ever worked on commercial buildings was in the 90s when I was a lift engineer's mate. All of our tools at the time were 230v- mainly drills and angle grinders.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

My work is domestic, and so I use 230v.

You aren't a joiner and you aren't on a site, but even so it's probably in your own interest to run through RCD and have your kit PAT tested periodically. The HSE mandates 110 volt for all site work, and that includes jobs such as shop fits which used to be 230 volt at one time (I was a shop fitter for many years) - many retail parks and shopping centres also impose this on visiting tradesman these days, even those doing one-off jobs.

My understanding is that even in domestic building sites, 230v is acceptable but that 110v is recommended (assuming that proper consumer units exist).

Not according to the HSE. A "domestic building site" is now governed by CDM 15 regs, so it's 110 volt or nothing in effect, and really has been for 10 or more years, although you could always try arguing that one with an inspector or insurer

Personally I don't see why people are so anti-110 volt - it has a record of being far safer than 230 volts, and after all anyone working on site knows how badly kit gets treated - especially cables

 

[Deleted member 174758]

FWIW: DeWalt are owned by Black&Decker and definitely dont make their sms's in the USA - most of their power tool parts are sourced from most anywhere but mainly China, and assembled in the USA.

AFAIK DW mitre saws are designed mainly in Germany (Idstein), partly because the two main families of mitre saws are derived from the original Elu designs of the mid-1980s. Almost all the DW mitre saws I've seen in the UK in recent years were made either in Germany or Mexico. I think one of the differences with firms like DW and Mak is that they design the saws and the components and they do their own quality control as well as ensuring their designs meet safety standards, etc. I haven't seen any DW stuff made in China, but some of my Mak kit was made there (some is Japanese, znd some is eben made in the UK at Telford). Surely quality of end product is more about the standards of the manufacturer than it is about where it is made or where the components are sourced from?

Having said that, DeWalt are, for me, still the benchmark power tools.
But just too expensive for the occasional use

Well, I'm on Makita for cordless, probably becsuse I have been on their battery system for a long time (since about 2007), but in corded tools I have zero brand loyalty (so a tool tart). I have to say, though, that I have mainly run DW and Makita mitre saws for 20 plus years, currently owning a Mak 10in cordless (which replaced a Mak 10in corded), a DW 216mm corded (and a 10in Festool, but we won't talk about that). The DW corded might well be getting replaced by a DW cordless next year, depending on what work comes up, but it's highly unlikley to be the 12in monster...

 

[elcaro]

Thank you all.
I tend to go for DeWalt, my circular saw & drill-driver are DeWalt, but they can be dearer. Bells and whistles seem to be in short supply on DeWalt SMS’s though. E.G. how much could soft start and trench cut add to production costs on their £220 quid models?
- Terry

 

[ETAF]

my Dewalt SMS - was made in italy

No under where the parts may of come from or if just assembled in Italy

I dont have trench cut on the machine - but have rigged up a block to stop the blade coming right down - various youtube videos - to be homes not really needed trench cut that often - probably twice

 

[elcaro]

JobAndKnock, thanks for advice. By the way the guys next door, dunno what they’re using but they’re doing a fantastic job. Actually that’s partly why I’m looking for a SMS - I foresee a lot of DIY here to “keep up with the Joneses” next door when they get finished so this place doesn’t look too bad in comparison! Fencing for example so cutting (lots of) fence boards.
I’ll make a list of products / features / prices and think about what I can do without, I guess ….
Regards from Terry