First Budget Mitre Saw, Weighing Up My Options

[Chrispy61]

Im looking to buy my first mitre saw, it will be used for a fencing job and a decking project so will need to be sliding for the extra capicity.

I dont have a lot of money so i would say very maximum £200 which i know isn't a huge budget in the saw market but its what i have.

Ive been looking at some options and i could go to the lower end of the market so the £90 Titan from Screwfix or spend a fair bit more and go for the Metabo KGS 216M which is £175ish.

Would the extra money be reflected in the quality? (which you would hope so, but all the low budget saws seem to be made in China, even with the Metabo!) both have similar features and specs so im really looking for long term accuracy.

Both have their fair share of good reviews but the Metabo has a 3 year warrenty and a parts list, where as the Titan is what it is, 2 year warrenty and after that if it breaks throw it away and buy again!

I would love to try them both for myself and see which one felt better but i dont have that option where i live so im asking for peoples opinions

Many thanks

 

[Woodmonkey]

Have you considered second hand, you will get a lot more saw for your money

 

[sunnybob]

a sliding mitre saw for £90? Did you just answer your own question about quality and reliability?

If you work the cost backwards, theres 20% vat on that, so youre down to 82. The retailer is making 40%. so youre down to 50. the distributer is making 25%, down to £38 out the factory door including shipping half way round the world.

Scary when you look at things that way.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Some of the maths may be a bit iffy - eg: £90 less VAT = £75. Screwfix may also have the buying power to purchase ex-factory to avoid distributor or agent margins, and probably spend less on promotion and marketing than Metabo or other major brands. Nonetheless, the ex-factory price is peanuts for what you are getting and errs towards mass produced low cost and functional rather than quality.

Possibly for many basic mature products, tooling etc has probably been written off, designs are stable and proven, and inherent flaws engineered out over time making low cost manufacture feasible.

But I think the purchase decision is probably down to intended use. I bought a cheap sliding mitre saw (Einhell) from Screwfix approx 8 years ago. It has cut wood for raised flower beds, fencing, flooring, skirting etc and still works. The only replacement has been a new blade. It is not the bees knees in quality or finish, and may not have stood up to more intense regular use. However an extra £90 on something "better" would not have done any more for me.

Terry

 

[RobinBHM]

The reviews for the titan saw on screwfix are virtually all very positive, so I would say it should be a serious contender.

In general, the difference in quality is reflected in how rigid the blade stays through the cut indicating precise mechanism and quality, heavy castings.

I have a titan chainsaw which is very good for the price, so can recommend the brand. Hopefully somebody will come along on here that has the mitre saw.

You may have to file off sharp edges of the castings, tweak the angle settings and for the biggest difference invest in a decent blade - freud arent too expensive.

 

[Chrispy61]

Have you considered second hand, you will get a lot more saw for your money

I have, but then i have no guarentee. I could shell out and the thing goes caput the first time i use it!

 

[DiscoStu]

I bought a saw from B&Q about 8 years ago for decking. It has a 210mm blade and around 200mm width. It wasn't the smallest as I needed to cut wide decking boards. It has a laser, trench cutting facility and some support arms. It's been brilliant and I still use it. The laser needed tweaking but is accurate and after about 20 Sqr meters of decking I changed the blade and it revolutionised it.

I think it might be a Macalister?

For decking a B&Q or Titan etc will be fine. Only last weekend I bought a £50 Evolution stand for it from Screwfix and it's made it an absolute joy to use. If your budget is £200 then spend £150 on the saw and £50 on a stand, I wish I'd bought it years ago. Especially if you have long boards to cut (which you will if you're doing decking).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chrispy61]

The reviews for the titan saw on screwfix are virtually all very positive, so I would say it should be a serious contender.

In general, the difference in quality is reflected in how rigid the blade stays through the cut indicating precise mechanism and quality, heavy castings.

I have a titan chainsaw which is very good for the price, so can recommend the brand. Hopefully somebody will come along on here that has the mitre saw.

You may have to file off sharp edges of the castings, tweak the angle settings and for the biggest difference invest in a decent blade - freud arent too expensive.

Yea i think thats my biggest concern, will the mechanism be sturdy enough to keep the cut accurate! I might not be making bespoke furniture but id still like the cuts to be accurate and give me the confidence that the job will turn out top notch. Are Metabo adding £100 extra just because they have their name on it or is it £100 worth of extra build quality. I would like to think the latter.

I wish i could go into a shop and try them both out, that would help me make the decision. I really need someone who has used both machines and can make the comparrison for me

 

[Chrispy61]

I bought a saw from B&Q about 8 years ago for decking. It has a 210mm blade and around 200mm width. It wasn't the smallest as I needed to cut wide decking boards. It has a laser, trench cutting facility and some support arms. It's been brilliant and I still use it. The laser needed tweaking but is accurate and after about 20 Sqr meters of decking I changed the blade and it revolutionised it.

I think it might be a Macalister?

For decking a B&Q or Titan etc will be fine. Only last weekend I bought a £50 Evolution stand for it from Screwfix and it's made it an absolute joy to use. If your budget is £200 then spend £150 on the saw and £50 on a stand, I wish I'd bought it years ago. Especially if you have long boards to cut (which you will if you're doing decking).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for taking the time to reply

 

[Wuffles]

The reviews for the titan saw on screwfix are virtually all very positive, so I would say it should be a serious contender.

In general, the difference in quality is reflected in how rigid the blade stays through the cut indicating precise mechanism and quality, heavy castings.

I have a titan chainsaw which is very good for the price, so can recommend the brand. Hopefully somebody will come along on here that has the mitre saw.

You may have to file off sharp edges of the castings, tweak the angle settings and for the biggest difference invest in a decent blade - freud arent too expensive.

Yea i think thats my biggest concern, will the mechanism be sturdy enough to keep the cut accurate! I might not be making bespoke furniture but id still like the cuts to be accurate and give me the confidence that the job will turn out top notch. Are Metabo adding £100 extra just because they have their name on it or is it £100 worth of extra build quality. I would like to think the latter.

I wish i could go into a shop and try them both out, that would help me make the decision. I really need someone who has used both machines and can make the comparrison for me

One thing with the Metabo, the money won't be wasted on frivolous stuff like marketing. Their XXL warranty is good though. I'm not even sure the Metabo mitre saw is any good though after all that

Read some reviews. D&M have some Dewalts on offer this weekend, still above our budget though, but could be a worthwhile investment, not that I have any of those either. Try the Hitachi, I do have one of them.

I'm rambling now.

I do however have an Evolution cut off saw I use for metalwork, it's alright I suppose. The Evolution mitre saws are supposed to be pretty good for the money. Reviews reviews.

 

[Mark A]

The Evolution mitre saws are supposed to be pretty good for the money. Reviews reviews.

I used a relative's Evolution Rage sliding mitre saw (8" version) to process firewood and I thought the quality was a bit naff; but then again, it only cost her something like £120... Certainly usable for the price.

 

[Wuffles]

The Evolution mitre saws are supposed to be pretty good for the money. Reviews reviews.

I used a relative's Evolution Rage sliding mitre saw (8" version) to process firewood and I thought the quality was a bit naff; but then again, it only cost her something like £120... Certainly usable for the price.

I had to use one once, you're right, it's not brilliant but it was under a hundred at that time.

 

[Chrispy61]

The reviews for the titan saw on screwfix are virtually all very positive, so I would say it should be a serious contender.

In general, the difference in quality is reflected in how rigid the blade stays through the cut indicating precise mechanism and quality, heavy castings.

I have a titan chainsaw which is very good for the price, so can recommend the brand. Hopefully somebody will come along on here that has the mitre saw.

You may have to file off sharp edges of the castings, tweak the angle settings and for the biggest difference invest in a decent blade - freud arent too expensive.

Yea i think thats my biggest concern, will the mechanism be sturdy enough to keep the cut accurate! I might not be making bespoke furniture but id still like the cuts to be accurate and give me the confidence that the job will turn out top notch. Are Metabo adding £100 extra just because they have their name on it or is it £100 worth of extra build quality. I would like to think the latter.

I wish i could go into a shop and try them both out, that would help me make the decision. I really need someone who has used both machines and can make the comparrison for me

One thing with the Metabo, the money won't be wasted on frivolous stuff like marketing. Their XXL warranty is good though. I'm not even sure the Metabo mitre saw is any good though after all that

Read some reviews. D&M have some Dewalts on offer this weekend, still above our budget though, but could be a worthwhile investment, not that I have any of those either. Try the Hitachi, I do have one of them.

I'm rambling now.

I do however have an Evolution cut off saw I use for metalwork, it's alright I suppose. The Evolution mitre saws are supposed to be pretty good for the money. Reviews reviews.

I don't like the idea of one blade does all like you get with the evolution saws, I would like to get a 60t blade for clean cuts.

 

[Petey83]

i had that exact Metabo before i sold it and had a rush of blood to the head and bought a Kapex..... (hammer) (hammer)

The Metabo is a good saw once fettled. The dust collection is rubbish as is the factory blade but grab a Freud blade from toolstation and accept a bit of mess and you are sorted. Make sure you spend the time calibrating the saw on all axis as mine was a bit off from the factory. The work piece clamp is a bit rubbish but functional.

the Metabo warranty makes your choice a no brainier IMO

 

[Chrispy61]

i had that exact Metabo before i sold it and had a rush of blood to the head and bought a Kapex..... (hammer) (hammer)

The Metabo is a good saw once fettled. The dust collection is rubbish as is the factory blade but grab a Freud blade from toolstation and accept a bit of mess and you are sorted. Make sure you spend the time calibrating the saw on all axis as mine was a bit off from the factory. The work piece clamp is a bit rubbish but functional.

the Metabo warranty makes your choice a no brainier IMO

Did you have the 2015 model? How stable and strong was it when fully extended, was there much movement?

 

[Droogs]

I was in Screwfix yesterday to pick up a new Erbauer drill/impact combo and notice they have the Evolution CSMS for £99. as you have around £200 budget, you could get that and a decent pair of Freud blades. As you say it's not for bespoke furniture but would do the job if needed, certainly to the point where you would be in a position to shoot the cuts after if needed

 

[Petey83]

i had that exact Metabo before i sold it and had a rush of blood to the head and bought a Kapex..... (hammer) (hammer)

The Metabo is a good saw once fettled. The dust collection is rubbish as is the factory blade but grab a Freud blade from toolstation and accept a bit of mess and you are sorted. Make sure you spend the time calibrating the saw on all axis as mine was a bit off from the factory. The work piece clamp is a bit rubbish but functional.

the Metabo warranty makes your choice a no brainier IMO

Did you have the 2015 model? How stable and strong was it when fully extended, was there much movement?

no i had the one before the latest model but looking at the details of the 2015 one there is no functional difference i can see aside from some of the knobs looking a bit beefier.

one other thing i forgot to mention - the laser gets dusted up very quickly and the work light is all but useless but that aside its a good saw for the money

http://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/metabo- ... 0wodMtcJoQ - best price i could find

 

[Chrispy61]

I was in Screwfix yesterday to pick up a new Erbauer drill/impact combo and notice they have the Evolution CSMS for £99. as you have around £200 budget, you could get that and a decent pair of Freud blades. As you say it's not for bespoke furniture but would do the job if needed, certainly to the point where you would be in a position to shoot the cuts after if needed

If it's the evolution saw your talking about thnn only their own blades fit

 

[Chrispy61]

Could the Erbaur saw be a contender also?

 

[Petey83]

if its this one then it can be had for less than the £99 stated http://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-erb60 ... 230v/2977f

for your £200 i would get the best you can afford but thats just an opinion from a hobbyist with more Festool gear than sense!

Fr what its worth i would get the metabo and then get down Toolstation for for the blade with the remaining money http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Power+T ... ing/p56248