I've got £250 to spend on a mitre saw so I've been searching the internet for reviews on mitre saws but there's a lot of mixed reviews on makita and metabo so I went to my local tool place and they said that makita and metabo are both good makes but they couldn't tell me how good the accuracy was. So could someone give me some advice on what to look for in a mitre saw but it will need to be accurate to do jobs around the house and maybe some decking.
De Walt make the best mitre saws in my opinion but my Makita has taken years of abuse and still cuts square. You need to look for how big a section of timber it will cut, if you are cutting shelves, skirting and decking you will probably need a sliding saw. Also look for how far off square it can bevel, houses are rarely square so one which will cut at 50 deg or greater in both directions is useful.
Most have a trenching facility , which is useful feature. I have the Electra Beckum 301KGS saw, these have an induction motor, which is very quite and smooth. The earlier models didnt have the brake feature so the blade would run for a good few minutes until it came to a stop. Mine has the brake 9about 4 seconds). I brought mine second hand off ebay from a wood enthusiast and in very good condition, they retailed at over £550 back then. The newer designed models have the motor sited overhead, so it dosnt get in the way, as there is limited cutting capacity, but it does have a 250mm diamete blade. But after nearly 9 years use its still going strong. The newer ones don't look well made now, more plasticy.
In my experience, stay away from the Evolution ones, I've made that mistake. The price is good, but a year later and without too much use trying to get a square cut is close to impossible, the back fence has actually bent in at the back. I agree with Chippie. I don't own a DeWalt saw, but I've used a couple - they are lovely saws to use, and well thought out.
I won't be cutting shelves but I will be cutting 3 inch skirting and decking. I was thinking of buying a Makita LS1040 but a mitre saw with trenching facility may come in handy one day. So now I don't know if to buy one of these 3. Makita LS1040 Makita LS0714 Metabo KGS216M What dewalt saws can I get for about £250 as most on ebay look like they are ready to die.
The Makita LS1040 isn't a sliding saw, so wont have a trenching facility. The Makita LS0714 mentions trenching facility, the Metabo doesn't. But on the image there is a adjustable handle screw to set the depth of cut. The Makita will cost you £250 and the Metabo will be £165, so a big difference in price. the Metabo has a bigger blade at 216mm (65mm cut) compared to 190mm on the Makita model (52mm cut), so you can cut large pieces of timber.
I have the LS1040 and it's bulletproof however it doesn't have a massive cutting capacity and for decking you may have to flip the board to get a full cut, I have never worked anywhere that uses a Metabo mitre saw so I would go for the LS0714. The trenching is never that accurate in depth on any saw.
The price difference is making it so hard to choose which saw to buy. Screwfix is selling the Makita LS0714 for £419.99 so you would think your buying a decent saw but when you know it can be bought for £250 you don't know if it's going to be any better than the Metabo KGS216M.
I am sure the Metabo will be fine for DIY, I have just never seen one used in a pro workshop whereas I see lots of Makita.
Screwfix can be quite expensive for power tools, they do sometimes have good offers though -just need to keep an eye out.
Ohhhhhhhh what is the world coming too.....an excuse to spend your hard earned!.....go out and spend it man.
I have a Bosch GCM8SJL, very good sliding mitre saw, cuts up to 312mm width, does trenching as well. Slightly over budget, but hunt around & you may find it cheaper, go through Quidco or similar, might save you a few mores pounds. http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/...oduct+Search&gclid=CO6_k6T6zsYCFaEewwodZGMPHg
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