Power saws

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Jonathan
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I need a new saw.....

When I moved to a smaller house I gave away my electric mitre saw. Predictably I now have more space and need a saw.

First job for it will be to build some compost bins sawing 100mm boards. A chop saw looks perfect but I've never used one and they look like mitre saws that do less....for the same money :)

Would I find a chop saw so much better to use that I would prefer it for right angle cutting or can mitre saws pretty much do anything that an affordable chop saw can plus, you know, mitreing? And if I did find I wanted a mitre saw, would I find a better deal than this?

 
If you're going to use such a tool for other jobs, then it's a good investment. If it's just going to be a one-off, then think about hiring one for just that job. That Erbauer will be ok for occasional/light use, but not great if you intend to do big jobs with it. 'Hobbyist' tools such as that tend to come with a range of features that most advanced users would probably find useless anyway (such as laser guides and that). They also aren't really all that accurate, if you're working to close tolerances. And they aren't built as well; internal parts and gears will wear out/break a lot quicker. So, whilst they do appear to offer a 'good deal', and can give excellent service, they can also end up being a bit of a waste of money, depending on use. If it's a one off job then never gets used again, a decent 'pro' grade chop saw, hired for the job, can give better results, then doesn't take up space in your shed/garage etc. If you envisage using it a lot more often, then up your budget a bit perhaps, and look at some in the £300+ kind of price range. Significant step up in quality and performance. You don't have to go into Festool/Mafell territory, but you'll still end up with a much better tool to use, year in year out (I needed a plunge/track saw, so bought a Festool kit for about £400, and so glad I spent the extra).

Personally, for a few compost bins, I'd use a £10 handsaw. Save a load of cash, and get a good workout into the bargain. Less drain on the planet's resources etc too. For the time it takes to go and buy one from a shop, or have one delivered, you could have done the job. Bosh.
 
FWIW - I bought an earlier version of that Erbauer mitre saw for about £100 about 10 yrs back. It's a decent tool and good value for money, I've never had to get any spares for it and that would be the only worry - brushes etc.
I was finishing a massive renovation, I'd run out of money so it made sense at the time to buy a £100 saw to use rather than paying £15 an hour to a proper chippie to do something I could do adequately myself.
I did a few rooms of skirtings, architrave, boxing in etc. and it did a decent job. Because I'm a clutz I managed to jam up a cut and bent the fence slightly - not the tool's fault, the idiot using it.

One job I did was some panelling - the previous owner had cut out to hang a radiator, we had fitted underfloor so I needed to match what was there as best I could.
That was where I found the only real drawback. Because it's a single bevel you have to make all your cuts in one direction. Again due to inexperience I wasted a bit of beading trying to work out the correct orientation to hold the piece - and the laser guide was useful for the larger cuts but not if you're trying to cut "in reverse" where it's distracting when you're trying to take into account the width of the blade. It would have been much easier if I could have bevelled in either direction but that's about it.

I bought a few consumer grade tools for that renovation on the basis that if they lasted the job they'd be cheaper than hiring the pro tools and if they failed in the first 12m I could probably get them repaired under warranty.

The mitre saw is still in it's box and comes out now and then - still does a decent job but it's big and heavy and needs space to set up on a table etc. so I don't use it often.
If I had a workshop to keep it set up it would perhaps be more used.

As above if I was just building a compost bin I'd use a hard point hand saw and the black and decker workmate.

I recently recycled a pallet into a box to keep newspaper in to light our wood burner. I considered getting the mitre out but in the end I used a Ryobi circular saw I bought when I needed to do some sheet cuts. If you're keen to use a power saw a hand held circular saw will be more flexible if not as accurate.
 
I like buying tools & I also toyed with the idea of buying a mitre saw but decided against it as the number of times I would have used it would not have justified the cost. I was looking at a DeWalt admittedly. I already have a Bosch Pro jigsaw, circular saw and sabre saw. The jigsaw serves most of my needs. a bit of timber & a couple of clamps gets me a straight edge to follow.

I think if I did need a mitre saw now I would probably hire one like @AZ6 suggests.
 
Have a look at the Evolution:-https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-r255sms-db-255mm-electric-double-bevel-sliding-mitre-saw-230v/128hf

And the Full Range:-https://shop.evolutionpowertools.com/collections/mitre-saw

 
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If you're going to use such a tool for other jobs, then it's a good investment. If it's just going to be a one-off, then think about hiring one for just that job. That Erbauer will be ok for occasional/light use, but not great if you intend to do big jobs with it. 'Hobbyist' tools such as that tend to come with a range of features that most advanced users would probably find useless anyway (such as laser guides and that). They also aren't really all that accurate, if you're working to close tolerances. And they aren't built as well; internal parts and gears will wear out/break a lot quicker. So, whilst they do appear to offer a 'good deal', and can give excellent service, they can also end up being a bit of a waste of money, depending on use. If it's a one off job then never gets used again, a decent 'pro' grade chop saw, hired for the job, can give better results, then doesn't take up space in your shed/garage etc. If you envisage using it a lot more often, then up your budget a bit perhaps, and look at some in the £300+ kind of price range. Significant step up in quality and performance. You don't have to go into Festool/Mafell territory, but you'll still end up with a much better tool to use, year in year out (I needed a plunge/track saw, so bought a Festool kit for about £400, and so glad I spent the extra).

Personally, for a few compost bins, I'd use a £10 handsaw. Save a load of cash, and get a good workout into the bargain. Less drain on the planet's resources etc too. For the time it takes to go and buy one from a shop, or have one delivered, you could have done the job. Bosh.
I agree totally. A decent tool is so worth the money IF it is going to be used - I too have a festool plunge saw (and a few other festool tools) and they have paid for themselves many times over.
A lot of the cheaper chop or mitre saws need to be set up so that they cut square (I hear, but have had to set up 2 of the few I've used) and Jonathan, you are plenty capable of using a hand saw to cut square from what I've seen of your posts, so either treat yourself or send me money and use a hand saw.
 
Thanks everybody - some really good points. Also, I think my aversion to handsaws is that for a long time I used a very old very blunt one. I bought a modern tenon saw for a job I needed to do and the difference was night and day :)

If you envisage using it a lot more often, then up your budget a bit perhaps, and look at some in the £300+ kind of price range. Significant step up in quality and performance.

Again, really good advice. Last time I asked about power tools here I was looking at some soft of DeWalt combi drill when what I actually needed was a power screwdriver. Loads of good advice later I rather nervously bought a second hand Festool for a bit less than a new DeWalt. It is an absolute delight to use.
 
Thanks everybody - some really good points. Also, I think my aversion to handsaws is that for a long time I used a very old very blunt one. I bought a modern tenon saw for a job I needed to do and the difference was night and day :)



Again, really good advice. Last time I asked about power tools here I was looking at some soft of DeWalt combi drill when what I actually needed was a power screwdriver. Loads of good advice later I rather nervously bought a second hand Festool for a bit less than a new DeWalt. It is an absolute delight to use.
I decided, some years ago, to properly learn how to make stuff with wood, having been the typical 'can put up some shelves and maybe fit a new tap washer' type home DIYer. I pulled open a drawer (in the rented place I lived in), and the front fell off in my hand. Such utter, utter cheap rubbish. I told myself there and then, that if I was to ever have any decent furniture, I'd better learn to make it myself, as I certainly couldn't afford to buy it new. So I set about acquiring tools, skills and knowledge. Done a few woodwork courses, from basic to more advanced. We now have a growing number of items of furniture, that I've made myself, including the desk I'm sat typing this out on.

But it's not all about power tools. I'm lucky enough to have a little workshop space in our basement, but other than the Festool and a couple of cordless drills, basic jigsaw and a corded hammer drill, I only have a handful of hand tools (a few saws, some reasonable chisels, a small collection of hand planes etc). You really don't need much more, unless you are working on an industrial scale. A chop saw is handy for stuff like fitting a garden deck, with loads of repeating cuts, but as I don't (nor intend to) do such things, I don't need one. What I would like, is a decent little router table setup, cos you can do so much with a router. I have a small router but it's a bit underpowered, and only 1/4" collet, so limited. But the thing I've learned, is to buy decent tools, and LOOK AFTER THEM. Learn how to sharpen a chisel/plane blade, etc. Lots of people (men, it's mainly men) collect loads of fancy powertools, then never use them. Personally, for the faff of setting up something like a chop saw, sorting out dust extraction etc, I've already done the job I need to, with a hand saw. Bosh. Less is more.

I fixed that drawer front, not only that; I improved it. Even the most mundane tasks can contain opportunities to learn.
 
I have that exact mitre saw that was linked in the first post. Very happy with it and I can finally turn out some decent looking jobs. I’m completely useless with a handsaw, everything turned out skewed, so it was worth the saving in timber (and my temper!). The only niggle is the laser guide and light packed up within a few months. I suppose I could’ve returned it under the warranty but I didn’t really use either feature so I didn’t bother. It’s probably only a loose connection anyway.

I like Erbauer tools, they’re a definite step up in quality from the base level stuff that Screwfix stock... for instance I bought a Titan sander from them that literally shook itself to pieces in a couple of hours of use, whereas the Erbauer one I exchanged it for is still going strong after several years and a lot of use.
 
I decided, some years ago, to properly learn how to make stuff with wood, having been the typical 'can put up some shelves and maybe fit a new tap washer' type home DIYer. I pulled open a drawer (in the rented place I lived in), and the front fell off in my hand. Such utter, utter cheap rubbish. I told myself there and then, that if I was to ever have any decent furniture, I'd better learn to make it myself, as I certainly couldn't afford to buy it new. So I set about acquiring tools, skills and knowledge. Done a few woodwork courses, from basic to more advanced. We now have a growing number of items of furniture, that I've made myself, including the desk I'm sat typing this out on.

But it's not all about power tools. I'm lucky enough to have a little workshop space in our basement, but other than the Festool and a couple of cordless drills, basic jigsaw and a corded hammer drill, I only have a handful of hand tools (a few saws, some reasonable chisels, a small collection of hand planes etc). You really don't need much more, unless you are working on an industrial scale. A chop saw is handy for stuff like fitting a garden deck, with loads of repeating cuts, but as I don't (nor intend to) do such things, I don't need one. What I would like, is a decent little router table setup, cos you can do so much with a router. I have a small router but it's a bit underpowered, and only 1/4" collet, so limited. But the thing I've learned, is to buy decent tools, and LOOK AFTER THEM. Learn how to sharpen a chisel/plane blade, etc. Lots of people (men, it's mainly men) collect loads of fancy powertools, then never use them. Personally, for the faff of setting up something like a chop saw, sorting out dust extraction etc, I've already done the job I need to, with a hand saw. Bosh. Less is more.

I fixed that drawer front, not only that; I improved it. Even the most mundane tasks can contain opportunities to learn.
Some wise words there, and so many that can be applied to photography too (how many threads are there asking what camera/lens do I need to buy etc..)
I have a fair few more fancy tools than you, but they earn me my income, and I have to use dust extraction when working in a clients house etc. I imagine you are actually a lot more skilled in many ways than I am - I need to get a job done to a price and with minimal disruption (sanding paintwork used to be such a messy job for example)
I have bought so many cheap tools over the years, but all the decent ones have lasted, do a better job and have helped me earn money with less grief and hassle. Money well spent.
 
The cheap compound mitre saws are great as long as your expectations are reasonable. It sounds like it be will just the job for you, ideal for things like your compost bin where cuts don't have to be perfectly square.

I have a evolution saw, fantastic for odd DIY jobs, but where the cheap saws like these fall down is the accuracy of the mitre/bevel adjustments. They 'click in' to set positions between 45 and 90 degrees. but its a bit sloppy. If you need real accuracy you will spend 10x more time faffing around with squares setting up the blade angle perfectly than you do making cuts. This is where quality tools come into their own.
 
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