Elektra Beckum KGS300 SCMS

[Eric The Viking]

I've just acquired one, at what I'm guessing is a really good price. I'd have asked about them here first, but was worried I'd miss an opportunity if I delayed. So I went and bought it on spec.

It is 110V (that's OK) and has an 1800W very quiet induction motor. There's presently a decent-looking Trend blade (haven't tried it yet). It all looks very well made, and it ought to be pretty accurate (or could be fettled to be). There is an adjustable fence and adjustable stops for 90deg and 45deg tilt.

I've been looking for accuracy over capacity and other frills like trenching, but it looks like it will not only be accurate, but still cope with quite large timber.

Snags: It's lost the hold-down clamp, and the blade bolt looks a bit manky (guessing someone tried to undo it the wrong way: will try Miles for those). I can see no obvious place for dust extraction, but there's room at the back under the slides to fix a vacuum nozzle and possibly some sort of sawdust capturing hood arrangement at the back.

Has anyone done this, or is there a better way?

Any other gotchas I ought to know about?

E. (trying not to grin too much at the moment!).

 

[petermillard]

I have the smaller (and noisier!) KGS255 and agree that they're well-made bits of kit - still available of course just branded as Metabo. Dust extraction is poor though - I think it's more of a consideration now (in a post-Kapex world) than it ever was ~10 years or so ago when I bought mine.

The only thing I can 'fault' with mine is that the trenching facility is primitive, so there's no easy way to switch between a trench cut and a full-depth cut; never been a issue for me as there were always other options but it may be something to bear in mind if you do this kind of thing regularly.

Other than that it's been pretty much faultless - it was carted around more when I first had it and has suffered a few knocks, the worst being the locking knob for the turntable sheared on its shaft and needed gluing back on with araldite - still working fine

I've used Freud Pro blades in mine for the last few years with good results, though the thin-kerf CMT blades from Axminster have caught my eye and may well be worth a try. Miles Tools for the spare parts though, for sure.

HTH Pete

 

[RogerS]

..... possibly some sort of sawdust capturing hood arrangement at the back.

......

I did a bit of experimenting with this on my DW707 SCMS and the result was, well, underwhelming. I was limited at the back and so the hood was only about 300mm deep with an extraction port at the side at the back. The dust simply bounced off the back of the hood and into my face. The extraction port did damn all because unless the sawdust was aimed directly at the port there was insufficient suck. Maybe an angled hood might work ..to encourage the sawdust to bounce backwards towards a port but that would need more depth which I didn't have.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I did a bit of experimenting with this on my DW707 SCMS and the result was, well, underwhelming.

I like the 707s, or at least the earlier Elu ones. I've serviced a couple of them for friends in the past. Do you find the ports clog up easily? I'd assumed it was because I didn't have the 3-way hose-splitter thingy, but I think it may just be because the extraction slots are small and the bottom and middle ones (on the frame) have some awkward bends.

ISTR, Steve M. did a video about putting a rubber flap on his (big Bosch?) to help a bit. I'll experiment once I get used to the EB a bit more. Having an induction motor is weird - it makes very little noise compared to the DeWalts.

@PeterM: Many thanks for the thoughts. I can't see how this one could do trenching at all really. It's not a problem as such*, but in the absence of a manual I'll remain ignorant! Will have a look at Miles' site too for the few missing bits. They're only down the road (Shepton) and I've had great service from them in the past.
Cheers,

E.

*In a Mike Myers voice, 'groovy router table, baby!'

 

[RogerS]

I did a bit of experimenting with this on my DW707 SCMS and the result was, well, underwhelming.

I like the 707s, or at least the earlier Elu ones. I've serviced a couple of them for friends in the past. Do you find the ports clog up easily? ....'

There's nothing to clog up but if you do fit the three-way hose, run the machine but without extraction then the hoses do clog up DAMHIKT

 

[OPJ]

Metabo recently introduced a new range of KGS Plus mitre saws with "superb" dust extraction. At present, they only appear to offer a 10in model with the induction motor. Don't know whether these are on-show anywhere around Bristol but, if you can find some better images elsewhere on the 'net then, you may be able to 'borrow' some ideas for inspiration. I don't know - it may even be possible to retro-fit these parts as spares to your model, if the price is right...?

Must be nice to have a saw with an induction motor, though - sounds like a good purchase though, I'd still be inclined to chuck the Trend blade!

 

[Eric The Viking]

Metabo recently introduced a new range of KGS Plus mitre saws with "superb" dust extraction. At present, they only appear to offer a 10in model with the induction motor. Don't know whether these are on-show anywhere around Bristol but, if you can find some better images elsewhere on the 'net then, you may be able to 'borrow' some ideas for inspiration. I don't know - it may even be possible to retro-fit these parts as spares to your model, if the price is right...?

Must be nice to have a saw with an induction motor, though - sounds like a good purchase though, I'd still be inclined to chuck the Trend blade!

I probably will do the blade in due course, but the Trend one is 80 tooth, so if clean it may cut pretty well. I've been getting resin and sawdust off the rest of it this morning, and it's coming up very nicely. It doesn't trench, but I don't want that really, and it has properly adjustable fence and tilt mitre angles.

For DX, I think you're right. The kit from D+M Tools has the same part number as the original one for the saw, so ought to fit. The new saws are quite different in design (more akin to Bosch, etc.), so I don't think the DX will fit.

The hold-down clamp design has changed, but the older kit may well fit for practical purposes, as it's a cylindrical socket in the fence with a bolt hole through the bottom (pretty standard approach really).

Regarding the noise, you can easily hold a conversation whilst the motor is running, although I prefer to concentrate whilst actually cutting!!

Overall, I'm still chuffed to bits.

Cheers,

E.

 

[machineage]

How are you gettig on with the KGS300?

User manual is available here:

http://fc.zindel.de/scripts/CUWP_CG...ectArg=VAC2817541472,4896_1.7_D_GB_F_NLen.pdf

 

[Eric The Viking]

How are you gettig on with the KGS300?

I like it.

It's cleaned up a treat. It cuts well and quietly, and I've got a plan for braking (I think).

I did find the manual on line, thanks, but apart from a good clean, it's pretty accurate as-is.

Time will tell, but so far I'm still pleased!

Cheers,

E.

 

[machineage]

Hi - thanks for the reply!

It seems this saw has been copied quite a bit - or is the Elektra Beckum a copy?

Found Metabo's replacement KGS301 - the Axminster QMS254I and I see the JET JMS-10S looks to be identical although I can't find anything in the UK about it...

Could I be cheeky and ask what you paid for yours

Thanks!

 

[Eric The Viking]

You can ask

I got a very good deal, but I'm fairly certain there are bargains to be had.

Do bear in mind two things though:

(1) the depth of cut is limited by the bulk of the induction motor (one reason it's a wide blade).

(2) the KGS 300 (and probably the 301 too) is NOT braked. Later ones were, and you can do an official braking add-on, but it's expensive. I'm looking at modifying mine (see thread here), but I've no guarantee that it will work (haven't experimented).

The above notwithstanding, I still like it.

 

[machineage]

LOL - Maybe I should have worded it differently

What would you say I should be paying for a KGS300 in fairly good condition - without the brake mod?

On that note - anyone here selling one?!

Thanks