Evolution scms's

[lastminute]

Seem good value for money..are the any good?...ie. the blades are ground to accommodate ferrous metals...

....how do they perform with wood etc?

Gerry

 

[Harbo]

I use one for rough cutting - they work ok.

Rod

 

[MikeJhn]

Society for Cinema and Media Studies
Serial Copy Management System
School of Communication and Management Studies, Kochi, India
Supply chain management software
Scott Creek Middle School, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Sliding compound miter saw, a compound miter saw with horizontal sliding arm
Supercomputer Management System
Saint Catherine's Moorlands school

Which one?

Mike

 

[MattRoberts]

They're cheap and cheerful. They'll cut wood, but don't expect the features you get when you buy an expensive saw: accuracy, repeatability, accurate stops for compound cuts etc. Also the blade won't leave a good finish on wood as it's designed to cut metal and wood, so you'd either need a new blade or you'd need to finish the cut using a shooting board or sanding

 

[lastminute]

Mikejhn................... Evolution scms on Google works!

 

[MikeJhn]

=D>

 

[Rorschach]

Mine works great for rough cutting lumber for outdoor projects for instance. With a replacement blade it does a better job. I have the basic chop saw, it was my first chop saw. I now only use it with the Evolution blade for rough work or metal work as I have a SCMS from another supplier.

 

[MusicMan]

Works pretty well for me, about 10 years now. I got a new blade last year and it did make a difference! I find that if I am careful in setting up the fence, the resulting cuts are consistently square. The laser is fairly useless (too inaccurate), and I didn't bother to fix it when it stopped working. I don't feel the need to upgrade.

 

[fezman]

I bought one of these (https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-ra ... 230v/26612 ) late last year, and the stand for it too. I've used it mainly for outdoor / garden projects and it has been excellent.

Now I'm starting to use it for more fine precision cuts and think it could be better. I spent a good hour last night fiddling and adjusting it so it was square in both V & H planes, not the best adjustment option for the vertical.

I have found the supplied blade accurate and provides clean cuts though ( i usually make a scoring cut, then cut through the rest of the piece. I leave cuts a little long and trim with a plane for really fine cuts though.
I would agreee with Musicman that the laser is useless too.

 

[moosepig]

I have the Fury 3 XL with the wood blade fitted and it gives excellent results. Unlike others I find the laser to be very accurate, maybe I was just lucky setting it up. The finish is excellent, although sacrificial wood (or pre-scoring with a knife) is sometimes needed to avoid tear out completely. I find that once set up to be square, it stays there. It's a big heavy beast though and in hindsight I didn't need that much cutting capacity. Also, like most mitre saws, the dust collection is laughable.

One thing to look out for is that all the Evolution mitre saws have imperial arbor sizes, which cuts down your choice of blades unless you can get a decent reducing bush.

 

[Roughcut]

I would say if you are looking for a scms that will cut metal and wood then the Evolution isn't a bad choice.
Although there's a couple of points to consider, one is the available blades. If you are looking for a high tooth count fine cut blade for wood cutting then choices are severely limited.
Also the blade spins at a much lower speed than other brand mitre saws (I believe it's around 2500 rpm).
This is fine for cutting through most things but for fine beading and trim pieces a blade spinning at a higher rpm can produce better results.

 

[MikeJhn]

I have the Fury 3 XL with the wood blade fitted and it gives excellent results. .

It just had to be said. :wink:

Mike

 

[moosepig]

I have the Fury 3 XL with the wood blade fitted and it gives excellent results. .

It just had to be said. :wink:

Mike

Ha ha ;-) Wood blade as opposed to the multipurpose and diamond blades, which I also have.

 

[TFrench]

Everyone knew what you meant, mike just can't help himself from being pedantic. :lol:
I'll echo whats already been said and say the evolution stuff is good for rough work but lacking if you want to do more precise work. We have the big 14" chopsaw at work for turning pallets into firewood, which its great at - doesn't matter if you hit any nails!

 

[Beau]

I picked up one for cutting steel. Tried it on some wood and the finish was pretty good. It's not the most precise saw made but good for the money IMO

I can cut some wood and take a picture of the finish if that would be of help. Got a nearly new blade after wrecking the first one cutting some threaded bar that put up some fuss. Forgot I had some HT threaded bar lying around haha

 

[Graham Orm]

Seem good value for money..are the any good?...ie. the blades are ground to accommodate ferrous metals...

....how do they perform with wood etc?

Gerry

The blades cut metal fine, be prepared for MAJOR vibration. It's shock when you're used to cutting wood. The same blade on wood works but leaves a rough cut. I've just bought a better blade for mine to use as a convenient little cut off saw. I bought it originally for a metal working job. I had to buy a separate spacing bush for the bore, (easily found on eBay). It now works fine and cuts well with a small amount of break-out at the exit side. A backer piece or zero clearance fence will cure that. . The angle settings are spot on, but the make quality isn't brilliant, so I imagine I'm one of the lucky ones.

 

[Simou1]

If you do go down the Evolution route then I would buy from either Amazon or Screwfix as both have excellent returns policies. I had three of the little Evolution R210’s CMS saws from Screwfix before I got one that was on the button.

Evolution quality seems to be a bit hit or miss but the R210 is a cracking saw and what it lacks in finesse is more than made up for in its usefulness. I bought one if their petrol engined compactors a few years back and it has been brilliant, starts first time and the Chinese cloned Honda engine has been more reliable than a pukka Honda on a water pump.

Evolution have an outlet store on EBay so it is always worth checking prices and availability.

 

[Roughcut]

If you do go down the Evolution route then I would buy from either Amazon or Screwfix as both have excellent returns policies. I had three of the little Evolution R210’s CMS saws from Screwfix before I got one that was on the button.

Evolution quality seems to be a bit hit or miss but the R210 is a cracking saw and what it lacks in finesse is more than made up for in its usefulness. I bought one if their petrol engined compactors a few years back and it has been brilliant, starts first time and the Chinese cloned Honda engine has been more reliable than a pukka Honda on a water pump.

Evolution have an outlet store on EBay so it is always worth checking prices and availability.

I too bought one of those little R210's earlier this year.
Purely for the convenience of leaving on the bench in the shed for occasional use without having to lug out the weighty and large footprint Evo 255mm sliding saw I have.
It's screamingly loud, but for the money it's a little gem.
On another note the Evolution mitre saw stand is also very good for the money.