Is a double bevel mitre saw worth the extra

[MitreKnown]

I'm tempted by the 255mm mitre saws by Evolution and the double bevel one costs about 35% extra. Is it worth the extra given can't you just turn your work piece around or over to get the mitre the other way? Also, I was thinking that the vertical position would be better defined in a single bevel version that would come up against an end stop when being positioned vertically. As it's a big outlay (for me) I don't want to regret not having got the extra feature if I find myself always needing it.

 

[clogs]

I bought the bigger DeWalt (305m)when they first came out.....would I ever sell it.....NEVER.....well, only to buy a machine with a bigger blade.....
basically it speeds the job up but depends on what you are doing.....
I found the fixed stops are very definate and accurate.....
spend ur money, it wont hurt after u'v used a few times.....

 

[Richard_C]

I got a Titan one about 12 years ago when I refitted my kitchen. Invaluable for all sorts - like Clogs I would only get rid of it for a bigger one.

I rarely use the flop over bevel feature but when you do it's a huge benefit - mitres on skirting boards that you can't just put on edge, mitres on the decorative bits that hang down from kitchen and bathroom cupboards to hide the lights (can't remember what they are called)....

So - any mitre saw is better than no mitre saw but if a double bevel is affordable, I would say go for it.

The Titan one was fine but it struggled with things like 3 inch oak - a new blade made it better than new. Not sure what the Evolution one comes with but worth checking that its a size that is readily available for when you need one. The 'sheds' like screwfix etc are great for tools, often poor for blades and suchlike. Not just diameter, bore.

They chuck out a lot of sawdust. I bolted mine to an old kitchen table that will just go through the side door of the garage. Before that I fixed it to some old 4 inch fence post that fitted between the jaws of a workmate. In summer I use it outdoors. In winter I use an ancient tesco vacuum cleaner attached to the dust port - it helps but isn't perfect. On mine the supposed dust-catching bag is ornamental rather than functional.

 

[MitreKnown]

I rarely use the flop over bevel feature but when you do it's a huge benefit

I'll definitely get a compound one that can rotate at least horizontally +/- 45 degrees and also vertical+45 degrees, but unsure if -45 is needed given the ease of moving the work piece to the other side. I guess it's when you have a piece that can't get flipped over or around that it comes in to its own. For example, perhaps pre-painted skirting board where you wouldn't want the face or the top of the skirting board (i.e. the painted bits) to come in to contact with the bed/table or fence. That feels like a rare occurrence though, but I don't have the experience to know better.

Any money spent here can't be spent on other toys of course

 

[Ollie78]

Yes.

 

[MikeH]

I have the evolution double bevel one. I bought it for a specific job, a whoe load of decking I have now installed. It came with two blades, multi material and wood. I have only used it on wood. Must say it is a great bit of kit, especially for what I bought it for, paid for itself a few times over in terms of time saved. I have only used it for that sort of "rough" job, i.e. decking, not used it for any finer work like skirting, but I think it would cope with it with no problems.

But back to your actual question, the double bevel comes into its own when you have got a 5.4m 39mm decking board into position for a mitre cut and realise you put it the wrong way around, saves turning it over, especially if you would have to turn it end over end. If you only work with shorter more manageable pieces then it is unlikely to be of that much use. But, if you can stretch to the extra it may be worth it.

Do note the saw is a fairly heavy bit of kit. I have a proper mitre saw stand with fold out legs etc., and it is great on that. Wouldn't want to use it on a flimsy top or on the ground though. So do consider what you will want to mount it on and remember the space needed for the sliding head.

 

[maitland.selwyn]

I know this does not answer your question, but if IIRC the Evolution saws run a little bit slower than most others. I believe it is to help them cut metal as well as wood? It may not be an issue, but I have found that even with a really good blade, the 255 won't give me the same finish as (for instance) my Kapex or Metabo. The other difference is the imperial arbor size.
As for the double bevel it IS nice to have but I have a couple of single bevel mitre saws and can usually find a workaround when using either of them.

 

[RichardG]

I’d second the slow running speed as a downside, my first mitre saw was an evolution and for the money its a fine saw but even with a good blade you can never get the finish of a saw running at nearly twice the speed. Mine was never total accurate either and I always had to check the blade and guide was at 90 degree if cutting something important. I still have the evolution and use it for chopping up firewood, pallets etc where there’s a disk of nails and for cutting metal so no worries at all about robustness. Kept me going for many years until I could afford to upgrade to a Bosch.

I‘d consider putting the double bevel money towards upgrading to a single bevel Metabo but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the Evolution.

 

[recipio]

I have a few mitre saws including the Evolution ( bought for cutting metal ) A saw with a 12" blade will have about a 4" clearance for vertical mitre cuts which covers 99% of my needs. If you want to cut beveled mitres you will have to use the gap in the fence, left of the blade. This means you can't fit a zero clearance wooden fence which I consider a vital safety feature for cutting smaller bits of wood. The Evolution feels cheap by comparison and the slower speed definitely gives an inferior cut. My advice would be to save for a proper 12" mitre saw.

 

[MitreKnown]

I have the baby Evolution mitre saw and have enjoyed using it. I have cut metal and swapping the blade to a diamond one cut bricks too. It's so cheap and light it is ideal to move around. For my carpentry projects I'd like something with more capacity. I have been impressed with the cut quality of the little Evolution, but haven't used anything better. It does have a bit of tearout(?) on the fence edge when cutting CLS, but making a slower cut helps.

Metabo sound good. The one shown below (KGS305M) is single bevel I believe. It has a 305 blade which runs at 3700rpm meaning the teeth run at 60m/s. The 255mm Evolution runs at 2500rpm and the smaller blade diameter makes the cutting speed slower still at about 34m/s.

It doesn't look like Metabo make a double bevel 254mm or 305mm mitre saw.

 

[MitreKnown]

There's a pretty cheap double bevel 305mm SIP mitre saw, perhaps too cheap?