Watch This Video Before You Buy The Evolution R255SMS | True Review After 5 Months This is a true review by someone who uses these tools on a daily basis. I won't be told what to say and will only give my honest feedback that will hopefully give you the information you need before buying the product. The mitre saw is great for the hobbyist or casual DIY'er. The accuracy is what you would expect for this price point. The benefit of the Evolution power tools is that you can cut multiple material types with the same blade. So if you are cutting a lot of pallets of recycled materials that may contain nails or metal fragments, you won't be destroying your blade when you do cut into one. I would highly recommend, if you are going to be cutting primarily wood, to buy a dedicated wooden cutting blade. This will give you a better overall cut compared to this multi-blade. Unfortunately, once you start cutting metal, it's very difficult to get good results with wood. So having the dedicated blades will greatly help any hair pulling that may come about. The dust collection of this machine is awful, even when connected to a dust vac. So make sure you wear your PPE when using this tool. ▸ Support on Patreon! - www.patreon.com/WHCreations ▸ My Website - www.whcreations.co.uk
Excellent review which was delivered with integrity and gave this naïve novice viewer a total heads up, thank you so much. Equally, I must acknowledge that it was refreshing to hear the manufacturer being genuinely concerned about their product quality rather than being defensive of its attributes only - so well done Evolution. Thanks to your input Will I have decided to buy the saw and feel for once I'm buying with my eyes wide open.
I have the later “+” model that miters both ways. I LOVE this saw! Many of WH’s comments are true to a fashion (for example spitting out chips), but I think he says them in a way that might lead you to believe there are better alternatives: really there aren’t. I did a lot of research before I bought mine. Sure, you could sell the house and buy a Festool, but I doubt the cuts are going to be any better. Note that the saw comes with plenty of adjustments where you can true out virtually any error and there are videos that show how to do that. So if you got the saw trued up, I doubt you are going to be able to tell the difference vs a much more expensive saw. And this one cuts metal which the others don’t. Also, I don’t believe there is a notable difference with the larger 14” evolution saw other than it will cut larger pieces and cut them faster. It uses the same blades (except different size). So if you need larger and faster cuts, it might be your ticket, but you give up miters. Also, absolutely clamp down your work if cutting metal, because metal won’t just chip away easily like wood. There is a video of a dumb dumb that tried to cut angle iron with this saw (or one of its siblings) and he even cut it the right way (by accident I think), but he flopped it down like a 2”x2” pine board and didn’t clamp it down and about killed himself when it caught and tipped the angle into the blade (which you can’t keep from doing with just your hands) and kicked back so hard I think he broke the saw. There are also videos which show you how best to cut different types of shapes. I have never had a problem because I respect the saw and use it properly (at least thus far! Murphy stay away!) The reason I love this saw is because it produces simply the most beautiful cuts, and in metal! Once you have done a project with this, you will never want to touch a reciprocating saw, band saw, or hack saw ever again. That said, all tools have limits. I would never use this or any other saw on parts that are smaller than the spacing between the teeth. WH use on rebar gave me pause, but since he is an experienced artisan, I’m sure he took the rebar with light pressure: you would not want to get a rod stuck between the teeth! So there are limits to what you should do with this machine, meaning there is still a place for the metal bandsaw in the shop. But Aluminum window frames, and particularly Super Strut are a joy (and wood too of course). Regarding wood, the default evolution blade arbor is 1”, but you can flip the mount washer or use an adapter washer from Evolution to use standard 5/8” arbor blades, to you have all of that available to you too. One I’m not saying the machine is perfect, as it does have flaws like all machines. It has too many nooks and cranes for chips to get into. Be prepared with a good vacuum and crevice tool and clean after each day or job. Might also have compressed air handy but on,y use that after you have vacuumed up all you can cause compressed air will drive dust and chips deeper into crevices. And safety is a must particularly with metal. I wear a face shield AND enclosing goggles because metal chips bounce everywhere (wood chips are like any other saw). They will also get down your shirt, i your shoes, etc. they are not usually hot (it’s a cold cutting saw), and I have never had them piece my skin, but they can sting a little. Since your mileage may vary, wear a suitable overgarment. Bottom line is that I love this saw and would definitely buy it again (get the stand for it as it’s quite good too). It’s not perfect but nothing is, and there is very little that you can’t trim out if it is off coming from the factory.
Ty for your comment. I was currently looking at the plus model and this video nearly put me off getting it. I am/was tempted to get the DeWalt 773 but I don't know if I'd use one of these enough to warrant spending an extra 80 quid on it.
Thank you for your opening statement. I am sick of all those reviews done by guys who receive a freebie from a manufacturer, play with it for half an hour and make a video acting like experts. Nobody should review products, especially power tools, before using them for a few months or better years.
I have owned this saw for 4 months now and love it. mine did vibrate at first but not after I bolted down to my workbench. Mainly used for cutting scaff boards without any problems even the bevels cuts are good. As for cutting steel - I use an angle grinder on a stand I rarely buy multi puporse tools.
Good review, just ordered mine and picking it up tomorrow! I can't see me ever wanting to cut steel with it, if I did it would be very rare. You haven't actually put me off as for the money it still seems like superb value. If you were buying a saw for metal work I would expect to be spending a LOT more than 150 quid!
I was just about to pull the trigger on one of these saws as a fencer working regularly with metal and timber. The section where you brought the wife in for a 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner comparison spoke to me! great review mate, thank you for your honesty!
Great review. The only good review for this saw. there are many reviews for this saw but none of them explained it as good as you. You've helped me decide that i need a metal cutting saw and a wood sliding miter saw as a separate machines. Big thanks!
I've just bought the saw and this review has cleared up a few problems I was having. I'm very new to woodworking and a complete novice, and of course I didn't read the manual! Thank you.
Just read all of your comments. I agree wholeheartedly, even the latest 18v saw, which I was told had been fixed isn't great. The saws are to a price point good for DIY use, which is what their target audience really is, whether they'll admit that or not. If you want an amazing all round saw with dust extraction, then spend the money on a decent one. Not to back up evolution, but dust collection is the one thing no company has been able to confidently remedy. I have cheap tools and I have expensive tools. None of them are really any good and I have record power twin cam vac 100mm hose! Evolution did speak to me as I said in the video, but that doesn't mean they would take my views on point. There are still lots of things I would want sorted, but sadly I won't be continuing with evolution, so I do hope that they remedy issues going forward. I hope that helps
Great review, Thanks. Time well spent listening ( I cannot say that very often) Particularly like the feedback response from Evolution; thats smart business, too often we are simply given lip service which is insulting. Looking forward to more. Thanks again.
Brother this is the absolute best tool review on a chop saw i have seen. You ticked all the boxes. Most reviews just show them cutting a bunch of stuff and then show the cut which shows nothing about accuracy or repeatability. Great job!
What a bloody fantastically good review!! Brilliant. Yep, I've got one in my 20FT shipping container workshop but I'm switching out my business so will be cutting a lot more aluminium angle in the future, hence the watch to see if the chop saw / multi-blade would be up to the job. Thank you for your effort put into this video and for your honesty. It's appreciated. A thumbs up and a subscribe from me.
Hi and thanks for this frank review of this product. As a very amateur woodworker I bought an Evolution draw saw with the same attributes that you described, it performed well on wood and other mentioned materials but the provided dust extraction facility was a disaster as the dust went everywhere except into the dust bag. When I investigated this with Evolution the answer was that the slow revolutions of the multi material saw were insufficient for efficient removal of the dust. Please can you cover this matter for those of us who need this facility.
Dust collection on any saw like this is a nightmare. I don't think evolution have been able to match other saws with dust collection, but it is an issue across the board
I found that the orange disk(multi purpose) is for amateurs. But using the black for woods and the blue for metals then the saw comes in another level.
Good balanced review and all the better for it being an actual review and not just an unboxing. Have been using the Evolution Rage 3 255mm saw for ~ 2 years now and have found much the same as you in terms of set up out of the box being *just* enough off to be annoying but surprisingly easy to fix. I tend to rely on an angle finder and other measuring tools to make sure the angles i'm setting are the ones I want rather than relying on the built in stops. A bit of sawdust in the wrong place or just slop (caused by heavy handed operators mostly) in the fixed stops means they can be out of true by enough to make a set of cuts for, say, a box, inacurate. The laser... well, mine seems brighter than yours and throws a clear line. Trouble is, it's never in the same place twice. The light is mounted in a little housing that bounces around and, as it's held in place with a couple of small screws, seems a bit flimsy. It's a guide, at best. Metal cutting. Other than a bit of ali or brass, we rarely cut metal on the Rage. The sparks... in a dusty woodshop? Nope. Outside with an angle grinder for metal work ;) Overall, a good saw. Ours doesn't owe us anything and, after two years, we'll probably replace it with another Evolution machine. In fact, I've just picked up one of the smaller bladed jobsite saws for use at home.
Hey thanks for getting in touch. It's great to hear others in a constructive way. Yes totally agree all of the metal which has been cut has been done outside or small cuts done only when no wood cutting has taken place. 😊
Please excuse my english. Thank you for you honest approach and for very competent remarks. You share with us a lot of very useful information. I think I found the root cause of this and i have a fix for it. It will not solve completely the issue with bevel but at least a big part of it. in addition this fix will improve overall accuracy and keep the setting for long time. If you put the finger close to the connection between the head and rails and push the head side you can feel the relative movement especially when the the saw is extended. The solution I found is to remove those automatic assembly pins with their plastic cases and put inside the rails a long M8 nut ground to fit in the 19mm inner diameter of the rail (which is a pipe) I use M8x30mm hex bolts with flat washer to make that connection stronger and rigid. You have to grind a small part of the orange cable support to fit aside the bolt head. Next fix to improve accuracy and stability of this saw is to order the black handle (Plus version) which is stronger and has a better connection with the back of the rails. Except the cable support those fixes are reversible (you can put back everything as originally it was). The first fix is the important one and it me cost half of an hour of work and 2 nuts, 2 bolts and 2 washers.
These saws are for the DIY folk not for professional workers., and I say that after 42 years of using and operating all manner of power saws. You are spot on about the hassle in getting the saw to cut accurately, I found myself on more than one occasion adjusting mitre cuts on a shooting board. For the kind of tolerances I work to this saw has been a real burden to work with, and the multi purpose blade didn't last long on laminate board, looking at £32 to replace it I got a much better wood blade and reducer ring a lot cheaper. As soon as you went to the depth stop I knew what you were going to say, had to use a pair of grips to tighten the lock nut on mine, and mine has a nasty sounding rattle on slowing down after releasing the trigger. I bought mine as an alternative to carting my Elektra Beckum kgs305 about weighing in at 29kg, which suprisingly was more accurate than my old Elu. Using the Evolution is a bit more long winded in set up and using this saw I now always do test cuts first, but even that is hit and miss when it comes to compound mitres because of the added torsion involved., the preset stops I find a bit vague because of slight flex or movement in the stop locator underneath. But on the bright side, cheap as chips and is probably the best saw for it's price range. Great to see proper tried and tested reviews, can't stand the unboxing vids
Great review. Thanks! One point about the issue with the accuracy of the angle of the blade at the beginning - those digital angle finders are only accurate to +/- 0.2 degrees. ie every time you take a measurement - even in the same place they will only be correct one time in 5. They vary by pretty much the amount you were finding in your measurements. So even a precise 45 degree angle will come up between 44.8 to 45.2 on the box.
Great review! I just bought one of these saws for some house refurbishment. I appreciate that it is not a "professional" grade tool, but I hope it will do a good job for the short time it takes me to complete the house project.
Great video, I read every comment. I will be buying this saw as I'm only a woodworking diy'er. If I needed to cut metal, I'd use an angle grinder. I wouldn't cut wood with a wood cutting blade on an angle grinder - terrifying. Agree totally with your summary, thanks.
Ordered the R185sms+ for £108 from Woodford tools as the smaller blade suits my needs. Now waiting on delivery like everyone else. Keep up the good work 👍
I really liked this review. Very honest and folk looking at this saw in the screwfix catalogue are going to know precisely what they're getting. I have the previous model (RAGE 3s) but have used this saw two. On Evolution saws in general I have never found one that's perfectly set-up out of the box. However it is fully adjustable and people should get used to setting tools up themselves from new and check for squareness regularly during use. The variance of angle over a 300mm cut seems the same on this saw as it is on mine. The clamp downs are better on this saw than previous, but not perfect - I use aftermarket clamps in general myself. Trenching cut 'nut' is the same and doesn't lock-off well (as you found) and you didn't mention that you need an auxiliary fence for the trenching cut but at least on your saw they give you bolt holes to fix it to the main fence. I had to drill mine. I wouldn't hesitate in buying evolution saws again (I've their table saw, a handheld saw and their new 216mm compound mitre saw) they offer good value and with practice you can get a surprisingly good result from them. The saw you reviewed is a tool for site work rather than for a joiner's bench but for many people the saw will be just fine in a home workshop. A couple of tips from me tho. Don't rely on the combination blade for everything. Get yourself the "Wood" blade if you're mostly woodworking and change the blade when changing between different materials. There is a mild-steel blade at 255mm available from evolution but if you're mostly cutting metal they have other saws in their range better suited than a general purpose machine. Learn to use scoring cuts across wide boards. Once scored the blade tends to follow scored line leading to an accurate cut. For accurate mitre and bevel cuts follow the same principle as when using hand tools, cut close to the line and plane to it. If you're making repeated cuts, use a shooting board to clean-up the ends. For me the big issue with almost all sliding mitre saws, including this one, is the distance you need behind the saw to allow the arm to slide. This makes use in a small workshop a challenge is the only reason why my Rage 3s is on its way to a new home in place of a much more COMPACT sliding mitre saw from another brand. If Evolution can come up with something with a comparable cutting capacity but without the massive footprint, and in-turn just make it a little more precise, then I'd be keeping mine.
Strawbyte, thanks for this info. Would you think this saw would be good for making four sided frames from angle aluminum for diy lighting fixtures? I just can't get good clean, square, 90degree cuts with a hacksaw or jigsaw with metal blade, haha). I want my pieces to fit together flush and square. Thanks.
Fantastic review. Honest and descriptive, listing good and bad points. Actually watched a couple of reviews before this and they were basically amateur adverts that described all the features of the saw without mentioning if they worked in real world situations. I've purchased this saw now based on this review and I'm waiting for it to be delivered. Only question would be is there a particular blade that you'd recommend for cutting wood on this rather than the multi purpose one that comes with it? Mostly skirting boards, laminate, MDF, but also the odd fence post.
Thanks for the kind words. I used Freud blades. I am yet to put one on this saw, but other mitre saws and table saws I have are fitted with Freud blades. If you are going for a "second fix" then I would suggest a blade with lots of teeth, 42 would be ideal. It will give a nice cut. I do believe though that you will have to buy bore washers so the blades will fit the evolution correctly.
Nice review mate. Maybe asking a bit kore from the saw than most? Stick a fine tooth saw and away you go for delicate wood work. Also use a wing nut for the trench cut stop.
Believe me, I took it to its death. It's a review I spent a lot of time on. I use this saw in my workshop now, it was replaced. I dont use it for nearly what I tested it out on, but it suits my needs, albeit not all the time.
I bought this saw last year, the laser is completely out of calibration and near impossible to get lined up, to the point where I gave up up on it. So far as the blade is concerned, I have only ever cut pine on it until this will when I need to cut some mild steel angle, 2cm x 2cm, something my Milwaukee Sawsall has no troubles with. The Rage blade had no hope, it blued the steel from the heat and just would not get through it. I would put pictures up if I could, on one try it even started to melt the steel from the heat. As far as I am concerned this is a mediocre wood saw at best and a totally useless mild steel saw. While I am sure if I put a new blade on, it might cut alright for a few cuts but at $50 plus dollars per blade when they last so little time it is just not worth it.
@@naimadahdouh8491 The saw itself is okay, it will cut aluminium easily but so would almost any wood saw. I have since put a Diablo Cermet Metal cutting blade on mine and now it works very well, just don't bother with the original blade for cutting steel as it will only last a few cuts before giving up.
Your Mrs stole the show.. where do I find her shampoo review vids??.... ;). (PS I have to say I have the R210SMS and found less of the faults you mention using it in a limited DIY capacity. But a sterling revue nonetheless and good info should any occur. I agree that Evolution do seem unique in power tool manufacturers in innovation quality and above all genuine customer care. I've used their products for 10 years and never been less than delighted apart from the Rage Table saw which is a bit below par). Luckily I live in Sheffield and a quick visit to the wonderfully helpful guys there sorted the problems same day.
Haha my wife seems to be well liked in the videos. Maybe I should just move over Haha. I'm not saying I dislike this saw, it's in the shed and is my main mitre saw now. But you cannot fault their customer service. I'm glad you enjoyed it 😉🤘
Awesome review. I learned to not buy combo machines after buying a lathe/mill combo machine. It did both jobs, but neither well. Have bought separate machines since. Perhaps there will be a true metal/wood saw in the future, but it’ll be hard to do on a budget. Needs to be really stout for steel. It would be a heavy saw!
As you personally spoke to the guys at Evolution do you know have they made the mods/improvements that you brought to their attention for 2019?In your opinion what make and model of mitre saw would you recommend that can do the same type of work this saw can do?
Nice review there mate.. I’ve got the first model of this saw and it does the job Ok if you are like myself and just build the odd thing here and there.. decking, benches etc. Its definitely handy to be able to Chuck the odd piece of metal on the saw when needed. As you said the accuracy isn’t great, and the motor placement on the single bevel model gets in the way. I’m happy with mine though as I’ve put a better blade on for cutting wood, as I really don’t cut metal that often, but regular checks for accuracy is essential.
Good review. It would have been helpful to offer more comparisons to other competing products though and some clearer recommendations about users who should and should not consider this saw (e.g. occasional DIYer, metalworking enthusiast, etc).
Hey, thanks. Its difficult to compare products that I've not used. I think that would have been good if I had a group of 5/10 saws from different makes and abilities.
Researching these at the moment. A good bashing review but also extremely informative. Beats an “and here I am unpacking it and testing review” straight from the box. Also a good point about Evolution chaps paying attention to your comments. Good old Sheffield folk will do something about this and nip out to China to change and QA it. The price is attractive isn’t it ? I’m not fitting out 300 houses on a new estate so I’m still thinking this could still be well worth buying. The blue and yellow ones are still being considered but bloody hell look at the prices. And of course Sheffield is not far away so Evolution customer service might just be a tincture spot on. As will screwfix if you are sensible and purchase it there.
I've found evolution to be great at answering any issues I've had and taking the time to talk through how to rectify them. For the price as you said, it's a great saw. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, all the best
Nice review and pretty much what I've experienced with mine. I bought mine for cutting steel mostly as I have a nice Makita for wood (there's no comparison). The vibration cutting steel is bloody hardcore and it violently sprays hot chips everywhere, but it gets the job done. The one thing I really like this for is cutting strips from plate for making things like brackets. The sliding compound feature is great for that. I also find cutting box section works nicely and achieves a good finish. One thing you didn't mention is the electronics that control the blade speed, and I think that works very well, with the saw adjusting the speed through the cut. This is the feature that makes their blades last vs bolting one to a regular chop saw, which I tried first (too fast, get's too hot and the blade dulls very quickly). Overall I just wish they had made it a bit more robust; it feels like it wants to shake itself to pieces and some of the parts are frankly garbage, like the hold-down clamps (as mentioned). I use an F clamp or quick-clamp to clamp the workpiece to the fence, which is much more sturdy, and safer. Mine has a quick-release button on the hold down and this has been flogged out through vibration and no longer "holds". And yes, the clamps foul at an angle on the left and very easily on the right of the blade as that's the side with the motor. As you point out it's a tricky evaluation...there are things that are great and some shocking let-downs. Hopefully they really are listening, because it could be an excellent saw with a little more engineering refinement. Good on you for sharing and fair assessment.
Hi there, great review and appreciate your honesty fella. what’s your thoughts on the Ryobi mitre saw, are they any good? I need to get myself a decent mitre saw soon.. I’m only a DIY’er. Any recommendations? 🙂
Hey bud. Never used the ryobi tools myself. I've always been a fan of dewalt, bosch mitre saws, but I think having using hikoki tools over the past year I would feel happy purchasing more of them. I think one similar to this is around £180/200?
Nice review and it takes into account that people don't use a tool 'just' for it's designed purpose and 'just' to it's designed parameters, let's be honest...which of us with budgets and limited space etc does? That being said, it appears to have taken a 'lickin' and kept on kickin'! ' Thanks for being 'genuine' with your usage and then giving us a no-holds barred review. If Evolution are working with the critiques you have given and implement them into what appears to be an already very capable machine, then I believe the next generation of Evolution saw could be a real do it all monster! I watching this space.....VERY CAREFULLY!!!👍Top work fella.
Love this saw and have used it extensively during my home renovation for various purposes, but I recently came across a significant issue when cutting skirting boards. When needing to stand the board up vertically against the fence to make a vertical 45 degree cut, there's metal protrusions slightly behind the blade that hit the top and the back of the skirting which prevents the blade being lowered any further for the cut than the max height of the board. To get around this is a faff, and doesn't help with accuracy when making a cut that needs to be mm perfect. A simple solution would've been if Evolution had made the blade sit an inch or so higher than it currently is.
I take it you're using something like 125mm skirting? If so do you mean it's hitting the arbour bolt, or the motor housing? I know what you mean though, it is a faff as you'll have to lay the skirt down on the bed to do the mitre, which is far from ideal
thank you for great review . probably the most valuble ive seen regarding this product. i plan buying it and now that im more aware to its limitations ill use it smartly.
Nice review. It would be great if this saw had multiple speeds for different materials. Did this saw hold its calibration after you squared it up or did you constantly have yo readjust it?
Hi James, unfortunately not. In the past I have had a range of cross cut saws and never had issues that I have had with this one. I have since only used this saw for "rougher" cuts and then move the the table saw to get the final desired finished cut.
How do you set the 90 deg position ( the decent of the orange pull out knob) the manual shows two Alan bolts on the back ,which on mine are massively tight , then Alan screws on the side next to an Alan boll with a locking nut. It’s not super obvious. When I put an engineers square against the blade it is definitely out.
There is a grub screw that hits a metal piece to stop the saw at 90°. If your saw is out of square, you'll have to adjust the grub screw to bring it back to 90°.
Very useful, thanks a lot. Just a question: the black hinge that connects the motor to the sliding bars, and the thing where the bars slide into, are cast iron? Or is it plastic? Thanks in advance 😊
I've been told Saxton blades are the best choice for this make. I would highly recommend not using Evolutions dedicated wood blades on this saw as they have the wrong grind. I was assured they were fine but had 2 incredibly scary catches using it which was fed back to them.
Hey, from my knowledge there is no adapter on the saw for other blades. I would suggest you would have to buy shims online. If I remember correctly they are pretty cheap
Really good review. As you say, it’s better to do a review once after you have been using the product. The point about cutting lap joints where the blade slowly moved further down was a good one but the point about the Shampoo and Conditioner (as made by your Very Beautiful Wife) was far better. 👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾
I got the rms255 double bevel and it cuts perfect 45 one way but not the other (not bevel) I’m guessing my alignment must be out 🤷🏼♂️ I’m going to check the stops tomorrow, Also my fencing - when tightened down - pushed any timber over 30mm depth outwards as it doesn’t sit flush with the bottom fence. VERY ANNOYING
i cut a lot of skirting makita's dewalt are great but they get stolen etc if you know what i mean what i am asking is' is this saw good enough for finish work great job by the way honest and to the point
Thanks for the excellent video. I have one of these and I've found it to be great for cutting large amounts of skirting board in a house renovation. I don't need to cut much metal but for ocassional DIY use it's great - really useful for cutting (thin walled) chrome plated curtain poles to length quickly and neatly. Much easier than trying to use a hacksaw and a vice. I found the blade to be decent quality for wood. I tried a dedicated Saxton wood cutting blade produced slightly better quality cuts (in wood) than the supplied blade. Also Aldi sell some incredibly cheap blades (less than £10) that work well too. You can buy cheap but effective adapter rings on eBay to allow other manufacturers' blades to fit the saw (to adjust the spindle diameter). It would be interesting to experiment with dedicated metal cutting blades (rather than the multi purpose blade that is supplied). I probably wouldn't use it - or any other electric mitre saw - for really small/fine/ very accurate cuts (prefer hand tools). Thanks again for the video. I've subscribed.
i bought one today and theres a burning smell plus after a cut the blade makes dinging noise does my nut in doesent cut straight might try another blade u get what u pay for
Bought one yesterday and had the same thing. I'm guessing the motor is just burning off any excess varnish from coils etc - it's fairly common. It stopped after a few cuts. As for the disc - yeah, it rings a bit - that shows it's made of strong metal.
Makes you wonder why you had to point out the many drawbacks with this saw to Evolution , what on earth were their R & D team doing ? I had similar experience with the very poor dust extraction design on their Circular Track Saw that spewed out sawdust absolutely everywhere desire being hooked up to 1200 w Henry. For some reason the evolution saw build is completely different to every other design on the market even Aldi’s ! Despite contacting Evolution I never received a response and due to that I suspect that due to their tools being built overseas and to a price point they have no control over design/ build flaws. I vowed I would never buy their products again
This is a great review and a refreshing one with open honesty. I will take it with a pinch of salt as you tested the range and feature beyond what the saw is made to do - as you pointed out. I wonder if these same issues were apparent when only cutting wood/thin metal/plastics etc....
Thanks buddy. To be honest when I watch a review, I want it to tell me how far I can push that product. This was what I was trying to achieve. The machine is not rated to cut 19mm rebar... but it did it, just like it did on other materials I used. That was all I was trying to show in the review. Many people won't use it for this sort of work, but its good to see. No good watching someone cut something which it'll cut anyways, im sure we have all tried to cut or do something with a tool its not rated to do! 😉
Ah ha ! Having just read the comments from the host of this site I noticed that dust extraction is obviously not highly regarded by the folks at Evolution. So it seems that despite professional feedback on how to improve their kit they just ignore it . This is a very poor altitude and if this video prevents even one potential buyer choosing Evolution tools then you have provided a good turn
Hi everyone. Have any of you checked if your saw's bed is completely flat? I have put straight edge across mine and found centre table to sit slightly proud to side supports. I found this fault immediately after taking it off the box. It's slightly better after removing stickers but still far from perfect. Did you encounter this issue with yours?
Hi Tom, I know the stickers really through the best off, such a silly design in my view. I will check the bed for you when I am next in the workshop. I know that it is fine for the kind of work I need it for however. If you find it is causing issue, you would be best contacting Evolution directly about it.
If you make a product you don't want to produce more than you can sell. Since products sell better when 'new' to the market and each market (countries in this regard) might receive the product with different levels of interest, it is a safer bet for a manufacturer to not introduce the product everywhere at once. Because if your product is unexpected popular, you cannot keep up with demand. If your product is unpopular and you have optimistically set up too much production capacity, you have lost money. This has always been done but with social media we just started noticing this to a greater extent.
Thx for the good and honest review. I am thinking of buying this, but i need to know whether : 1. Is the blade system compatible with other blades on the market or are you confined to evolution’s blades? 2. Can you buy purpose designed blades from evolution (eg blades specifically for and for metal) that will fit this machine? Or does the machine only take the multipurpose blades? Any help or assistance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance Keep up the good work!
Hi, I believe evolution produce a range of blades they will fit these saws that are for wood and metal respectively. You can buy other brands but you will have to use shims around the arbour. Hope this helps
They took the time to listen to me. Im not sure whether they did implement any of the changes. I suspect its not as easy to just change the design of their saw.
Hey, I dont think its accurate enough to be precision, even with a dedicated blade. There is too much movement from multiple points. I would say it's more a 1st fix saw
In your opinion what would be a good alternative from the more established brands in terms of quality and performance ( with the pricing not being in the forefront of decision making)
If I could buy a saw, money not being an issue, for the shop, i would have to go for the Bosch gcm 305mm. This is more for the fact it has a smaller footprint and can be pushed closer to the wall. But for this saw you are looking at around £650 and the quality will be much higher.
Just turn your head away when you cut steel mate to protect your eyes, chips landing on your hands and arms can be ignored :) Back of your neck though, thats borderline chucking a Benny:)
Great honest review and bought this saw because of it but I've gotten it home only to find the blade release doesn't lock back in place after returning the blade to the resting position... Its sat on the blade cover by about 3mm..... Any idea how to fix this? Any help appreciated 👍
hi phil, if you find me over on my facebook or website, you can send me some photos so i can see more whats happened. failing that, evolution have a great customer service team who i am sure could assist you better than I.
Excellent review. Your insights led me to cancel my order of the Evolution Rage 3-DB Double Bevel Multi-Purpose Sliding Mitre Saw. In particular, I had concerns about the accuracy.
Hi I also enjoyed the review but have to say it looks to me like the dust cover is on the laser. If this is correct removal of the dust cover gives a much clearer laser line. Cheers!
Now mate this has nothing to do with your saw. Do you think you could let me know where you get your epoxy for Live Edge Coffee Tables please thank you 🙏🏼
Nice, in-depth review. I'd like to know if the issues you found with this saw are only with this brand or are these inherent issues with all compound sliding mitre saws.
Good review man, appreciate and agree with your approach in giving a *real review after extended use of the product. This kinda made me not wanna get the saw... I just want this for diy stuff mostly, some angle aluminum and wood. Would you pick this over the RAGE 3? I've know this "new" model R255SMS was coming out for almost a year now (In Canada) and have been waiting. Now it's on sale for 50% off and I'm thinking it's worth it at that price unless it's complete garbage. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks again.
Yep I’ve had one of these saws. The saw blade for steel is pretty crap as you only about 10 cuts from the blade The lazer is just a gimmick In my opinion it’s just an average saw Will be switching to Bosch
Thank you. I dont think it was much of an issue on my first saw, but my second does have a noticable wobble. For the cuts I make however it doesnt serve much of an issue
@@WHCreations Do you know if this wobbling is by design or some kind of defect? I have tried to find out but has been unable to find also nobody has reported success in eliminating it. I am on the ropes about buying ths saw because of this.
I would love to say I'd have an answer for you but I dont. I would say its within normal limits, when I line up to cut it doesnt drift far if anything from what I want. I would say it would depend on what you're going to use it for. For cuts of multiple material, light use I would say go for it. If you're looking for something a bit more every day and heavy duty then I'd say invest in something a more suited to your needs
Watch This Video Before You Buy The Evolution R255SMS | True Review After 5 Months
This is a true review by someone who uses these tools on a daily basis. I won't be told what to say and will only give my honest feedback that will hopefully give you the information you need before buying the product.
The mitre saw is great for the hobbyist or casual DIY'er. The accuracy is what you would expect for this price point. The benefit of the Evolution power tools is that you can cut multiple material types with the same blade. So if you are cutting a lot of pallets of recycled materials that may contain nails or metal fragments, you won't be destroying your blade when you do cut into one.
I would highly recommend, if you are going to be cutting primarily wood, to buy a dedicated wooden cutting blade. This will give you a better overall cut compared to this multi-blade. Unfortunately, once you start cutting metal, it's very difficult to get good results with wood. So having the dedicated blades will greatly help any hair pulling that may come about.
The dust collection of this machine is awful, even when connected to a dust vac. So make sure you wear your PPE when using this tool.
▸ Support on Patreon! - www.patreon.com/WHCreations
▸ My Website - www.whcreations.co.uk
Excellent review which was delivered with integrity and gave this naïve novice viewer a total heads up, thank you so much. Equally, I must acknowledge that it was refreshing to hear the manufacturer being genuinely concerned about their product quality rather than being defensive of its attributes only - so well done Evolution. Thanks to your input Will I have decided to buy the saw and feel for once I'm buying with my eyes wide open.
I have the later “+” model that miters both ways. I LOVE this saw! Many of WH’s comments are true to a fashion (for example spitting out chips), but I think he says them in a way that might lead you to believe there are better alternatives: really there aren’t. I did a lot of research before I bought mine. Sure, you could sell the house and buy a Festool, but I doubt the cuts are going to be any better. Note that the saw comes with plenty of adjustments where you can true out virtually any error and there are videos that show how to do that. So if you got the saw trued up, I doubt you are going to be able to tell the difference vs a much more expensive saw. And this one cuts metal which the others don’t. Also, I don’t believe there is a notable difference with the larger 14” evolution saw other than it will cut larger pieces and cut them faster. It uses the same blades (except different size). So if you need larger and faster cuts, it might be your ticket, but you give up miters. Also, absolutely clamp down your work if cutting metal, because metal won’t just chip away easily like wood. There is a video of a dumb dumb that tried to cut angle iron with this saw (or one of its siblings) and he even cut it the right way (by accident I think), but he flopped it down like a 2”x2” pine board and didn’t clamp it down and about killed himself when it caught and tipped the angle into the blade (which you can’t keep from doing with just your hands) and kicked back so hard I think he broke the saw. There are also videos which show you how best to cut different types of shapes. I have never had a problem because I respect the saw and use it properly (at least thus far! Murphy stay away!) The reason I love this saw is because it produces simply the most beautiful cuts, and in metal! Once you have done a project with this, you will never want to touch a reciprocating saw, band saw, or hack saw ever again. That said, all tools have limits. I would never use this or any other saw on parts that are smaller than the spacing between the teeth. WH use on rebar gave me pause, but since he is an experienced artisan, I’m sure he took the rebar with light pressure: you would not want to get a rod stuck between the teeth! So there are limits to what you should do with this machine, meaning there is still a place for the metal bandsaw in the shop. But Aluminum window frames, and particularly Super Strut are a joy (and wood too of course). Regarding wood, the default evolution blade arbor is 1”, but you can flip the mount washer or use an adapter washer from Evolution to use standard 5/8” arbor blades, to you have all of that available to you too. One I’m not saying the machine is perfect, as it does have flaws like all machines. It has too many nooks and cranes for chips to get into. Be prepared with a good vacuum and crevice tool and clean after each day or job. Might also have compressed air handy but on,y use that after you have vacuumed up all you can cause compressed air will drive dust and chips deeper into crevices. And safety is a must particularly with metal. I wear a face shield AND enclosing goggles because metal chips bounce everywhere (wood chips are like any other saw). They will also get down your shirt, i your shoes, etc. they are not usually hot (it’s a cold cutting saw), and I have never had them piece my skin, but they can sting a little. Since your mileage may vary, wear a suitable overgarment. Bottom line is that I love this saw and would definitely buy it again (get the stand for it as it’s quite good too). It’s not perfect but nothing is, and there is very little that you can’t trim out if it is off coming from the factory.
I learned more about the mitre saw reading your comment and tips than I did from WH video about it.
Ty for your comment. I was currently looking at the plus model and this video nearly put me off getting it. I am/was tempted to get the DeWalt 773 but I don't know if I'd use one of these enough to warrant spending an extra 80 quid on it.
Thank you for your opening statement. I am sick of all those reviews done by guys who receive a freebie from a manufacturer, play with it for half an hour and make a video acting like experts. Nobody should review products, especially power tools, before using them for a few months or better years.
Thanks for your comment. Couldn't agree more. There will be more coming soon.
Mate, you are a legend. I wish all reviews online were like yours. Clear, concise and no stuffing around. Awesome!
Thanks buddy. More to come
I have owned this saw for 4 months now and love it. mine did vibrate at first but not after I bolted down to my workbench. Mainly used for cutting scaff boards without any problems even the bevels cuts are good. As for cutting steel - I use an angle grinder on a stand I rarely buy multi puporse tools.
Really helpful, honest review. Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Good review, just ordered mine and picking it up tomorrow! I can't see me ever wanting to cut steel with it, if I did it would be very rare. You haven't actually put me off as for the money it still seems like superb value. If you were buying a saw for metal work I would expect to be spending a LOT more than 150 quid!
I was just about to pull the trigger on one of these saws as a fencer working regularly with metal and timber. The section where you brought the wife in for a 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner comparison spoke to me! great review mate, thank you for your honesty!
Haha good stuff mate. Glad it's helped
Thanks for posting this, I looked at the original post but this one has changed my mind for buying this particular model.
No problem Brian. Glad it helped
You did a really good job on this review, thank you for being fair and honest. I subscribed because of this
Ah thanks tony, very kind of you to say.
@@WHCreations same here, sub coz a proper honest review. Thank you!
Great review. The only good review for this saw.
there are many reviews for this saw but none of them explained it as good as you.
You've helped me decide that i need a metal cutting saw and a wood sliding miter saw as a separate machines.
Big thanks!
Thank you. Very kind of you to say.
I've just bought the saw and this review has cleared up a few problems I was having. I'm very new to woodworking and a complete novice, and of course I didn't read the manual! Thank you.
Good blues you, very good review and honest which is very rare this days
Thank you Nick very kind of you
Hey, good review buddy. You give very good information and I think both the consumer and manufacture appreciates that.
Thanks mate, truly appreciate it!
I've not used an Evolution saw but I like your review process.
Thanks Andy. I was pleased how it went
Excellent, honest and informative review.
Well done for your simple explanation
Just read all of your comments. I agree wholeheartedly, even the latest 18v saw, which I was told had been fixed isn't great. The saws are to a price point good for DIY use, which is what their target audience really is, whether they'll admit that or not. If you want an amazing all round saw with dust extraction, then spend the money on a decent one. Not to back up evolution, but dust collection is the one thing no company has been able to confidently remedy. I have cheap tools and I have expensive tools. None of them are really any good and I have record power twin cam vac 100mm hose! Evolution did speak to me as I said in the video, but that doesn't mean they would take my views on point. There are still lots of things I would want sorted, but sadly I won't be continuing with evolution, so I do hope that they remedy issues going forward. I hope that helps
Great review, Thanks. Time well spent listening ( I cannot say that very often) Particularly like the feedback response from Evolution; thats smart business, too often we are simply given lip service which is insulting.
Looking forward to more. Thanks again.
Thanks Bob, very kind of you to say
Brother this is the absolute best tool review on a chop saw i have seen. You ticked all the boxes. Most reviews just show them cutting a bunch of stuff and then show the cut which shows nothing about accuracy or repeatability. Great job!
hey bud, thank you for the nice words. I cannot watch those sort of reviews so knew it had to be something a little bit different!
What a bloody fantastically good review!! Brilliant. Yep, I've got one in my 20FT shipping container workshop but I'm switching out my business so will be cutting a lot more aluminium angle in the future, hence the watch to see if the chop saw / multi-blade would be up to the job. Thank you for your effort put into this video and for your honesty. It's appreciated. A thumbs up and a subscribe from me.
Thanks buddy, glad it helped
Hi and thanks for this frank review of this product. As a very amateur woodworker I bought an Evolution draw saw with the same attributes that you described, it performed well on wood and other mentioned materials but the provided dust extraction facility was a disaster as the dust went everywhere except into the dust bag. When I investigated this with Evolution the answer was that the slow revolutions of the multi material saw were insufficient for efficient removal of the dust. Please can you cover this matter for those of us who need this facility.
Dust collection on any saw like this is a nightmare. I don't think evolution have been able to match other saws with dust collection, but it is an issue across the board
I found that the orange disk(multi purpose) is for amateurs. But using the black for woods and the blue for metals then the saw comes in another level.
Good tip thanks
Good balanced review and all the better for it being an actual review and not just an unboxing.
Have been using the Evolution Rage 3 255mm saw for ~ 2 years now and have found much the same as you in terms of set up out of the box being *just* enough off to be annoying but surprisingly easy to fix. I tend to rely on an angle finder and other measuring tools to make sure the angles i'm setting are the ones I want rather than relying on the built in stops. A bit of sawdust in the wrong place or just slop (caused by heavy handed operators mostly) in the fixed stops means they can be out of true by enough to make a set of cuts for, say, a box, inacurate.
The laser... well, mine seems brighter than yours and throws a clear line. Trouble is, it's never in the same place twice. The light is mounted in a little housing that bounces around and, as it's held in place with a couple of small screws, seems a bit flimsy. It's a guide, at best.
Metal cutting. Other than a bit of ali or brass, we rarely cut metal on the Rage. The sparks... in a dusty woodshop? Nope. Outside with an angle grinder for metal work ;)
Overall, a good saw. Ours doesn't owe us anything and, after two years, we'll probably replace it with another Evolution machine. In fact, I've just picked up one of the smaller bladed jobsite saws for use at home.
Hey thanks for getting in touch. It's great to hear others in a constructive way. Yes totally agree all of the metal which has been cut has been done outside or small cuts done only when no wood cutting has taken place. 😊
Please excuse my english.
Thank you for you honest approach and for very competent remarks. You share with us a lot of very useful information.
I think I found the root cause of this and i have a fix for it. It will not solve completely the issue with bevel but at least a big part of it. in addition this fix will improve overall accuracy and keep the setting for long time.
If you put the finger close to the connection between the head and rails and push the head side you can feel the relative movement especially when the the saw is extended.
The solution I found is to remove those automatic assembly pins with their plastic cases and put inside the rails a long M8 nut ground to fit in the 19mm inner diameter of the rail (which is a pipe)
I use M8x30mm hex bolts with flat washer to make that connection stronger and rigid. You have to grind a small part of the orange cable support to fit aside the bolt head.
Next fix to improve accuracy and stability of this saw is to order the black handle (Plus version) which is stronger and has a better connection with the back of the rails.
Except the cable support those fixes are reversible (you can put back everything as originally it was).
The first fix is the important one and it me cost half of an hour of work and 2 nuts, 2 bolts and 2 washers.
These saws are for the DIY folk not for professional workers., and I say that after 42 years of using and operating all manner of power saws. You are spot on about the hassle in getting the saw to cut accurately, I found myself on more than one occasion adjusting mitre cuts on a shooting board. For the kind of tolerances I work to this saw has been a real burden to work with, and the multi purpose blade didn't last long on laminate board, looking at £32 to replace it I got a much better wood blade and reducer ring a lot cheaper. As soon as you went to the depth stop I knew what you were going to say, had to use a pair of grips to tighten the lock nut on mine, and mine has a nasty sounding rattle on slowing down after releasing the trigger. I bought mine as an alternative to carting my Elektra Beckum kgs305 about weighing in at 29kg, which suprisingly was more accurate than my old Elu. Using the Evolution is a bit more long winded in set up and using this saw I now always do test cuts first, but even that is hit and miss when it comes to compound mitres because of the added torsion involved., the preset stops I find a bit vague because of slight flex or movement in the stop locator underneath. But on the bright side, cheap as chips and is probably the best saw for it's price range. Great to see proper tried and tested reviews, can't stand the unboxing vids
Thanks buddy, cannot get over how ridiculous "out of box" reviews are! What good is it at it's suspected "best"
Great review. Thanks!
One point about the issue with the accuracy of the angle of the blade at the beginning - those digital angle finders are only accurate to +/- 0.2 degrees. ie every time you take a measurement - even in the same place they will only be correct one time in 5. They vary by pretty much the amount you were finding in your measurements. So even a precise 45 degree angle will come up between 44.8 to 45.2 on the box.
Hey, thanks for getting in touch. I also used an engineer square to test. The angle finder was merely for the video to show better what I meant.
Great review! I just bought one of these saws for some house refurbishment. I appreciate that it is not a "professional" grade tool, but I hope it will do a good job for the short time it takes me to complete the house project.
I'm sure it will buddy, good luck with it!
Great video, I read every comment. I will be buying this saw as I'm only a woodworking diy'er. If I needed to cut metal, I'd use an angle grinder. I wouldn't cut wood with a wood cutting blade on an angle grinder - terrifying. Agree totally with your summary, thanks.
Good stuff buddy. Use code WHCREATIONS5 if you do end up buying one. 👍🔥
Ordered the R185sms+ for £108 from Woodford tools as the smaller blade suits my needs. Now waiting on delivery like everyone else. Keep up the good work 👍
Thanks buddy
I'll give you a sub for such a good, honest and thorough review. Thanks.
Ah thanks bud, appreciate it
if only all reviews were this good!
Thanks Brendan!
finally an honest review! Cheers!
Excellent review! Thank you!
I really liked this review. Very honest and folk looking at this saw in the screwfix catalogue are going to know precisely what they're getting. I have the previous model (RAGE 3s) but have used this saw two.
On Evolution saws in general I have never found one that's perfectly set-up out of the box. However it is fully adjustable and people should get used to setting tools up themselves from new and check for squareness regularly during use. The variance of angle over a 300mm cut seems the same on this saw as it is on mine. The clamp downs are better on this saw than previous, but not perfect - I use aftermarket clamps in general myself. Trenching cut 'nut' is the same and doesn't lock-off well (as you found) and you didn't mention that you need an auxiliary fence for the trenching cut but at least on your saw they give you bolt holes to fix it to the main fence. I had to drill mine.
I wouldn't hesitate in buying evolution saws again (I've their table saw, a handheld saw and their new 216mm compound mitre saw) they offer good value and with practice you can get a surprisingly good result from them. The saw you reviewed is a tool for site work rather than for a joiner's bench but for many people the saw will be just fine in a home workshop. A couple of tips from me tho.
Don't rely on the combination blade for everything. Get yourself the "Wood" blade if you're mostly woodworking and change the blade when changing between different materials. There is a mild-steel blade at 255mm available from evolution but if you're mostly cutting metal they have other saws in their range better suited than a general purpose machine. Learn to use scoring cuts across wide boards. Once scored the blade tends to follow scored line leading to an accurate cut. For accurate mitre and bevel cuts follow the same principle as when using hand tools, cut close to the line and plane to it. If you're making repeated cuts, use a shooting board to clean-up the ends.
For me the big issue with almost all sliding mitre saws, including this one, is the distance you need behind the saw to allow the arm to slide. This makes use in a small workshop a challenge is the only reason why my Rage 3s is on its way to a new home in place of a much more COMPACT sliding mitre saw from another brand. If Evolution can come up with something with a comparable cutting capacity but without the massive footprint, and in-turn just make it a little more precise, then I'd be keeping mine.
This is great 😊
Strawbyte, thanks for this info.
Would you think this saw would be good for making four sided frames from angle aluminum for diy lighting fixtures? I just can't get good clean, square, 90degree cuts with a hacksaw or jigsaw with metal blade, haha). I want my pieces to fit together flush and square.
Thanks.
I still dont believe there is enough accuracy in this saw for perfect 90° cuts. But for the price it still beats doing it by hand
Fantastic review. Honest and descriptive, listing good and bad points. Actually watched a couple of reviews before this and they were basically amateur adverts that described all the features of the saw without mentioning if they worked in real world situations.
I've purchased this saw now based on this review and I'm waiting for it to be delivered. Only question would be is there a particular blade that you'd recommend for cutting wood on this rather than the multi purpose one that comes with it? Mostly skirting boards, laminate, MDF, but also the odd fence post.
Thanks for the kind words. I used Freud blades. I am yet to put one on this saw, but other mitre saws and table saws I have are fitted with Freud blades. If you are going for a "second fix" then I would suggest a blade with lots of teeth, 42 would be ideal. It will give a nice cut. I do believe though that you will have to buy bore washers so the blades will fit the evolution correctly.
Great honest review. Thanks for sharing
Thanks bud
Thanks mate great in depth review!
The Comparison killed me. Expert tool advice from your wife right there.
Nice review mate. Maybe asking a bit kore from the saw than most? Stick a fine tooth saw and away you go for delicate wood work. Also use a wing nut for the trench cut stop.
Believe me, I took it to its death. It's a review I spent a lot of time on. I use this saw in my workshop now, it was replaced. I dont use it for nearly what I tested it out on, but it suits my needs, albeit not all the time.
Thanks for the review mate, looks like I'll be saving a bit longer and buying something decent.
Glad it helped buddy
Thx for your review man. Grazie.
I bought this saw last year, the laser is completely out of calibration and near impossible to get lined up, to the point where I gave up up on it. So far as the blade is concerned, I have only ever cut pine on it until this will when I need to cut some mild steel angle, 2cm x 2cm, something my Milwaukee Sawsall has no troubles with. The Rage blade had no hope, it blued the steel from the heat and just would not get through it. I would put pictures up if I could, on one try it even started to melt the steel from the heat. As far as I am concerned this is a mediocre wood saw at best and a totally useless mild steel saw. While I am sure if I put a new blade on, it might cut alright for a few cuts but at $50 plus dollars per blade when they last so little time it is just not worth it.
Hi..am work with aluminium advice me buy it or don't
@@naimadahdouh8491 The saw itself is okay, it will cut aluminium easily but so would almost any wood saw. I have since put a Diablo Cermet Metal cutting blade on mine and now it works very well, just don't bother with the original blade for cutting steel as it will only last a few cuts before giving up.
Your Mrs stole the show.. where do I find her shampoo review vids??.... ;). (PS I have to say I have the R210SMS and found less of the faults you mention using it in a limited DIY capacity. But a sterling revue nonetheless and good info should any occur. I agree that Evolution do seem unique in power tool manufacturers in innovation quality and above all genuine customer care. I've used their products for 10 years and never been less than delighted apart from the Rage Table saw which is a bit below par). Luckily I live in Sheffield and a quick visit to the wonderfully helpful guys there sorted the problems same day.
Haha my wife seems to be well liked in the videos. Maybe I should just move over Haha. I'm not saying I dislike this saw, it's in the shed and is my main mitre saw now. But you cannot fault their customer service. I'm glad you enjoyed it 😉🤘
Awesome review. I learned to not buy combo machines after buying a lathe/mill combo machine. It did both jobs, but neither well. Have bought separate machines since. Perhaps there will be a true metal/wood saw in the future, but it’ll be hard to do on a budget. Needs to be really stout for steel. It would be a heavy saw!
Yes definitely.
As you personally spoke to the guys at Evolution do you know have they made the mods/improvements that you brought to their attention for 2019?In your opinion what make and model of mitre saw would you recommend that can do the same type of work this saw can do?
Nice review there mate.. I’ve got the first model of this saw and it does the job Ok if you are like myself and just build the odd thing here and there.. decking, benches etc.
Its definitely handy to be able to Chuck the odd piece of metal on the saw when needed. As you said the accuracy isn’t great, and the motor placement on the single bevel model gets in the way.
I’m happy with mine though as I’ve put a better blade on for cutting wood, as I really don’t cut metal that often, but regular checks for accuracy is essential.
Hey Mr B. Thanks for getting in touch. I agree as a quick cut once in a while metal saw it would be great. 😊
Good review. It would have been helpful to offer more comparisons to other competing products though and some clearer recommendations about users who should and should not consider this saw (e.g. occasional DIYer, metalworking enthusiast, etc).
Hey, thanks. Its difficult to compare products that I've not used. I think that would have been good if I had a group of 5/10 saws from different makes and abilities.
Thanks, it is a really great review.
Cracking review!!! Keep up the good work
Thanks dave
Awesome review. Thanks!
Thanks bud. Glad it was useful
Researching these at the moment. A good bashing review but also extremely informative. Beats an “and here I am unpacking it and testing review” straight from the box. Also a good point about Evolution chaps paying attention to your comments. Good old Sheffield folk will do something about this and nip out to China to change and QA it. The price is attractive isn’t it ? I’m not fitting out 300 houses on a new estate so I’m still thinking this could still be well worth buying. The blue and yellow ones are still being considered but bloody hell look at the prices. And of course Sheffield is not far away so Evolution customer service might just be a tincture spot on. As will screwfix if you are sensible and purchase it there.
I've found evolution to be great at answering any issues I've had and taking the time to talk through how to rectify them. For the price as you said, it's a great saw. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, all the best
Nice review and pretty much what I've experienced with mine. I bought mine for cutting steel mostly as I have a nice Makita for wood (there's no comparison). The vibration cutting steel is bloody hardcore and it violently sprays hot chips everywhere, but it gets the job done. The one thing I really like this for is cutting strips from plate for making things like brackets. The sliding compound feature is great for that. I also find cutting box section works nicely and achieves a good finish. One thing you didn't mention is the electronics that control the blade speed, and I think that works very well, with the saw adjusting the speed through the cut. This is the feature that makes their blades last vs bolting one to a regular chop saw, which I tried first (too fast, get's too hot and the blade dulls very quickly). Overall I just wish they had made it a bit more robust; it feels like it wants to shake itself to pieces and some of the parts are frankly garbage, like the hold-down clamps (as mentioned). I use an F clamp or quick-clamp to clamp the workpiece to the fence, which is much more sturdy, and safer. Mine has a quick-release button on the hold down and this has been flogged out through vibration and no longer "holds". And yes, the clamps foul at an angle on the left and very easily on the right of the blade as that's the side with the motor. As you point out it's a tricky evaluation...there are things that are great and some shocking let-downs. Hopefully they really are listening, because it could be an excellent saw with a little more engineering refinement. Good on you for sharing and fair assessment.
Thank you, some great points there!
Hi there, great review and appreciate your honesty fella. what’s your thoughts on the Ryobi mitre saw, are they any good? I need to get myself a decent mitre saw soon.. I’m only a DIY’er. Any recommendations? 🙂
Hey bud. Never used the ryobi tools myself. I've always been a fan of dewalt, bosch mitre saws, but I think having using hikoki tools over the past year I would feel happy purchasing more of them. I think one similar to this is around £180/200?
Nice review and it takes into account that people don't use a tool 'just' for it's designed purpose and 'just' to it's designed parameters, let's be honest...which of us with budgets and limited space etc does? That being said, it appears to have taken a 'lickin' and kept on kickin'! ' Thanks for being 'genuine' with your usage and then giving us a no-holds barred review. If Evolution are working with the critiques you have given and implement them into what appears to be an already very capable machine, then I believe the next generation of Evolution saw could be a real do it all monster! I watching this space.....VERY CAREFULLY!!!👍Top work fella.
Thanks buddy really nice of you to say so
Love this saw and have used it extensively during my home renovation for various purposes, but I recently came across a significant issue when cutting skirting boards.
When needing to stand the board up vertically against the fence to make a vertical 45 degree cut, there's metal protrusions slightly behind the blade that hit the top and the back of the skirting which prevents the blade being lowered any further for the cut than the max height of the board. To get around this is a faff, and doesn't help with accuracy when making a cut that needs to be mm perfect. A simple solution would've been if Evolution had made the blade sit an inch or so higher than it currently is.
I take it you're using something like 125mm skirting? If so do you mean it's hitting the arbour bolt, or the motor housing? I know what you mean though, it is a faff as you'll have to lay the skirt down on the bed to do the mitre, which is far from ideal
thank you for great review . probably the most valuble ive seen regarding this product. i plan buying it and now that im more aware to its limitations ill use it smartly.
Great, glad it helped 👍
Thanks for posting this.
Great review, but just wanted to confirm, would you recommend this saw for your every day wood cutting like flooring, skirting, etc?
Put a dedicated blade on then yes it would do that no issues
You did not mention anything to do with dust extraction
Nice review. It would be great if this saw had multiple speeds for different materials. Did this saw hold its calibration after you squared it up or did you constantly have yo readjust it?
Once you set the stops on the machine it can be easily set up for repeatable use. Now its set the way it should be im able to get good cuts from it
great review ! Subscribed !
Have you not got a top end mitre saw to prove the Wixey holds 45 degrees across the entire travel? Would be nice to know.
Hi James, unfortunately not. In the past I have had a range of cross cut saws and never had issues that I have had with this one. I have since only used this saw for "rougher" cuts and then move the the table saw to get the final desired finished cut.
How do you set the 90 deg position ( the decent of the orange pull out knob) the manual shows two Alan bolts on the back ,which on mine are massively tight , then Alan screws on the side next to an Alan boll with a locking nut.
It’s not super obvious.
When I put an engineers square against the blade it is definitely out.
There is a grub screw that hits a metal piece to stop the saw at 90°. If your saw is out of square, you'll have to adjust the grub screw to bring it back to 90°.
Very useful, thanks a lot. Just a question: the black hinge that connects the motor to the sliding bars, and the thing where the bars slide into, are cast iron? Or is it plastic?
Thanks in advance 😊
hmm I will have to check this out next time i am in the shop and get back to you
@@WHCreations No worries, I've already bought it 😅
Haha no worries bud. Hope you enjoy it
How much better would dedicated blades work with this saw?
I've been told Saxton blades are the best choice for this make. I would highly recommend not using Evolutions dedicated wood blades on this saw as they have the wrong grind. I was assured they were fine but had 2 incredibly scary catches using it which was fed back to them.
@@WHCreations thanks for the information 👍
I thought this saw (maybe the RAGE3) came with an arbour adapter for using standard blades from other brands with say a 5/8" arbour hole...doesn't it?
Hey, from my knowledge there is no adapter on the saw for other blades. I would suggest you would have to buy shims online. If I remember correctly they are pretty cheap
@@WHCreationsI bought a Saxton blade from Amazon.uk with a suitable arbour
Really good review. As you say, it’s better to do a review once after you have been using the product.
The point about cutting lap joints where the blade slowly moved further down was a good one but the point about the Shampoo and Conditioner (as made by your Very Beautiful Wife) was far better. 👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾
she comes in handy every now and then
I got the rms255 double bevel and it cuts perfect 45 one way but not the other (not bevel) I’m guessing my alignment must be out 🤷🏼♂️
I’m going to check the stops tomorrow,
Also my fencing - when tightened down - pushed any timber over 30mm depth outwards as it doesn’t sit flush with the bottom fence.
VERY ANNOYING
Sorry to hear that mate. Do make sure to let evolution know whats happening!
i cut a lot of skirting makita's dewalt are great but they get stolen etc if you know what i mean what i am asking is' is this saw good enough for finish work great job by the way honest and to the point
Sorry to hear that bud. I would say this is more for a first fix rather than second.
Thanks for the excellent video. I have one of these and I've found it to be great for cutting large amounts of skirting board in a house renovation. I don't need to cut much metal but for ocassional DIY use it's great - really useful for cutting (thin walled) chrome plated curtain poles to length quickly and neatly. Much easier than trying to use a hacksaw and a vice. I found the blade to be decent quality for wood. I tried a dedicated Saxton wood cutting blade produced slightly better quality cuts (in wood) than the supplied blade. Also Aldi sell some incredibly cheap blades (less than £10) that work well too. You can buy cheap but effective adapter rings on eBay to allow other manufacturers' blades to fit the saw (to adjust the spindle diameter). It would be interesting to experiment with dedicated metal cutting blades (rather than the multi purpose blade that is supplied). I probably wouldn't use it - or any other electric mitre saw - for really small/fine/ very accurate cuts (prefer hand tools). Thanks again for the video. I've subscribed.
Thanks buddy, great points
i bought one today and theres a burning smell plus after a cut the blade makes dinging noise does my nut in doesent cut straight might try another blade u get what u pay for
Bought one yesterday and had the same thing. I'm guessing the motor is just burning off any excess varnish from coils etc - it's fairly common. It stopped after a few cuts. As for the disc - yeah, it rings a bit - that shows it's made of strong metal.
Makes you wonder why you had to point out the many drawbacks with this saw to Evolution , what on earth were their R & D team doing ?
I had similar experience with the very poor dust extraction design on their Circular Track Saw that spewed out sawdust absolutely everywhere desire being hooked up to 1200 w Henry. For some reason the evolution saw build is completely different to every other design on the market even Aldi’s !
Despite contacting Evolution I never received a response and due to that I suspect that due to their tools being built overseas and to a price point they have no control over design/ build flaws. I vowed I would never buy their products again
This is a great review and a refreshing one with open honesty. I will take it with a pinch of salt as you tested the range and feature beyond what the saw is made to do - as you pointed out. I wonder if these same issues were apparent when only cutting wood/thin metal/plastics etc....
Thanks buddy. To be honest when I watch a review, I want it to tell me how far I can push that product. This was what I was trying to achieve. The machine is not rated to cut 19mm rebar... but it did it, just like it did on other materials I used. That was all I was trying to show in the review. Many people won't use it for this sort of work, but its good to see. No good watching someone cut something which it'll cut anyways, im sure we have all tried to cut or do something with a tool its not rated to do! 😉
Ah ha !
Having just read the comments from the host of this site I noticed that dust extraction is obviously not highly regarded by the folks at Evolution. So it seems that despite professional feedback on how to improve their kit they just ignore it . This is a very poor altitude and if this video prevents even one potential buyer choosing Evolution tools then you have provided a good turn
Hi everyone. Have any of you checked if your saw's bed is completely flat? I have put straight edge across mine and found centre table to sit slightly proud to side supports. I found this fault immediately after taking it off the box. It's slightly better after removing stickers but still far from perfect. Did you encounter this issue with yours?
Hi Tom, I know the stickers really through the best off, such a silly design in my view. I will check the bed for you when I am next in the workshop. I know that it is fine for the kind of work I need it for however. If you find it is causing issue, you would be best contacting Evolution directly about it.
I looked on amazon germany, and there it states that the evolution R255 SMS is gonna be released in november 2019. That is weird.
If you make a product you don't want to produce more than you can sell.
Since products sell better when 'new' to the market and each market (countries in this regard) might receive the product with different levels of interest, it is a safer bet for a manufacturer to not introduce the product everywhere at once. Because if your product is unexpected popular, you cannot keep up with demand. If your product is unpopular and you have optimistically set up too much production capacity, you have lost money.
This has always been done but with social media we just started noticing this to a greater extent.
My steel blade and multipurpose blade got dull after only 10 cuts.
Thx for the good and honest review. I am thinking of buying this, but i need to know whether :
1. Is the blade system compatible with other blades on the market or are you confined to evolution’s blades?
2. Can you buy purpose designed blades from evolution (eg blades specifically for and for metal) that will fit this machine? Or does the machine only take the multipurpose blades?
Any help or assistance would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Keep up the good work!
Hi, I believe evolution produce a range of blades they will fit these saws that are for wood and metal respectively. You can buy other brands but you will have to use shims around the arbour. Hope this helps
Just 1 point did they listen to you and did they fix the problems with the saw it’s now 2021
They took the time to listen to me. Im not sure whether they did implement any of the changes. I suspect its not as easy to just change the design of their saw.
why does this video pop up a day after I have ordered from screwfix?
🤣 they're listening mate!
Good review. What would you say is the best mitre saw under £250?? Your opinion would be appreciated.👍
Hi Paul thanks for your comments. What kind of work will you need it for?
@@WHCreations
Hi mate, just diy around the house really, also some decking and making planters out of 6 by 2.
I would recommend this saw then for you. Its price blows the others out the water.
@@WHCreations
Thanks for your help mate👍
good review, thanks
You could also just get a dedicated metal cutting blade no?
You sure could, but I would personally go for a dedicated metal cutting saw over this one.
Hi..am work with aluminium advice me buy it or don't
Yes, this saw cuts aluminium very well. I've used it to cut up aluminium wheel rims to melt
Do you recommend this mitre saw only for wood? It is able to cut precision wood cut (with a specific blade)
Thanks
Hey, I dont think its accurate enough to be precision, even with a dedicated blade. There is too much movement from multiple points. I would say it's more a 1st fix saw
@@WHCreations t I will go for Makita then thanks a lot
In your opinion what would be a good alternative from the more established brands in terms of quality and performance ( with the pricing not being in the forefront of decision making)
If I could buy a saw, money not being an issue, for the shop, i would have to go for the Bosch gcm 305mm. This is more for the fact it has a smaller footprint and can be pushed closer to the wall. But for this saw you are looking at around £650 and the quality will be much higher.
Mine performs perfectly and I have had it two years
That's great!
sad to say mine stopped after 12 months. can get it to go
Have you tried changing brushes? Stupid question but you've checked the fuse etc
@@WHCreations yes' the drop saw was not used every day'might be the switch.. it was a grand saw none the less
Just turn your head away when you cut steel mate to protect your eyes, chips landing on your hands and arms can be ignored :) Back of your neck though, thats borderline chucking a Benny:)
Nah eyes and ears are my livelyhood mate. Need to protect them at all costs. Haha know what you mean about the neck tho
But the eye nurse has such soft hands as she cradles your face and picks steel out of your eyes with a needle, totally worth it. 😉
I Though that this review was very honest and helpful and gave me a good idea of what l needed to.do my D.I.Y jobs thank you .
Great honest review and bought this saw because of it but I've gotten it home only to find the blade release doesn't lock back in place after returning the blade to the resting position... Its sat on the blade cover by about 3mm..... Any idea how to fix this? Any help appreciated 👍
hi phil, if you find me over on my facebook or website, you can send me some photos so i can see more whats happened. failing that, evolution have a great customer service team who i am sure could assist you better than I.
Will it vibrate using wood only?
It seems better with wood.
Excellent review. Your insights led me to cancel my order of the Evolution Rage 3-DB Double Bevel Multi-Purpose Sliding Mitre Saw. In particular, I had concerns about the accuracy.
Hi I also enjoyed the review but have to say it looks to me like the dust cover is on the laser. If this is correct removal of the dust cover gives a much clearer laser line. Cheers!
Hey, thanks for your comment. I had spent a bit of time on the laser trying to get it lined up but its just simply rubbish. I dont use it any more.
did u have wobble on blade
Yes I do. Very slight. Not sure whether it's meant to be there or not
Good review.
Thanks buddy.
Now mate this has nothing to do with your saw. Do you think you could let me know where you get your epoxy for Live Edge Coffee Tables please thank you 🙏🏼
I have never done an epoxy live edge table before but the epoxy I use is resin4art. Hope this helps
Nice, in-depth review. I'd like to know if the issues you found with this saw are only with this brand or are these inherent issues with all compound sliding mitre saws.
That would be I interesting to find out. Hopefully if this video gets enough comments from users we shall be able to find out 😊
Good review man, appreciate and agree with your approach in giving a *real review after extended use of the product.
This kinda made me not wanna get the saw... I just want this for diy stuff mostly, some angle aluminum and wood.
Would you pick this over the RAGE 3? I've know this "new" model R255SMS was coming out for almost a year now (In Canada) and have been waiting. Now it's on sale for 50% off and I'm thinking it's worth it at that price unless it's complete garbage.
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks again.
Hey, I would still recommend it as a DIY saw. I feel I am using it more and more now that I had the saw replaced.
You mean after you bought another saw, you now are using the
evolution R255 SMS more? Or do you mean you had the blade replaced?
Yep I’ve had one of these saws.
The saw blade for steel is pretty crap as you only about 10 cuts from the blade
The lazer is just a gimmick
In my opinion it’s just an average saw
Will be switching to Bosch
I did mate, never look back!
So in conclusion, are you going to use this as your main chop saw?
Yes but I own a bandsaw and tablesaw, so this will only be used when its needed.
Great extensive review. Any issues regarding the blade wobbling as reported by others?
Thank you. I dont think it was much of an issue on my first saw, but my second does have a noticable wobble. For the cuts I make however it doesnt serve much of an issue
@@WHCreations Do you know if this wobbling is by design or some kind of defect? I have tried to find out but has been unable to find also nobody has reported success in eliminating it. I am on the ropes about buying ths saw because of this.
I would love to say I'd have an answer for you but I dont. I would say its within normal limits, when I line up to cut it doesnt drift far if anything from what I want. I would say it would depend on what you're going to use it for. For cuts of multiple material, light use I would say go for it. If you're looking for something a bit more every day and heavy duty then I'd say invest in something a more suited to your needs