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How to use a Metabo mitre saw

Updated: 21 October 2026

The first piece is architrave you would rather not shorten twice. How to use a Metabo mitre saw comes down to a square fence, the LED shadow on your mark, a clamp that holds, and a blade that has stopped before your hand moves in. The steps follow the M-class listings in our [Metabo mitre saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/metabo-mitre-saw). Peter F. did not run a cutting trial. Figures come from those amazon.co.uk listings and from HSE and Metabo UK pages, checked on 20 October 2026. Model choice sits on the [buying guide](/hub/power-saws/metabo-mitre-saw/sub/metabo-mitre-saw-buying-guide). A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The first piece is architrave you would rather not shorten twice.

Our top picks

Metabo Metabo KGS 254 M

Best overall

Metabo Metabo KGS 254 M
8.2/10about £279.98
View offer
Metabo Metabo KS 216 M Lasercut

Rank 2

Metabo Metabo KS 216 M Lasercut
6.6/10about £129.82
View offer
Metabo Metabo KS 216 M

Best value

Metabo Metabo KS 216 M
7.8/10about £139.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Square the fence and check the plug
  2. 2.Read the PCL shadow on a marked line
  3. 3.Clamp, cut, and wait for the blade to stop
  4. 4.Dust, noise, and when you stop

Square the fence and check the plug

Put the saw on a bench that does not rock. The KGS 305 M is listed at 18.6 kg. Fit the extensions so the offcut is supported. An unsupported end will drop and close the kerf on the blade. Listings say 240 V or 230 V, except the 110 V KGS 305 M, which belongs on a site transformer. One UK review on the KGS 254 M describes a two-pin plug. If yours is not BS 1363, stop and sort it with the seller. Do not cut the plug off. Set the turntable to the 0° stop. Hold a square against the fence and the blade, saw unplugged, blade fully down. If daylight shows, adjust until it closes. A 45° mitre repeats whatever error you left at zero.

Read the PCL shadow on a marked line

Precision Cut Line is an LED that throws a shadow of the blade onto the work. The bullets say you do not realign it when you change the mitre. Mark the cut on the face you will see, bring the blade down unplugged until the shadow sits on the waste side of the line, and check which side of the pencil the teeth will eat. A shadow centred on the line costs you half a kerf. PCL does not measure square. The Lasercut KS 216 M, part 619216380, uses different naming. Follow the mark the same way: unplugged first, waste side clear, then power. Several bullets quote tilt from -2° to 47°. Set the bevel unplugged and lock it. Board height against that angle sits on the skirting page.
Metabo Metabo KGS 254 M

Testsieger

Metabo Metabo KGS 254 M
8.2/10about £279.98
View offer

Clamp, cut, and wait for the blade to stop

Use the material clamp listed with most of these saws. The 110 V KGS 305 M box list does not name one, so you supply a clamp that clears the blade. On a sliding KGS 254 M, pull the head towards you, lower it, and push through the cut. On a KS 216 M there is no pull stroke. Forcing a wide board into a chop stalls the blade. Let the saw reach speed before the teeth touch. Soft start is named on the KGS 254 M and on KS 216 M part 610216380. The KGS bullets include a fast brake, which shortens the spin-down. Wait until the blade has stopped, then raise the head. Unplug before you change a blade or clear a jammed offcut. If the guard sticks, stop and have the saw serviced.

Dust, noise, and when you stop

Fit the chip bag where the box includes one, and empty it before it packs solid. HSE sets wood-dust workplace exposure limits at 3 mg/m³ for hardwood and 5 mg/m³ for softwood, and mixed dust uses 3 mg/m³. WIS23 expects capture at the blade for woodworking employers. Metabo UK publishes about 86 dB(A) sound pressure for the KGS 254 M, a manufacturer figure. Wear hearing protection for a session, and eye protection for every cut. The best Metabo mitre saw page is for choosing the model.

Common questions

Does PCL mean I can skip the square?
You still square the fence at 0° with the saw unplugged. PCL shows where the blade will meet the pencil line. It repeats the angle the turntable is actually holding. A shadow on a 1° error is a neat way to cut the error into every length in the room.
How do I use the slide on a KGS 254 M?
Support the work, clamp it, start the saw clear of the timber, then pull the head forward, lower it, and push back through the cut. The KS 216 M listings do not have that stroke. If the board is wider than one chop, change the saw rather than twisting the head.
When can I raise the blade?
After it has stopped. The fast brake on the KGS models is there to shorten that wait, and one UK review still gives you no licence to reach in early. On saws whose bullets omit a brake, the wait is longer. Unplug as well before you change the blade or free a pinched offcut.
What do I do if the plug is two-pin?
Stop. A UK socket wants a BS 1363 plug, and the 110 V model wants a transformer, not an adapter. One KGS 254 M review and Lasercut reviews describe non-UK plugs on UK orders. Contact the seller. Cutting the plug off is a warranty and a safety problem.
Is the chip bag the dust control?
It catches some chips on the models that include it. Employers still need capture at the blade under HSE guidance, because the wood-dust limits are low and a bag is not a COSHH assessment. At home, empty it often, and do not treat a Saturday of MDF as only a bit of dust.
When should I stop and call someone?
Stop if the guard sticks, the brake is erratic, or the blade bolt will not undo safely. Stop if the work is structural timber, metal, or suspected asbestos. A mitre saw in this set is for wood cross-cuts and mitres you can support and clamp. A joiner should take the job that needs design, and an electrician the job that needs a new plug.

Related pages

Sliding or compact Metabo mitre saw

Metabo mitre saw

Best Metabo mitre saw for wide boards, trim or site

Metabo mitre saw buying guide: width, voltage, plug

Metabo mitre saw for skirting: height at 45 degrees

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Prices captured 20 October 2026.

  1. HSE: wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE WIS23: wood dust extraction (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Metabo UK KGS 254 M (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. amazon.co.uk Metabo mitre saw listings (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 20 October 2026)