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Mitre saw buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are choosing a first corded mitre saw for a house socket or a small site, and the listing is already arguing with itself. A mitre saw buying guide that starts with the laser, or with the dust bag, sends you home with a saw that stops at a batten. The [mitre saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/mitre-saw) lists the nine amazon.co.uk saws in this batch, with shelf prices from £63.00 to £189.99 on 20 October 2026. This page is the order of those checks. There is no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing a first corded mitre saw for a house socket or a small site, and the listing is already arguing with itself.

Our top picks

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210CMS

Best overall

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210CMS
8.6/10about £75.00
View offer
Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210SMS+

Rank 2

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210SMS+
9.1/10about £125.95
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Einhell Einhell TC-SM 2131/1

Rank 3

Einhell Einhell TC-SM 2131/1
8.9/10about £110.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Cross-cut width
  2. 2.Blade class
  3. 3.Bevel
  4. 4.Supply
  5. 5.Dust and listing conflicts

Cross-cut width

A mitre saw cross-cuts by dropping a circular blade onto a turntable. If the board is wider than that single drop, the head has to travel, and that travel is the slide. BuildWiz’s rule of thumb for a 210 mm class blade is about 120 mm of width on a fixed saw and about 230–300 mm once the head slides. Many UK skirtings are about 119–170 mm tall, and laid flat they meet or pass a short chop. How a 45° cut narrows the path further is on the sliding mitre saw vs compound page.

Blade class

This batch is mostly a 210 mm class. The R255SMS+ title is the line that says 255 mm. A larger blade is not, by itself, a slide. Keep each conflicting pair as two numbers. The R185SMS+ title says 210 mm and the blade-length row says 185 mm, with the blade named R185TCT-20MS. The R255SMS+ title says 255 mm and the blade-length row says 300 mm, and the shape row says Rectangular. The Einhell TC-SM 2131/1 title states no diameter, and the blade-length row prints 310 mm. The Draper listing leaves blade diameter blank.
Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210CMS

Testsieger

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210CMS
8.6/10about £75.00
View offer

Bevel

Bevel is the tilt of the head, separate from the mitre angle on the turntable. Only the Einhell TC-SM 2131/1 title in this batch states a dual bevel, at ±47°. Reviewers of the R255SMS+ say the head tilts one side only, even where the title states a 45° bevel. Dual bevel does not add width. The Einhell fixed compound prints a bevel cut of 120 × 55 mm to the left and 80 × 32 mm to the right. The external 45° and the internal scribe stay on the mitre saw for skirting page.

Supply

Household mains in the UK are 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. A 110 V tool belongs on a centre-tapped site transformer, about 55 V to earth. A 110 V saw does not run from a house socket. On the R210SMS+ the title says 230 V and the voltage row says 110 V. The Draper voltage row is empty, while the bullets say the saw is fitted with a cable and an approved plug. The JCB slider’s current row prints 15 A beside 1500 W and 240 V, and those figures are not reconciled. Once the plug is settled, the square, clamp and cut sequence is on the how to use a mitre saw page.

Dust and listing conflicts

A fabric dust bag catches some chips. HSE’s wood-dust limits are 3 mg/m³ for hardwood and 5 mg/m³ for softwood over eight hours, and a mixture uses the 3 mg/m³ figure. The only thickness limits in this research are on the R255SMS+ manual: 6 mm mild steel plate and 3 mm wall on 50 mm box section. Evolution bullets in this batch claim a multi-material TCT blade for steel, aluminium, wood with nails and plastic. BS EN IEC 62841-3-9 does not cover saws intended for steel or iron, or abrasive wheels.

Common questions

Do I need a slide for skirting, or is a fixed compound enough?
A fixed compound is enough for narrow trim such as architrave and battens. Tall skirting around 119–170 mm, laid flat, sits at or past the rule-of-thumb chop of about 120 mm on a 210 mm class blade. In this batch that points to a stated slider.
What do 210 mm, about 216 mm, about 254 mm and 305 mm mean?
They are blade classes. Guides use about 216 mm for trim, about 254 mm for general site work and 305 mm for the wide option. This batch is mostly a 210 mm class, with the R255SMS+ title at 255 mm. A class is not a measured cross-cut. A blank diameter on the Draper listing is not a 216 mm blade.
When is a single bevel enough?
A single bevel is enough for ordinary skirting if you flip the board. Dual bevel earns its place on repeated compound cuts, where turning every piece costs time. Only the Einhell TC-SM 2131/1 states ±47° here.
Can I plug a 110 V saw into a house socket?
A 110 V saw needs a centre-tapped site transformer, about 55 V to earth. A house socket is 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. If the R210SMS+ title says 230 V and the voltage row says 110 V, read the rating plate before you connect anything.
Does the dust bag count as dust control?
The bag collects some dust at the saw. HSE’s control for wood dust is on-tool extraction to an H- or M-class unit, with FFP3 when the trigger time runs on, especially indoors. A fabric bag in the box is not that unit. Hardwood and mixed wood dust use a limit of 3 mg/m³ over eight hours.
Which conflicts should stay as two numbers?
Keep both figures when the listing disagrees: R210SMS+ 230 V and 110 V; Einhell compound 1600 W and 1400 W; Einhell slider 1800 W and 2.3 kW; R185SMS+ title 210 mm and blade row 185 mm; R255SMS+ title 255 mm and blade row 300 mm; fixed JCB weight 9 g. Einhell’s manufacturer sheet does not replace the amazon.co.uk rows you are paying against.

Related pages

Best mitre saw

Mitre saw

Mitre saw for skirting: external mitre and the scribe

How to use a mitre saw: square it, clamp, then cut

Sliding mitre saw vs compound: when to choose slide

Sources

Public UK sources first, then the manufacturer manual for the R255SMS+ only, and the BuildWiz width guide. Prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk listings captured on 20 October 2026.

  1. HSE wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE L108 noise (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. IEC 62841-3-9:2020 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. HSE HSG141 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. BuildWiz mitre saw guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Evolution R255SMS+ manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)