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How to use a mitre saw

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have the saw on the bench and a length of timber that has to come off square. How to use a mitre saw starts with the saw unplugged, because a new machine is often out of square and the laser is not a check. The [mitre saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/mitre-saw) is where the nine listings were set out on 20 October 2026. This page is the sequence: square at 0° and 45°, clamp, cut, and stop. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Width and which plug you need sit on the [mitre saw buying guide](/hub/power-saws/mitre-saw/sub/mitre-saw-buying-guide).

You have the saw on the bench and a length of timber that has to come off square. How to use a mitre saw starts with the saw unplugged, because a new machine is often out of square and the laser is not a check.

Our top picks

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R185SMS+

Best overall

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R185SMS+
8.7/10about £129.98
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Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210CMS

Best value

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

Rank 3

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R210SMS+
9.1/10about £125.95
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On this page
  1. 1.Square it before you plug it in
  2. 2.Clamp, then cut
  3. 3.Dust, noise, and the bag
  4. 4.When to stop

Square it before you plug it in

Unplug the saw before you put a square on it. Set the turntable to the 0° stop and lay a combination square against the plate of the blade, not against a tooth. If the blade and the fence disagree, adjust the stop until they agree, then lock it and check again. Do the same at 45°. On the Draper, two reviewers expected a guide light and say there is none, while another says they like the laser, and the bullets do not list one. Follow the square, then a sharp pencil mark set to the waste side of the cut. Cutting on the pencil line leaves the line in the offcut and the finished piece short. The joint method for those boards is on the mitre saw for skirting page.

Clamp, then cut

Clamp the work to the fence or the table before the blade spins. Keep your hands at least 100 mm from the blade. If the supplied clamp hits the head, move the clamp or use another hold-down. For a narrow piece, about the width of a batten, lock a sliding head back and treat the saw as a chop. Bring the blade to full speed, lower it through the timber, and let it stop before you raise it. For a wide board on a slider, pull the head toward you while the blade is still up, lower it on the far side, and push the head back through the cut. Never pull the spinning blade toward you. Whether you needed a slide at all is on the sliding mitre saw vs compound page.
Evolution Power Tools Evolution R185SMS+

Testsieger

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R185SMS+
8.7/10about £129.98
View offer

Dust, noise, and the bag

The bag on the saw catches some chips at the guard. It does not clear an MDF cut indoors. HSE’s control is on-tool extraction to an H- or M-class unit. FFP3, with a protection factor of 20, is the mask when cutting runs on, which HSE illustrates as about 15–30 minutes of trigger time, especially indoors. HSE’s eight-hour limits are 3 mg/m³ for hardwood and 5 mg/m³ for softwood, and a mixture uses 3 mg/m³. Noise action values are 80 and 85 dB(A). The limit is 87 dB(A) at the ear once hearing protection is counted. The R255SMS+ manual states a Class 2 laser and a 35 mm dust port for that model only.

When to stop

Cut a test piece of the same board before you cut the finished length. If the test is out of square, go back to the combination square rather than trimming the good piece by guesswork. If the guard does not cover the blade, or it jams and will not return, stop. Holding the guard up with one hand while you cut is not a workaround. Reviewers of the fixed JCB say the guard has to be pushed by hand for a full-depth cut. A title that says 230 V and a row that says 110 V is not a saw you plug in to see what happens. Stop if crown or cornice geometry is new to you. That layout belongs with a joiner, not on a first afternoon with a compound head.

Common questions

How do you check the saw is square?
Unplug it. Set 0° and put a combination square on the blade plate, not on a tooth, against the fence. Repeat at 45°. Adjust the stop until both agree, then lock and check again. A laser, even a bright one, is not that check.
Do you pull a sliding head through the cut or push it?
Pull the head forward while the blade is raised, lower it onto the far side of the board, and push it back through the cut. A narrow chop stays locked in the rear position, with the head brought down rather than dragged. Pulling the spinning blade toward you is the move the manuals warn against.
How far should your hands stay from the blade?
Keep your hands at least 100 mm from the blade, with the work clamped so the timber cannot creep. If the clamp hits the head at 45°, move the clamp or change the hold-down. Reviews on the Einhell compound, the R210CMS and the R185SMS+ describe that foul.
Is the dust bag enough for MDF indoors?
The bag is a chip catcher at the guard. MDF indoors needs on-tool extraction to an H- or M-class unit, and FFP3 when cutting runs toward 15–30 minutes of trigger time. Clean with an M-class vacuum. A brush or an airline puts the dust back in the room.
Should you follow the laser or the pencil line?
Use the pencil mark set to the waste side, after the combination-square check. The laser is not proof the saw is square, and on several of these listings reviewers say it fails or is absent. Cutting on the pencil line removes the length you meant to keep.
When should you stop and get help?
Stop if the guard jams or has to be held open, if 110 V and 230 V are still unresolved on the plate, if crown or cornice geometry is new, or if you employ people and dust and noise are not assessed. A joiner or another competent person is the next step.

Related pages

Best mitre saw

Mitre saw

Mitre saw buying guide: width, blade, bevel and plug

Mitre saw for skirting: external mitre and the scribe

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)