I must have thirty Lidl power tools in the shop. Nearly all work brilliantly - some don't, but I have noticed that the ones that don't are the new models added to the range and in a few months they produce another, better one. I.e. they become aware and fix it. So it is worth not buying the new model you haven't seen before, but waiting six months and then buying it. I have the sliding version of that saw, the plunge saw with track (which was cheap as chips and works wonderfully) among many others. Very few have let me down. They used to use an 18volt cordless range which was rubbish (the batteries lasted five minutes), but now they've switched the entire range onto 20v and they are terrific. On-site I don't really need power cables at all. The 4AH battery (at €29) will give me a good twenty-five minutes constant use with an angle grinder and I never need more than that. The other brilliant cheap brand is Katsu, who make the tools for Makita.
Really good to see your subscriber count going up- it just shows that you have got it right- ie appealing to the average guy(or gal) who doesn't have an unlimited budget, but the want to do it themselves. Spot on Stuart !!
Great video Stuart .. absolute bargain! At that price point I am a firm believer in parkside tools.. as a DIYer/hobbyist I’ve never had an issue with any of their range , cheers Rob
I see more and more often their Performance line of tools on jobsites. At that price point they are more then decent enough for a lot of tasks that an average contractor might encounter.
I bought some set squares that were parkside - there's a spirit level in them that tends not to respond too quickly. That could cause major problems that are really costly. On balance I think they're good value but there's one or two things they've produced that are not good to promote.
@@stevewoodw certainly a great point. As a rule of thumb with parkside, or cheap tools in general, I would avoid anything that requires/ supposed to give you accuracy. Anything from squares, electric planers, levels (although i have been happy with their laser level for a while), saws (getting a 90° cut might be a hassle with any of the types of saws, but if you do not require fine woodworking levels of cut quality you will be fine. I wood trust most other things, after watching a review or two of course. Other than that, they do carry great accesories, bits, drill bits and especialy step drills, couldnt tell how well they compare to their 5x more expensive counterparts.
@@stevewoodw If I want a set square, I take my little guaranteed square down to the DIY shop and check all the set squares. There's only about one in six, or one in ten that is actually square! So I don't buy any set squares off the hook, now! I use my adjustable, that is indeed square, but I checked it before I bought it. It's exactly the same with spirit levels - practically none are accurate - check before you buy it!
@@RO8s I think this happened to Colin Furze, not that he's the best engineer of all time, well, actually, to most people he's probably up there. The recent series of the weird bendy vehicle had a section where he realised his angle measurers weren't accurate.
I'm still blown away by the 50 pound price. (~$65 US) that even works. The only thing like that here would be something akin to a toy that has a 3" (76mm) total blade that probably only cuts about 1/2" (13mm.) Grade vid on fine tuning them! I don't think I've seen one like it before. Thank you!!
Hi Stuart. That is extremely good value , my Bosch miter saw would be over £500 to buy an equivalent model . But setting it up is a right pain , and it does go out of alignment over time . But you saw is a lot more straightforward , so having one of those for every day use and saving your main saw for precision work would be a definite win win . Kind regards 😀👍👍👍
Again, excellent video showcasing this budget chop saw. As you say, at 50 quid, you can't really grumble at it not being perfect. I had the very good fortune, about a year ago, to pick up the Ferrex 20v cordless chop saw at a bargain £50. I already own several corded sliding mitre saws, and only wanted a cordless version for occasional jobs where I needed something portable. Just didn't want to spend hundreds of pounds on a Makita or other premium brand, and I have to say, again, for the money, can't complain. With a little bit of fine-tuning, and a large capacity battery, it cuts up to 4 by 2 timber with ease. I wouldn't want to build a piano with it, but then again, I'm not planning to build a piano any time soon.
I learned alot to day and never knew about this until today. I realise why my cuts are not level. Time to check my mitre saw and make some changes. Thank you!
wondered why my mitre saw didnt cut a perfect 90 degree cut, was driving me mad, didnt know there was adjustment on the fence, thanks, brill video. so much help, such good videos.
I have a lot of Parkside tools from lidl. They are all Einhell branded under LIDL's name. I have found them all excellent apart from the table saw fence which was rubbish . I made a fence of my own and it is now a very good saw.
Thanks for the video. From my limited experience vacuum systems are pretty much wild west territory. I cut my woodworking teeth on making wooden adapters for hose/machine interfaces. Hadn't been introduced to the traditional method at that point!
I have owned several cheap and not quite so cheap mitre saws. The problem with any and all of them, without a single exception, was that the fence was not straight. The right and left fence arms always stood at an angle smaller than 180°. Even on some models where the fence appeared to have been milled flat in production. That experience convinced me that if you are on a budget, a decent table saw is a better option. You can easily make a miter/cross cut sled for those, and gain lots of chop saw functionality , especially with one of the Incra miter sled guides. As of now, I am selling off the latest mitre saw I owned, a giant Holzmann KAP 305 JL.
@@bowlchamps37 The most professional one was an Elektra Beckum from the nineties but that might have been simply worn out. There is really no need to use a laser for testing it though, just saw a board in half while pressing it against the fence. If there is a click as it separates, the fence is not straight.
Thank you so much, Stuart. I saw this mitre saw in Lidl last week and on the spur of the moment I decided to buy one. I knew some setup would required but didn't really know how to go about it. Your video has been extremely helpful.
I owned a Parkside jet washer which I used without any problems for about 4 years, then passing it on to my daughter and purchasing a Karcher jet washer. The Karcher turned out to be a pile of garbage, with faults occurring not long after purchase. The Karcher staggered through the warranty period, then expired altogether, 6 years on, the Parkside is still working having had not a single problem. I have had a few other Parkside tools, & all have been great value👍
I use the more expensive one with sliding function - bought 5-6 years ago I think. the "head" looks basically the same. on mine the indicators/arrows were made out of plastic and broke off. so I have to manually check and measure after each realignment. you do not get the best cuts out of it, but it basically paid for itself long time ago. btw. I am using the same method for attaching the vacuum hose 😀
It's the convenience, repeatability, and accurate-enough capability that matters. Only fine furniture needs anything more accurate. Carpentry and sheet goods cabinets and battens are fine at ±1mm and ±½⁰. I've had dangerously faulty prosumer Evolution and Erbauer 300mm 2le bevel mitre saws that had to go back the next day when I called distributors about the issues I found. Either go top flight or go cheap and cheerful
I was about to give away a similar small mitre saw that I bought from Argos for around £50 more than 20 years ago but decided to hang onto it for a bit because I didn't have space to transport and store my big compound sliding mitre while doing a wood paneling refurb to our beach hut. That little saw has done a wonderful job and has made a couple of hundred 90° & 45° cuts perfectly. I'll be finishing the refurb next week and will still give the saw away as I promised it to somebody just starting in DIY, but I will be sad to see it go.
Hi Stuart, that was a excellent review of a 'cheap' power tool, but then we all have different budget and must purchase what we can afford, bext regards from a Kiwi living in Australia 👍👍👍👍
Hi Stuart, can't go wrong for £50 for a basic chop saw .Good enough for chopping length's of timber for frame work, it can definitely take it through it's paces ,Good demonstration,thanks for the video👍
Seems like a good enough saw - especially for the price. Aldi & Lidl do put out some good DIY tools, I even met a 'pro' once who swore by their tools - good enough for the site and cheap enough if lost/borrowed (?) on site. Thanks for the upload Stuart.
I bought this saw mainly to build a workbench in my new Keter shed. Very pleased with its performance for that project especially when combined with the Parkside stand - the whole setup cost me just short of £100 which I considered to be a bargain. However, moving on from that to other projects, the limitations soon become clear. Most mitre saws really need a sacrificial fence to avoid tear out and this does not have the ability to screw one on. Installation is possible but only by fiddling around with a couple of clamps. The 60mm height is also a bit of a limitation and, as this review correctly states, the mitre angles and particularly the bevel angle are a bit of a lottery.
I have an older Aldi/Workzone sliding mitre saw. Works ok except the spring is stiff so it tends to flex sideways on the way down. No soft start either it really bangs into action
I've bought a number of Parkside hand held power tools from Lidl and found them to be of good practical quality. So much so, I used them to help me rebuild my house which is completely made of wood. Except the windows of course. They're made of glass. However, I did consider buying their crosscut/mitre saw as a spare for when my Deuzer finally gave up the ghost but then decided not to after last dismantling the Deuzer (purchased in 2009 for a princely sum of €99.00) to clean and maintain its parts because everything was in perfect working order and I couldn't really see any wear and tear even after subjecting it to some serious demand. It still has the original carbon brushes installed by the manufacturer too which quite surprised me. No time for WALT or RYOBI et alia and their extortionate prices for a tool that does exactly what the same tool produced by another manufacturer does for less than the ransom WALT and Co ask. Are your squares square? 😉
Great informative vid as usual... Most of my tools come from Lidl 😅... The good thing about Lidl tools is the three year guarantee which I've had to use twice over the years... Just remember to staple your receipt to the inside of the user manual 😉
Hi Stuart. just found your channel and subscribed because of this video. I bought a Sliding Mitre Saw a year or so back second hand. Used it but it never got the 45 degrees right or the straight cuts. Never ever thought you could adjust them until seeing this. It's buried under a ton of stuff as I got peed off with it, Going to dig it out now and see if it has the adjustments like you shown. Going to checkout the rest of your videos as well now. Cheers.
Regarding dust extraction, every manufacturer appears to use their own arbitrarily set diameter. I have numerous machines, all of which vary by a few millimetres and it's always a fun job to find a combination of squishy rubber tubes,, hard plastic adaptors, and bits of cut-off funnel to connect my dust extractor. Having said that, dust extraction on mitre saws is always pants anyway. 😀
My hack for this is to use a compression fitting for plastic waste plumbing, because each size can accommodate quite a bit of variation. The smaller end of the 40/32mm reducer that fitted my old Ozito saw also fits my new Evolution one, and the 40mm side is just right to a Henry vac. I'm guessing quite a few other vacs/extractors would fit it too.
You can get almost any chop saw to do what you want, with a bit of faffing about, I do not exclude the expensive ones. I don’t know what the state of play is nowadays,but some of the cheap saws were difficult to get new blades for when I wanted one (NuTool ?). If you can get one, the best blade you can get helps a lot. I only keep a small chop saw now, because the things take up so much room ! Mine will do 3x2 fine !
The thing I like with Lidls AND Aldi is they give a 3 year warranty... or in the case of the brushless cordless Performance range of Parkside tools 5 YEARS warranty !! 👏😏 Regarding this saw, screwing a strip of 10mm ply to the fence and then running the sawblade through it will give you a nice zero-clearence fence... 😎👍☘🍺
I agree with you on these smaller machines, using it for second fit is great if you adjust it properly. However, I would use a mitre saw less than 10 inches for framing..
Good investigation on the tool Stuart It’s interesting that it doesn’t run on batteries especially as it is smaller than a big mitre saw. I could imagine it being handy for outdoor projects, especially doing square cuts. I know the solution would be connect it to an extension lead. But just the thought of wrapping up cable leads after a hard job. Oh what joy 😂
I'm still using my Parkside saw ,i bought it second hand for 20 quid about six years old now and it's still works great, admittedly I use about a dozen times a year
I used to have one like that that didn't slide. I found it nearly always wasn't deep enough so replaced it with a cheap Titan sliding one and it's loads better.
Not had the need for one of these so far, but for the price it seems an excellent product. Always been a bit wary of own brand products, but you may have changed my mind.
I bought one of these and absolutely agree with the review. After taking about an hour to finesse the various angles, I was amazed at how good it is for simple workshop jobs such as putting points on 150 garden stakes. The only downsides I found were the rather dim and blurry laser line and the dust collection system doesn’t really work too well. So I just point it in a direction where I can sweep up the dust afterwards and no problem. 🙂
I have a Dewalt M/saw and I have to confess I have never intentionally checked it for a true cut, now Im going to have to because my OCD will force it on me before I use it again. 😂 When you tighten up any adjusters, some old chippy years ago said put nail varnish on them because the varnish only cracks if any movement has taken place.
When i was in cabinet making school we had to do a bunch of "pointless" tasks. One of them was to mitre cut moulded architrave perfectly to 45° with just a handsaw... ONLY a handsaw. No squares, pencils or measuring devices. Then the teacher would check it with a square and hold it up to see if light would come through the joint. Completely pointless, but i can still do it 25 years later with my MK3 laser eyeballs
use the square between the blade and the table and adjust the stop, then use the square between the fence and the blade. Check different angles on the left and right if they match
I would say it is as important (and easy) for it to come out of the factory plumb and square as for it to be out of alignment. But the consumer is always the QS department with these tools! Dead easy and obvious adjustments is good, my Bosch is a nighmare to set up (though only ever done it once following a knock).
i found out (like you did with the dust exttraction) that parkside has their own proprietory measures,you can also see this on their hose connections for their high pressure cleaners,standard connections that fit all other brands like kärcher doesnt work
Just a note. In a lot of the of the clips, you were cutting referencing with one face, and then measuring with the opposite face. Always measure/cut with the same face used to reference.
Appreciate the reminder to keep my $400 miter saw tuned up. It easily loses its square when I lug it around. It is my least favorite thing to move, so heavy and awkward that I bought a little battery operated one which has its own limitations.
Very good clear and concise review and I am now considering making a purchase of this machine. It is ridiculously cheap and seems ideal for DIY use . If they are selling at a £50 price point then they are probably buying it for about half that amount! Thank goodness for the Chinese people
Test the Screwfix Titan out. The sliding one. I have that and its good but I've notice when I do a slide cut its really out and not straight. Not sure if its adjustable or if its just pissed and needs returning.
I only ever brought on Parkside power tool. It was a circular saw. It works perfectly fine, but the spring mechanism on the safety guard broke on first use so probably not the best start.
Parkside lidI's own brand for tools most of is pretty decent useable tool's. But don't know the situation in the UK but in the Netherlands the secondhand sites are filled with mitersaws you can easy find profesional quality ones below the 100 euro. People buy those for a builds or renovations if they finished they sel them becouse it take alot of space to store them.
i had an old BandQ saw that was never straight, i ended up taking it apart and inserting shims made from tin can , adjusted the stops using precision squares against the blade, and as long as you didnt yank it around it was square enough for outside work, for proper cabinet making you will never get a consistent cut from a cheapo saw.
That seems very close to my old B&Q saw. It has served me well when working away from home for many years. My B&Q model has built my workshop, a garden room and a large garden bar. Parkside are a reasonable make but their router was rubbish
Most cheap stuff is "good" out of the box, but anything other than occasional use and the shortcomings soon reveal themselves. They tend to be noisy and old technology with brushed motors and no soft start or electronic brake and short stiff mains cables. If you're only doing the occasional bit of cutting, then that's fine, but if woodworking/DIY is your hobby, surely you want to enjoy the process as well as the finished result and quality tools are a pleasure to use.
Hi Stuart, I've bought a few Parkside tools including a petrol generator which went faulty and they sent a replacement out from Germany. For what they are they are generally good and being a retired sparks I wouldn't buy rubbish so I can recommend them. Your productions are great and I love DIY.
The general problem with these mitre saws is cut bevels at an angle, where the saw blade tries to 'cut' the upright aluminium. With the small blade it means if you try to use it for the cornices above your kitchen units you would have a problem - especially where the cornices are at 45 degrees to the front of the unit.
I have a lot of Parkside tools, mainly cordless and I'd recommend them even for pro use . when it came to replacing my old Elu mitre saw I purchased an Evolution. What a piece of... not very good. Biggest problem is the dedicated blade - it has a 1" arbour so nothing else fits. It also has a slow start which is nothing but a nuisance, and unless you get up to speed before you cut will jam. And smash the fence.
Parkside make some good tools. I have a question? I have a garage at the back of my garden that has a corrugated metal roof that is unfortunately susceptible to condensation during the wintertime which can be challenging that time of year to protect my tools. I’d like to get a Mitre saw and other tools but I have no bench to put them on. Do you have any suggestions for workbenches, possibly moveable when I need to move them around but made from a material that won’t be damaged by condensation in winter, and sturdy to hold heavy tools like Mitre saws on top? Thanks.
My mitre saw (a Dexter from Leroy Merlin in Spain, €208) was impossible to get to cut consistently square. I tried every thing I could think of. Turned out the fence is not straight. Shocking quality control.
I have this fear of buying cheap tools , specifically saws. Mainy cause i've given myself the illusion the blade will fly out and split me in pieces 😆. After watching this i might pick myself up some budget friendly saws to do some jobs and practice on my carpentry. Many thanks for the video!
both Scheppach and parkside are made in PRC by children workers. Well done kids, take a sweet and back to work. Some parksides have has had a serious problems btw...mainly with brushed motors. as they use brushless nowadays it's better.
@@SuperElectronixxx I take it you have been to the factory yourself and saw those kids with your own eyes, right? Just because pretty much everything we use and own, yes even the clothes we wear, is made in China, doesn't mean it was made by children. I mean most Chinese are short and small and look younger than they really are but they are not all children....I think. 😁
I bought a similar "Evolution" saw, which was cheap, accurate enough even for some picture frames (surprisingly), and it lasted for four years, with a fair amount of abuse. I then bought an Einhell sliding mitre saw for £130 and it lasted one week. Took it back, and bought a Bosch saw for £300. The Bosch is simply streets ahead of all the cheaper saws. But at six times the price of the Parkside saw, it should be.
Park side and Einhell are the same brand made in the same factory by the same people just different label. Like most power tools just a different badge.
@@simonhinson9367 That's interesting. Can you let me know the model numbers for two identical, but differently-badged machines from this factory? My original Evolution saw came from Screwfix, which is a couple of notches up from something you'd pick up in a supermarket.
Only Parkside tool I've owned was their multi tool which was pretty cheap from aldi. I used to use to to polish watches. I hardly ever used it and maybe used it less than ten times over a 3 year period. Then went to use it the other day and smoke started coming out of it and the little motor in it died.
This is the most straightforward set-up guide I’ve seen for a mitre saw. Thanks Stuart.
I must have thirty Lidl power tools in the shop. Nearly all work brilliantly - some don't, but I have noticed that the ones that don't are the new models added to the range and in a few months they produce another, better one. I.e. they become aware and fix it. So it is worth not buying the new model you haven't seen before, but waiting six months and then buying it.
I have the sliding version of that saw, the plunge saw with track (which was cheap as chips and works wonderfully) among many others. Very few have let me down.
They used to use an 18volt cordless range which was rubbish (the batteries lasted five minutes), but now they've switched the entire range onto 20v and they are terrific. On-site I don't really need power cables at all. The 4AH battery (at €29) will give me a good twenty-five minutes constant use with an angle grinder and I never need more than that.
The other brilliant cheap brand is Katsu, who make the tools for Makita.
Perfect timing. This saw comes to Finland next week and I was tempted but unsure. You’ve helped me make my mind up to get one. 80€ here. Thanks.
Really good to see your subscriber count going up- it just shows that you have got it right- ie appealing to the average guy(or gal) who doesn't have an unlimited budget, but the want to do it themselves. Spot on Stuart !!
Great video Stuart .. absolute bargain! At that price point I am a firm believer in parkside tools.. as a DIYer/hobbyist I’ve never had an issue with any of their range , cheers Rob
I see more and more often their Performance line of tools on jobsites. At that price point they are more then decent enough for a lot of tasks that an average contractor might encounter.
I bought some set squares that were parkside - there's a spirit level in them that tends not to respond too quickly. That could cause major problems that are really costly. On balance I think they're good value but there's one or two things they've produced that are not good to promote.
@@stevewoodw certainly a great point. As a rule of thumb with parkside, or cheap tools in general, I would avoid anything that requires/ supposed to give you accuracy. Anything from squares, electric planers, levels (although i have been happy with their laser level for a while), saws (getting a 90° cut might be a hassle with any of the types of saws, but if you do not require fine woodworking levels of cut quality you will be fine. I wood trust most other things, after watching a review or two of course. Other than that, they do carry great accesories, bits, drill bits and especialy step drills, couldnt tell how well they compare to their 5x more expensive counterparts.
@@stevewoodw If I want a set square, I take my little guaranteed square down to the DIY shop and check all the set squares. There's only about one in six, or one in ten that is actually square! So I don't buy any set squares off the hook, now! I use my adjustable, that is indeed square, but I checked it before I bought it.
It's exactly the same with spirit levels - practically none are accurate - check before you buy it!
@@RO8s I think this happened to Colin Furze, not that he's the best engineer of all time, well, actually, to most people he's probably up there. The recent series of the weird bendy vehicle had a section where he realised his angle measurers weren't accurate.
I'm still blown away by the 50 pound price. (~$65 US) that even works. The only thing like that here would be something akin to a toy that has a 3" (76mm) total blade that probably only cuts about 1/2" (13mm.)
Grade vid on fine tuning them! I don't think I've seen one like it before. Thank you!!
One of the most thorough, detailed reviews of a tool! Well done, thank you for the video!
Hi Stuart. That is extremely good value , my Bosch miter saw would be over £500 to buy an equivalent model . But setting it up is a right pain , and it does go out of alignment over time . But you saw is a lot more straightforward , so having one of those for every day use and saving your main saw for precision work would be a definite win win . Kind regards 😀👍👍👍
Mind blowing techniques. I'm still using an unadjusted B&Q cheapo saw bought 20 years ago for £25.
Tronic batteries are very bad. Bought a kit and 2 from 8 failed within a month. Amazing work, videos made with love. Thank you!
Again, excellent video showcasing this budget chop saw. As you say, at 50 quid, you can't really grumble at it not being perfect.
I had the very good fortune, about a year ago, to pick up the Ferrex 20v cordless chop saw at a bargain £50. I already own several corded sliding mitre saws, and only wanted a cordless version for occasional jobs where I needed something portable. Just didn't want to spend hundreds of pounds on a Makita or other premium brand, and I have to say, again, for the money, can't complain. With a little bit of fine-tuning, and a large capacity battery, it cuts up to 4 by 2 timber with ease. I wouldn't want to build a piano with it, but then again, I'm not planning to build a piano any time soon.
A good, thorough test of the saw. Thanks.
I learned alot to day and never knew about this until today. I realise why my cuts are not level. Time to check my mitre saw and make some changes. Thank you!
wondered why my mitre saw didnt cut a perfect 90 degree cut, was driving me mad, didnt know there was adjustment on the fence, thanks, brill video. so much help, such good videos.
Another great video Stuart, and brilliant to bump into you and say 'hello' last week at the airshow!
I have a lot of Parkside tools from lidl.
They are all Einhell branded under LIDL's name.
I have found them all excellent apart from the table saw fence which was rubbish . I made a fence of my own and it is now a very good saw.
I think you mean Scheppach.
Thanks for the video. From my limited experience vacuum systems are pretty much wild west territory. I cut my woodworking teeth on making wooden adapters for hose/machine interfaces. Hadn't been introduced to the traditional method at that point!
I’ve had this for two years and didn’t realise I could make those adjustments. Cheers for the video.
Proper job mate. My evaluation mitre saw locks in place when not in use. It also comes with the carrier hand on the top. As always mate great vid
I have owned several cheap and not quite so cheap mitre saws. The problem with any and all of them, without a single exception, was that the fence was not straight. The right and left fence arms always stood at an angle smaller than 180°. Even on some models where the fence appeared to have been milled flat in production. That experience convinced me that if you are on a budget, a decent table saw is a better option. You can easily make a miter/cross cut sled for those, and gain lots of chop saw functionality , especially with one of the Incra miter sled guides. As of now, I am selling off the latest mitre saw I owned, a giant Holzmann KAP 305 JL.
Can you name the not so cheap mitre saws with that flaw? Cause I know for a fact that bigger companies laser test their mitre saws before delivering.
@@bowlchamps37 The most professional one was an Elektra Beckum from the nineties but that might have been simply worn out. There is really no need to use a laser for testing it though, just saw a board in half while pressing it against the fence. If there is a click as it separates, the fence is not straight.
Great instruction on setting the saw up - thanks for posting as normally I use a square. Every day is a learning day 👍🏻 Mike
Thank you so much, Stuart. I saw this mitre saw in Lidl last week and on the spur of the moment I decided to buy one. I knew some setup would required but didn't really know how to go about it. Your video has been extremely helpful.
I got the sliding one from parkside. Built a 8x6m garage with it, no problems at all.
Another great video Stuart I'm had the same problems with a scheppach sliding mitre saw but not anymore thanks very much 👍.
I owned a Parkside jet washer which I used without any problems for about 4 years, then passing it on to my daughter and purchasing a Karcher jet washer. The Karcher turned out to be a pile of garbage, with faults occurring not long after purchase. The Karcher staggered through the warranty period, then expired altogether, 6 years on, the Parkside is still working having had not a single problem. I have had a few other Parkside tools, & all have been great value👍
Really good explaining how to check squarenes.👍👍
I use the more expensive one with sliding function - bought 5-6 years ago I think. the "head" looks basically the same. on mine the indicators/arrows were made out of plastic and broke off. so I have to manually check and measure after each realignment. you do not get the best cuts out of it, but it basically paid for itself long time ago. btw. I am using the same method for attaching the vacuum hose 😀
Your method of setting the square is really good thanks
Hello Proper DIY. Brilliant informative video. Thank-you very much for doing this.
I use a speedsquare which has a lip which fits into the slot. Holding that lip to the edge sliding it towards the fence I can set it up for square.
It's the convenience, repeatability, and accurate-enough capability that matters. Only fine furniture needs anything more accurate. Carpentry and sheet goods cabinets and battens are fine at ±1mm and ±½⁰.
I've had dangerously faulty prosumer Evolution and Erbauer 300mm 2le bevel mitre saws that had to go back the next day when I called distributors about the issues I found. Either go top flight or go cheap and cheerful
I was about to give away a similar small mitre saw that I bought from Argos for around £50 more than 20 years ago but decided to hang onto it for a bit because I didn't have space to transport and store my big compound sliding mitre while doing a wood paneling refurb to our beach hut. That little saw has done a wonderful job and has made a couple of hundred 90° & 45° cuts perfectly.
I'll be finishing the refurb next week and will still give the saw away as I promised it to somebody just starting in DIY, but I will be sad to see it go.
Hi Stuart, that was a excellent review of a 'cheap' power tool, but then we all have different budget and must purchase what we can afford, bext regards from a Kiwi living in Australia 👍👍👍👍
Great stuff. Well explained for the diy people.
Hi Stuart, can't go wrong for £50 for a basic chop saw .Good enough for chopping length's of timber for frame work, it can definitely take it through it's paces ,Good demonstration,thanks for the video👍
Seems like a good enough saw - especially for the price. Aldi & Lidl do put out some good DIY tools, I even met a 'pro' once who swore by their tools - good enough for the site and cheap enough if lost/borrowed (?) on site. Thanks for the upload Stuart.
Thanks - no problem
I bought mystery the park side band saw a year ago and it works like a dream always accurate always smooth, 80 what a bargain
I bought this saw mainly to build a workbench in my new Keter shed. Very pleased with its performance for that project especially when combined with the Parkside stand - the whole setup cost me just short of £100 which I considered to be a bargain. However, moving on from that to other projects, the limitations soon become clear. Most mitre saws really need a sacrificial fence to avoid tear out and this does not have the ability to screw one on. Installation is possible but only by fiddling around with a couple of clamps. The 60mm height is also a bit of a limitation and, as this review correctly states, the mitre angles and particularly the bevel angle are a bit of a lottery.
I have an older Aldi/Workzone sliding mitre saw. Works ok except the spring is stiff so it tends to flex sideways on the way down. No soft start either it really bangs into action
The price is unbeatable. The same saw costs €89.99 in Germany. I will have to order in the UK. Many greetings from Germany.
I've bought a number of Parkside hand held power tools from Lidl and found them to be of good practical quality. So much so, I used them to help me rebuild my house which is completely made of wood. Except the windows of course. They're made of glass.
However, I did consider buying their crosscut/mitre saw as a spare for when my Deuzer finally gave up the ghost but then decided not to after last dismantling the Deuzer (purchased in 2009 for a princely sum of €99.00) to clean and maintain its parts because everything was in perfect working order and I couldn't really see any wear and tear even after subjecting it to some serious demand. It still has the original carbon brushes installed by the manufacturer too which quite surprised me.
No time for WALT or RYOBI et alia and their extortionate prices for a tool that does exactly what the same tool produced by another manufacturer does for less than the ransom WALT and Co ask.
Are your squares square? 😉
Great informative vid as usual... Most of my tools come from Lidl 😅... The good thing about Lidl tools is the three year guarantee which I've had to use twice over the years... Just remember to staple your receipt to the inside of the user manual 😉
Hi Stuart.
just found your channel and subscribed because of this video.
I bought a Sliding Mitre Saw a year or so back second hand.
Used it but it never got the 45 degrees right or the straight cuts.
Never ever thought you could adjust them until seeing this.
It's buried under a ton of stuff as I got peed off with it,
Going to dig it out now and see if it has the adjustments like you shown.
Going to checkout the rest of your videos as well now.
Cheers.
Really good review which to me became an excellent tutorial on setting these saws up thank you,now which one do I buy...😮
Brilliant unbiased review
Thanks
Regarding dust extraction, every manufacturer appears to use their own arbitrarily set diameter. I have numerous machines, all of which vary by a few millimetres and it's always a fun job to find a combination of squishy rubber tubes,, hard plastic adaptors, and bits of cut-off funnel to connect my dust extractor. Having said that, dust extraction on mitre saws is always pants anyway. 😀
This is where having a 3d printer is invaluable. :-)
My hack for this is to use a compression fitting for plastic waste plumbing, because each size can accommodate quite a bit of variation. The smaller end of the 40/32mm reducer that fitted my old Ozito saw also fits my new Evolution one, and the 40mm side is just right to a Henry vac. I'm guessing quite a few other vacs/extractors would fit it too.
You can get almost any chop saw to do what you want, with a bit of faffing about, I do not exclude the expensive ones. I don’t know what the state of play is nowadays,but some of the cheap saws were difficult to get new blades for when I wanted one (NuTool ?). If you can get one, the best blade you can get helps a lot. I only keep a small chop saw now, because the things take up so much room ! Mine will do 3x2 fine !
The thing I like with Lidls AND Aldi is they give a 3 year warranty... or in the case of the brushless cordless Performance range of Parkside tools 5 YEARS warranty !! 👏😏
Regarding this saw, screwing a strip of 10mm ply to the fence and then running the sawblade through it will give you a nice zero-clearence fence...
😎👍☘🍺
I agree with you on these smaller machines, using it for second fit is great if you adjust it properly. However, I would use a mitre saw less than 10 inches for framing..
Cheers Stuart, you have a very entertaining way about you👍
Good investigation on the tool Stuart
It’s interesting that it doesn’t run on batteries especially as it is smaller than a big mitre saw. I could imagine it being handy for outdoor projects, especially doing square cuts. I know the solution would be connect it to an extension lead. But just the thought of wrapping up cable leads after a hard job. Oh what joy 😂
I have one of these from around 2000. This old version had mains laser an is extremely heavy. Front extended angle adjust Still working today
Have a few tools from them never had any issues hopefully this will be back in stock soon
Hi, Stuart! Besides all I like music you use 🎉 thanks 👍
I'm still using my Parkside saw ,i bought it second hand for 20 quid about six years old now and it's still works great,
admittedly I use
about a dozen times a year
Perfect saw and price for the rate of use I would say.
I used to have one like that that didn't slide. I found it nearly always wasn't deep enough so replaced it with a cheap Titan sliding one and it's loads better.
Not had the need for one of these so far, but for the price it seems an excellent product. Always been a bit wary of own brand products, but you may have changed my mind.
Some great tips here for setting the square. I'll have to have a play with evolution saw, which was about the same price 2 years ago
Perfect review! Thanks.
Your videos are so informative
I bought one of these and absolutely agree with the review. After taking about an hour to finesse the various angles, I was amazed at how good it is for simple workshop jobs such as putting points on 150 garden stakes. The only downsides I found were the rather dim and blurry laser line and the dust collection system doesn’t really work too well. So I just point it in a direction where I can sweep up the dust afterwards and no problem. 🙂
As a Festool Kapex owner, £50 you can’t argue. Set up is all important as you have demonstrated
I have a Dewalt M/saw and I have to confess I have never intentionally checked it for a true cut, now Im going to have to because my OCD will force it on me before I use it again. 😂
When you tighten up any adjusters, some old chippy years ago said put nail varnish on them because the varnish only cracks if any movement has taken place.
New blade is the first upgrade needed for this. get a few cuts out of this first. I got another fine tooth blade and it makes the difference
When i was in cabinet making school we had to do a bunch of "pointless" tasks. One of them was to mitre cut moulded architrave perfectly to 45° with just a handsaw... ONLY a handsaw. No squares, pencils or measuring devices. Then the teacher would check it with a square and hold it up to see if light would come through the joint.
Completely pointless, but i can still do it 25 years later with my MK3 laser eyeballs
use the square between the blade and the table and adjust the stop, then use the square between the fence and the blade. Check different angles on the left and right if they match
Great review once more. Didn't quite catch the max cutting size. Was it 120mm x 60 anyone?
Excellent as always Stuart 👍😁
Excellent test and review, thanks.
I would say it is as important (and easy) for it to come out of the factory plumb and square as for it to be out of alignment. But the consumer is always the QS department with these tools! Dead easy and obvious adjustments is good, my Bosch is a nighmare to set up (though only ever done it once following a knock).
i found out (like you did with the dust exttraction) that parkside has their own proprietory measures,you can also see this on their hose connections for their high pressure cleaners,standard connections that fit all other brands like kärcher doesnt work
Oh that's why then
Just a note. In a lot of the of the clips, you were cutting referencing with one face, and then measuring with the opposite face. Always measure/cut with the same face used to reference.
Appreciate the reminder to keep my $400 miter saw tuned up. It easily loses its square when I lug it around. It is my least favorite thing to move, so heavy and awkward that I bought a little battery operated one which has its own limitations.
I am always surprised when the more expensive saws goes off of square Pamela - shouldn't be like that.
Very good clear and concise review and I am now considering making a purchase of this machine. It is ridiculously cheap and seems ideal for DIY use . If they are selling at a £50 price point then they are probably buying it for about half that amount! Thank goodness for the Chinese people
I learned as an apprentice it was all in the sawing motion. I had no such tools and did it right first time.
Tighten the blade with the supplied allen key when you take it out the box and before doing any adjustments.
I have got 1 a friend gave me years ago,, Good Saw
Great stuff, thank you
Test the Screwfix Titan out. The sliding one. I have that and its good but I've notice when I do a slide cut its really out and not straight. Not sure if its adjustable or if its just pissed and needs returning.
I only ever brought on Parkside power tool. It was a circular saw. It works perfectly fine, but the spring mechanism on the safety guard broke on first use so probably not the best start.
Parkside lidI's own brand for tools most of is pretty decent useable tool's. But don't know the situation in the UK but in the Netherlands the secondhand sites are filled with mitersaws you can easy find profesional quality ones below the 100 euro. People buy those for a builds or renovations if they finished they sel them becouse it take alot of space to store them.
i had an old BandQ saw that was never straight, i ended up taking it apart and inserting shims made from tin can , adjusted the stops using precision squares against the blade, and as long as you didnt yank it around it was square enough for outside work, for proper cabinet making you will never get a consistent cut from a cheapo saw.
Great review! Think i’ll have one of those. Cheers for that. 👍😊
That seems very close to my old B&Q saw. It has served me well when working away from home for many years. My B&Q model has built my workshop, a garden room and a large garden bar. Parkside are a reasonable make but their router was rubbish
Very good, Stuart, but you didnt mention if the laser pointer was accurate or any good.
Most cheap stuff is "good" out of the box, but anything other than occasional use and the shortcomings soon reveal themselves. They tend to be noisy and old technology with brushed motors and no soft start or electronic brake and short stiff mains cables. If you're only doing the occasional bit of cutting, then that's fine, but if woodworking/DIY is your hobby, surely you want to enjoy the process as well as the finished result and quality tools are a pleasure to use.
Hi Stuart, I've bought a few Parkside tools including a petrol generator which went faulty and they sent a replacement out from Germany. For what they are they are generally good and being a retired sparks I wouldn't buy rubbish so I can recommend them. Your productions are great and I love DIY.
The general problem with these mitre saws is cut bevels at an angle, where the saw blade tries to 'cut' the upright aluminium.
With the small blade it means if you try to use it for the cornices above your kitchen units you would have a problem - especially where the cornices are at 45 degrees to the front of the unit.
I have a lot of Parkside tools, mainly cordless and I'd recommend them even for pro use . when it came to replacing my old Elu mitre saw I purchased an Evolution. What a piece of... not very good. Biggest problem is the dedicated blade - it has a 1" arbour so nothing else fits. It also has a slow start which is nothing but a nuisance, and unless you get up to speed before you cut will jam. And smash the fence.
Parkside make some good tools. I have a question? I have a garage at the back of my garden that has a corrugated metal roof that is unfortunately susceptible to condensation during the wintertime which can be challenging that time of year to protect my tools. I’d like to get a Mitre saw and other tools but I have no bench to put them on. Do you have any suggestions for workbenches, possibly moveable when I need to move them around but made from a material that won’t be damaged by condensation in winter, and sturdy to hold heavy tools like Mitre saws on top? Thanks.
My mitre saw (a Dexter from Leroy Merlin in Spain, €208) was impossible to get to cut consistently square. I tried every thing I could think of. Turned out the fence is not straight. Shocking quality control.
I have this fear of buying cheap tools , specifically saws. Mainy cause i've given myself the illusion the blade will fly out and split me in pieces 😆. After watching this i might pick myself up some budget friendly saws to do some jobs and practice on my carpentry. Many thanks for the video!
I own many Parkside tools and haven't been disappointed in a single one of them. Most of them are manufactured by Scheppach.
both Scheppach and parkside are made in PRC by children workers. Well done kids, take a sweet and back to work.
Some parksides have has had a serious problems btw...mainly with brushed motors. as they use brushless nowadays it's better.
@@SuperElectronixxx I take it you have been to the factory yourself and saw those kids with your own eyes, right? Just because pretty much everything we use and own, yes even the clothes we wear, is made in China, doesn't mean it was made by children. I mean most Chinese are short and small and look younger than they really are but they are not all children....I think. 😁
@@SuperElectronixxxso does your smartphone, and yet, there you are right now with it on your hand.
Nlot for high power but cheap stuff.@@SuperElectronixxx
@@SuperElectronixxx Two and a quarter lines and you couldn't be bothered to make them coherent or readable.
I have a macalister one from b n q which looks very similar.
I bought a similar "Evolution" saw, which was cheap, accurate enough even for some picture frames (surprisingly), and it lasted for four years, with a fair amount of abuse. I then bought an Einhell sliding mitre saw for £130 and it lasted one week. Took it back, and bought a Bosch saw for £300. The Bosch is simply streets ahead of all the cheaper saws. But at six times the price of the Parkside saw, it should be.
Park side and Einhell are the same brand made in the same factory by the same people just different label. Like most power tools just a different badge.
@@simonhinson9367 That's interesting. Can you let me know the model numbers for two identical, but differently-badged machines from this factory? My original Evolution saw came from Screwfix, which is a couple of notches up from something you'd pick up in a supermarket.
The Bosch ain’t half noisy.
@@jimbo2629 Yes, but no more so than other saws, and I always wear ear muffs or plugs when using it.
Wonder why the laser can’t just run off the electric?!
Agreed, my evolution one runs from the mains. Just a waste of batteries
Rectifiers are more expensive than battery trays.
@@dgollas id argue that the components needed to drive a laser are pencel
@dgollas what you said. Transformer, Rectifier and voltage regulator are so much more expensive than a battery holder.
@@andymartin86 I agree, but it adds up.
Parkside tools for the price are excellent for the small workshop and hobbyist especially the cordless range.
Do you know if it is possible to purchase this, I never see them advertised.
Only Parkside tool I've owned was their multi tool which was pretty cheap from aldi. I used to use to to polish watches. I hardly ever used it and maybe used it less than ten times over a 3 year period. Then went to use it the other day and smoke started coming out of it and the little motor in it died.
Bloody brilliant!