Evolution RAGE3+ Multipurpose Sliding Mitre Saw 255 mm With Accessory Pack (110 V)

Bought this after rejecting TWO Metabo KGS254M's that had quality control issues (depth stop on one and rough linear bearings on the other). So lost confidence in the build quality of that brand, even though they looked good in their matt green plastic with nice red knobs!Yes, its cheaper than the offerings from Metabo, Bosch, Makita, Hitachi, etc but this Evolution saw punches well above its weight in my opinion.For moderate DIY use this saw fitted the bill perfectly. It did take an hour to assemble, but that was because I was being meticulous and re oiling & re greasing things as I assembled them; most won't bother doing this I'm sure. Then another hour to align the bed, laser & compound mechanism using a set square and a angle finder to get it all spot on. Easy to adjust and this is something that all sliding mitre saws benefit from after acrough journey through the postal system!Putting the saw together myself enabled me to ensure that the linear bearings were nicely greased before sliding the tubes in ( something I couldn't do with the pre-assemble Metabo).The saw handle is also a vertical grip rather than the horizontal grip of other saws- I find it much easier to get a controlled pull down using the vertical grip as you use your elbow AND your bicep muscle. Maybe that's just me, but it feels so much easier. I also found that I accidentally powered the saw blade on the horizontal handle while doing a practice power off cut test; this is more difficult to do with the evolution saw as you have to make a separate finger action to pull BOTH triggers, rather than just pushing a side bar and squeezing the handle on other saws.Having done a few cuts now, the saw is accurate and smooth. Can't comment on metal cutting as I've only cut 4x2. But seems powerful enough.I've coupled it with the matching evolution mitre saw stand which makes a great, safe, solid set up.Can't comment on longevity, however I used a fury 3 saw by evolution on a course recently, that had been used every day by joinery students for 3 years and was still performing perfectly, even still has the original blade!So from my limited experience, I'd recommend this saw, especially if you can pick it up on promotion (£50 less) or the Evo web store has graded returns that look good value too.

I received the Mitre Saw yesterday. For those who are asking if the package includes the stop block, the work piece supports, clamp, bag etc the answer is yes. I received mine with all of them as it is on the picture.The saw is huge so be sure that you have the space not only for the saw but for yourself too. You have to be comfortable to use the machine. The overall performance is good and I tried to cut, wood, wood with nails, metal, aluminum and I did some bevel cuts.Before that I had to calibrate my saw (directions you can find on user's manual). Nothing special just needed 5 minutes of my time and everything is square now.The cuts are clean on all materials I used (wood, aluminum, steel. I didnt try on plexiglass yet)Its my first Sliding Mitre saw and I am very pleased with my purchase. The only thing I dont like, is that the dusting bag is almost useless.Thats all for now. I have the saw just 2 days so I dont want to write something else before double check it.Have a nice day everybody!

I have experienced the same as many people (reading the reviews):1) The build quality of the base is a bit poor. Mine seemed to be not fully level and somehow straightened out after 30 mins out of the box. A base of such a saw should be rigid. Also on the area where you put your working piece, the fixed outer sides are not entirely level with the rotating middle. Fortunately, this seems to be less of a problem than expected, when clamping down and pushing down on a working piece it seems to work out. This point is also why this saw get 4/5 and not 5/5.2) The all purpose blade doesn't give a perfect cut with wood (some splintering). Or at least you need to be extremely careful to get a perfect cut. Maybe this problem doesn't exist with a specific wood cutting blade, I don't know.3) The dust collecting bag is useless. Prepare to clean your working area :)So, mainly point (1) got me a bit worried when I started assembling the saw, which took me no more than 10 minutes using the booklet instructions. I assume the instructions have been improved recently as many people complained about this. Aside from the initial worry, when doing the first test cuts, I've been impressed. For this price, it's a hell of a tool. I've mainly purchased the saw for the all purpose blade. I was attracted by the ability to also cut metal for this low price. After assembling, I've put some 600x25x2.5mm steel tubing on the saw and it handles that perfectly. No more problems cutting steel pieces of mm accuracy at 45 degree angles for my next welding project. Again, not a perfect cut, but for a tool in that price range impressive.The laser seems to work fine as well. It has some kind of lens cap, so it seems that evolution solved the reported issue with dust blocking the laser and being difficult to remove.Note that laser, turning and tilting angle indicators are all adjustable. So if they are not spot on out of the box, you can easily fix it. My laser was a bit off, took me 5 minutes to adjust (loosen screw, shift, tighten screw).2 important things remain, which I can't answer yet:1) Blade durability - Let's face it, there is no magic when cutting metal, your blade suffers. If I get a blade to do 20 tube cuts of that 600x25x2.5, I'm close to the same price as cutting with a grinder and I shouldn't complain. Seriously some reviews really expect unrealistic things.You also feel when you make the blade suffer. I'm quite sure that a good cutting strategy (there are some youtube video's on that) for the harder materials can indeed prolong your blade-life considerably.2) Machine durability - First impression doesn't convince me this is really heavy duty material. But I'll be using it infrequently (only hobby-projects), so I would expect this machine to last "a lifetime".Don't compare this to a dewalt, makita or festool saw that costs 3 times the price. Yes, those will cut better (faster, cleaner, ...). These brands would no longer exist at those prices if that wasn't the case. But not everyone has the cash to spend or needs the precision of a surgeon.So in summurary, the first impression for me is very good. The Rage3 performs as advertised (okay, yes, metal cutting causes sparks regardless of what marketing people say, etc). So, Now I just hope that it doesn't break down on me in the first couple of years. I don't think there is any "cutter" out there that beats the price/functionality ratio that the rage3 offers...PS: my personal feeling after using this saw about comments that say that it doesn't cut well or kicks back working pieces, is that people don't use it properly. With a power-tool like this, you need to clamp down your stuff and saw slowly with a correct angle of attack and with a clear cutting strategy for reducing stress on the blade. This is the same with all saws. If you smash the blade into a metal tube, you'll have problems...