Evolution R255MTS

4 Stars In The Price Range – I wanted a table saw that I could various blades for and that could, at a once in every great while push, be transported to an easy to access place. Being able to handle nails on some wood was preferred too. Mostly it will just sit around getting very occasional use. Unless you want to spend way more the choices are limited. This is a… Read more

generic design and the two similar guises I came down to were a big chain offering for $100 less and this. The big chain offering came with 3 cheap wood blades versus this one with a good blade costing more overall. The big chain says for wood that I could see and I preferred the odd nail in wood being still OK, and I will take no chances taken with a table saw. The extra backplate on the big chain was a minus in my book as it would be taking up precious extra space, and seemed to serve more to strengthen things whereas this one had more robust leg attachment system off the bat.

Nothing against that big chain range at all. I often use them as usually do what I need for my specific occasional needs and at prices and easy returns I can't look past. On this occasion, the differences above were key enough to make the $100 saving look like a false economy quickly and always nice to do business with a local small business. I should say other differences existed but IMO very minor and nothing that I would care about.

Back to this one:

It went together OK. After some playing, it squares up OK - Maybe a bit of a knack holding and tightening when in place to do that but it did it. The fence stays in place and if it ever gets loose a clamp will be an easy fix. The mitre angle guage is IMO only useful where guaranteed exactness is not required as it's not an exact fit in the grooves even if it looked better than the other. The clamp-on it I took off and that solves any niggle with my Ozito mitre saw which only came with one - fitted that fine on the right side fence of that mitre saw to compliment the left............Generic stuff.....\. I might look at fixing a different T bar or just rely on sleds I have / will make (often go that route anyway)

Adjustments are easy.

The throat plate is flimsy but OK in practice for my use so far.

The blades I needed were easy enough to get BUT something to look into before buying.

IMO there is nothing out there at or remotely close to this price point that comes in excellent guise out of the box.

This one I can work with from its base to get good results having decided a table saw was the route I wanted to go for my needs.