B&Q Macallister sliding mitre saws

[Fred]

Hi,

I'm probably going to get in trouble for even thinking of buying one but here goes ;)

I can't afford a branded saw, so I was thinking of buying one from B&Q. Looking at some old posts some people love them, some people hate them.

From what I can remember someone said that some saws use blades with a non-standard bore, which makes replacement difficult or expensive. IIRC the Macallister red eye (from B&Q) was a standard bore, which was a plus point.

It also had two lasers one for 90 degree cuts and one for 45 degree cuts? I don't know what you did if you wanted to cut 60 degrees! but people seemed to think the laser alignment was not very accurate. Can it be adjusted?

I've been to B&Q and it looks though they are halfway through replacing these with a new "Macallister laser precision" range. I'm not sure if these are actually a step backwards. I think they only have one laser, not two, now but that may not be a big concern?

I can't find anything about these saws online. Why don't b&q put the specs on their web site or make a special Macallister web site? Looking at the boxes, I thought the bore size of the blade had changed. Why would they do this? Is it no longer a standard bore? (I can't remember what size it was/is, I'll have to read the box again, next time I go). If so, that's a big disadvantage.

The pricing is strange: some of the smaller saws cost more than the big ones. Why would that be? I did think a big saw would be more versatile but I think it weights 20kg and is very bulky to carry upstairs. I think one post suggested getting a smaller, lighter, one to carry about. Do you know the weights of any of the others? What is a good blade size for general purpose use?

I imagine I would mainly use it for skirting board and architrave to begin with.

Why is B&Q's other own brand performance power, even cheaper?

TIA

[The Medway Handyman]

Have a look at the Wickes range. Not Makita/Bosch/DeWalt but better than B&Q IMO.

[David WE Roberts]

As with all things the brand is not consistent - some variants may be good and others bad. FWIW I have a McAllister from B&Q and it has done me O.K. (after changing the coarse blade - about 4 teeth - for a reasonably fine one). I don't use the laser. I'm not sure what value it adds. I draw a line on the timber and check the blade runs true along it before cutting. I also check the blade is 90 degrees to the bed now and then with a square.

I am using it for fairly crude things like cutting 2*4 and joists but it seems fine.

Each model will vary in value and performance.

Have a look at what Screwfix offers online - they sometimes have good deals.

Cheers

Dave R

[js.b1]

I think they are =A3100, and there seemed to be a fair degree of slop at full extension which may not be adjustable out.

What width are you cutting?

Non Sliding... Makita MLS100 will do 136x60, about =A3100 from Lawson, may be similar on Tooled-Up, reviews on Screwfix.

Sliding... Bosch PCM8S will do far wider, about =A3200 from Tooled-Up, check around for reviews.

I have not used either saw (or the above suppliers), but to say branded is expensive is not always true; they are not cheap but they are known to give a reasonable cut with parts backup. The test for a mitre saw is making a hexagon picture/mirror frame, cheap either create a curved cut or one where the angles simply do not meet up - it is a difficult task, but a good test.

If it is to do rough work then the Argos saw (Challenge?) was recommended some time ago, not sure if it is still stocked/available. The cheap end is a highly variable area - the same saw can be rebranded or even slightly modified, once you get into sliding saws quality really does count. Most saws say factory setup, that appears not always true from many reviews of many saws (Makita included).

[NT]

The 3 biggest issues with these things are

- sideways movement of the saw head - reject any machine with any noticeable movement

- plastic bases bend in use, misaligning cuts - avoid

- blade quality can make anything from perfect cuts even with laminates to cruddy cuts with burn marks and a tendency to push the workpiece sideways

If you must buy cheap, you can test 2 of the above points in many shops, find one that passes those 2 checks

There are other issues too, but you cant have it all from a cheap one.

NT

[John Rumm]

Have you looked at decent ones second hand? Nice ones turn up on ebay from time to time.

Lawson do some SIP ones. which are apparently not too dire.

Its probably not enough use to be worth the effort. You can offer the blade to the line with the saw not running anyway, and see exactly where you are going to cut.

Note that Axminster do adaptor rings that can be inserted into some blades to bring the bore down to a non standard size.

Was one a chop saw and the other a slider?

For shifting about and site work, some of the 8" sliders can be very versatile and not to hefty. Although it pays to go for a better quality machine when going for a slider.

If getting a chop saw, then 10" is a realistic minimum to be useful. (8" chop saws will do 4x2 - but only a straight cut usually)

Skirting really needs a decent quality slider, since you will be needing a decent quality bevel cut capability - something the poorer saws are not so good at.

for external mitres anyway - internal skirting joints ought to be scribed:

Why is B&Q's other own brand performance power, even cheaper?

even crapper?

General FAQ on mitre saws:

[stuart noble]

I did some 12" skirting recently with a £30 circular saw set at 45 degs. You need some kind of jig/sawboard arrangement for the baseplate to follow, and two hands to operate the saw, but something clamped on to a workmate works well enough.

[NT]

Normally the laser aligns with the blade, or does if you adjust it, then its lined up right for all cuts in all positions.

other brands ditto, and its not too hard to make your own adaptor rings.

NT

[mike]

Local Lidl still had some at =A369.98 earlier today. Looked quite decent. I've had the non-sliding variety from there for a few years now and it's been fine. The B&Q own-brand power tools I've had have been pretty poor.

if that doesn't work:

[fred]

In article , Fred writes

I have a 10" sliding compound mitre saw of theirs. Got it a couple of years ago when I needed to do a lot of framing and couldn't justify the cost of a better one.

It's heavy enough not to flex but you've got to check every angle you set with a trial cut as the scales aren't 100% and the detents on the main axis are out too.

The 10" blade has a standard fixing (25mm I think) and has 24 teeth, it's been fine for all the framing and the bit of mdf skirting/architrave I was doing.

All in all, it has served its purpose and saved me lots of time but it is not without its limitations.

Btw, the 2 line laser on this one has been dead accurate and very useful, saved me ages on lining up, particularly useful in trimming a v slightly oversize piece by a mm or 2.