R255SMS-DB

I have a manufacturing business which requires me to cut bolt of fabric with precision. This has proven to be a wonderful tool & has made my work so much easier & more profitable.

So I ordered this saw as I am getting into metal fabrication. It replaced a 10" Ryobi single bevel compound miter saw that worked well for the 3 years I owned it. Hence, my review is going to be in direct comparison to that saw. It arrived on time, and well packaged. Nothing indicated it was anything but a brand new saw, direct from Evolution. Set up was a breeze, and the instructions and parts were clearly laid out. I re-used the Ryobi miter saw stand I bought when I purchased my previous saw, and there was nothing weird about mounting the Evolution on that stand. The Evolution saw came with everything they stated it would, including the multi-material blade. I haven't had a great deal of experience with that blade yet, as I feel a purpose built blade will do a better job, 99% of the time, than a jack-of-all-trades. So I had already purchased a decent 80T finishing blade, a blade specifically meant for steel, and a dry tile blade. I plan on adding a masonry blade as well in the future. As far as fit and finish, it's on par with any of the other saws I have used, including DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi, Rigid, and Hercules. There's lots of aluminum and plastic, just like any other saw produced in China. The miter functions are smooth, with all the usual detents for angles. The saw takes up the room commonly associated with sliding miter saws, which means you'll need a couple feet behind it to fully swing the saw through the entire miter arc. The cut length listed it accurate, and shown for the straight length, miter lengths left and right, and both bevel angles. The saw came accurate out of the box, s tested with a square. The laser line works as well as any laser line, though I wish they had included an LED shadow line option as well, as lasers tend to drift over time in a vibration rich environment. The first thing anyone will notice is the soft start on the R255SMSDB. You squeeze the trigger and the saw takes a second or so to come up to full speed. The Ryobi I previously had almost jerked to life. You'll also notice Evolution doesn't have a safety switch mechanism on the trigger handle, which is actually kind of nice. I'm not sure who thought people would be using their miter saw trigger as some sort of rest or whatever, but it's not something you'd accidentally pull. The next thing that gets noticed is the speed. I'm used to miter saws more or less shrieking along at 4K+ RPM. Obviously, cutting different materials requires a slower speed, and you'll feel it with the R255SMSDB. It's literally an extra second here and there, compared to a "normal" miter saw, when making cuts. People who say things like "Contractor Grade", "Jobsite", or "My time is money", are probably going to get frustrated with this aspect of the saw. Those people also get frustrated with everything, all the time. It's not a device you use when you are in a hurry. I personally wouldn't ever be in a hurry when I am cutting things like metal, tile, or masonry, as that can quickly lead to a trip to the hospital. The R255SMSDB is meant for it's range of material handling, not it's ability to get things done fast. I knew this going in, and was happy with the speed. I've heard a consistent rumor that Evolution locks you into using their proprietary blades. This is completely untrue. Evolution states that they only suggest using their blades, but I'm pretty sure every company that makes both saws and blades does the same thing. I was worried when I saw that Evolution states the arbor size for the R255SMSDB is 1". It is, and isn't. Evolution blades are all 1" arbor, but most common blades from most manufacturers are 5/8" arbors. It's easy to reduce an arbor size on a blade with a bushing. Not the other way around. Before my saw arrived, I was scrambling to find the variety of blades I wanted, such as a 80T+ finishing blade for wood, with a 1" arbor. There aren't many around. Thankfully, I found out through a forum that the arbor on the R255SMSDB can be removed and flipped around to accommodate a 5/8" arbor blade. So you can still use any normal 10", or 255mm, blade in the saw. On to the caveats; The dust collection on the R255SMSDB is poor. I mean really poor. You absolutely want to use it either outside, or have a shop vac connected to the dust port if using inside. Even then, it's dust port feed is oddly shaped, and not very solid, so any vacuum created is kind of weak. I plan on modifying a new dust port out of 3D printed material. You will also REALLY REALLY want to wear safety goggles with this saw when cutting metal. Unlike an abrasive saw, the blades used in a R255SMSDB are actually doing thousands of tiny chips to the material when cutting. These little chips go everywhere, and can be slightly hot. Hot enough to notice them landing on you. It's always a good idea to use safety gear, however inconvenient, but with flying shards of metal, it's a must. Long sleeves probably don't hurt matters either. Speaking of safety; the other caveat is Evolution only including one table clamp. This is not an ideal scenario when cutting stiff materials like metal. Wood, when drawn toward the spinning blade after the cut, is soft enough to just absorb some of the kinetic force. Metal will NOT. Metal will bounce, jump, and fly into random directions. Metal can hurt you a heck of a lot faster than wood. Ideally, you want both sides of whatever you ae cutting to be secured in place. A 2nd clamp would have been a good idea. That said, the clamp included is not a quick release, but it is a good clamp, and works for flat, round, and angled items. I fabbed a new table mount on one side of the saw table to mount a flat bench vise, which gives me a lot mor confidence when sawing metal, but Evolution really should have included another clamp, even if it meant losing a few bucks in profit on each saw. On to the testing! I used an 80T wood blade in the R255SMSDB, and it cut just as well as it ever did in my old saw, again, accounting for lower RPM speed and the soft start. But who cares about wood? Nobody is buying this saw based on how well it does the same thing any other saw does. We want METAL! I had previously purchased a Hercules 10" steel cutting blade, only to find out it isn't meant for high RPM saws. That's actually what prompted this purchase. I tested the Hercules blade in the R255SMSDB on galvanized fence pipe, 1/8th" mild steel barstock, and 1/2" rebar. The combo cut through them all like butter. I haven't yet tried the tile blade I own, nor the masonry blade I intend to buy, but I will update when I do. All in all, a hell of a saw for a decent price, but a few more features would elevate the design, and safety aspects. Not a saw for the "pro", but again, the "pro" is usually more worried about how fast they can complete a job. This is a saw for the maker. The craftsperson. Someone with time to do this safely and with attention to detail.

This thing is awesome. I am very impressed with how well this saw cut steel. I have cut up to 2-1/8" stainless steel rod with this saw, very slowly. I smile every time I use this saw.

It cuts 1/4" steel very easily.... I like the laser to ensure you are getting the correct cut One warning... wear a face shield the blade has a lot of metal flying at you when your cutting

Why did you pick this product vs others?: RPM's are too fast, just chews up metal cutting blades. I to 6 cuts before it started throwing sparks. As a miter saw I am sure it's fine.

First thing the lazer quit working. Second the plastic on the cutting surface that the blade goes through melted Third the wings that extend that table are flimsy and make it difficult to to keep your project square Forth 0 is not zero. 0 is supposed to be 90 degree cut. It’s not and I can’t find a way to adjust it. Fifth the lock to hold the slide does not lock it down as hard as I turn it, it doesn’t stay locked so as far as I can see I would not buy it or recommend it to anyone. I would suggest you buy another brand. Dewalt or Milwaukee, I thought this was a quality company. I’m not even close to being impressed. I can’t return it because I shipped it to Central America. I’m calling the company and see what can be done. When I called at first on the 0 problem. They said this is for rough work. Excuse me. They advertise it as a precision piece of equipment. They should state it’s for cutting rebar.

Se Ben q está echa de materiales recistentes bien construida la recomiendo

I give it a 4.8 out of 5 Good cut strength. Durability very good. Solid! But overly heavy. Fairly accurate out of the box, some minimal tweaking and it cuts true. Slides good and bevels with ease. Very happy at the price point not feeling ripped off. Not loud at all for a saw. Negatives “opinion” the dust collector (unless using an vac) and the clearance plate I would have like to see a sturdier design not a light plastic snap in. No screws. Overall very pleased!!!!!

Todo bien

El arranque es muy lento. Al presionar el gatillo de arranque, tarda en girar el disco hasta acelerar a su máxima velocidad.

Muy buena herramienta sobre todo si se compra un disco especifico para metal y otro para madera, muy buena potencia, cortes limpios y precisos en ambos materiales, no me quejo de nada, excelente!

Nada me disgusto. Es excelente, solo que no venía la bolsa para las rebabas.

Es lo mejor que he usado para metal, corta muy silenciosamente y es muy precisa. Solamente tomar en cuenta que esta máquina es multiusos y no podrá cortar tanto metal tan frecuentemente o se acaba la sierra muy pronto o se calienta. Cambiar el disco mejora mucho el rendimiento. En general es de las mejores compras que he hecho.