Tool brands ?for shop upgrades
- Thread starter D. Hinton
- Start date
If you keep the saw inside your shop and it is not used outside on the job site then operating space becomes an issue. That narrows down the field to those that have rail forward designs, or the Bosch "Axial-Glide" system. Both of these designs allow the saw to park directly against a wall and make full width cuts. Otherwise you need quite a bit of operating space behind the saw and that pushes its placement towards the middle of the room. If you use the saw in a permanent location, typically on a bench, you'll either have to pull the bench away from the wall or have a very wide bench.
For this reason I'd go with a rail forward saw or the Bosch "Axial-Glide". That narrows down the field, the last time I checked, to Festool Kapex, Metabo, and Makita for a rail forward design or an Axial-Glide Bosch or Ridgid knock-off.
From those choices its a matter of budget, brand preference, availability, and any other factor that makes you feel good about the purchase. I have the Metabo and it does what I need. The bevel adjustment isn't the best but that's not something I use very often. The Bosch Axial-Glide has a reputation for flexing meaning inconsistent cuts. I have no experience with it and cannot pass any judgement. Internet forum comments about this issue range from "no big deal" to "unusable". I gather the Makita is a bit more refined and has easier adjustments than the Metabo. Were I in the market would lean towards it or delay retirement a couple years and get the Festool Kapex.
For this reason I'd go with a rail forward saw or the Bosch "Axial-Glide". That narrows down the field, the last time I checked, to Festool Kapex, Metabo, and Makita for a rail forward design or an Axial-Glide Bosch or Ridgid knock-off.
From those choices its a matter of budget, brand preference, availability, and any other factor that makes you feel good about the purchase. I have the Metabo and it does what I need. The bevel adjustment isn't the best but that's not something I use very often. The Bosch Axial-Glide has a reputation for flexing meaning inconsistent cuts. I have no experience with it and cannot pass any judgement. Internet forum comments about this issue range from "no big deal" to "unusable". I gather the Makita is a bit more refined and has easier adjustments than the Metabo. Were I in the market would lean towards it or delay retirement a couple years and get the Festool Kapex.