Mitre Saws: Which Type You Need, How to Cut Skirting Boards Properly, and What to Buy
The UK guide to mitre saws. Compound vs sliding, blade sizes, skirting board technique, scribing internal corners, and what to buy from ~£60 to £900.
You're fitting skirting boards in four rooms. You've bought the boards, the adhesive, the pin gun. You hold the first length up to an internal corner, mark it, and cut it freehand with a handsaw. The angle is off by two degrees. The joint gaps. You trim it. Now the board is 3mm short. Multiply that by 30-odd joints across four rooms and you've wasted an afternoon and half a pack of skirting. A mitre saw makes every one of those cuts in seconds, accurate to within half a degree, with a clean face that doesn't need sanding.
What it is and when you need one
A mitre saw (also called a chop saw or drop saw) is a bench-mounted power saw with a circular blade that swings down onto the workpiece to make crosscuts. The timber sits flat on a base against a vertical fence, you line up your mark, pull the trigger, and lower the blade through the wood. The whole cut takes two seconds.
What makes it different from a circular saw is precision. The blade pivots on a fixed arm, so every cut is square and repeatable. A turntable at the base rotates to set angled cuts (mitres), and on compound models the blade head also tilts sideways for bevel cuts. You set your angle once, lock the turntable, and every subsequent cut is identical. That repeatability is why carpenters and kitchen fitters treat this as an essential tool, not a luxury.
On a typical extension project, you'll reach for a mitre saw during four stages: cutting roof timbers (rafter angles, birdsmouth joints), trimming kitchen cornice and pelmet, cutting laminate or engineered flooring planks to length, and fitting skirting boards and architrave. The last two are the jobs homeowners most commonly do themselves.
Types and variants
Three types exist. The difference between them determines how wide a board you can cut and what angles you can achieve.
| Type | Mitre? | Bevel? | Slides? | Max crosscut (210mm blade) | Price range | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic compound | Yes | Yes (single) | No | ~120mm | £60-90 | Narrow skirting, architrave, small trim |
| Sliding compound | Yes | Yes (single) | Yes | ~230-300mm | £100-250 | Standard skirting, wide boards, flooring. The one to buy. |
| Double-bevel sliding | Yes | Yes (both directions) | Yes | ~230-300mm | £180-400+ | Repeated compound cuts without flipping the workpiece |
Basic compound. The blade swings down and that's it. Crosscut width is limited to whatever the blade can reach in a single chop, roughly 120mm on a 210mm blade. If your skirting board is taller than 120mm (and most ogee or torus profiles are 119-170mm), you can't cut it in one pass. That's a problem. These saws are cheap, starting around ~£60, but the limited crosscut capacity frustrates people quickly.
Sliding compound. The blade slides forward on rails before dropping, doubling the crosscut width to 230-300mm depending on the model. This handles tall skirting, wide shelving, decking boards, and 6x2 roofing timber. The extra £30-60 over a basic compound is the single best upgrade you can make. Forum after forum shows DIYers who bought a non-sliding saw and regretted it within a week.
Double-bevel sliding. The blade head tilts both left and right instead of just one direction. This matters when you're making compound cuts (mitre and bevel at the same time) on crown moulding or complex trim, because you don't have to flip the workpiece to cut the matching angle. For skirting boards and architrave, single bevel is adequate. Double bevel saves time only if you're doing a lot of crown moulding or cornice work.
Buy sliding
A 210mm sliding compound mitre saw is the right choice for almost every homeowner. It handles all standard skirting profiles, architrave, flooring, and framing timber. Spending more on double bevel or a larger blade only makes sense if you know you need it.
Blade diameter
Blade diameter determines cutting depth (how thick a board you can cut) and, on sliding models, contributes to crosscut width.
210mm is the standard for DIY and light trade use. Crosscut depth around 62-65mm at 90 degrees, sliding width 230-300mm. Handles all standard skirting, architrave, and construction timber up to 6x2 (47x150mm). Blades are cheap and widely available.
250-255mm gives deeper cuts (up to 85-90mm) and wider crosscuts. Heavier saws, typically 20-25kg. Worth it if you're cutting thick decking or structural timber regularly.
305mm is the professional standard. Cuts approximately 70mm deep and 310-330mm wide. These saws weigh 25-35kg and take up serious bench space. Overkill for a homeowner.
Stick with 210mm unless you have a specific reason to go bigger.
Corded vs cordless
Buy corded. Cordless mitre saws exist but they're large, heavy, and expensive. A bare-body cordless 184-190mm sliding saw starts at £390 (DeWalt DCS365N-XJ). Add two batteries and a charger, and you're at £600 or more for less power than a £120 corded saw that plugs into any 230V socket.
Cordless makes sense for a professional carpenter who moves between sites daily and doesn't want to run extension leads. For a homeowner doing one renovation project, it's a waste of money.
How to use it properly
Setting up
Place the saw on a stable, flat surface at a comfortable working height. A dedicated mitre saw stand (£60 – £130) is useful but not essential. A sturdy workbench or even a sheet of plywood across two sawhorses works fine. What matters is that the saw doesn't rock and the work surface is level with the saw's base.
Long boards need support at both ends. An unsupported board will lift off the fence on the far side, tilting the cut. Use a roller stand, a spare sawhorse, or stack offcuts to the same height as the saw's base table.
Making accurate cuts
Mark your line. Use a sharp pencil and a combination square. A thick marker line introduces 1-2mm of ambiguity.
Cut on the waste side. The blade has a kerf (the width of the slot it cuts) of about 2.5-3mm. If you cut directly on your pencil line, you'll remove 1.5mm from the keep side. Line up the blade so the teeth just touch the waste side of the line.
Lock the turntable. Budget saws have play in the turntable, sometimes half a degree. Always lock the angle before cutting. Verify the actual angle with a combination square rather than trusting the detent markings, especially on saws under £150.
Hold the workpiece firmly against the fence. The timber must sit flat on the base and tight against the fence. Any gap between the back of the board and the fence means the cut angle will be wrong. Use the saw's clamp if it has one, or hold the workpiece firmly with your non-trigger hand, well away from the blade path.
Let the blade reach full speed before lowering it into the work. Bring the spinning blade down smoothly, let it cut through, then release the trigger and wait for the blade to stop before lifting the head back up. Rushing this step is how boards get snatched and fingers get close to the blade.
Cutting skirting boards at 45 degrees
This is the task most homeowners buy a mitre saw for. Two types of corner, two different techniques.
External corners (where the wall corner points into the room): set the saw to 45 degrees, cut the first board with the angle going one way. For the matching board, either flip the board end-for-end or swing the saw to 45 degrees the opposite direction. The two mitred faces meet at the corner. Test-fit before fixing. If the corner isn't perfectly square (most aren't), adjust by half a degree and recut.
Internal corners (where two walls meet in a concave corner): mitring both boards at 45 degrees rarely produces a tight joint because walls are almost never perfectly square. The professional technique is scribing (also called coping). You still use the mitre saw for the first step: cut the board at 45 degrees to expose the profile shape of the moulding. Then use a coping saw to carefully cut along that exposed profile, removing the waste behind it. The scribed board butts tight against the face of the first board, hiding any gap caused by an out-of-square corner.
Before cutting your actual skirting, sacrifice two 200mm offcuts and practice both external mitres and the scribed internal joint. Getting the technique right on scrap costs pennies. Getting it wrong on a 2.4m length of ogee skirting costs a board.
Stop blocks for repeatable cuts
When you need multiple pieces the same length (flooring planks, fence slats, battens), clamp a scrap block to the fence at the required distance from the blade. Butt each board against the block and cut. Every piece comes out identical without measuring each one. Measure from the outside edge of the blade teeth to the block face, accounting for kerf.
How to check it's cutting square
Before you commit to cutting good timber, run two checks.
The flip test for mitre angle. Cut two pieces of scrap at the same mitre setting (say 45 degrees). Butt the cut faces together. If the joint is perfectly flat with no gaps, the angle is accurate. If it opens at one end, the turntable detent is off. Adjust and retest.
The crosscut square test. Set the saw to 0 degrees (straight crosscut). Cut a piece of scrap. Stand the cut end on a flat surface and hold a combination square against it. Any daylight between the square and the cut face means the blade isn't perpendicular to the fence. Most saws have adjustment bolts behind the fence to correct this.
Run both checks after unboxing a new saw, after transporting it, and whenever cuts start looking off. Budget saws drift more than premium ones. It takes five minutes and saves hours of frustration.
What to buy
Budget: ~£60 to £100 (basic compound and entry sliding)
Titan TTB795MSW 210mm compound at Screwfix, £65. Non-sliding. Adequate if you're cutting narrow architrave and nothing wider than about 120mm. Dust bag is near-useless.
Wickes 210mm sliding compound 1800W, £100. The cheapest sliding saw from a major retailer. Gets the job done for a few rooms of skirting. Don't expect laser-sharp accuracy or smooth detents.
Evolution R185SMS 185mm sliding, around £100 at Screwfix. Slightly smaller blade (185mm) but surprisingly capable. Evolution saws run slightly slower than competitors, which can produce a slightly rougher cut finish. Community consensus: "for DIY use you can't get a better saw for the money."
Evolution saws use a 25.4mm (1-inch) blade bore, not the standard 30mm. If you buy aftermarket blades, you need blades with a 25.4mm bore or a reducing ring. Poorly fitting bore adapters cause vibration and inaccurate cuts. Safest approach: buy Evolution-specific blades or check bore size carefully before ordering.
Mid-range: £120 – £260 (sliding compound)
This is the sweet spot. You get solid build quality, reliable detents, and accurate cuts.
Evolution R210SMS+ 210mm sliding, £120-170 depending on retailer. Multi-material TCT blade included (cuts wood, mild steel, aluminium, plastic). Dual quick-release clamps. Max crosscut 65x230mm. Three-year warranty. The most recommended budget-to-mid saw across UK DIY forums.
DeWalt DWS773-GB 216mm sliding, £200 at Screwfix. 1300W motor, 12kg, mitre range 48-0-48 degrees. Crosscut capacity 250x62mm. Single bevel. A proper trade-quality saw that's lighter than most competitors. If you want something that feels precise and will last beyond one project, this is the entry point.
Erbauer ERB1074MSW 254mm double-bevel sliding, £190 at Screwfix. Larger 254mm blade with deeper cutting capacity. 1800W motor. Double bevel for compound crown moulding cuts. Heavier, but good value if you need the extra capacity.
Professional: £380 – £900
Bosch GCM 8 SJL 216mm sliding, £380 at Screwfix. 1600W, 17.3kg, crosscut 312x70mm. Two-point dust extraction, laser guide. Single bevel left. Bosch's compact rear-rail design takes up less bench depth than forward-rail competitors.
DeWalt DWS780 305mm double-bevel sliding, £620-700. The industry standard for site carpentry. XPS shadow line system (projects the actual blade position onto the workpiece using an LED, no calibration needed), AIRLOCK dust extraction port, double bevel, 1675W motor. Serious tool for serious work.
Makita LS1219L 305mm dual-rail sliding, £750-895. Dual-rail design mounts flush against a wall. 1800W motor, three-year warranty. The professional alternative to the DeWalt DWS780.
Replacement blades
Stock blades on budget saws are mediocre. A decent aftermarket 210mm TCT blade costs £16 – £55. More teeth means a finer cut: 40-tooth for general crosscutting, 60-tooth for clean skirting and architrave work. Saxton, Trend CraftPro, and DeWalt Extreme blades all get good UK forum reviews.
Shadow line vs laser guide
Some mid-range and professional saws include a guide that projects a line onto the workpiece showing where the blade will cut. Two types exist.
Laser guides project a thin red line. They need calibrating when new, recalibrating after blade changes, and drift over time. Useful but fiddly.
Shadow line systems (DeWalt calls theirs XPS) use an LED to cast the blade's own shadow onto the work. No calibration needed. The shadow adjusts automatically when you swap blades. Experienced users and forum consensus: shadow lines are superior. If you're choosing between two saws at a similar price and one has a shadow line, pick that one.
Alternatives
A circular saw handles long straight cuts and sheet materials that a mitre saw can't reach. If you need to rip a sheet of plywood to width, a mitre saw is useless. The two tools complement each other. A mitre saw is for precise short crosscuts on individual boards; a circular saw is for everything else.
A hand mitre box and tenon saw costs under £15 and can cut skirting at 45 degrees. It works. But it's slow, the accuracy depends entirely on your sawing technique, and cutting through 18mm MDF skirting with a hand saw gets old after the third joint. For one door's worth of architrave, a mitre box is fine. For a whole house, buy the power tool.
A jigsaw can make angled crosscuts on timber, but the cut quality is poor compared to a mitre saw and keeping the cut square through the full thickness of the board is difficult. It's the wrong tool for this job.
Where you'll need this
- Roof structure - cutting precise rafter angles, birdsmouth joints, and ridge board mitres
- Kitchen installation - trimming cornice, pelmet, and filler trims to length with clean mitred joints
- Flooring - cutting laminate or engineered wood planks to length and at angles for room edges
- Decoration - cutting skirting boards and architrave at precise angles for mitred external corners and scribed internal joints
A mitre saw earns its place on any extension, loft conversion, or renovation project where timber trim needs fitting. If your project involves skirting boards, architrave, or any kind of moulding, this tool pays for itself in the first room.
Safety
Mitre saws are safer than circular saws because the blade is enclosed and the workpiece stays still. But they still spin a toothed disc at 4,000-5,500 rpm. Respect the tool.
Keep your hands at least 150mm from the blade path. Never reach across the blade to hold the offcut while cutting. The offcut will fly free, and that's fine. Your fingers staying attached matters more than a small piece of timber bouncing off the bench.
Safety glasses. Every cut throws wood chips. A splinter in your eye stops the project.
Ear defenders. Mitre saws produce 95-105 dB. Hearing damage starts within minutes at that level.
Dust mask: FFP3 or P3 half-mask, not FFP2. This is the one most people get wrong. The HSE specifically addresses mitre saws (they call them chop saws) in their wood dust guidance. Hardwood dust is a known carcinogen causing nasal cancer. Softwood dust causes occupational asthma. Carpenters are four times more likely to develop asthma than other workers. The HSE workplace exposure limit for hardwood dust is 3mg/m3. FFP1 and FFP2 masks are insufficient. Wear FFP3 for all wood cutting.
Dust extraction. The dust bag on a mitre saw captures only about 70-75% of the dust. Fine particles escape in all directions, especially behind and above the blade. Connect a shop vac (industrial wet/dry vacuum with a Class M filter) to the saw's extraction port for much better collection. Better still, do your sawing outdoors whenever the weather allows.
Never defeat the blade guard. The spring-loaded guard covers the blade when it's at rest and retracts as you lower the head into the cut. If the guard sticks, clean it. Don't tape it back or remove it.
Wait for the blade to stop. After the cut, release the trigger and hold the head down until the blade has fully stopped. Lifting the head while the blade is still spinning exposes the teeth.