Best Hand Mitre Saw

We check out the best hand mitre saw UK. There are a few different alternatives available when it comes to making accurate mitre cuts.

1. The simplest method is a power mitre saw which is fast and accurate. However, priced anything between £70-700 they are not a cheap option
2. If you are skilled enough, then you can of course do these by hand, using some measurements, a good square and a tenon saw.
3. There is also the option of using a mitre box.
4. Finally, there is also another alternative which is usually referred to as a precision saw. (also known as a hand mitre saw or a manual mitre saw)

This is an all in one unit that combines a revolving turntable, along with a matching tenon saw, that is supported by rails and allows you to make really accurate mitre cuts. The main advantage of this option is simply price, as it is much cheaper than paying out for a power mitre saw.

As you can see from the image above, this hand mitre saw comes as a single unit, with both the stand, the table and a saw. By swiveling the base, you can then make varying degrees of cuts. When we started out making mitre cuts we went through the process of doing these manually, as we like to learn the principles behind making all types of woodworking joints.

To speed the process up, we then started using a mitre box. Although that worked very well, it was a bit fiddly to use and that is when we bought one of these. We then used one quite similar to this for about 5-6 years and found it to be accurate and useful.

Our Top 4 Hand Mitre Saws

1. Stanley 1-20-800 Adjustable Mechanical Mitre Box – Best hand mitre saw for picture framing
2. Meister 7317600 Professional Mitre Saw 600 mm
3. Silverline SW05 Mitre Saw 550 mm 14tpi Saw
4. Draper 88192 550 mm Precision Mitre Saw

1. Stanley 1-20-800 Adjustable Mechanical Mitre Box

This Stanley hand saw has a precision die cast baseIt has a specially hardened and tempered replaceable blade with extra fine universal teeth – 14 TPIThis saw uses a blade tensioning screw for easy blade replacement and to ensure a clean accurate cutSmooth action saw support and guide systemMitre adjustable at 30, 45, 60 to 90 degreesBlade Length – 55.88 cm

Key Features

Check Amazon UK – Price when reviewed £20.29

2. Meister 7317600 Professional Mitre Saw 600 mm

This Meister hand saw is a 600mm long saw with a maximum cutting height of 155mm

It has mitre cuts at 15, 22.5, 30, 36, 45 and 90˚

Set on a wooden base and can also cut bevels

Key Features

3. Silverline SW05 Mitre Saw 550 mm 14tpi Saw

This Silver line saw is a more affordable option than the Stanley saw shown just above and does a similar range of mitre cuts.

It has 9 pre-set mitre angles

It has a maximum cutting width of 160 mm at 90°, 100 mm at 45°

The maximum cutting height is 100 mm

Key Features

4. Draper 88192 550 mm Precision Mitre Saw

This precision saw from Draper looks similar to the Silverline saw shown above but doesn’t get as good a rating.

This is also a 550mm manual saw

It does have a cutting-depth regulator and a scale on the base

It also has chrome-plated guide rods, an adjustable length stop, a material vice clamp and an extra material vice clamp for use with short workpieces.

Key Features

Who Needs This Type of Hand Mitre Saw?

The ideal person that should buy and use this type of saw would be someone who is decorating their own home, and perhaps doing one room at a time. If you had the money, then of course you should get a powered version, however, if your budget is restricted, then this one will work perfectly well.

Pros of Precision Mitre Saws

• They are relatively cheap at around £40-60 depending on which one you buy and where you buy it
• They are accurate enough
• They are pretty simple to use
• They get the job done and are of course portable
• Really good for working with small wood like frames and other light materials</li>

Cons of Precision Mitre Saws

• You still have to do the sawing
• They do take up quite a bit of space
• Not that easy to store away
• They will rust if left in damp conditions
• You do have to clamp your work (Except for small pieces)

How To Use A Precision or Clamp Mitre Saw

This video will show you how simple it is to put one of these together. In total it should take about 2 minutes and you are good to go. The different manufacturers have slightly different methods of putting these together, but they are all pretty basic and simple tasks.

Many of them come with the rails and the base already assembled. With this saw alone you can do a whole range of jobs around the house.

As you can see it does a pretty good job of making a really good and accurate cut. The only thing you will ever need to do after that is change the blade when it gets blunt. Again most of the manufacturers like Stanley or Faithfull do provide a good enough blade. Depending on the amount of use, they do last a pretty long time.

I did a lot of cutting with the one we had and we think we only had to change the blade 3 times in our 5-6 years of use. These blades do have very find teeth and they are sharp.

Some of these clamp type saw will have a guide rod which will allow you to cut different depths of wood. This is hand if you are making mortise and tenon joints, or for using on door frames, to accommodate for hinges or locks.