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DaveVman review of Swarts Tools SCMS
As promised here is my review of the 305mm SWARTS Tools SCMS. I have no conflict of interests or advantage/disadvantages with discussing any tool manufacturer/supplier.
In a perfect world I would have bought a top of the line 305mm Bosch Blue Glide Saw with double laser. These have come down in price and are now $1029. However both the 305mm Swarts SCMS and the Bosch 235mm PCM 1800 SD are about one third of that price and actually in my budget range. There may also be other similar ones but I liked the features of these two. You can read my earlier post about comparing these 2 saws.
In the end I did not want to do without the 100+mm cutting depth of the 305mm saw. However what sealed the deal for me was when Samuel at Swarts pointed out something I had initially overlooked. The Swarts tools machine comes fitted with a 100 tooth blade. The Bosch PCM 1800 SD comes with a 40 tooth blade that I would want to swap out. This in effect makes the Swarts tools machine actually cheaper yet it is 305mm saw versus the 235mm Bosch. I also got a small discount by ordering the saw with another tool. I’ll write a review of the shop vac separately.
The Swarts SCMS has fixed rails that the saw slides on. Other saws in this price range have the rails moving. When mounted in a workshop, this gives the Swarts machine an advantage because you’re never in doubt about how much space is required behind the machine.
I finally ordered my tools the week before Christmas. The process is easy, efficient and there are different payment options. Samuel was very helpful. He was out of stock and his new stock was held up in Customs. He explained this to me immediately. He didn’t take my money until he was sure that he could supply the items promptly. In the end Customs released the container earlier than expected and I got my new machines in time for Christmas.
The courier Swarts uses is fantastic. The guy not only waited for us to answer the door but he had a quiet word with my wife before I could come to the door. He said he didn’t want to come rolling down the drive with the boxes in case it was a surprise Christmas present.
The saw is very well packed. In fact I wish I had the space to keep the box and packing in case we move house. In my case the slider on the saw was not locked. This meant when I first lifted the saw up, the entire thing slid back and put a lot of strain on my bad back as I lifted it out of the box. It is possible that in the rush to get this to me in time for Christmas somethings were overlooked.
The instructions and setup adjustments are clearly documented. Some people have reported the saw being accurate right out of the box. Mine was accurate on one axis but not the other. I needed to adjust the vertical alignment. Unfortunately, that particular adjustment requires a very long 4mm Allen key down 2 long slots to some hex keys that you can not see. The Allen key supplied with the saw is not long enough. Fortunately I have a tool that does this but others might not be so lucky. The adjustment screws are down the holes at the back of the machine as indicated on the pic.
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Everything else seemed to be in alignment so I didn’t need to make any other adjustments and went ahead and made some test cuts. They were all fine so far.
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When I was deciding which saw to buy, Samuel from Swarts listed their extra clamp as an advantage. I took little notice of this at the time. However right from the first moment I used the saw I realised the advantage of this unique clamp. The SCMS comes with a vertical clamp like other similar saws. It also comes with a horizontal clamp as shown on the left in the picture above. This is a quick release clamp and so it is very fast and easy to clamp your work piece this way. It also ensures the work is hard against the fence. I hadn’t noticed my scrap wood in the photo was not square until I put it in this clamp. Both clamps can be mounted on either side.
The laser is on a separate switch than the blade so you can take your time setting up your cut. You have to remember to turn the laser off but this is not an issue for me, since all tools get turned off at the end of the day. The laser can not be adjusted. This is my only disappointment with this saw. I would have liked to micro adjust the laser to allow for the thickness of the blade. Not being able to do this diminishes the purpose of the laser in my view.
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The saw comes with a dust bag, which is about as useful and any of these kinds of things. Which is to say, it is more of less a waste of time just like on all the other similar tools. Here it is after some test cuts and inside it is basically empty.
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However there is some good news. The bag can be pulled inside out. It is only held on with a replaceable zip tie.
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This zip tie can be cut and you are left with a perfect fitting that includes a wire support for a 50mm flex.
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I bought a large 50mm flex with my cyclone and it fits perfectly onto this fitting with a band clamp. I can then plug or unplug this assembly from the SCMS. The wire sits inside the hose and stops it drooping immediately when it leaves the saw.
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Of course, like all SCMS most of the dust is kicked out by the blade and not caught by this dust port but that is another topic entirely.
I have been able to run my shop vac, radio, fan and this saw at the same time on a single 10A circuit without any problems. I’m not sure that would be the case if I was cutting 100mm hardwood but so far so good. I have picked it up and moved it around a few times but in my case this is not normally necessary. It weighs 21kg. You can buy a stand for it from Swarts if you work on site but I bought it to live in my workshop.
The pictures you see here are me testing it on my assembly table. It lived there for a couple of weeks. I have now set it up on it’s own table that is on large casters so I can easily move it around the shed or even outside. The front casters are lockable. (I like to work outside in the car port but it is not flat). At some stage I might build a special cabinet for it.
The cuts are accurate and smooth. I have been using it as a drop saw and cross cut saw on pine, MDF and plastic. The 340mm width capacity has been helpful already. I’m very pleased with the saw thus far. I have various mitres and bevels to do soon so it will get a real test over the next 3 months or so.
As mentioned, Samuel from Swarts Tools is a pleasure to deal with and I wish all our deliveries came from the courier they use.
I am no expert on SCMS but this is definitely better than the cheaper ones my family and friends have. At the time I did my research it was the best value for money in my opinion. I’d recommend it to you.
So I hope this review is useful. I’ll try to remember to come back and give you an update once I have done those projects where I need various mitres and bevels.
