Anybody used a metal bladed steel cutting chop saw

rgray

rgray

Active User
H-M Supporter Gold Member
Been seeing chop saws with metal carbide blades turning at low rpm....some 500 ish some 1450.
Wondering if they work well. Well they cut through 1"x4" steel or are they only for thin stuff?
I see contradictory advetizing on these things.
some are called cold cut saws some called metal cutting chop saw(what I call mine with cutt off wheel)
 
Depending on what model you choose, these work very well and there are industrial models that cut large heavy weight beams with extreme ease! We used to have a belt drive version and 3/8" thick 4 x 4 angle was nothing for it. I imagine the smaller higher RPM models might be fairly loud and shoot showers of sparks if you got too heavy with the feed.
 
Well, there are two basic type of this saw. A genuine cold saw, such as Haberle, uses a very expensive HSS blade and a slow sped with coolant. They work well for the solids like you mentioned, IMO. They also do structural shapes as well, like angle, channel and I and H beam. They are prety expensive to buy new, but are very nice.

The other type, more likely to be found in a fab shop, are replacing the smelly, noisy abrasive chop saw. They run faster than the wet cold saw, but slower than the abrasive type, and have carbide teeth. They excel at structural shapes, but from my experience, are not so good at solids over an inch or so cross section. They will do it, but it doesn't seem efficient. Better than a 4 x 6, to be sure, but the blades are much higher than the little bandsaws we all love so much. They are re-sharpenable, if you don't shuck all the teeth off. SO are the HSS from the cold saw above.
 
I have the HF skill saw for metal it has more that payed for it self. Also a Evolution 14" of the chop saw but it was expensive 3.99.00. They work a lot better that the regular chop saw just don't cut cold roll it will dull the blade fast.


If I needed one that it what I would buy. I have a friend that has the Black & Decker or a Dewalt and it does a good job also there a little cheaper at 375.00.

Paul
 
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I bought a skil type metal cutting saw(can't remember the brand) new. Used it to saw up a 1/2" thick 4ft. X 8ft. sheet of bronze. Then,I sold it as I had no other use for it. It was very effective!! The new owner uses it to saw steel bars. Amazing the blade can stand it,but the new blade I bought for it looked just like new when I sold the saw. They run a bit slower than regular wood saws.
 
I've had a Porta Cable 12 or 14" carbide cut off saw for 7 years and it's wonderful. Heavy steel is tough but 1/4" & 1/2" is easy cutting. Wear eye & hearing protection.
 
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