Cutting steel with circular saws

[Eddyde]

Milwaukee vs Evolution? Is there any reason to choose one over the other in the 8" saws?

I did a bit of research before I purchased the Milwaukee. All the saws I considered had good reviews but in the end my 40+ years of being satisfied with Milwaukee corded tools tipped the scale in their favor. After using it on several projects I don't have any issues with it.

 

[7milesup]

When you guys say Milwaukee circular saw, are you talking about a wood-cutting saw or their metal-cutting saw? I have some M18 Milwaukee tools but the only metal circular saw I can see in their line-up is corded.

 

[GeneT45]

When you guys say Milwaukee circular saw, are you talking about a wood-cutting saw or their metal-cutting saw? I have some M18 Milwaukee tools but the only metal circular saw I can see in their line-up is corded.

Metal cutting. This is what I have: https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/2982-20

GsT

 

[Eddyde]

When you guys say Milwaukee circular saw, are you talking about a wood-cutting saw or their metal-cutting saw? I have some M18 Milwaukee tools but the only metal circular saw I can see in their line-up is corded.

To clarify I am talking about the corded version of the Milwaukee, metal cutting, circular saw:

8" Metal Cutting Saw

www.milwaukeetool.com

I had a bad experience with the cordless, M-18 tools, I bought a bunch of them around 2015 and they were all dead by 2020, the tools not the batteries. In contrast all the Milwaukee corded tools I have from the 1980's still work!

 

[7milesup]

Thanks for the responses guys. Last night I watched a couple of videos where they compared a metal cutting circular saw vs. a standard circular saw with a metal cutting blade. Of course the dedicated metal saw worked slightly better but a regular wood cutting circular saw with a specific metal cutting blade apparently does work.

 

[GeneT45]

Thanks for the responses guys. Last night I watched a couple of videos where they compared a metal cutting circular saw vs. a standard circular saw with a metal cutting blade. Of course the dedicated metal saw worked slightly better but a regular wood cutting circular saw with a specific metal cutting blade apparently does work.

Maybe for light material, but there's a **tiny** difference in motor size (at least with Milwaukee) that would give me pause about using the wood saw for metal...

 

[7milesup]

Maybe for light material, but there's a **tiny** difference in motor size (at least with Milwaukee) that would give me pause about using the wood saw for metal...
View attachment 461303

Wow. Yeah, there is a difference!

 

[Eddyde]

A wood cutting saw will work for metal but the blades will not last as long and the hot chips will certainly be more airborne!

 

[pontiac428]

Huh, interesting. The 8" Milli metal saw is 3700 rpm at 15 amps, and their primo worm drive wood saw is 4400rpm at 15 amps. The blade speed difference is the same as the metal cutting Evo over a wood chop or rip saw of similar size. The surface speed difference between an 8" metal blade and a 7-1/4 wood blade is about 90% at the same RPM, so the actual surface speed difference (and applied torque at 15A) between the two saws is only 5%.

I really like @GeneT45's comparo above. It says alot, despite being apples and oranges. Brushless motors are packaged a lot differently than brushed, but wow. I imagine the gap in duty cycle between the two product lines is phenomenal.

Some more info on Milwaukee...

 

[GeneT45]

Alice Cooper is a first-class dude. He's from this area and has done a great deal to help out disadvantaged kids.

Back to tools. Brushless vs Brushed - meh. Maybe if there was a 3/4" difference in the packages - it's not entirely apples-to-oranges. I have the brushed and brushless angle grinders (also M18) and there's not much difference between them in size, weight, or performance. I find the wood saw gutless (in wood) while the metal cutting saw is unstoppable. I wouldn't dream of using the wood saw for metal, unless it was solely for cutting some metal roofing (~22ga) temporarily. Putting a metal blade on it would for the most part be an exercise in frustration. I've cut 1/2" plate with the metal cutting saw - no way the wood saw is doing that with any blade.

YMMV - but I'd need video to believe that it did...

GsT