metal circular saw

We have that same saw at my day job and with the right blade it made short work of a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" plate.

Gloves and a face shield over goggles is required.
 
I have the exact saw you pictured. It WILL cut 1/2" steel plate .... but the second the blade starts to dull everything goes to hell in a handbag real fast. Once you dull the blade a little, it goes from "kinda sharp" to scrap in a hurry. The Milwaukee blades are like $90 and will cut 1/2" but all the aftermarket blades specify 3/16" or 1/4" or less. Even the Lenox blade tells you 1/4" or less ( I called).
For thin plate they are great.... Angle, channel, tube etc etc it works great, but if you are buying it for plate you may be dissapointed in the blade life.

I have one "like new" that I will sell cheap!
 
I have used one quite a bit. First thing I would point out is that they are barely bigger than the typical 7&1/4" skill saw blade. Secondly, you can now get the same blades for your skilsaw. Thirdly, Skilsaws are much cheaper. Lastly, they do not like to catch in a cut. You will lose at least one tooth every time. Cutting a thick stack of pole barn tin and slightly twisting the blade in the cut is a perfect way to catch it up and strip carbide teeth tips off of the blade. Rigid material is more forgiving. Whatever your choice, good luck:))
 
We have a large corn bin at work that needed holes cut on it. I was watching the contractor use one. After seeing him struggle with it, it looked to me that a 6" grinder with a wafer wheel is a better way (IMO). I will also submit that he was cutting on a 1/2" corrugated, vertical surface.
 
I believe those cold saws also run at a much slower rpm, 1200-1300?, than your normal woodworking saw. I like the stationary one my local Dillon Supply has. That sucker must be 20+" in diameter!

Personally I went the plasma cutter route. I'll concede it was about 5x the cost of a cold saw though.
 
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