WeldingWeb Tradesman
My HF portaband has failed me. I need a new machine.
It's either a Milwaukee or Dewalt with a Swag stand. It's never going to be used any other way but on that stand. I don't have the room for any thing large at the moment.
Please state your choice and why. I'd like to order a machine ASAP so I can get it delivered in a few weeks.
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
Master Welder
I love my battery powered Milwaukee. I used to have only Dewalt. I try to keep the batteries interchangeable. Truth is one manufacturer offers the best, the other introduces something better.
An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Master Welder
Like Willie I used to have dewalt cordless tools but switched to milwaukee because of the power/batteries thingalthough when it comes to design and builtin features that really help you do a job I still think dewalt usually gets the prize and milwaukee is a little lacking in that department.
Master Welder
Milwaukee has the warranty win. Dewalt may have better service in Tegucigalpa. DeWalt is more common in these parts.
Dewalt( to me) also has a better service dept and would be more likely to send you a trigger or something for YOU to install yourself. I doubt you'd ever need service on either one.
Order plenty of blades when you bring it in.Morse 811 are the best. Latinos don't use portabands. Just cutoff wheels while squatting in the mud.
WeldingWeb Tradesman
Trying to take advantage of a warranty from the island isn't very cost effective. Customs fees and shipping charges in both directions quickly add up. I made the mistake of using the local 'post office' only once. The shipment disappeared.
I've been to the mainland (La Ceiba) once a year to renew my residency. That's the extent of my mainland experience; fly in, get the paperwork, fly out ASAP. Now there's an office on the island so I have no reason to set foot on the mainland.
The Latinos are great at concrete work and not much else. Electrical, plumbing, welding, forget it. If you ask one can they do X, they will always say yes regardless of what X is and show up for the job with their only tool, a machete.
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
Master Welder
Milwaukee gets my vote. I still use my first Milwaukee. This is before they had the Deep throat model . Check Craigslist for used ones and set one on a stand and have one for handheld.
I made this setup 12 years ago, nothing fancy but is permanent. There are many variations made by members here. The Swag ones are nice for easy on and off.
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WeldingWeb Tradesman
There's no such thing as 'Craigslist' where I am. There are no deals here. I have to purchase everything via Miami.
I'm leaning more and more towards Milwaukee, even though I own several of their tools and every one of them has a bad electrical cord where it meets the tool body.
I built a mount for the failed HF tool, but his time I'm purchasing the Swag stand. I'll try to figure out a way to put a crosscut sled on that stand so I can feed short pieces of metal into the blade smoothly and at a consistent position relative to the blade. I've thought about making a sled for my home made welding table and then just position the band saw in the sleds path to accommodate longer, heavier and therefore more awkward pieces. I'll decide when I have the saw and stand in hand.
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
Master Welder
Milwaukee does have a stand for their portaband. I've seen them but not cheap.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Produc...aws/48-08-0260
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WeldingWeb Tradesman
I noticed that when perusing the Milwaukee site but it really doesn't look robust enough for the obvious purpose. When I look at even a cheap HF band saw, the support system is much sturdier. The Milwaukee stand seemed, to me, to be more of an anti gravity device so the operator isn't supporting the tool weight than a precision mechanism for making cuts.
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
Master Welder
I'd buy a harbor freight horizontal 4x6 bandsaw before that Milwaukee stand. My HF 4x6 is at least 12 years old and works well. I recently replaced the motor on it.
It does the job but I have a ELLIS 1600 for the real work.
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WeldingWeb Tradesman
I work out of an 8'x20' shipping container for metal projects and a neighboring container for wood projects. I don't have room for even the HF saw you mentioned much less the gargantuan Ellis. For now it's the Swag stand and a portaband saw.
I've thought about how I would use a 'real' band saw and can't quite see it's usefulness for what I typically do. For example, I just cut 112 2', 112 4' and 32 9' pieces of 1-1/2" angle iron for shelving I need (8 units). I cut everything on my Morse Metal Devil one piece at a time. I hated every minute of it because it's boring. I set up a stop block very precisely and then mindlessly cut, cut, cut stopping to count every so often. I tried doubling up the angle iron but that didn't work too well because of the shape. Angle iron atop each other rocks back and forth and the saw made noises I didn't like. I think the same would be true for a real band saw because of the metal shape. Doubling up or more on square tubing or flat goods is fine.
The cheap band saws are all manually attended and they cut slower than a cold cut saw. It's only when you step up in class to get a set it and walk away capability but that's only a benefit if you can cut multiple pieces via one setup.
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
Master Welder
Bill . Something else I like about the DeWalt is the upper handle and ease of ability to make your own setup instead of a SWAG
WeldingWeb Tradesman
Bonzoo : Ingenious!
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
WeldingWeb Journeyman
We have quit a few porta-bands at work. When we man up we might have a few dozen crews and then they all dump their tools at the end of the season. Only to pick thru the connex in the spring to start over, some of our saws are 30 years old. We use only Milwaukee, although we have had all the others. In the end it seems the most durable. We use an authorized repair shop for them and end up taking a dozen over at a time. I would never go with anything other than Milwaukee for a porta-band.
As per service, I have not had much dealings with them regarding porta-bands
Good luck
WeldingWeb Tradesman
That's a strong recommendation.
I think I'll go with the Milwaukee.
Thank You all.
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
WeldingWeb Foreman
I have the HF 4x6 at home for small jobs for neighbors and friends, it's over 10 years old and keeps cutting. I think I paid $169.00 with coupon. I have run the snot out of it and it still cuts well, I have an Ellis at the shop for big stuff.Originally Posted by BD1
Master Welder
Kinda old thread but what went wrong with The HF porta band?
Ed Conley
http://www.screamingbroccoli.com/
MM252
MM211 (Sold)
Passport Plus & Spool gun
Lincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)
Miller 125c Plasma 120v
SO 2020 bender
Beer in the fridge
WeldingWeb Tradesman
The HF unit failed when the bottom tire snapped. I don't really know the cause but I was cutting notches out of 3/32" angle iron and the filings accumulated at the bottom. I noticed a LOT of filings in the lower case. I was always very gentle with the unit mounted in a home made stand. I don't think I had 10 hours of use on it.
I didn't bother trying to repair the unit as HF doesn't really support their power tools and I live in the Caribbean so there's no store to go to for an exchange. I was constantly consuming Morse bands due to cracking and could never understand why. The tire snap plus unaccountable band failures told me to seek another unit.
The ship with the Milwaukee unit on board arrives Wednesday. It sucks having to wait weeks for tools.
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
Master Welder
That's gotta be brutal.
Ed Conley
http://www.screamingbroccoli.com/
MM252
MM211 (Sold)
Passport Plus & Spool gun
Lincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)
Miller 125c Plasma 120v
SO 2020 bender
Beer in the fridge
WeldingWeb Tradesman
That's why I purchase in bulk and usually have a backup. There's no welding supply on the island and no Home Depot or Lowe's or anything remotely similar.
I just ordered a new helmet and every one of the spare parts (Optrel Panoramaxx) from Baker's Gas and 25 Easy Strip and Clean Disc's directly from Empire Abrasives after getting a 5 pack via Amazon. That should also be on the ship.
Still have 2 of those discs after cleaning almost 3000' of 1-1/2 metal in the form of 1-1/2" angle iron. 740' of angle iron 4 sides plus edges. Great product!
To my knowledge, I own:
50% of all the plasma cutters,
33% of all the TIG welders and
20% of all the MIG welders on the island.
I own 1 of each.
WeldingWeb Tradesman
I had a HF portaband that I abused for years. Used it on all the jobs we didnt want to use one of the good Milwaukees on like cutting though pipe full of diesel. It went through tires and blades regularly.
Could always tell it wasn't nearly the same quality of a Milwaukee. Not personally a fan of the dewalt tools but couldnt give you a good reason why.
Multimatic 200
Ellis 1800
Haberle S225 9" cold saw
MM 300; Spoolmate 30A w/ WC-24
TB 302G
Dynasty 280 DX Tigrunner
WeldingWeb Foreman
When I started in the trades we only had porter cable and they were nice than milwaukee came along and lasted and did everything than they threw the Dewalt into the mix and as a creature of habit I always would grab the milwaukee and was never let down, but if it was my money I would buy the Dewalt I think it cut better was a little lighter had a light on it and a hang hook that fit the ridgid 3 legged whore better than the milwaukee t handle,
Master Welder
I would buy the Dewalt I think it cut better was a little lighter had a light on it and a hang hook that fit the ridgid 3 legged whore better than the milwaukee t handle,[/QUOTE]
i hate to see any portaband hang on a tripod. We got a brand new on the job, guy took it out of case and hung it on tripod, guys carrying pipe in bumped the tripod. NEW Milwaukee portaband hit the floor and broke casting. The cord was still wrapped up. I always tell the guys do not hang on tripod !!
WeldingWeb Foreman
The Dewalt wouldn't have broke hahaha just kidding, the idiots I worked around could break a anvil in a sandbox, I don't think 98% of the guys ever bought their own tools and weren't smart enough to do any prevenative maintenance on tools, for years every Friday afternoon I would have the apprentices do tool and equipment maintenance hopefully it stuck in their head
Master Welder
Yep, the dewalt would've broke through the floor!!!! but seriously it seems like everything is built thin,crappy and disposable these daysI have one of the milwaukee sds kits that comes in the big red and black case... paid over 650 for it... you'd think for that kind of money at least the case would be somewhat tough???? So it was riding in the truck in my back toolbox kinda sandwiched between a couple other cases and I gave it a yank to get it out - friggin handle splintered open and tried to rip my hand up!!!!
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