14" chop saw inquiry

[cornchip]

looking to get a 14" chopsaw in the next couple days. i just do hobby projects at home so ill be cutting steel tube or pipe etc. looks like the prices range from 200-$275. milwaukee, dewalt, skilsaw, metabo, makita, bosch. best i can tell they all seem to be from china. considering that and the price, im not expecting world class qaulity but is one of those listed brands less junky than the rest ?

[Podman]

I have a Dewalt that I got for a little over 100 bucks on a Black Friday sale a few years ago and like it. Most
of the Chinese saws are the same IMO.

[cornchip]

i stand corrected. dewalt looks to be made in mexico and is only $208. might not be a bad choice

[N2 Welding]

Things to consider, is the base made out of stamped steel or is it a thicker casted/molded metal base. Less flex with a cast base. It could make a difference in blade life if a stamped base flexes under load.

Look at the clamping mechanism. How solid is it built and how easy is it to tighten down or loosen up for rapid thickness adjustments. Then how easy does the clamp angle from 90 to 45. Is it toolless or do you need to use a tool every time you adjust the angle

How is the pull handle oriented, vertical or horizontal. This is not a big deal but is mostly personal preference. However ergonomics can play a role after making cuts with the saw repeatedly all day long as in a production setting.

You did not list a couple of brands and one that a lot of people like is the Fein Slugger “$$$” and the many different Evolution models.

Do your homework. There are several saws out there. I personally have the Dewalt 12” saw and it does a pretty good job over all. Cut capacity is a bit less with a 12” saw vs. the 14” and 15” saws.

[bigcreek]

I have two metabos and one dewalt and really like both brands. Been cutting with them for years and they are still cutting away no problems.

[rhunt]

Just my experience here, was using my Milwaukee chop saw one day cutting an angle cut on a piece of pipe and the pipe slipped and turned. It shattered the wheel, exploding it instantly and went all over, one piece cut into the light fixture above the work area which had a lexan clear cover. Stuck in that cover as if it was an axe blade. Thankfully no damage to me but scary for sure! Just be careful and make sure your work piece is secure. Bob

[psacustomcreations]

From the price you are referencing, it sounds like you are looking at the abrasive blade chop saws. My vote is to spend a little more and buy the carbide blade dry cut saws.
N2 brought up a lot of good points to look at regarding the saw itself. The carbide blade saws always cut to the same depth and don't have a blade that shrinks in diameter. Plus the abrasive blades heat the metal more and are much dirtier to the surrounding area. As mentioned by rhunt, the material must be firmly clamped in the saw. There are times I use an extra clamp just to make sure.
I have a Dewalt DW872 dry cut saw. Yes, it is more expensive, but the saw it 20 years old and still cuts fine. Buy once, cry once.

[Josey]

Hi If you were not so far away from me I could sell you a nice Jepson dry cut saw I think they were made
in Germany. I haven't used it for a long time And advertised it for $200 but no inquiries But I imagine
shipping to the US would be expensive

[wb4rt]

I have a Ryobi that I bought on sale at HD for $80. It works well for a hobbiest.

I recommend you consider a horizontal band saw instead. I started with an abrasive but added a band saw - so much better! No sparks and mess, much quieter, cleaner cuts and more accurate, can stack material to double or triple cut, and you can start and walk away to do something else. It is a little slower but worth the difference. I only use my abrasive saw for tool steel now.

The little Harbor Freight 4x6 band saws are surprisingly good if you get a good blade and take time to tune it up. Several places to guide you through tuning, but I bought one used and it was very accurate. Later bought an old Kalamazoo it is great.

[arcflash]

I have a Makita 14" I bought back in '75 that is still going strong. Last summer I got smart and bought a 14" carbide blade at HF to cut wood with it.

[BD1]

My old style Milwaukee Abrasive saw is still going. Must be 30 years old at least. This is before the quick open vise.
I'd watch for a used one IF you want an Abrasive saw.
The metal cutting saws are definitely better for a smooth cut as PSAcustomcreations said.


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[Lis2323]

I have a Makita 14" I bought back in '75 that is still going strong. Last summer I got smart and bought a 14" carbide blade at HF to cut wood with it.

My old style Milwaukee Abrasive saw is still going. Must be 30 years old at least. This is before the quick open vise.
I'd watch for a used one IF you want an Abrasive saw.
The metal cutting saws are definitely better for a smooth cut as PSAcustomcreations said.


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arcflash has Bob and I beat. I bought my Makita abrasive chop saw in the early 1980s. No quick vise either. Still use it frequently.




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[metalmeltr]

If you can swing it I would spend the extra money and get a carbide dry cut saw.

[MinnesotaDave]

I use this dry saw MUCH more often than the abrasive saw or the band saw.


But whatever you buy, I prefer cast base vs stamped.

[jfk92]

Others have basically summed it up - I am also a hobbyist - but splurged and bought the Makita LC1230 - paid under $500 new. Can't be more pleased with investing in a chop saw. Have used the abrasive style, it will work perfectly fine but as mentioned generates a lot of heat and a lot of metal dust - that goes everywhere. The chopsaw is more chips and less airborne in my experience - still a little mess but very manageable. But for me - the clean cut and ability to hold the part immediately was huge as well as the accuracy. Band saws are great - a decent horizontal is on my wishlist - but for now I use the Milwaukee hand held mounted in a SWAG table to run through smaller items or cuts I can't make on the chop. I think it comes down to budget, what you are willing to work with as often as you do - there are many great options - like the Evolution chop that was mentioned as well.

[cornchip]

I use this dry saw MUCH more often than the abrasive saw or the band saw.


But whatever you buy, I prefer cast base vs stamped.

while a horizontal bandsaw seems like a perfect idea, i have very limited space in my garage. so chopsaw is what ill go with. atleast it can be tucked away a bit easier. ya i got looking around and the carbide dry blades look like the hot ticket. i used abrasive blades at work and despise them. toxic dust everywhere and huge fire danger in a garage from sparks.
i got digging more into these chopsaws. the $200 models are about 4k rpm. the $500 versions seem to be more around 1500rpm. do the expensive models have some sort of heavy duty gear reduction?
i stumbled on the evolution brand. it looked to have alot of good reviews and perked my interest. definity im interested. the fein looks good but a bit more money. i hadent planned to spend $500 but the $490 evolution may be the one. cast aluminum base and dry blade included

[soloz2]

while a horizontal bandsaw seems like a perfect idea, i have very limited space in my garage. so chopsaw is what ill go with. atleast it can be tucked away a bit easier. ya i got looking around and the carbide dry blades look like the hot ticket. i used abrasive blades at work and despise them. toxic dust everywhere and huge fire danger in a garage from sparks.
i got digging more into these chopsaws. the $200 models are about 4k rpm. the $500 versions seem to be more around 1500rpm. do the expensive models have some sort of heavy duty gear reduction?
i stumbled on the evolution brand. it looked to have alot of good reviews and perked my interest. definity im interested. the fein looks good but a bit more money. i hadent planned to spend $500 but the $490 evolution may be the one. cast aluminum base and dry blade included

The higher RPM chop saws use an abrasive blade and the slower ones use a carbide tipped metal blade. Definitely the way to go if you want this style. They are called dry cut saws.
You can also get smaller benchtop horizontal band saws. I had started looking at the 4x6" band saws and just ordered a Femi 782xl. It should be here tomorrow. If I went with a dry cut I would have gone with the Fein slugger.

This video shows the diffetences

[cornchip]

well i pulled the trigger on the fein slugger. looks like a solid choice and has the dry blade included. few youtube guy have said the fein blade has made hundreds and even thousands of cuts and its still cutting good. so the blade would easily last me many years

[BD1]

well i pulled the trigger on the fein slugger. looks like a solid choice and has the dry blade included. few youtube guy have said the fein blade has made hundreds and even thousands of cuts and its still cutting good. so the blade would easily last me many years

You'll definitely appreciate the quietness and cleanliness for sure. Get it set up and do something else close by while cutting.
If you are considering using Rebar, buy a used abrasive saw. I've seen many Milwaukee and Dewalts for a $100.00 and less. And it's great for cutting stuff apart.


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[Lis2323]

Abrasive chop saws also are invaluable for "freehand cutting" where you often have an odd sized assembly thar won't clamp into the saw's vise.

And as others mentioned ... rebar and other materials of unknown hardness.

I have a Makita dry cut saw.....






but will NEVER part with my Makita 14" abrasive chop saw.

If I was forced to keep only one it would be the abrasive saw.


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[Fab54]

I have a Ryobi that I bought on sale at HD for $80. It works well for a hobbiest.

I recommend you consider a horizontal band saw instead. I started with an abrasive but added a band saw - so much better! No sparks and mess, much quieter, cleaner cuts and more accurate, can stack material to double or triple cut, and you can start and walk away to do something else. It is a little slower but worth the difference. I only use my abrasive saw for tool steel now.

The little Harbor Freight 4x6 band saws are surprisingly good if you get a good blade and take time to tune it up. Several places to guide you through tuning, but I bought one used and it was very accurate. Later bought an old Kalamazoo it is great.

Great advice. I had a chop saw once. Sold it after one use. Sparks everywhere. Hated it. In 1981 I bought the same small horizontal band saw ironically for $218, that harbor freight sells now for a similar price. Best purchase I ever made. Amazing how long that design has been around. Recently I sold it and bought the Harbor Freight larger one that sells for $1000 used from a friend that just wanted it out of his garage. He bought it for $100 used and sold it to me for $100. I was ecstatic!

[Josey]

I find in the farm shop the quickest and easiest method for rough cutting almost anything.
I have a vise bolted to a short piece of plank I place on the floor when needed And then either use the
9" angle grinder with a 1/8 cutting disc or I have a Bosch 12" hand held cot off machine which can take
either blade and is a powerful machine Probably isn't as accurate as a chop saw But gets the job done fast
You do need to be carful and always wear a face mask

[N2 Welding]

@ corn chip, sounds like you are interested in blade life. One thing to consider is the blades can last longer if you match the teeth count to the material thickness although this may be more prevalent with band saw blades, I believe this is true with these chop saw blades as well. I have not cut anything thicker than 1/4” with the Makita and rarely use it unless I’m making a bunch of cuts with one long piece of material. So I just use the blade that came with the saw. It’s not worth my time to get it out, set it up with a material feed stand etc and then have to clean up and put it all away again for one cut unless it’s a speacial cut that requires precision. Enjoy your new saw, I’m sure you will have if for many years to come.

[wasillashack]

I've had my Milwaukee 14" abrasive saw for ~20 years, for an abrasive saw it is outstanding. It has set outside year round in Alaska for the last 14 years. Not a hiccup, and using
it outside eliminates metal dust inside, not a big deal to move it as needed. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[psacustomcreations]

Here are some tips and with these and any other suggestions, I dont mean to insult, just share my mistakes.

To the OP, if you do not have a set of "V" blocks, I suggest making some out of 1 inch angle and some flat bar. Pics attached.
This will hold square tube on the diamond and it is much better for the blade. The V blocks can also offer a more secure way to hold pipe.
Make sure you support the outboard or right side of the cut.
Make sure the object in the clamp is very secure.
If cutting at an angle, add a C Clamp to help hold the material. I have had the material creep a little in the vise and that throws off the length.
Slowly enter work piece, then let the saw do its job. Carbide teeth chip or break if they hit the material too fast.
If you break a tooth, search on here. There us a thread about a company that fixes the blade teeth and sharpens the blade. It is much cheaper in the long run than powering through and damaging the blade and material.
Don't cut bar stock on the flat if you can avoid it. That is very hard on the blade. In other words, dont lay a piece of 1/8 by 4 flat bar flat on the saw. Again, very tough on the saw blade.
Buy at least one more blade right away. It is so much easier to change out the blade right away than stop a project and go to the store or order online.
Match the tooth count and material to the blade.
Spray some wd40 on the blade when cutting aluminum. Once the teeth get hot and clog, it starts to get ugly.







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