Band Saw or Cold Saw

[BD1]

I've owned an Ellis 1800 (dry) for well over a decade with excellent cutting results. I do on occasion have to take the vise (2 cam style) apart for thorough cleaning and re-adjusting. I plan on replacing them with a crank style very soon. This saw is my go to saw for 98% of what I need to cut.
I also own a Scotchman semi auto 12" cold saw (wet) that since buying the Ellis has only been used for super critical cuts. This saw still has a place in the shop, but if I only had one to choose it would be the Ellis.
Dry saws make clean up a breeze.

If you want to upgrade to the Ellis screw vise , Air Gas has it the lowest cost,
$282.77

http://airgas.com/p/E806101
Here's a WELDINGWEB post for it , http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?535581-Ellis-1600-bandsaw

 

[zkling]

Provided you have the correct final measurements on the jig it doesn't matter if you use a 10 grand cold saw or an angry beaver to cut the tube. If you use a tape measure to derive your final measurements any difference in the "accuracy" between a band saw and a cold saw (or an angry beaver for that matter) is nothing more than a perception. All of the above will cut clean to an accuracy beyond what you can read with a tape if you take the time to be accurate before cutting...
Accuracy of any machine tool no matter what its price point or application is almost always in the hands of the operator.

Uhm, except for when you end up with gaps because the saw doesn't cut square. Any machine needs to be tuned. Heck with practice a good hacksaw can make very accurate cuts, doesn't mean that he should be using one for this.

 

[bullnerd]

This....I gave myself one for . I had about 2K budget...and no room for the full size bandsaw.

I have a 14" carbide chop saw...and plasma...most of my cuts are 2-3" material...so 45 cuts were a hassle on the chop saw...this bandsaw solves the problem and is portable as well...

Nice!

A lot of guys that do tube work don't even cut it with a saw, just sand it off with a radius master or "tube eraser" disk sander.

 

[kkroger]

I have a Bandsaw (Little Harbor Freight Chicom one, same as ALL the other ones just different color) Works great, I don't have to stand and watch it or operate it... set it, set a stop and all I have to do is re-clamp the material and turn it back on.
I have a Dry Cut Saw and the finish is on par with the bandsaw, square or not is all in how you set up your cut... the vise on most of these saws is a bit... meh...
I have had Abrasive saws and my Dry Cut or the Band Saw kick it's *** for speed... and Quality. I have a Milwaukee port-a-band and it works pretty well too. if you do your part for marking and Using the saw it doesn't work on the Ouija Board principle like a Hacksaw, which I have too...

 

[Fender1325]

My evolution chop saw was a damn frustrated mess. Loud and no matter how slow I went, or tight I set up the vice the cuts would always be out of square. Miters just didn't mate up clean or correct.

HF Band Saw complete opposite. Quite clean and accurate. No more crappy fitment.

 

[kkroger]

My evolution chop saw was a damn frustrated mess. Loud and no matter how slow I went, or tight I set up the vice the cuts would always be out of square. Miters just didn't mate up clean or correct.

HF Band Saw complete opposite. Quite clean and accurate. No more crappy fitment.

Never seen a Chop Saw with a vise that was worth a ****... NONE...
I am going to get a piece of THICK aluminum angle and surface both sides in the mill, at 90 Degrees, Mill a Slot and a pivot hole in the bottom side and put in two gussets for rigidity, base is milled aluminum... so this should do fine for the back of the vise, then do a machined "Clamp" portion... I noticed that square stock tends to get pulled toward the blade when it is cutting so I toss a Vise Grip Cee Clamp on it at the other end so it won't slide...
Cuts nice and square and looks like a milling machine cut it.
No issue with Round Stock at all or Angle Iron...

 

[Slackerzinc]

This website costs me a fair bit of money. Now I want a Femi 120. What a slick little saw

 

[Fender1325]

Its a strange mystery how the havent overcome the problem of a quality clamping system. That, and the ability to miter 45 degree cuts from both left and right.

 

[Fender1325]

This website costs me a fair bit of money. Now I want a Femi 120. What a slick little saw

Looks like a nice saw till I saw the price. What the hell?! 1400 bucks. I'll gladly stick with the HF horizontal band saw for 1/7 the cost.

 

[kkroger]

Hate to be "That" Guy but Eastwood offers this for a shade under 300.....
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-be...g-9b1E3sOrEr9ngXgE5o8a5ITQ7ehGs9L0BoCFLTw_wcB

 

[SilverSS1969]

Anyone have experience with the evolution rage3 miter saw? Seen it on homedepot website. Just thinking of a replacement for the harbor freight chop saw I have.

 

[maverick3316]

As others have stated.....

For repetitive, precise cuts, the cold saw wins HANDS DOWN. Also, most cold saws can miter both directions. But the cold saw is only for small material. We use it in my shop for lots of railing, and for building frames. Its a great tool for that.

If you need to cut larger items or thicker items, then you need a band saw. "Cheaper" band saws only miter in one direction. Not that a band saw is not precise, but many people do not know how to operate one properly, and run it too fast, or with the wrong blade etc. If operated and set up properly a band saw can be invaluable in any fab shop.

 

[Compton]

As others have stated.....

For repetitive, precise cuts, the cold saw wins HANDS DOWN. Also, most cold saws can miter both directions. But the cold saw is only for small material. We use it in my shop for lots of railing, and for building frames. Its a great tool for that.

If you need to cut larger items or thicker items, then you need a band saw. "Cheaper" band saws only miter in one direction. Not that a band saw is not precise, but many people do not know how to operate one properly, and run it too fast, or with the wrong blade etc. If operated and set up properly a band saw can be invaluable in any fab shop.

Couldn't agree more!

I've pulled off some precise cuts with my horizontal Harbor Freight saw but I run it slowly and keep the weight of the saw off the blade and let the blade do the cutting. Set the feed rate and coolant and walk away to work on another task while the saw does it's job.

 

[racingtadpole]

Uhm, except for when you end up with gaps because the saw doesn't cut square. Any machine needs to be tuned. Heck with practice a good hacksaw can make very accurate cuts, doesn't mean that he should be using one for this.

Think you have misunderstood my point. Is "tuning" the machine to ensure a true cut before cutting not part of being accurate before cutting?

 

[kkroger]

Looks like a nice saw till I saw the price. What the hell?! 1400 bucks. I'll gladly stick with the HF horizontal band saw for 1/7 the cost.

Its a strange mystery how the havent overcome the problem of a quality clamping system. That, and the ability to miter 45 degree cuts from both left and right.

Why would you need to miter "Both" directions? I manage to cut both ends of a piece at the correct angles without "Both" directions... ain't rocket surgery...

Clamping system it definitely needs but mitering in one direction is not a deal breaker... GOOD FIXTURING IS NEEDED... maybe add a "V" setup so you can cut square tube on the diamond easily...

 

[3 Gun Shooter]

Hate to be "That" Guy but Eastwood offers this for a shade under 300.....
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-be...g-9b1E3sOrEr9ngXgE5o8a5ITQ7ehGs9L0BoCFLTw_wcB

I really like the Eastwood saw from what I've seen of it, but I saw some bad reviews about gears stripping on it. I'd really like to hear more about your saw before I drop the money on one.

 

[kazlx]

Could also buy the Femi that it looks like it's copied from...

 

[kkroger]

I really like the Eastwood saw from what I've seen of it, but I saw some bad reviews about gears stripping on it. I'd really like to hear more about your saw before I drop the money on one.

Never said I had one and I really don't want one, it doesn't do anything my current pile of saws can't do... faster or better... and as far as copied from a Femi? maybe... I've seen these saws out in the wild WAY before anyone ever mentioned Femi or Hem... made in China... no one in the US was selling such a thing I thought it would be an awesome idea... but I would have had to order an entire intermodal container minimum to get one... I tried to procure a sample but none were in the US... I would have been the first... Seems I saw a similar saw in the Grizzly Catalog this year... as far as gears stripping...
Eastwood has a history of supporting what they sell, at least until they don't sell it anymore. They will generally replace it. There is the Femi as an alternate for a $1200 more... Buy once Cry once I suppose... Sold out of Italy, assembled in Slovenia, one repair center in the US...
Grainger sells a Dayton branded one for a shade over 1000, Made in Taiwan...
And a smaller Dayton branded one for about 664...

The Grizzly one is a portaband with a stand... Under 200...

 

[Fender1325]

Anyone have experience with the evolution rage3 miter saw? Seen it on homedepot website. Just thinking of a replacement for the harbor freight chop saw I have.

Yes. Terrible. The vice doesnt hold solid.

 

[Fender1325]

Why would you need to miter "Both" directions? I manage to cut both ends of a piece at the correct angles without "Both" directions... ain't rocket surgery...

Clamping system it definitely needs but mitering in one direction is not a deal breaker... GOOD FIXTURING IS NEEDED... maybe add a "V" setup so you can cut square tube on the diamond easily...

Ever make a square frame with angle iron? Its annoying to need to clamp the angle iron with the flat side down, and then need to have the flat side up for other direction miters. It doesnt like to be clamped that way, and yes you have to draw your lines across the back and wrap them around......blah blah blah. It takes more thinking and planning and triple checking.

In carpentry you just swivel your miter saw the other direction and can keep whatever youre cutting nice and flush against the base of the saw.

Sure its not rocket science but its not as easy as a wood miter saw. And I never understand why some one cant design a quality metal cutting saw with a heavy base and have the saw swivel both ways. 45 degree in either direction.

 

[bullnerd]

Good point Fender.

 

[MJD1]

It's a lot faster and more accurate to keep the same angle setting, rather than turning the fence, or saw whichever applies. Just use a cutoff of square tube, the same size as the angle to hold it secure.

 

[Superbec]

Ever make a square frame with angle iron? Its annoying to need to clamp the angle iron with the flat side down, and then need to have the flat side up for other direction miters. It doesnt like to be clamped that way, and yes you have to draw your lines across the back and wrap them around......blah blah blah. It takes more thinking and planning and triple checking.

In carpentry you just swivel your miter saw the other direction and can keep whatever youre cutting nice and flush against the base of the saw.

that says something about carpenters .....

 

[Fender1325]

Hardy har har. Admit it, it would be easier! And I cant think why someone like Dewalt who has a great miter saw cant outfit one with the proper motor and blade, and clamps to be a metal cutting version.

Having one that slides only to the left makes more work

 

[Fender1325]

When I had my evolution rage chop saw, no matter how hard I would tighten the hardware and vice, and going slow even it would never cut accurately. It would move in the vice. Getting the HF band saw was freakin night and day.

If I had the means I really would design and sell a metal chop saw with good clamps and vice, and allow the saw to swivel and click into place at various degrees rather than having to take a square and align the vice and blade to cut 45

 

[Superbec]

I worked in many metal fab shops , cold saws are present but hardly see any use, the workhorse is the bandsaw , worked with bandsaws from 500$ to 50.000$ NC auto feed , also I owned a few , tuned, fixed and hired someone to work it 8 hours a day.

 

[Superbec]

If I had the means I really would design and sell a metal chop saw with good clamps and vice, and allow the saw to swivel and click into place at various degrees rather than having to take a square and align the vice and blade to cut 45

if you had the means and know-how you would just end up with a "normal" metal cold saw , you can buy from any industrial machines supply store

 

[Milton Shaw]

I have band saw, cold saw, dry cut and abrasive plus porta band. The band saw you start it and walk away, The cold saw cuts as slow as the band saw but requires you to hold pressure down on the blade the whole time, don't use it at all. Dry cut is accurate enough for welding and is as fast as a wood miter saw, choice of tools for most cuts. Abrasive saw makes a mess but is the choice for rebar or hardened steels that would ruin the dry cut blade. Porta band is great out in the field but a problem to get cuts straight that don't need a lot of grinding to square. Use the porta band saw to cut lengths off of longer stock to get to accurate saw.

 

[bon3s]

So, to add my 2cents....

For starters I work in a full time fab/welding shop in Ohio. We make thousands of cuts a week with a pair on matching Doringer Dual Speed Wet (cold) Saws - 27/54 speeds for stainless and Mild steel. While we are far from a machine shop, cutting to under a 1/16th in accuracy is never an issue if you take the time in setup.

Now Im not going to say that a bandsaw isnt handy, but we dont have one in our fab shop due to the fact they are just to slow, and when shop rate can be broke down to almost $1.50/min time matters, and adds up. And when you have a full shop of 20 guys working on a dozen plus projects you cant tie up the saw all day lol.

We mostly cut solid stock (1/4'' to 3''), Angle (1x1x 1/8'' - 3x3x 1/4'' ), as well as tube (square and round) in similar sizes.

 

[3 Gun Shooter]

Never said I had one and I really don't want one, it doesn't do anything my current pile of saws can't do... faster or better... and as far as copied from a Femi? maybe... I've seen these saws out in the wild WAY before anyone ever mentioned Femi or Hem... made in China... no one in the US was selling such a thing I thought it would be an awesome idea... but I would have had to order an entire intermodal container minimum to get one... I tried to procure a sample but none were in the US... I would have been the first... Seems I saw a similar saw in the Grizzly Catalog this year... as far as gears stripping...
Eastwood has a history of supporting what they sell, at least until they don't sell it anymore. They will generally replace it. There is the Femi as an alternate for a $1200 more... Buy once Cry once I suppose... Sold out of Italy, assembled in Slovenia, one repair center in the US...
Grainger sells a Dayton branded one for a shade over 1000, Made in Taiwan...
And a smaller Dayton branded one for about 664...

The Grizzly one is a portaband with a stand... Under 200...

I Google Femi saws and found Trick-Tools. Looks like Femi has a couple great saws in the $500-$800 range. Thanks for turning me on to Femi, bit more research and I'll be buying one.

 

[kkroger]

I Google Femi saws and found Trick-Tools. Looks like Femi has a couple great saws in the $500-$800 range. Thanks for turning me on to Femi, bit more research and I'll be buying one.

Checkout HEM saws on Trick Tools... Similar to Femi but a couple dollars cheaper, Van Zant doesn't tend to sell ****...

 

[ilovevocs]

I'll take my rage over my import 4x6 bandsaw any day.

 

[3 Gun Shooter]

Checkout HEM saws on Trick Tools... Similar to Femi but a couple dollars cheaper, Van Zant doesn't tend to sell ****...

I looked at the HEM saw by Femi, that is one sweet saw. I was looking at the 105 for $799 but after looking at the HEM saw it is worth every dime of $1400. I love the video of the guy setting it up and walking away as he lowers the blade.

 

[Superbec]

I looked at the HEM saw by Femi, that is one sweet saw. I was looking at the 105 for $799 but after looking at the HEM saw it is worth every dime of $1400. I love the video of the guy setting it up and walking away as he lowers the blade.

wow, you guys get ripped off ...

look here http://www.vdhbv.nl/metaalbewerkingsmachines/bandzaagmachines/?ucc=GjKl9pCItFmGTAGmUdFjw8WmdU4=

 

[pi_guy]

Hate to be "That" Guy but Eastwood offers this for a shade under 300.....
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-be...g-9b1E3sOrEr9ngXgE5o8a5ITQ7ehGs9L0BoCFLTw_wcB

Almost bought that junk.
The web site was difficult and non responsive the 10% code was difficult to get applied and by the time I got to the end it had dropped the 10%.
So do not waste your time.

 

[Fender1325]

I'll take my rage over my import 4x6 bandsaw any day.

Holy Toledo!

 

[ilovevocs]

Holy Toledo!

I'm not proud to own either tool. With some energy the bandsaw could have been a decent tool but I wasn't going to invest that much into it. The rage gets stuff done. The bandsaw was a super turd when it came to getting projects done. The rage won't last long but by then I'll be looking for a better saw and can justify the cost. When I got the rage I was expecting to keep the bandsaw. The bandsaw went to a friends house and isn't welcome back at mine. It's my personal opinion and experience.


If I need to be precise I'll put it in the mill the square it up. The bandsaw tool half a cocktail to make a cut. My attention span won't stand for it.

The rage is a turd too, don't get wrong. They both are. For me the rage for me better.