Recommend a good metal chop saw

[Iluvbeer]

So I’m wanting to pick up a good metal chop saw. I’ve come across the dewalt at Lowes and a Milwaukee at Rural King but both have lots of complaints for wobbly blades and unsquared tables causing poor aligned cuts.
What good ones are you guys having luck with?.

 

[Ign]

I dunno, I see a 14" abrasive saw as more of a rough cut (or even I'm desperate) tool. Not sure any of 'em cut all that square.

I have the Milwaukee and it's ok, but again I don't expect much from it.

Is there such a thing as "high end" 14" abrasive saws? I'm curious to see what others say....

 

[fsae0607]

I have the Hitachi 14" chop saw from lowes. It cuts great! I scored on the floor model for $100 because the safety lockout was broken. I took it apart and removed the lockout. I have cutoff wheels for non-ferrous and ferrous metals.

Heaviest thing I cut with it was a 4" block of aluminum. It took a few minutes, letting the saw do the work, but it didn't bog down too much.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hitachi-15-Amp-14-in-Chop-Saw/3611504

 

[pepi]

The question is do want a sparkler or a saw. Chop saw Milwaukee gets my nod, I have own this saw for 15 years, cuts true and clean.

 

[Ign]

I have the Hitachi 14" chop saw from lowes. It cuts great! I scored on the floor model for $100 because the safety lockout was broken. I took it apart and removed the lockout. I have cutoff wheels for non-ferrous and ferrous metals.

Heaviest thing I cut with it was a 4" block of aluminum. It took a few minutes, letting the saw do the work, but it didn't bog down too much.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hitachi-15-Amp-14-in-Chop-Saw/3611504

Yikes using what blade? Do they make 14" abrasives rated for Al? Did you load up a carbide wood blade (which would be my choice)?

OP I dunno if any are still made w cast steel bases but those are gonna be more solid. The old Milwaukees were but the new ones are stamped steel, much like the Hitachi linked. Those stamped steel bases are lighter and easier to manufacture but they can twist....altho with a wobbly abrasive blade I'm not sure it matters

 

[lis2323]

I bought my Makita 14” abrasive chop new for the farm saw over 35 years ago. No complaints whatsoever. It cuts quick and dirty (just the way I like it). [emoji3]



The key to using these saws is to NOT apply continuous pressure throughout the entire cut. Apply even pressure 2-3 seconds, lift slightly then apply pressure to the cut again. It is called a “chop” saw partially for this reason.

Continuous pressure on a deep cut will cause unnecessary heating, blade glazing and an unsquare cut.

The next (slightly more costly) option would be a quality DRY cut saw.

Here’s a pic of my Makita dry cut.



It cuts fast, clean and cool, but I’ll always keep the abrasive chop saw for “dirty” hard and materials of unknown composition.




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[PugetDude]

Avoid the Dewalt. I have one, it's a POS. The no-name Chinese import it replaced was actually better.

Look at a Milwaukee or Dewalt Portaband instead.
I find it to be a lot more versatile, especially if you add a simple table.

 

[fsae0607]

Yikes using what blade? Do they make 14" abrasives rated for Al? Did you load up a carbide wood blade (which would be my choice)?

OP I dunno if any are still made w cast steel bases but those are gonna be more solid. The old Milwaukees were but the new ones are stamped steel, much like the Hitachi linked. Those stamped steel bases are lighter and easier to manufacture but they can twist....altho with a wobbly abrasive blade I'm not sure it matters

I used a cutoff wheel rated for non-ferrous metal from McMaster-Carr. I think it's Norton brand. But yes, they do make non-ferrous specific wheels for chop saws.

 

[Stooge]

i have a Makita 2414NB 14" that I've been using for the last 5 or so yrs. No complaints and for my uses, it has done everything I've needed it to and was under/ around $200 or so. I used it to cut the 2x4 3/16 rectangular tubing for a work table I built last year and for just a quicky little job that I could have been more precise measuring, theres no wobble in it at all.

 

[pstemari]

I've never understood the use case for the abrasive chop saws. Is just a speed advantage over a bandsaw?

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[Ign]

I've never understood the use case for the abrasive chop saws. Is just a speed advantage over a bandsaw?

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Sure and space and portability. I mean I agree I hate 'em but for the 2-car garage fab guy or mobile work I get it. I keep one on hand pretty much solely for hardened material

 

[fsae0607]

The key to using these saws is to NOT apply continuous pressure throughout the entire cut. Apply even pressure 2-3 seconds, lift slightly then apply pressure to the cut again. It is called a “chop” saw partially for this reason.

Continuous pressure on a deep cut will cause unnecessary heating, blade glazing and an unsquare cut.

That's exactly what I did cutting that 4" bar.

 

[sk farmer]

I've never understood the use case for the abrasive chop saws. Is just a speed advantage over a bandsaw?

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portability, size and speed.

i have a makita just like what lis2323 posted above and it has never missed a beat. i just replaced the cord as it finally rotted away. it is a bullet proof saw and i doubt you can buy one as tough as it today.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

We use the Dewalt carbide tipped slow speed saw at work and couldnt be happier with it. It replaced a Dewalt abrasive wheel model. I hated the dust and sparks from the old saw.

 

[Iluvbeer]

Thanks for everyone’s input. You’ve definitely gave me stuff to consider including proper cutting technique. Maybe I’ll look around for a food old used model.
Last week a very heavy duty and large floor model (horizontal/vertical) band saw came up on CL fir $40 but it didn’t last an hour. Wish I coulda snapped it up.

 

[speed bump]

I have an ancient Ryobi (so old it was made in Japan) that seems to do the job.

I would pick whichever color and ergonomics you like best and go that way. For instance I prefer a D-handle so that puts me in the Dewalt camp but you might not mind the chop handle.

 

[aka Larry]

The Evolution Rage would be my suggestion. Much cleaner and faster cut than an abrasive-type saw. Love mine.

 

[WittHay]

I like the Makita. They even have a cordless version now. Handy saws for cutting wire braided hose or wire rope and cable. I personally prefer grinding sparks than the metal chips from a dry cut.

 

[engineer2]

I have an older no-name Chinese model. Works fine. I even took it off the base once and used it as a concrete saw. That was exciting.
I never use it anymore, so it'll go on CL this spring.

 

[matt_i]

The abrasive saws are great when you have unknown hardened material that would destroy a $60 bandsaw blade. But I prefer something like a 6" thin wheel in a portable corded tool because a) it can go anywhere there's power and b) you can use an actual bench vise instead of the uber chintzy one that comes with it.

I would look into the dry cut saw if wanting to do generalized fabrication with flat bar and tube steel.

 

[Ericmacc]

Evolution rage chop saw is good and also Milwaukee.

 

[MrSurly]

During the recent (November) clearances at Lowes I bought a Hitachi chop saw and Hitachi 4-1/2" grinder boxed as a set and on sale cheap-cheap. the chop saw is decent if it's the only one you have (my case, at home) but it completely ***** compared to the "real" chop saws we have at work, much pricier Makita and Milwaukee models that a guy can just *lean on* and not bog. The difference is of the homeowner grade versus the welding supply store commercial grade type of difference. The Hitachi has a stamped but decently sturdy base, a handy, quick clamp system and a stout enough frame and hinge. Its fail is its power. You can easily bog it; cutting 4" SS channel was a slow slow process. Smaller stuff is better; its OK for home shop use, I think.

 

[Ign]

Thanks for everyone’s input. You’ve definitely gave me stuff to consider including proper cutting technique. Maybe I’ll look around for a food old used model.
Last week a very heavy duty and large floor model (horizontal/vertical) band saw came up on CL fir $40 but it didn’t last an hour. Wish I coulda snapped it up.

Also if you suspect your blade has glazed you can sorta bang it on the work while cutting, kind of in an attempt to knock off the "slag" - an analogy. But IME it works better in theory than in practice

 

[dnschmidt]

Dry cut saw. Are they expensive? Yes. They are also so much better than the abrasive saw that you'll never use an abrasive saw again. Another case of you get what you pay for.

 

[Lucky13driver]

I currently have the Dewalt it's ok. I'm looking at the rage 3 DB it's a sliding miter saw for steel and wood It's about $350.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Screw chop saws, get a miter head band saw. Precise, clean cuts with no sparks or loud noise.

 

[lis2323]

Screw chop saws, get a miter head band saw. Precise, clean cuts with no sparks or loud noise.

Better yet get both.

 

[ChrisLS8]

We use the DeWalt 14" with the quick change blade very very hard at work cutting hundreds of studs, tracks, z bar, angle etc daily and they have been bulletproof

 

[brulow]

I have the Makita, for 33 years now, no problems. seems to me the secret is to use the best blades you can get

 

[Showkey]

Have a Hitachi 14” abrasive chop saw and rarely use after I purchased this:

 

[Slednut]

Makita dry cut saw results.

 

[anndel]

I have the Evolution Rage 2 and it cuts clean and fast. The only issue is when making 45 degree cuts on square tubing, when I join them to make 90 degrees they're not exactly 45 degrees. I think the angle device moves when I tighten the screws about 1 or 2 degrees.

 

[Ign]

I have the Makita, for 33 years now, no problems. seems to me the secret is to use the best blades you can get

Yep the red thin DeWalt blades are 7/64 IIRC and work better than most.

Which still reminds me of the most annoying thing about abrasive: with use the blade diameter shrinks and performance begins to suffer exponentially not to mention max depth of cut. We need saws like CNC lathes that increase spindle speed to keep a constant surface speed

 

[Fixed]

The dewalt 14" is the way to go. D-handle is so much more comfortable to use.

Noise, sparks, heat, wide kerf and wandering cut are all terrible. However those issues are not related to brand, they're a universal problem with abrasive saws.

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[bigtiger]

How does the ridgid chop saw compare out there.. It's got a very heavy base, cast iron?? And seems more stable then others that I saw.

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[NoiseRacing]

https://www.sawblade.com/ytce2009trajan700.cfm loved using this at a coworkers shop last year. I hate my abrasive saw cause of how dirty it is. Band saws and cold saws are the best.

 

[Farmall450]

I dunno, I see a 14" abrasive saw as more of a rough cut (or even I'm desperate) tool. Not sure any of 'em cut all that square.

I have the Milwaukee and it's ok, but again I don't expect much from it.

Is there such a thing as "high end" 14" abrasive saws? I'm curious to see what others say....

Agreed, and have a dewalt. I'd like to get even the Northern Tool cold cut saw.

 

[Farmall450]

Evolution rage chop saw is good and also Milwaukee.

I've had bad luck with the rage.

 

[sberry]

I like a chop saw for maintenance and general small fab work. Low cost, we built a containment for the mess.