Band Saw or Cold Saw

[zekeymonkey]

I need to buy a band saw or a cold saw for cutting steel tubing for a pair of body jigs. The body jigs will be for a pair of first gen Firebirds. For those of with more experience than me, do you find a cold saw is worth the extra cost?

I'm looking at either a Baileigh or Jet 12.5" cold saw. They look like the same basic machine and are of similar price.

 

[Kensgarage]

I'll take a good dry saw before either.If just those two, I'll take the cold saw.
The beauty of a bandsaw is jumbo capacity and being able to walk away and let it cut......although I can make a dozen cuts on "normal' material with a dry saw faster than a bandsaw can get through one.

 

[HAP]

Band saw can do what the cold saw does and more. Cut quality is not as precise but you will have less chips to clean up...

 

[Ign]

OP, what exactly is your budget?

 

[dr_clyde]

Run far, far away from anything made by Baleigh.I have a Baleigh cold saw and its the biggest turd I've ever owned. My buddy has some other equipment by them and its all really expensive and "meh" quality at best.

I run a saw regularly, my shop relies on my saws and I have formed opinion about both in a professional environment that may or may not translate to the home shop. Budget, power input and space are more of a factor at home.

If you are doing lots of tubing, miters, solid bar under 2" or lots of repetitive short lengths, the cold saw rocks. I would look at used Scotchman or Doringer.

A good horizontal bandsaw will handle all of the above plus the rest, but at slower speeds and more fussing with stops and the like. Some don't miter easily. However, the bandsaw is accurate, inexpensive to operate, had a very wide range of costs, sizes and power requirements to consider. For the bulk of general cutting, the horizontal band saw is king. Again, I would buy used industrial over a new import any day. W.F. Wells, Do-All, Hyd-mech, Wellsaw, and Kalamazoo all make small saws that would be awesome in the home shop.

It may take a bit of hunting to find, but for 3-5 bills, a small Kalamazoo would be my choice. I know of a couple used ones in that range in my area.

Don't buy a dry saw. Ick. Loud, messy, not very versatile, generally a pain.

 

[gte718p]

Generally the two are not considered equivalent tools. A true cold cut saw is an order of magnitude more expensive then a horizontal bandsaw of the same size. A vertical bandsaw has a completely different capability set.

If you can swing the price a cold cut saw is awesome.

 

[BD1]

A ELLIS 1600 mitering band saw would be my choice.

http://www.ellissaw.com/Band-Saws/3/1600-mitre-band-saw

 

[EdT]

Is this just to make the jigs, or a tool with a long future. The bandsaw is going to be the lowest cost and most versatile of your two choices. Even the low buck imports are pretty good. I've had one for about 25 years and I use it several times a week. Most of them have a limited capacity as a vertical saw as well which comes in handy if you don't have a vertical band saw. As mentioned above, it will take a bit of fussing to get it to cut square and miters are a bit of a PITA to set up accurately. If you can find a good, used industrial saw for a decent price that's an excellent choice as well. Prices are all over the place. Watch out for 3 phase stuff unless you have 3 phase, want to buy a new motor, or get into VFDs. Depending on the wall thickness, you might also consider an abrasive chop saw. They are noisy, and a bit messy, but they are inexpensive and don't take up a lot of space. They are a bit tedious on heavy cross sections, but great for lighter stuff , say< 1/8"wall.

 

[zekeymonkey]

My budget is $2500 max. I'll mainly be cutting 2" square tubing. As this is for a body jig, I like the idea of the extra precision of a cold saw. I'll also need to cut some 45 degrees miters.

I've used a dry saw a number of times and find that I don't like the cut quality.

 

[dr_clyde]

You can buy a lot of saw for $2500. I would look at some local machinery dealers. Give them your size, power requirements and budget and see what they come up with.

 

[zkling]

You can buy a lot of saw for $2500. I would look at some local machinery dealers. Give them your size, power requirements and budget and see what they come up with.

You could get a decent bandsaw and true cold saw for that price.

 

[Richard D]

I use my $100 Milwaukee port a band all the time, can't remember last time I used my stationary band saw. I got a table from Swag Offroad for about fifty bucks and it even more versatile now. I still want a cold saw, just because I want one.

 

[Iroc-Z]

A ELLIS 1600 mitering band saw would be my choice.

http://www.ellissaw.com/Band-Saws/3/1600-mitre-band-saw

This!!!
I will buy this saw before I ever buy a cold saw. These Ellis saws are workhorses.

 

[Iroc-Z]

My budget is $2500 max. I'll mainly be cutting 2" square tubing. As this is for a body jig, I like the idea of the extra precision of a cold saw. I'll also need to cut some 45 degrees miters.

I've used a dry saw a number of times and find that I don't like the cut quality.

Dry saws IMO are only one step up from abrasive saws. They work for the guy who does not have room for a band saw and cant afford a cold saw.

 

[ishiboo]

I have a dry saw. Like it 50X better than an abrasive saw. My next purchase will be a horizontal bandsaw.

 

[Strouty]

I agree on the Ellis, I think you will find it is the best bang for the buck. It will allow you to cut much larger material than the cold or dry saws. I personally have a dry saw and have no issues with the cuts, but I hate the hot chips that go everywhere. Also the bandsaw may be slower, but you can set it and forget it (thanks Ron) as well as have a conversation while it is cutting.

I know on the dry saw you must angle the material, not sure if it is that way with the cold saws, but that is probably the biggest PITA. I know the Ellis will allow you to keep the material in one position, plus the last I checked they were made in the USA.

Here is one that is close to your budget.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-E...hash=item2ee2661790:m:m6GUnsrshiSF7IZqB5tBYBg

 

[kazlx]

Ellis hands down. Probably the best 'one saw' you could buy to start with if you had the budget. But, like also mentioned you could also buy used and get a nice horz band saw and a decent cold saw. Cold saws rock on tubing. I use a Scotchman that a buddy has when I need it. Basically a 'machined' finish and dead nuts miters when you set it up correctly.

 

[bullnerd]

For something that small Id buy a Femi. Check out the vids on you tube. You don't need a massive saw for something that small.

 

[zkling]

For something that small Id buy a Femi. Check out the vids on you tube. You don't need a massive saw for something that small.

But...a larger saw can run larger (wider) blades which are inherently more ridgid and thus accurate.

 

[bullnerd]

But...a larger saw can run larger (wider) blades which are inherently more ridgid and thus accurate.

Absolutely!...But the Femi can be put away when he's done with the "jigs".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SSBCih81SeE

 

[CGT80]

For something that small Id buy a Femi. Check out the vids on you tube. You don't need a massive saw for something that small.

x2
I have the femi abs 120 which will do a 45 degree cut on 3" square tube. I just did a job with a bunch of cuts on 3" x 3/16" wall tube and 2x2x3/16" wall. I also did some 90 degree cuts on 4" square tube with 3/8" wall. The project took about a thousand pounds of material and had 22.5, 45, and 90 degree cuts. This saw will cut to 60 degrees and will cut 4-3/4" material at 90 degrees. The saw weighs 42 pounds and the saw turns instead of the work. Since I already had a dewalt miter saw stand (used with an abrasive blade for my steel work) it made sense to add the brackets to the femi and I use it just like I did the miter saw. The band saw was about $1500 IIRC, but it beats the hell out of the low quality cuts from the miter saw. It is also much less work to use the band saw as I had to lean on the miter saw and approach the point where it would stall, to make any time with it.

My brother just bought the femi abs 160 and finished a job where he had to cut up 7,000 pounds of angle iron that was 2" leg and 3/8" thick. It is built even better than the 120 but costs $700 more and weighs 80 pounds. This saw will only cut up to 45 degrees. They both cut dry and only make a little pile of saw dust and while a bit noisy (I wear ear plugs) they are not anything like the sound of an abrasive saw. They don't make a mess inside of the garage or shop.

Why do you need such accurate cuts?

If you are welding the joints, then you will have to deal with ensuring that the welds don't pull the material out of spec. It also sounds like you are doing a small number of cuts for this project. If you plan to do many cuts in the future (as I did) then get a great saw, if you only do occasional work then you could farm out the cutting or just use a less expensive saw.

The band saw blades are 20-22 bucks each for these two machines and they last quite a while on thick material. It is probably much cheaper in blade costs to run the band saw vs. a dry cut.

I have not used a cold saw, but I don't see how the accuracy would be significantly better than a band saw or how they are worth the cost for an all purpose cutting too for a small time fabricator. They seem like a better tool for a big shop.

On my saw, I have cut material too long and gone back and shaved a bit off a 45 degree cut. The piece that was cut off, after blade curf, was 20 thousandths of an inch thick. I had to baby sit the saw so it would not jump out of the cut, but the abrasive saw wouldn't work on thick material for removing less than a quarter inch or more. If you the band saw blade is at least a 1/16" from the end of the material, it will just slice it right off, which means taking off an 1/8" total is cake.

That Ellis saw looks exactly like what I would want in a full size machine. The saws that require turning the material for angled cuts are as stupid as a bad of rocks. My brother and I needed something that would not take up a lot of room in our garages and that could be taken to a job site easily. The Femi is made in Italy rather than China. My shotgun was made in Italy and is very nice and they make some high end cars so I don't mind the import from them.

 

[mike13u]

But...a larger saw can run larger (wider) blades which are inherently more ridgid and thus accurate.

Ill put my little Femi bandsaw up against an Ellis on accuracy anyday. Love the Ellis saws but they arent more accurate than the small Femi saws. At least not any I have had the pleasure of using.
Both great tools though and if you have the room an Ellis is hard to beat.

 

[jeff_gates]

I have a Jet wet band saw and love it. But, you need to mix up the coolant, and if you let it set too long you will need to take the pump apart to clean the coolant out of it when it becomes gunk.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004T9KT/?tag=atomicindus08-20

--Jeff

 

[SilverSS1969]

I'm in the process of building a first gen Camaro jig myself. I have an abrasive saw. It took me longer to square the ends. Our work has a SteelMax cold saw. Im going to try that on the next uprights I need to cut for my jig to see if that works better. Ive used some nice industrial band saws, and I'm not sure if that will be precise enough for a jig.

I figure if the cold saw doesn't work. Ill just put them in one of our mills at work to square and bring the length in on them.

And the ones asking why do you need such an accurate cut, these jigs are used for welding in the new "chassis", floor pans frame rail and body mounts on these cars. You want them as close as possible so you are not fighting the car to get all the dimensions, on the car, in spec. Yes welding them up will move things around but its nice to deal with just that variable then fight that with poor quality cuts on top of that.

 

[hogdaddy]

I'm in the process of building a first gen Camaro jig myself. I have an abrasive saw. It took me longer to square the ends. Our work has a SteelMax cold saw. Im going to try that on the next uprights I need to cut for my jig to see if that works better. Ive used some nice industrial band saws, and I'm not sure if that will be precise enough for a jig.

I figure if the cold saw doesn't work. Ill just put them in one of our mills at work to square and bring the length in on them.

And the ones asking why do you need such an accurate cut, these jigs are used for welding in the new "chassis", floor pans frame rail and body mounts on these cars. You want them as close as possible so you are not fighting the car to get all the dimensions, on the car, in spec. Yes welding them up will move things around but its nice to deal with just that variable then fight that with poor quality cuts on top of that.

Sounds like you got a First Gen Jig like me. I am gonna be putting one together soon and I'm gonna use this Evolution steel saw
http://www.discountsteel.com/items/Evolution_EVOSAW380.cfm to make some clean cuts hopefully.

 

[SilverSS1969]

Sounds like you got a First Gen Jig like me. I am gonna be putting one together soon and I'm gonna use this Evolution steel saw
http://www.discountsteel.com/items/Evolution_EVOSAW380.cfm I bought to make some clean cuts hopefully.

Yep. First Gen Jigs here.

 

[Strouty]

I forgot about the Femi, that would work well and as others said, they are much easier to store. Fits your budget too.

 

[Iroc-Z]

Keep an eye on Craig's list. I see Ellis saws come up for sale once in a while

 

[Strouty]

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to buy one, but I did not know enough about it. It was right after Christmas and once I did a bit of research I knew I should buy it, it sold the same day I decided. I have not seen a used one for sale in my neck of the woods since. I kick myself for that, he wanted $1500 for a 2000 series with roller feed tables and extra blades. At the time it seemed too expensive, but after a little research it was obvious that it was a great deal. Live and learn.

 

[BD1]

Look how these are wrapped for Christmas, just picked mine up.

 

[BD1]

Ok, uncrated. Could not load multiple images.

 

[SilverSS1969]

I tried to use the cold cut saw at our work for my tubing but apparently someone broke off multiple carbide teeth. I resorted to cutting mine on one of our Mazak mills.

 

[racingtadpole]

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.

 

[Compton]

I do all my work with three different cutting tools:

Compact Milwaukee Band Saw
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/6242-6

Stationary Horizontal Band Saw (Harbor Freight) with Flood Coolant
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-hp-7-inch-x-12-inch-hydraulic-feed-metal-cutting-bandsaw-97009.html
Note this is the same saw as what Jet sells but with nicer paint and stickers.

Metabo 6" Grinder with Slicer Blades
http://www.cpometabo.com/metabo-600....html?start=2&cgid=new-arrival-angle-grinders

Here is a picture of the kind of fabrication these tools are used for.

For me a cold saw would never be worth the money for home use.

 

[tarmy]

For something that small Id buy a Femi. Check out the vids on you tube. You don't need a massive saw for something that small.

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...

 

[Fender1325]

HF Horizontal band saw is one of my favorite pieces of equipment I own. I had a dry cut saw and hated it. Loud, lots of chips, and not accurate.

Band saws are quiet and accurate. A MUST HAVE in every metal working shop IMO.

 

[kerrynzl]

Makita LC1230 cold cut drop saw.

It mitre cuts very accurately, but the best advantage is the abililty to trim a small amount [0.5mm] off the edge of a cut.

If I was fitting a piece of steel with a 25degree cut [eg an X-member on a trailer tongue] I can run the blade down the edge of a cut and trim it to fit instead of grinding it. [5 secs]

A band saw cannot cut along the edge

My drop saw gets a lot of use and I ended up selling my band saw [band saws don't like cutting angle iron]

 

[OccupantRJ]

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.

As true as it gets.

 

[BD1]

HF Horizontal band saw is one of my favorite pieces of equipment I own. I had a dry cut saw and hated it. Loud, lots of chips, and not accurate.

Band saws are quiet and accurate. A MUST HAVE in every metal working shop IMO.

My HF saw is still going after 7 years. It was really a deal back then, with coupon $115.00. HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

 

[fnieto]

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.