bandsaw or chop saw

[nismomans13]

Well every year for my birthday (yesterday) and christmas I get a ridiculous amount of Sears gift cards usually totaling in the few hundreds of dollars range so this year i've decided I need a metal cutting saw thats not my grinder with a wafer wheel.

My choices are down to the Cman 4x6 bandsaw, and the evolution rage dry chop saw. Which one would you guys go with? I like the rage but the blades are 100 bucks each, but its fast and no sparks. The bandsaw would be quieter and I could easily add coolant to it to make it more efficient, I just don't like that its not a vert too.

 

[Hiball]

I have a old Makita Chop saw, I wouldnt be without it. Im not familiar with the evolution you speak of (Ill check it out) but i think i only gave $240 for my Makita.

 

[nismomans13]

I have a old Makita Chop saw, I wouldnt be without it. Im not familiar with the evolution you speak of (Ill check it out) but i think i only gave $240 for my Makita.

ya check'em out, The only way i'm getting a chopsaw is if its NON abrasive.

 

[Hiball]

ya check'em out, The only way i'm getting a chopsaw is if its NON abrasive.

I would look for a Bandsaw then, Those blades are Crazy Priced. Any idea how long they last?

 

[nismomans13]

I would look for a Bandsaw then, Those blades are Crazy Priced. Any idea how long they last?

they say around 750 cuts in 1/4in mild steel. More than adequate for building roll cages and exhausts. I just fear the cman bandsaw being the same as the HF one and not living up to what i'd like.

 

[mjb]

I have a band saw and a cold saw. I use the cold saw for almost everything, but have been thinking about getting the Evolution dry cut for use in the field.

I have used my friends Makita dry cut and it works great, but it is $500.

I have not handled an Evolution, so I can't tell how well it is made.

Good luck!

 

[SM Racing]

I have had all three. I like the band saw best. You can set it and forget it. When it is done cutting it cuts off, it auto feeds, is super quiet, and throws no sparks. The Chop saw is the exact opposite. It is noisy as hell and tries to burn the world down everytime I use it. I got a 82 tooth Cerametallic blade for it. Man that thing cut awesome. It cut clean, burn free, etc. Still made tons of noise, but no sparks, just threw hot pieces of metal. The manufacture claimed the blade was good for hundreds of cuts, but I got about 5 cuts out of it before it was dull, went back and they gave me another blade, similar performance. I bet if the saw was slowed down and it would work pretty well, but it still slings steel bits everywhere.

I love the band saw and won't be going back to the chop saw unless I need to cut something that is hardened.

 

[Ign]

I've got a dry cut and a band saw. The band saw sees way more use

 

[Stick Figure]

not familiar with either of the models in question but between my Jet 4x6 band saw and my Makita Chop saw the band saw is the only one that gets used. I love Makita products but as others have said the noise and mess of the chop saw gets old very quickly. I also find the band saw can be set up to cut a wider variety of materials with the only downside being slower cuts on some metals. obviously you can change speeds and blades to make it perfect for the material, but who takes the time to do that?

 

[littletoes]

Not familiar with the brands listed either....

But I've got miles and miles of cuts behind a Milwaukee Port-a-band, and lots of cuts on an abrasive cut off saw, and the carbide metal cut-off saw.

As said above by SM Racing, can't stand the noise of the abrasive cut off/chop saw, nor the fire hazard.
Absolutely don't think the carbide cut-off saw is worth the money. Thin stock seems to chip or break the teeth off, causing the need for a new blade.....bummer, they are expensive.

The rubber "wheels" on the band saw does wear down, but thats after hundreds of cuts. I've even broken the drive chain on several, but that was while cutting 8" sch 40 pipe. Yep, I get a bit aggressive cutting pipe with a band saw. Can do 6" in less than 4 minutes.
Pull the guard, you can cut 6" and 8" pipe, but you need the "deep cut" version.


I vote for the Band Saw me self.

 

[usdemt]

I was very excited to get my hands on the Evolution Saw. We had one ordered in on a deal at the store I worked at when they first came out, so I had to open it (do display it of course, haha) I was very disappointed in the quality, it had decent weight to it but the plastic feels like the cheap overly soft stuff that will bend easily and the metal is extremely rough cast. I was not by any means a precision built, or feeling machine. That combined with the cost or replacement blades was more than enough for me to look at something else. That saw is still sitting on the shelf after 3 years, so I must not be the only one who was dissatisfied with its appearance.

 

[nismomans13]

sounds like a bandsaw is gonna be the way to go. Bummer about the chop saws I was hoping they were good since their much more compact than a bandsaw.

 

[Steve_P]

chop saws are a great tool to have but abrasive is the only way to realistically go; you then need to use them outside IMO which is a PITA. A band saw would definitely be better but IMO it also depends on your budget. You can get a nice chop saw for ~$200 that will last forever and they're pretty much idiot proof and maintenance free. Can you get a decent new band saw for $200 that won't drive you crazy? I wouldn't think so but not sure. If you have $400+ then get a good band saw and later add a chop saw.

 

[Yojinbo]

I have the evolution rage and it's very noisy, throws (cool) metal in every possible direction and eats blades. The built in vise is not so fancy and I am not sure that it is strong enough.

But in my limited space shop, it's small footprint was a consideration. If you have space a metal bandsaw would be nice.

I am deeply curious about the "Cerametallic blade" -if that was for the evolution...

 

[Stuey]

I went with the Rage too, small version. Its build quality left me wanting more, but so far it's doing okay. If I had to choose again, I'd go for a band saw. Following that I'd go for a large non-abrasive multi-material chop saw instead for greater saw blade selection.

 

[Ign]

I have the evolution rage and it's very noisy, throws (cool) metal in every possible direction and eats blades. The built in vise is not so fancy and I am not sure that it is strong enough.

The chips that come out of a dry cut are hot when they first shoot out of there, make no mistake. This is why many shops call 'em a "hot saw." It's using carbide to essentially machine the work, very similar to a mill or lathe. The whole idea behind proper machining is that under ideal conditions the bulk of your heat goes into your chips while the work itself stays cool(er). No matter what you're ripping metal from metal and that creates friction = energy = heat.

 

[kc-steve]

Yup, just to add to the great comments above, I would be hesitant about buying the Evolution being that I think Craftsman is using that brand for low priced equipment from "overseas." I prefer tools that are already evolved.

Other than that, I have a DeWalt abrasive chop saw and wished I had the money for a horizontal band saw instead. I would like to get away from chop saws altogether. Think maybe your family might want to include me in a "secret santa" program?

Steve

 

[nismomans13]

wow, i guess its decided. Bandsaw it is..haha Unless I get enough money to buy a dake cold saw..lol