I've got a HF chop saw an I am disappointed in it. It takes forever to cut through 2" square tube. I feel I could fab more stuff if I could cut faster. What do you recommend, saw and blades that work well. I'd love a plasma cutter, but not in the cards right now. Post picks of your set up if you got em.
Chop chop chop saws
- Thread starter bop_pa
- Start date
crewchief888
Well-known member
mine always cut fine with proper down pressure. i didnt care or the life of the HF blades, i got good life out of dewalt blades from HD
it did finally stop working after 3 years,
3 cages, 2 sets of bumpers, spare tire mounts, and rock sliders.
and i dont blame the saw at all.
replaced it with a ridgid.
it did finally stop working after 3 years,
3 cages, 2 sets of bumpers, spare tire mounts, and rock sliders.
and i dont blame the saw at all.
replaced it with a ridgid.
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
Type of blade is very important. We cut a heating element assembly containing a ceramic material into at work, and it requires a rubber bonded blade, for example. No other type blade will come close.
I have a Milwaukee saw and I generally buy Dewalt blades for it.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Horizontal band saw...
rkevins
Well-known member
We use Milwaukee at work and they take LOTS of abuse and stand up well. I agerr on dewalt blades if atwoods is near you they have good prices on them.
1stChoiceGarage
Member
The Freud blades we use seem to do the trick!
I have a DeWalt brand chop saw myself. Other posters are right that a good and correct blade is needed for the material.
A horizontal band saw is an awesome tool and better than a chop saw for a lot of applications. Wish I had one!
Vertical and horizontal.
Find a large USA made horz. bandsaw on Craigslist. I paid $500 for mine, but I've seen them go for $200. Bandsaws don't really cut very fast, but the cuts are straight and clean without the dust or sparks. 100x better than the junk HF chop saw or 4x6 bandsaw.
Hephaestus29
Well-known member
I've got a Dewalt chopsaw & I believe it's rated at 5 hp but it still has a time going through some stuff, it just depends on how thick it is, & the thickness of the blade you're using also, if you use a thinner blade you will go through quicker usually but the deflection is greater & your cut wont usually be as straight as what I like.
It's not a tool I really like & am thinking of selling it & anything else that makes dust & as much noise as it does.
It's not a tool I really like & am thinking of selling it & anything else that makes dust & as much noise as it does.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
I have found the dewalt chop shop wheels seem to be the best bang for the buck. I watch for a deal and stock up on them. The only other wheels I have used where the stock craftsman that came on it and norton. I have a craftsman chop show, about seven years old before they really cheapen the thing up and have been very happy with, had cold cut saws been more common then, I would have saved up for another month and got one of those. I have a metal band saw at work and it is a great tool. I would't say it is faster then a chop saw, but the cut is so much nicer.
I bought a Makita at Costco many years ago and have been happy with it. I usually get blades at the welding shop when they have them on sale. The big draw back is the NOISE and sparks, I usually take it outside the shop to make cuts.
bggrnchvy
Well-known member
I've been running a HF chop saw for general metal fab for 7 years now. I'm on my 3rd set of carbon brushes if that gives you any idea of how many cuts it's made. Literally dozens of projects, some using hundreds of feet of tubing.
The key to the saw as mentioned is down pressure. You don't want to glaze the blade over or it will take forever to cut anything. You also don't want to bog the motor down too much.
I've been using these 1/8" blades recently to good effect:
http://www.roarksupply.com/14-Wheels-Metal-Cutting-Chop-Saws-p/14inchmccs.htm
Previously I'd run Home Depot specials, usually Norton's and they work fine as well. The Roarks are just cheaper in bulk with cutoff wheels and flap discs.
It will never be as nice as a horizontal bandsaw, but they work just fine in my experience with some patience and technique. For the purchase price (it was $50 back then) to longevity it's hard to beat.
The key to the saw as mentioned is down pressure. You don't want to glaze the blade over or it will take forever to cut anything. You also don't want to bog the motor down too much.
I've been using these 1/8" blades recently to good effect:
http://www.roarksupply.com/14-Wheels-Metal-Cutting-Chop-Saws-p/14inchmccs.htm
Previously I'd run Home Depot specials, usually Norton's and they work fine as well. The Roarks are just cheaper in bulk with cutoff wheels and flap discs.
It will never be as nice as a horizontal bandsaw, but they work just fine in my experience with some patience and technique. For the purchase price (it was $50 back then) to longevity it's hard to beat.
PCO6
Well-known member
I have a DeWalt chop saw and although I feel it's a good quality tool I much prefer my cheap 4"x6" horizantal band saw. I thought I'd like the chop saw for quick simple cuts. I found it is slow, noisey, messy, "sparkie", etc. and generally not fun to use. Cutting tubing is fine - small angle is OK - flat bar is a pain in the ****. For the money, spend a few extra bucks and go for the band saw.