Dry/Cold Cut Metal Saws

[2drx4]

I'm looking to buy one... So who has one, and do you love it?

I've rocked a Makita 14" abrasion saw for many years, and it has always been very good to me. But it is messy, and I've put a small fortune worth of blades through it.

The only I've found locally that are somewhat affordable (note that I am in Canada) is the DeWalt BLDDW872 14" for about $600 or the Princess Auto "You're lucky if this is made in China" 14" for about $330.

DeWalt:
https://www.acklandsgrainger.com/AG...balProductDetailDisplay.do?item_code=BLDDW872

Princess Auto:
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Chop-Saws/14-in-Dry-Cutting-Metal-Saw/8539009.p

(Note I don't pay list price for stuff from Acklands-Grainger, but I don't know what sort of a deal they will give me until I call)

I'd lean towards the DeWalt, although I have't seen it in person. I also haven't gone and looked at the PA unit.

If there is another one that everyone else runs and likes, I will simply order it out of the US if need be.

 

[jrw87]

I have a the M18 Milwaukee, I use it alot for cable tray, strut and threaded rod, no complaints at all. I do not reccomend the diablo blades at all fwiw.

 

[lotsoftools]

I got the Northern Tool model they used to have, and it has worked pretty great so far. The original blade didn't last long at all though, so I put a Dewalt blade on it. I haven't used it much since the blade swap, so can't really speak to how good it is.
Northern switched over to the Klutch line of tools, and I don't know anything about their new saw. Here is a link for it though: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612345_200612345

 

[tarbellb]

I have used just about every 14" "dry" cut saw thats readily available.

Yes, you should absolutely invest in one if you want
a) cleaner cuts
b) much more accuracy
c) a different kind of mess to clean up then abrasive dust

Personally I like the Dewalt for the price and availability. The Dewalt seems a bit more flimsy then the others, and in a industrial environment wont last long. My Evolution was great, did just about everything well and for less $. My Milwaukee was ok but broke quickly. And I now have a Hitachi, which seems like a nicer unit then the other but shoots a LOT of hot chips at the operator (me!).

Things I would consider before purchase would be the base and fence quality, ie preferably cast not stamped. Also the vise, adjustment and feel.

Good luck.

 

[2drx4]

Personally I like the Dewalt for the price and availability. The Dewalt seems a bit more flimsy then the others, and in a industrial environment wont last long.

I'm not really on board with that. It sounds like the base is pretty flimsy, and that isn't really a good thing for the blade (or precision of the cut).

It sounds like Milwaukee used to make a really nice one, but it looks like the current generation also uses a **** stamped base?

I know a Makita dealer and would get a Makita, but it is only a 12" blade. Very nice looking cast aluminum base on it. I feel I need the capacity of the 14" blade though.

 

[dnschmidt]

I have the no longer produced Porter-Cable model which is great. There has to be something going on with these tools. Milwaukee had a really nice one and decided to stop manufacturing them. Makita has a 12" version but no 14" if I'm not mistaken. This is without doubt the handiest metal cutting saw available yet there are very few manufacturers of such a superior tool. I can't understand this. Everybody who makes power tools should have one of these models and they don't. Wonder why?

 

[tarbellb]

I suppose I contradicted myself there. Out of the two, I would likely go for the Dewalt if the price is close.
But, yes, the base and vise arent great. Is there other options up in Canada?

Look for the Evolution 14" dry cut, not the multi material saw. It was nice and much closer to the cost of the Northern saw.

 

[2drx4]

I suppose I contradicted myself there. Out of the two, I would likely go for the Dewalt if the price is close.
But, yes, the base and vise arent great. Is there other options up in Canada?

Look for the Evolution 14" dry cut, not the multi material saw. It was nice and much closer to the cost of the Northern saw.

Reading online reviews of the DeWalt indicates that the base *****, it's not just you. It would be more money than the Princess Auto junk, but I'm not sure how much better it would be.

In theory I can get just about anything from a major brand. Actual practice varies.

I would have to import the Evolution stuff, which is a pain. I assume you're talking about this one? http://www.evolutionpowertools.com/us/steel/evosaw380.php

The guys on Pirate were all ***** about the Rage2/Rage3, which are the multi-cut saws, and I could get those off Amazon easily enough (both for about $300). I'm not sure about that 15" Evolution saw, that might be harder to source.

 

[2drx4]

I found the Evo380 on Amazon. I'd have to log in and change a bunch of stuff in my profile to figure out how much it would cost to ship to me (last time I bought anything off Amazon.com was when I was in Afg), but here is a 'glowing' review:

Just got this saw in, and gave it a try. I'll list the impressions I have so far, and will update this as I gain more experience with the tool.

First of all, the saw performs basically as you'd expect it to. The blade it comes with (for steel) has the typical alternating tooth design that's common for this kind of saw -- one tooth cuts the middle of the kerf deeper, and then the next tooth widens the kerf. The saw spins more slowly, and with more torque, shoving each tooth through the workpiece and making larger chips instead of the white-hot metal dust common with chop saws.

In practice, it works, almost flawlessly. The saw is fast; the blade quickly glides through even heavy 1/4"-wall tubing with almost no pressure from your hand, and the cut off edges are immediately cool to the touch. Even when cutting off a narrow slice, the small piece that falls off is completely cool. What little heat is being generated is obviously being dumped into the chips, many of which are blue.

The edge, while not as perfect as I've seen some folks claim, is vastly superior to any edge you could get with an abrasive chop saw. I've noticed there's always a bit of flash at the end, but it's small enough that it zips off easily even with just a file or a small Dremel bit. Nothing like the large knife-edges of smeared molten steel that you get with an abrasive saw.

Now for the bad news. The saw is ... well, not exactly a well-made tool. Expect basically the quality of a nameless Chinese import. The immediate problem that I just noticed another user reporting also happened with mine, but worse. Out of the box, the saw won't even make a square cut! Even without the washer which initially impacts the fence, the slot for the fastening bolt also wasn't long enough for the fence to travel all the way into position. I had to use my Dremel to grind the slot longer, *and* dig out a recess in the fence for the washer to fit into (which I did instead of cutting the washer).

Many parts of the saw are made with castings, and most of the important bits aren't machined afterward for accuracy. So the blade is visibly and distractingly non-parallel to the slot in the base, and the cast iron fence isn't even usable without modification. On an abrasive chop saw that more or less meanders through the cut, this level of vagueness would be reasonable. But for a tool like this one with a blade capable of highly precise cuts, you'd expect a higher standard of construction.

EDIT: Another little "feature" I've been annoyed at but have been lazy to add to this review. They didn't cut the thread far enough along the threaded rod that drives the clamp in place, so the clamp won't even close all the way. Want to clamp a piece of typical 1/8" flat bar? Sorry, you're going to have to go find some other chunk of metal to stuff in there along with it. I mean, how hard is it to thread the rod the entire way?

Ehhhhhh

 

[plow]

I built my own from an old Radial Arm Saw. OSHA HATES me.

 

[PT Doc]

I built my own from an old Radial Arm Saw. OSHA HATES me.

Holy cow.

 

[plow]

It's a beast fer sure. I've made about 55 cuts with it. She's purpose built to cut 4"x4"x3/16" square tube for my 40 x 60. If you want to see a half azzed build thread on it, I can provide a link to another site. Not sure if the mods will allow links to other sites or not.


Disclaimer..........


WARNING!!!!! THIS THING AINT SAFE!!!! DON'T BUILD IT!!!!!

 

[kazlx]

I hate my dry cut saw. I just put it up for sale. It's loud, makes a mess and flings red hot and razor sharp chips everywhere. That being said, it cuts really quickly. Much prefer a band saw.

 

[404]

I built my own from an old Radial Arm Saw. OSHA HATES me.

That is awesome. Can you share some more pics?

Thanks
404

 

[tarbellb]

That homemade saw is scary as ****. No way I would be using it. Well done on the build, and in a bind sure. But regular use = injury.

And this is coming from a guy who takes off or mods a lot of guards and certain safety features.

I practice very safe procedures with my dry cut, one because your cutting steel @ 1500rpms and two because its easy to f up a ~$100 blade.

 

[tarbellb]

Anyways, back to the Evo saw. That review is spot on. Out of the box I made a few simple adjustments and it cut square. But I could easily see them coming in worse shape.

Pros:
_ its beefie, near everything is cast
_ adjustability is pretty good
_ the oem blade is fair
Cons:
_ lots of cast parts, not very precise until setup correctly
_ fit and finish on par with generic house brands
_ heavy

I got mine through Lowes about 2 1/2yrs ago. Had to special order it, but again, at the time is was $100+ cheaper then anything else out there. Now with the house brands ie Klutch, and Grizzly? I might be tempted by them if in the same scenario?

What are your prices looking like?

 

[2drx4]

What are your prices looking like?

$193.** in shipping for 'you might get it within' 10-14 days, or $263.** in shipping for 'maybe' 3 day delivery.



I'll have to see if I can get free shipping with Prime.

 

[Tronyadorable]

Makita 1230

 

[2drx4]

Makita 1230

I just can't get over it being only a 12" blade. Homodepot can get me one within the week for $530, and my dealer friend can probably do me a spot better than that but not as quick.

Otherwise it looks like a good unit.

 

[2drx4]

I'm going to buy the Princess Auto unit tomorrow. I fully expect it to ****. I need to go there to get some bolts for my snow plow anyways. However, if I use it and don't like it, they will take it back and even accept "I think it *****" as a reason for the return.

Sorry to disappoint the purists, but this is the path of least resistance... And they're open till 9pm.

 

[plow]

I apologize for the thread Hijack. Here's the link to the info on the saw. If y'all have questions pm me.


http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?445211-DIY-cold-cut-saw

 

[2drx4]

I apologize for the thread Hijack. Here's the link to the info on the saw. If y'all have questions pm me.


http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?445211-DIY-cold-cut-saw

Doesn't bother me. If I had the time I'd build my own. I have no time.

 

[BD1]

If you do consider the Dewalt or other products of theirs, they normally have a rebate sale in December for Christmas. Last year was $25.00 off a $100 purchase.

 

[tarbellb]

I think you went the right direction, there isnt that much difference between the nicest model and the cheapest. In the end, there just one action chop saws.

A few quick tips:
_ always clamp down your work, you dont want pieces flying and broken blades.
_ figure out where your actual 45 and 90 lines are, dont rely on the indicators.
_ watch when clamping at angles, the fence, and piece can sometimes shift
_ if your looking for high accuracy cuts, invest in a carbide scribe

Good luck, give us a review after using it a bit.

 

[404]

I apologize for the thread Hijack. Here's the link to the info on the saw. If y'all have questions pm me.


http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?445211-DIY-cold-cut-saw

Thank you plow. Fantastic.

 

[sz0k30]

I'm just a casual home hobbyist, so when I was looking for a saw I checked out all the usual chop saws and 12-14" was just way too big for what I needed. I don't cut that much steel and definitely not that often. I was looking for something smaller and more manageable. I found the Evolution Rage4. Its small (7-1/4" blade), lightweight and can cut anything I will ever need. Recently cut up some 2-1/4" O.D. x 1/4" wall pipe - no problem.

 

[Tronyadorable]

I've got a MK Morse 14, the 8 inch Milwaukee circular and the Makita LC1230(x2).
I use the Makitas more than any of them.I like the smoothness and the fast angle adjustment.
The Milwaukee only gets used on long cuts. The Morse only on larger box tube and pipes(seldom). Whatever you choose always cut squares and rectangles in a V-block setup to triple---even quadruple blade life.

 

[fred d]

I have the 9" steelmax saw

Portable and does a great job.
Haven't used it a bunch, but love it

 

[Seiler]

I do realize this thread is almost a month old... However, I'll add some input on the Dewalt DW872.

I was in the market for a cold cut saw/dry cut saw when I started my welding table build. I had a Milwaukee portaband and SWAG offroad base, but cutting 3" x 3" x .25" wall square tube was difficult with that setup. The Dewalt was the only unit I could see/play with in person and it was also the only unit available anywhere locally so I could avoid having to pay for shipping. At the time, it was really really difficult to justify paying over $400 for the saw. Even now, it's still so much money to me.

I have used it a handful of times. I can agree with previous posters regarding the base being a little flimsy. It's not terrible, but it could definitely be better. I came across an article where someone actually built their own stout base for it. I don't have it saved anywhere, but I do plan to mimic the idea sometime in the future.

The cuts are pretty nice. If you're overly **** or OCD like myself, a quick hit with a angle grinder utilizing a flapper wheel after the saw cut will clean the edges up real nice. I'll attach a few pictures at the end of my post so you can see for yourself. I used a combo square to figure out where 0°, 45°, and 90° are in relation to the blade because the guide isn't accurate, but I do that with any tool I use.

I have only cut mild carbon steel with it, no aluminum or stainless. Overall, if it was my only option I would buy it again. If I could swing a few extra bucks, I would look into a bandsaw (not portaband) type setup though. They really do make nicer cuts, and they're a lot quieter.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/30469983@N04/13141987404" title="DSC_3844 by The Color Orange, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7447/13141987404_509729ff3a_c.jpg" width=1024" height="681" alt="DSC_3844"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/30469983@N04/13141700685" title="DSC_3846 by The Color Orange, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2007/13141700685_4340de8546_c.jpg" width="1024" height="681" alt="DSC_3846"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/30469983@N04/13141695435" title="DSC_3861 by The Color Orange, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7449/13141695435_891772a862_c.jpg" width="1024" height="681" alt="DSC_3861"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/30469983@N04/13141964184" title="DSC_3880 by The Color Orange, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/13141964184_7edec41e84_c.jpg" width="1024" height="681" alt="DSC_3880"></a>

I have a lot more pictures in my welding table thread (didn't want to clutter this thread up too much). Feel free to check them out.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=240343

-Scott

 

[9GUY9]

I'll put in another vote for the Evolution. I've had mine for almost 2 years now, and still very happy with it.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184142

 

[knobby]

I'm going to buy the Princess Auto unit tomorrow. I fully expect it to ****. I need to go there to get some bolts for my snow plow anyways. However, if I use it and don't like it, they will take it back and even accept "I think it *****" as a reason for the return.

Sorry to disappoint the purists, but this is the path of least resistance... And they're open till 9pm.

While you are there see if they have any of these left
A lot more money but seeing as it is discontinued you should have some room to negotiate with the store manager
http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/14-in-dry-cut-metal-saw/A-p8353187e

 

[dr_clyde]

I really don't understand the attraction to these. Band saws or proper cold saws are so much better, with bandsaws being on par for price. I will admit they are better than abrasive saws, except on hardened metal. But still, what's the draw?

They're loud, fling hot chips everywhere, aren't very accurate, aren't well made, and can be downright scary on certain cuts.

My W.F. Wells horizontal band saw eats just about anything I've thrown at it, and it asks for more. Plus I can walk away and work on something else while its cutting. Proper blade selection and lubrication mean a lot. I can hog through 4 inch schedule 40 stainless and 1" 16 ga stainless tube at about the same rate with the right blades.

 

[Tronyadorable]

I really don't understand the attraction to these. Band saws or proper cold saws are so much better, with bandsaws being on par for price. I will admit they are better than abrasive saws, except on hardened metal. But still, what's the draw?

They're loud, fling hot chips everywhere, aren't very accurate, aren't well made, and can be downright scary on certain cuts.

My W.F. Wells horizontal band saw eats just about anything I've thrown at it, and it asks for more. Plus I can walk away and work on something else while its cutting. Proper blade selection and lubrication mean a lot. I can hog through 4 inch schedule 40 stainless and 1" 16 ga stainless tube at about the same rate with the right blades.

Ornamental Iron. Lets build a Sunray style double gate for a 12 foot wide driveway.Or this( photo)
I'll have 2 cut, welded, painted and hung before you're even done screwing around cutting.
I've done it both ways. I haven't touched my horizontal bandsaw more than a couple of times since I went dry.That was to cut some heavy channel and a couple of big H-beams---with coolant.they were going on to a bolted together contraption and had to be dead, dead nuts.In a weld in situation I'da torch cut them instead of the bandsaw.

 

[kazlx]

I really don't understand the attraction to these. Band saws or proper cold saws are so much better, with bandsaws being on par for price. I will admit they are better than abrasive saws, except on hardened metal. But still, what's the draw?

They're loud, fling hot chips everywhere, aren't very accurate, aren't well made, and can be downright scary on certain cuts.

My W.F. Wells horizontal band saw eats just about anything I've thrown at it, and it asks for more. Plus I can walk away and work on something else while its cutting. Proper blade selection and lubrication mean a lot. I can hog through 4 inch schedule 40 stainless and 1" 16 ga stainless tube at about the same rate with the right blades.

I thought I was the only one. I just sold the same exact saw that the OP has. IMO they work well for quick straight cuts. If I was to use was at a jobsite or something it would be fine. They do cut very quickly and once I got the fence adjusted the cuts were pretty straight. Angles are a nightmare. My biggest complaint was razor sharp chips everywhere. They always seemed to be stuck in my shoes and then get into the house.

 

[shanny19]

I really don't understand the attraction to these. Band saws or proper cold saws are so much better,.

Could somebody help me out and link up a couple of "proper cold saws"??
And maybe what makes them proper? Are they used with fluid?

 

[kazlx]

Could somebody help me out and link up a couple of "proper cold saws"??
And maybe what makes them proper? Are they used with fluid?

Cold saw. Low rpm, coolant, typically 2-5HP motor. Not the fastest thing in the world but basically leaves a machined finish. Very accurate and clean when used correctly. The Scotchman pictured has a pneumatic vise. I love using my buddies'.

http://metal.baileighindustrial.com/metalworking/cold-saws

 

[MotoDave]

Yep, proper Cold Saws are the bees knees - they also are not free
http://www.trick-tools.com/Cold_Saws_89

For what I do, I wouldn't trade my horizontal band saw for any of the above saws. I work by myself, so I love being able to set up a cut and then go walk away and do something else while its going.

 

[kazlx]

IMO they work best for tubing. Bandsaw is probably the most versatile overall.