It's Time to Cut some Metal - Which Tool?

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

I am going to need to cut a lot of metal for some upcoming projects. Mostly square and round tubing in mild steel. 1/4" wall max.

The projects are things like brush guards, headache racks, a new welding cart, etc. So, lots of varied lengths and angles.


The contenders:

1. Cutoff discs. I have bunch in 3 different sizes. Don't really want to spend hours free-handing 45s and 60s though.

2. Abrasive chop saw. Just no. Used one a bunch. Would almost rather use cutoff discs at this point.

3. Portaband. I have the Milwaukee. Great tool. Not great for accurate, repeatable angles. I think the SWAG table is overrated but I guess it is an option.

4. Cold saw. Not in the budget right now.

5. Dry cut saw. Now we are getting right down to it. It could be just what I need.

6. HF 4x6 bandsaw. Don't really have room for it after selling the farm, but could make it work. Will have more room eventually. Will need tweaking initially of course.


The way it looks to me, the most logical choice is either the HF 4x6 BS or a dry cut saw (Evolution, Morse, et al). The question is, which one is the best balance of productivity, accuracy, and versatility?

 

[aka Larry]

I have an Evolution dry cut saw. It's the fastest of the bunch for sure, but in my experience the bandsaw is the most accurate.

 

[Southern83]

I prefer a bandsaw. Cut off discs make a mess and if you have a lot to cut gets old quick.

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

Thanks for that! Which EVO do you have and how do you like it generally?

 

[aka Larry]

Thanks for that! Which EVO do you have and how do you like it generally?

Mine is the Fury 3 IIRC, but I'm not sure if that model is still an option.

I like it, but it's very loud, and cuts very fast. Sometimes the cut isn't a true 90, but that might just be my setup issue.

 

[FMB4]

Band saw. Had a HF-ish ~ 1/2 HP (IIRC) vert/horizontal many years ago that handled everything I, and others, feed it. 1" x 1 or 2" solid or so = no problem. Tubing = cake. Let go of it years ago and have regretted doing so ever since. It still worked well at the time. I, of course, went thro a number of blades of various tooth counts. Note: don't go cheap on blades and you'll likely do just fine. Oh, and if HF, change V drive belt for a name brand replacement.

 

[Kenskip1]

I just happen to have a couple. The first is the Evolution. This is the smaller one Cuts 4.5 inches if I am not mistaken. It is very loud and throws metal chips in a 360 pattern. Long sleeve shirts and safety glasses are strongly recommended. However the cuts are clean. Also have the Harbor Freight hand held bandsaw. It has a variable speed and cuts whatever you place in front of it. However get a better blade,, Ken

 

[Xcursion88]

Option #7

Plasma cutter

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

Option #7

Plasma cutter

Which I really don't have the room for right now. I went from a 25x50 shop to a two car garage. Probably will still be here for a year or two.

 

[Xcursion88]

Which I really don't have the room for right now. I went from a 25x50 shop to a two car garage. Probably will still be here for a year or two.

They're little

 

[gorilla]

Horizontal bandsaw is the best choice. Not always frendly cutting angles on long stock. You can get by with a cheap saw if you use good blades.

 

[brownbagg]

chop saw

 

[dnschmidt]

Dry cut saw without a doubt. I have a Porter-Cable 1410. This is no longer available from Porter-Cable but M. K. Morse appears to get their model from the same place in Taiwan as does Fein. I can recommend both. The 15" Evolution is superior to their cheaper model due to the much heavier duty vise which is the most important part of any dry cut saw. The Dewalt flat out ***** as it's base is sheet metal and the vise is sheet metal. STAY AWAY!

 

[MJK]

If is primarily tubing, IMO an Evolution is worth it. I also have grinders, a 14" band saw, nibblers and Plasma.

A swag table for a portable band saw looks nice on paper, but I have not used it in real life.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Dry saw or bandsaw. If you pay attention you can usually find a bandsaw use for cheap at auction or the list. Might need a little sprucing up but still way cheaper than buying new.

 

[zmotorsports]

Since getting my bandsaw I haven't used my abrasive chop saw and don't miss using it one bit. My vote would be for bandsaw or cold saw.

 

[Walkers]

Dry saw out of your options, then save your pennies for a good bandsaw. I bought an Ellis bandsaw, then my several dry saws have gone unused for years. I sold them off except one in the event I need something portable.

 

[GeoBruin]

Portaband on a swag table is one of my most used tools but it's not the right tool for miter cutting tube.

I have an Evo saw and it's brilliant, though loud and throws chips everywhere.

If I had room I would get a horizontal bandsaw but I'm in a single car garage and it just doesn't rate currently, especially since the Evo saw does such a good job in a small footprint.

 

[ToolRoom]

Left field option if you aren't in a hurry - Power Hacksaw, usually a lot better cut quality than a cheap bandsaw, can be picked up quite inexpensively because nobody wants them in a production environment anymore. Downside is they are usually just as big and a lot heavier than a horizontal bandsaw, and slooooow.

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

Yep, I had forgotten all about power hacksaws. I can't remember for sure, but I haven't seen one around here in decades. Wouldn't turn one down for cheap even if I had to store it for a while.

 

[kylefitz]

I have a M. K. Morse. Cuts tubing great and fast. Takes up almost no room when not in use. Only down side is they thrown chips everywhere.

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

They're little

The unit is, but when I think about accurate, repeatable cuts with plasma my mind immediately goes to a CNC flatbed (which I will probably build eventually). Plasma cutting tubing has its own challenges (some of which can be overcome with good jigs).

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

Only down side is they thrown chips everywhere.

In all directions? Or mostly straight backward where I could put a welding screen behind it?

 

[kylefitz]

In all directions? Or mostly straight backward where I could put a welding screen behind it?

The vast majority of the chips end up in the chip tray. Maybe 10% end up in a 5’ or so radius around the saw.

 

[tarbellb]

Both the band saw and dry cut will be better then anything else for what you are doing.

Plasma, c'mon Xcursion.... bad advice.

Anyways, if you are looking for a smaller footprint bandsaw look at the newer style Femi/HEM($$$) or generic Northern Tool ($)

Klutch Benchtop Metal Cutting Band Saw 5in. x 4 7/8in., 400 Watts, 110120V | Northern Tool

This Klutch® Benchtop Metal Cutting Band Saw is a compact yet powerful band saw that's easy to move right where you need it. Featu...

www.northerntool.com

Saw Series

www.hemsaw.com

Portable Band Saws for Metal Cutting

Portable metal cutting bandsaws for small shops, work sites, and handheld applications. These steel cutting band saws are 110v and easy to move around.

www.trick-tools.com

 

[Augus7us]

I have all the above. No way I would make a lot of 1/4" cuts by hand, I would use my bandsaw.

Now if a lot is 12, well use whatever, but if you are talking 100+, that is a lot of manual work. 1/4" is no joke.

Edit: To be specific, use a bandsaw that has a vise and enough wait for you to turn it on and walk away until you hear the motor stop.

 

[Keep]

I bought a small 4x6 bandsaw years ago. Mine allows for angled cuts as well as straight cuts. Set it up, turn it on and walk away, it will shut itself off when the cut is complete.

 

[finn]

Horizontal bandsaw.

I have two in the shop, and paid a grand total of $200 for both.

The older is a $75 CL find Wilton. The second is a $125 Jet from a Menards that was moving.

Just set it up and walk away. It shuts off when the cut is complete, and the cut is clean and straight if the saw is set up properly.

Haven’t used the abrasive cutoff saw in years. Don’t like the mess and spark show.

Cutoff wheels on a grinder or air tool have their place for quick cuts, but are messy and inaccurate.

 

[Craftfab]

Zero affiliation with channel, but it does a nice pro/con of options.

I went with a horizontal bandsaw after having had an abrasive. Pleased with the HF model, just not the best at mitering.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Power hacksaws are not as fast as a bandsaw, but can cut really large material relative to their size. I had a nice Kalamazoo horizontal bandsaw. But it took up way more space than a similar capacity power hacksaw. I was recently cutting railroad rail with one.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

It's tough for me to beat my femi in my shop. Not sure about the imitators, but I'm sure someone has a review on them.

I would like to try a dry cut sometime, I have a circular saw, but never used a chop saw style.

 

[Indexmill]

Cheap 4x6 horizontal bandsaw all day long.

 

[Woods_Wanderer]

Horizontal bandsaw, hands down. Especially if you can find a nice used one (get a demo if possible to make sure it's working properly). Yes they do take up space, but it's definitely worth it. I keep a 7" Kalamazoo in my own 2 car garage despite the footprint.

 

[metlmunchr]

4x6 horizontal, and if you anticipate cutting a lot of angles then put it on casters. Much easier to set the vise angle and rotate the saw to match the tubing as compared to swinging a long stick of stock all over the shop to align with a fixed saw. Added benefit is ease of moving it out of the way when not in use.

Can't overstress the importance of using good blades with the right pitch for the stock you're cutting. IMO, this is where a lot of the 4x6 saws get unjustified poor reviews. **** blades with pitch suited for sawing EMT conduit, and the user blames the saw when it eats blades cutting something like the 2x1/4 square tube the OP mentioned. I've got a range of horizontal saws from a Wilton 4x6 to a C-1216 DoAll that'll handle 15" round stock. I've found a 10/14 variable pitch bimetal blade will handle 90% of everything I cut on the 4x6. I've had good luck with blades from Amada, Morse, Lenox, and Sandvik. My experience with Starrett blades puts them neck and neck with HF's worst, but I guess some people like 'em.

 

[corn chip]

arguably the two best purchases ive made in recent memory was a fein slugger 14" cold saw and hypertherm plasma cutter. neither was cheap but both are worth every penny IMO. buy once cry once

 

[jgromada]

This discussion is very interesting. It would seem inexpensive bandsaws (portable on a stand & inexpensive horizontal) have really become popular. I remember using a power hacksaw as a teenager in shop class (do they have them anymore?) & that was slow but really inexpensive since it used sort of standard hacksaw blades. I haven't seen one of those for sale in ages so i went on a short search and couldn't really find one! Looked on Amazon and couldn't even find one.

SIDE RANT: I absolutely despise Amazon's search engine and this was a perfect example . I search for power hacksaw and i get a whole slew of totally unrelated search items. Why i am getting so many handheld chainsaw tools?? I get the regular hacksaws & recip saws, but really?? its just so annoying and makes their search tool practically unusable. eBay in contrast always gives good search results with much better relevance (& plenty of power hacksaws too!)

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

This has been a great discussion. Thank you everyone for your input. I am going to go with a band saw.

Now my question is: Go with the basic HF model for $290: https://www.harborfreight.com/horizontal-vertical-metal-cutting-bandsaw-93762.html

Or, drop another another hundred or two on one that might (or might not) have a better shot at cutting straight right out of the box:

* Grizzly $390: https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-4-x-5-1-2-variable-speed-metal-cutting-bandsaw/g0926

* Shop Fox $590: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001R23T1C/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Or maybe something nicer but still on the budget end: https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-5-x-6-1-2-hp-metal-cutting-bandsaw-w-swivel-head/g9742

It's a slippery slope!

 

[dnschmidt]

The one with the rotating head is the way to go if you intend to do 45 degree cuts. The material stays where it's suppose to be and the head rotates to the angle you want. You're always fighting the material with the ones that don't have the rotating head.

 

[tool_scrounge]

This discussion is very interesting. It would seem inexpensive bandsaws (portable on a stand & inexpensive horizontal) have really become popular. I remember using a power hacksaw as a teenager in shop class (do they have them anymore?) & that was slow but really inexpensive since it used sort of standard hacksaw blades. I haven't seen one of those for sale in ages so i went on a short search and couldn't really find one! Looked on Amazon and couldn't even find one.

SIDE RANT: I absolutely despise Amazon's search engine and this was a perfect example . I search for power hacksaw and i get a whole slew of totally unrelated search items. Why i am getting so many handheld chainsaw tools?? I get the regular hacksaws & recip saws, but really?? its just so annoying and makes their search tool practically unusable. eBay in contrast always gives good search results with much better relevance (& plenty of power hacksaws too!)

Used smaller power hacksaws to keep an eye out for are Craftsman (aka Covel or Atlas), Jefferson, Keller, Miller Falls, Miller-Knuth Saw Master or Wilton. To me the power hacksaw sweet spot of capacity vs. small size use 14"x1" true power hacksaw blades.

 

[GeoBruin]

That G9742 is awesome. I would have one in a hot second if I could find the room. Mitering head and hydraulic down feed. Just like the baliegh but cheaper!