Milwaukee Hackzall Question.

[danny_barkley]

Hello,
I used my Hackzall(18v Fuel) today to cut some ratchet handles off and it failed today. I am trying to figure out why.

I bought a few ratchets with the intention of cutting the handles off to make them stubbys.

Started with some Milwaukee and Diablo metal cutting blades. They just dulled up and didn't go far.

Then changed my hand hacksaw out with a New Nicholson 18T metal blade and it sliced them right off. Why did my hackzall fail?

 

[juddspaintballs]

Speed?


I'd normally go to a cut off wheel for that task. The tool steel would be a PITA to cut with a normal blade.

 

[mc4life27]

Hello,
I used my Hackzall(18v Fuel) today to cut some ratchet handles off and it failed today. I am trying to figure out why.

I bought a few ratchets with the intention of cutting the handles off to make them stubbys.

Started with some Milwaukee and Diablo metal cutting blades. They just dulled up and didn't go far.

Then changed my hand hacksaw out with a New Nicholson 18T metal blade and it sliced them right off. Why did my hackzall fail?

With the hackzal the blade was moving to fast and just killed the blade and with your handsaw it didn’t. When it
Comes to tool steel For me it seems you need either a death wheel high speed cut off or hand tools. Tools that are in the middle just burn up blades and bits


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[danny_barkley]

With the hackzal the blade was moving to fast and just killed the blade and with your handsaw it didn’t. When it
Comes to tool steel For me it seems you need either a death wheel high speed cut off or hand tools. Tools that are in the middle just burn up blades and bits


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

Didn't use a grinder or cutoff because I wanted to try my Hackzall which has basically been a demon at pruning mainly. I also wanted to do a clean line because I didn't know exactly what was under the rubber. I was disappointed, really wanted the Hackzall to cut if off in the blink of an eye, and that was not what happened. The Hacksaw only took a few minutes and it was done.

 

[Showkey]

Dulled up quick, to fast of blade speed or the steel is heat treated some what hard.
Wood blade vs metal cutting blade ?

Quick check steel hardness.......does a sharp quality file dig in ( cut) or slide right off.

 

[danny_barkley]

Dulled up quick, to fast of blade speed or the steel is heat treated some what hard.

Quick check steel hardness.......does a sharp quality file dig in ( cut) or slide right off.

Does a hand hack saw skip right off..........would be another indicator.

Hacksaw cut right in and a sharp Nicholson file ate it up easy to clean it up.

 

[Paul_The_Builder]

Reciprocating saws will always have a hard time with thick or hardened metal. The blades overheat and dull really quickly if you're not careful.

To cut something as hard and thick as a ratchet handle, you'll realistically need a Carbide blade.

A reciprocating saw only uses a small area on the blade (about 1", depending on the stroke of the saw), whereas a hacksaw will use most of the blade length (8"? as long as you're using it correctly), and is not cutting as fast, so there will be like 10 or 20 times less heat when using the hacksaw.

 

[RTM]

That really sounds like a job for a PortaBand from here.

 

[visionguru]

.. I was disappointed, really wanted the Hackzall to cut if off in the blink of an eye, and that was not what happened. The Hacksaw only took a few minutes and it was done.

How come you are disappointed at the Hackzall, instead of whatever the saw blades you were using?

I've used my Hackzall to cut suspension bushings, bolts, home A/C fan post, etc. It's an amazing tool, with proper blades. For example, when I was cutting Honda's rear toe arm bolt/bushing, regular metal blades barely made a dent after 10 minutes, but with carbide blades, it only took a few minutes. It's all about blades. Those suspension bolts are grade 10 or 8, tool steel might be stainless and much harder. Try a blade that is suitable to cut stainless steel, like this:

or

 

[RTM]

HMMM, Extreme metal cutting. More stuff to look for.

Damn you guys.

 

[anndel]

The ratchet is made of high carbon tool steel (CrM or CrV) and may have killed the blade. I would use a angle grinder with a cut-off wheel.

 

[Showkey]

Hacksaw cut right in and a sharp Nicholson file ate it up easy to clean it up.

Then as others said ........it’s blade choice.