Please recommend a good chop saw

   / Please recommend a good chop saw #1  

pharmvet

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Ive been borrowing chop saws for the past 20 years from various friends and neighbors. Guess its time to get one for myself. Can you recommend a good brand. This may be the only chop saw I ever purchase so I may as well get one that I can expect to use with little maintenance or problems. Not wanting some chinese made plastic one project use machine. Are there any older mfg. to watch for (auctions, garage sales etc) or should I choose a new one from Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, etc.) What are your thoughts.
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw #2  
I bought a Dewalt a few years ago and it started to arc around the brushes. The armature was ruined. It was just a bit over a year old at the time. I was telling my neighbor about it and he also had one that he bought a bit before mine. He talked to Dewalt and they sold him a new armature. It also went bad at just over a year old. I was buying some welding rod and talking to the fella working there and he thought I got maybe a cheaper version since it came from Lowes. He talked me into another one that he said he's never had any problems with. It's identical to the both of our previous models but so far it's held up well. I was going to try the Makita brand if this one goes by the wayside.

Topstrap
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw #3  
i've got a ridgid 12" chop that i bought 7 or 8 years ago, it has served me well. I've used it on every thing form 4x4 treated fence post to vinyl siding. i usually don't buy store brand (you can only get them from home depot) but when i bought them they came with a life time warranty.
my dad has a dewalt, has had it for about 6 years. i know his break doesn't work any more but other than that his has been trouble free.
good luck
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I guess I should have made sure to specify Im talking about a metal cutting saw as in welding and fabricating. I need it to cut anything from small angle iron to 3x3 square tubing. thanks
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw #5  
I guess I should have made sure to specify Im talking about a metal cutting saw as in welding and fabricating. I need it to cut anything from small angle iron to 3x3 square tubing. thanks

I have a ridgid one of those also. . . it's ok but nothing to write home about.
doesn't get a lot of use, one of the feet has fallen off an it is heavy as heck. i also think the motor is under sized. I've been looking at cold metal saws after reading a thread here about them.J_J listed one he had that he liked alot, think it was a dewalt. I'll look to see if i can find the thread and send it to you.
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw #6  
not very fancy but effective...look for old Rockwell 3400 (I think) series miter saws (original "Chop Box")

they were one of the first motorized miter saws on the market...many a shade-tree fabricater has put an abrasive blade on them and went to work..!

you can find them in pawn shops for $30-$40....they are cog/gear belt driven and that is the most vulnerable part...about $20
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw #8  
pharmvet,
I have a Makita 14" chop saw going on 13 years now without a problem. I have used it to cut up to 4x4 boxtube. Nothing fancy but it keeps turning the blade and that is all I expect of it. I certainly got my money's worth out of it years ago and would buy another one like it if and when it fails.

These are cheap enough to buy new, I wouldn't bother with a used one.
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw #9  
Chop saws are okay but they tend to be very dirty, take a wide kerf and the blade wanders making them inaccurate.

I just bought a harbor freight metal cutting bandsaw with a 20% off coupon I found online. Cost me $153.00. You might want to consider one of these versus a chop saw.

I have a milwaukee chop saw. Now that I have the bandsaw, I'm not sure I'll use it much if ever.
 
   / Please recommend a good chop saw #10  
Since you want this to be a long term purchase instead of a throw away, I'd look at Milwaukee's cold saw, and Bosch if the make one. I have a Bosch 10" slider for wood/plastic that's been great.

There is a 10" sliding chop saw for metal out that piques my interest; but I haven't seen one in the flesh yet. 10" Multipurpose Sliding Miter Saw, Cuts Steel Aluminum & Wood, Professional Miter Saw, evolutionrage.com

Also, don't discount a 5"x6" horizontal bandsaw. I have the following that I use a lot. G9742 5" x 6" Metal-Cutting Bandsaw w/ Swivel Head

Jet and others are marketing the same saw now too. The Jet has a nicer cabinet, metal handwheels, and a couple of other convenience niceties the Grizzly doesn't.
 
 
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