Sawzall or portaband which is better

[furnacebrook]

Just wanted to throw out a question here. I have been wondering if there are any advantages to having a portable bandsaw in addition to a sawzall. Have been trying to cut some pretty thick 1 1/2" round stock on a 14" chop saw and it just does not work well, not to mention the sparks and overheating. It works fine for angle iron and such but anything bigger than 1/2" thick and it takes forever to cut. Then I resort back to the sawzall but have been reading about these portable units and wondered if they may be better at cutting this thick stuff. I have also pondered the thought of a horizontal bandsaw which I can imagine is more versatility but not as portable as the others. I work outside more than in when I'm working with steel so I have to lug whatever I'm using back and forth. Just like most of us time is in short supply and anything that can speed up the cutting part of the job is OK with me.

Thanks for any feedback, Scott

 

[ray66v]

A portaband is better for cutting thick metal. No vibration, and the weight of the saw helps with the cut, and that reduces fatigue.

Do you have a good Chop saw? I had trouble cutting heavy metal until I bought a good one. The sparks are an issue. But it cuts fast and cheap.

Broken blades on a portaband, can put you in the poor house, if your not careful using it.

 

[AlanB]

You can also get a frame to mount your portaband in that makes it a stand alone machine, especially handy for thicker stuff.

They all have their places where they shine, and then some features that make the others better.

 

[nate_m]

I use a Porter Cable with the stand and I love it. Works great as a chop saw or a portable cuttoff saw for smooth accurate cuts. I use Milwaukee blades and have never had a problem with them breaking. Recipracting saws are intended for and best left to demolition.
The only downside to the portaband is the throat depth can keep you from cutting in some instances. But when that happens, I just put a cut-off wheel on my right angle grinder and move on. Haven't been stumped yet...

 

[2manyrocks]

Unless you need portability or need to save space, there are inexpensive 4 x6 horizontal bandsaws that can be purchased for less than the portable bandsaws. Don't waste your money on cheap blades.

 

[KeithInSpace]

...mount your portaband...

I grew up working in a machine shop and this type of machine is wicked cool.

Literally, you load up the material, fire up the saw, set it down on the material, and let it eat while you sip your coffee or do something else nearby.

The one I used had a hydraulic valve on it to control the rate of drop, but it was much heavier than a hand-held portaband. You could probably do the same thing with a very simple pivot/counterweight assembly to make sure you don't have too much downpressure.

This has been one of the items I'd like to add to my shop.

 

[CRAFTBENDER]

It is good to have a quality chop saw but the secret is to have a quality blade. When I lived in the Dallas-Fort worth area I bought my blades from King architectual metals. Any place that serves the ornamental iron industry will sell good chop blades, plus they are cheaper than most other places.

 

[denmansoft]

Has anyone tried the 7" metal cutoff wheels in a skill saw ?
This is what I have been using for cutting my metal roof panels.
Works great and is a lot more stable than a wheel in a grinder for long cuts.

 

[2manyrocks]

The metal cutoff blades do work well in circular saws, but the saw motors get grit in them and it's an early death for the circular saw. If you can pick up a used circular saw for $10-$15, then it's no big deal, but please keep this in mind before you cut metal with your favorite $100+ circular saw.

 

[metalmeltr]

If you are working with thick metal get a portaband if You work with tubing (and dont need critical cuts) orare doing demo get a sawzall, personally I would get both.