14" Dry chop saws - any recommendations?

[BethelHntr]

It cuts perfectly straight as the blade does not flex like an abrasive one does. The cuts are cleaner as well you don't need to dress the edges with a grinder after the cut. I have had mine nearly a year and am on the same blade. The blades are not cheap but they seem to last a long time if you don't have a gorilla pushing too hard on them. It doesn't make all the fine dust like a abrasive saw but still makes a mess with the cuttings but they don't go everywhere like an abrasive saw dust. It is pretty loud when cutting.

I liked it so much I also bought a Milwaukee dry cut metal circular saw. It works great too. You can use it to cut through metal tubing just like a regular circular saw through 2x4's.

Thank You. New tool time, Oh darn...

If not already, try using a light "chopping" action as opposed to constant pressure. This doesn't allow the blade to deflect as bad as well as allowing it to cool somewhat prolonging blade life. Terry

Edit: referring to abrasive blades.

Thanks I'll give that a try.

 

[dragoneggs]

So are folks here recommending that I swap out my abrasive cutter on my 14in Dewalt with something like this?

Diablo 14 in. x 72 Teeth per in. Steel Demon Cermet II Carbide Blade for Ferrous Metals-D1472CF - The Home Depot

 

[Morning Wood]

I have the 12" Makita. Good saw. I bought a 14" evolution first. It was a joke. Casting was so off couldn't get a square cut. Didn't even run it, just looked it over and saw it immediately

 

[Big Barn]

I understand what everyone is saying re: abrasive chop saws. Lots of better more accurate, cleaner quieter choices available. I agree.

But my 30 year old Makita owes me nothing and has been trouble free. A quick release vice would have been nice tho .....

Terry

 

[Shield Arc]

I built this 18-inch chop saw years ago. My dad had the mandrel, everything else except the blade came out of Sea-Tac airport, (old conveyors). 7 1/2-HP 3-phase motor. It will cut 3-inch solid round stock in just a few seconds.

 

[BukitCase]

DragonEggs - your plan won't work very well (or very long) - if you expand the pic in your link, you'll see that cold cut blade is max rpm of 1800 - pretty much all the cold cut saws run around 16-1700 rpm.

I tried a cold cut saw on my abrasive saw (3600 rpm) - worked FANTASTIC - for maybe 15 cuts on .120" wall 2" tubing - then it reached the point where I couldn't PUSH hard enough to get it to cut. Expensive experiment...

I may yet buy a REAL cold cut saw, but for now I stick with a portaband, 2 HF bandsaws, a 8x12 Jet bandsaw and PM45 plasma.

My kid has had my abrasive saw for about a year now, I haven't bothered to ask for it back... Steve

 

[dsgsr]

I too have a Dewalt dry cut saw and like it, Very accurate. Just have make sure the blade is up to speed before entering the material. Also have the Milwaukee Metal Skil type saw for long cuts.

David

 

[dragoneggs]

DragonEggs - your plan won't work very well (or very long) - if you expand the pic in your link, you'll see that cold cut blade is max rpm of 1800 - pretty much all the cold cut saws run around 16-1700 rpm. I tried a cold cut saw on my abrasive saw (3600 rpm) - worked FANTASTIC - for maybe 15 cuts on .120" wall 2" tubing - then it reached the point where I couldn't PUSH hard enough to get it to cut. Expensive experiment... I may yet buy a REAL cold cut saw, but for now I stick with a portaband, 2 HF bandsaws, a 8x12 Jet bandsaw and PM45 plasma. My kid has had my abrasive saw for about a year now, I haven't bothered to ask for it back... Steve

Crap... Didn't think about the rpm difference. Thanks for pointing that out before I ran off stupid.

 

[newbury]

I have a dewalt dry cut saw and like it a lot. So much nicer to use than my old abrasive unit. I am not a dewalt fan I generally dislike their cordless tools but this saw is nice.

Yes, that is a contender.

I have a 12" Makita. Makita LC1230 12-Inch Metal Cutting Saw - Power Metal Cutting Saws - Amazon.com I bought it new about 15 years ago. Since then, I only use my 14" abrasives on mystery metal, like bedframes.

Better price thru HD: Makita 15-Amp 12 in. Metal Cutting Saw-LC1230 - The Home Depot

These are also known as "cold saws". All the heat goes into the chips, and the material stays cool.

I was wanting 14"

Thank You. New tool time, Oh darn...



Thanks I'll give that a try.

Exactly, but then my "cut off tools" are a hacksaw and a hand-held grinder or three.

So are folks here recommending that I swap out my abrasive cutter on my 14in Dewalt with something like this?

Diablo 14 in. x 72 Teeth per in. Steel Demon Cermet II Carbide Blade for Ferrous Metals-D1472CF - The Home Depot

Nope, speed kills

I have the 12" Makita. Good saw. I bought a 14" evolution first. It was a joke. Casting was so off couldn't get a square cut. Didn't even run it, just looked it over and saw it immediately

Yup, that's why I started this thread, the cheap evolution gets 4 stars on HD, but is not sold in stores. I don't like buying sight unseen. I've finally read that about the Evolution over on WW.

I understand what everyone is saying re: abrasive chop saws. Lots of better more accurate, cleaner quieter choices available. I agree.

But my 30 year old Makita owes me nothing and has been trouble free. A quick release vice would have been nice tho .....

Terry

But I don't have a saw to replace. I'm sure if I did I would not.

I built this 18-inch chop saw years ago. My dad had the mandrel, everything else except the blade came out of Sea-Tac airport, (old conveyors). 7 1/2-HP 3-phase motor. It will cut 3-inch solid round stock in just a few seconds.

Just bring it here and I'll get my 3 phase rotary converter built. Oh, bring your gantry crane at the same time

currently the Morse MK Morse CSM14MB 14-Inch Dry-Cut Metal Cutting Saw - Power Metal Cutting Saws - Amazon.com and Dewalt are the only 14" contenders.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I've got the heavy duty Harbor Freight chop saw that has performed without a hiccup in addition to an old Buffalo Tools Horizontal Band saw. That coupled with a nice acetylene set up and I can do more damage than anyone should be allowed to.