ridgid chop saw

[Taxidermist]

I have a ridgid metal chop saw for over 5 years now and it works great. I bought a cheeper one first and 20 min. after I got home I took it back and bought a Ridgid.


Rob

 

[herringchoker]

A few years ago I had the misfortune of working for a while in the tool department at Home Depot. :ashamed: They stocked both the Ridgid and the Milwaukee metal chop saws and I was impressed by the build and the features of both - very comparable to each other. Shortly after that, it was announced that One World Technologies, the Hong Kong company that builds and markets Ryobi and Ridgid electric power tools under licence, was buying Milwaukee outright. By now, they may all be built in the same factory (in China); I don't know.
I have bought a number of Ridgid tools and am pleased with them. The lifetime service agreement is a plus.

 

[magicheater]

Don't be afraid to buy the Rigid. I was buying cheaper ones every year and a half, bought my first Rigid about 6 years ago for a shared shop w/ my father and it still going strong! I moved 2 years ago and bought another Rigid for my shop. I like the features of the Rigid; the vise angles both directions, quick adjust clamp, and heavy cast base.

I will second that! I have a Milwaukee, an early Harbor freight unit and a Ridgid. All are still going, the Ridgid is in my shop for metal. The other 2 are used for concrete and firebrick. I prefer the features of the Ridgid and of course the lifetime warranty. The Harbor Freight unit is old but hasn't failed yet. I lost faith in most Milwaukee tools years ago.

For what my 2 cents is worth. I own a picture framing shop. My saws probably make 50 to 70 cuts a day six days a week every week, wood and aluminum. I have three makita 1013s, the oldest is 25 years old and it's as good today as the first day I bought it. no bells and whistles just a motor and a blade but if I needed a new one tomorrow I would buy another in a minute.

I have an old Makita miter saw that is delegated for firewood duty. It is 25 years old, gets abused but still continues to be reliable. I use up my somewhat dull wood blades on it cutting pallet wood with nails. Now a days it is cheaper to buy a new blade than to sharpen it.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Are we talking about a metal cutting chop saw here??? If so, I'd say the bigger consideration than what brand to buy would be what work are you gonna do? We went though many chop saws for fabrication work. Cutting thicker stuff like 1/4" wall tubing or 3/8" x 3 angle will work any chop saw to an early death. We got to the point of purposely buying the cheapest saw we could get 'cause they all end up in the dumpster in less than a year doing that kind of work.
Once we moved to a bigger shop and now have the room, I bought a decent horizontal band saw as a replacement when the last chop saw died.
Saves a lot on the mess made by a chop saw, too.

 

[jimmysisson]

I have the Ridgid abrasive cutoff chop saw. It's well made, the handle is comfortable and the base is rugged. It's my first so I don't know if others are like this, but I have trouble cutting square in two dimensions. I have lots of experience cutting wood square, but steel seems to have a mind of its own.
Aside from the mess I like the saw. I notice I take out the Porta Band much more often though as it is cleaner and easier to see the cut.
Jim

 

[davygp38]

I have the Ridged Metal cutting chop saw. It cuts like a champ The clamping system for making miters, and angle cuts was much tighter than the other brands. that being said, if you are doing precise angles for welding fit up, the accuracy of most of this class of saw leaves a lot to be desired. You really have to take your time.

 

[oc3crwler]

I have the rigid abrasive chop saw. Been abusing the thing for 7 or 8 years now. I bought it becuase it was on sale at home depot for 99$. Sometimes I throw it on the shelf, sometimes it gets kicked around the floor. Its been left outside on the ground and in the back of the truck. Been using the HF wheels with it, and it still cuts just like when it was new. I can't wait for it to break cus Im gonna buy a dry/cold cut saw.

 

[600rider]

I will second what the Heavey Metal Dr. said, I am in the process of building a small dump trailer (copy of the KK XB hydro dump) and while cutting some 3 1/2 inch 1/4 wall pipe I needed 4 pcs and set up the cheapy hf horizontal band saw and the as fate has it a chicago electric (hf) chop saw and the band saw cut 3 while I wasn't even done cutting one on the chop saw!!!! Anyone want to buy a hf chop saw cheap? $50 and its yours!!!! :thumbdown:

 

[Deere Dude]

I was looking in a store where they carry many brands of these chop saws and all of them look pretty cheap to me from Rigid, Milwaukee, Dewalt and so on. It seems the prices are coming down and that is why they look cheap. They are trying to compete with HF and others. That being said, my latest saw was a heavy duty HF chop saw and has a ton of power to rip through 3" pipe or even 5-6" angle iron, although that takes a little readjusting with pieces that big. Of course I can probably stop the saw if I really bear down on it as with any of them. IMHO, if I was just a homeowner, which I am, and building a small thing now and then, I would spring for a heavy HF saw and save the $60-80 and just get some blades with it.:thumbsup:
I do also own a medium duty HF chopsaw that went through a the second set of brushes in 10 years and I was just going to junk it so I ordered the heavier one. Then I had a change of heart and bought some brushed for $2 and it runs good again. Can't have to many tool I guess:confused2:

 

[vanisland]

Have you looked at or considered a dry cut saw?
They are a bit more money but alot quicker and make a nicer cut.
I have a 14" chop saw abrasive style blade and use it for hobby type projects.
I recently cut some heavier pieces 3/8" and it took me quite a while to cut through this thickness of material and the cut wasn't perfectly straight.
I was looking into what other types of saw might be better for cutting thicker material and a band saw is one option, but a decent one is probably around $1000, too much and too big for the amount I would use it.
I started looking at dry cut saws and they are more money than an abrasive style chop saw but the speed they cut is pretty impressive and without the sparks.
If I was going to get another saw I think I would get one of these.

Does anyone own one of these type of dry cut saws?

Here is a clip of a rigid brand dry cut saw.
YouTube - Bullet 14" Speed Metal Blade

They also make them in a circular saw type style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Evk3mxy-8&feature=related