IslandTractor
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2005
- Messages
- 15,802
- Location
- Prudence Island, RI
- Tractor
- 2007 Kioti DK40se HST, Woods BH
I don't have a lot of experience working with round tube. I did however purchase the HF tube notcher and set it up in about 10 minutes and make my first nearly acceptable cut a couple minutes later. As with all HF tools there is a need to shim and adjust. Once I figured that out I was able to make precise notches quickly and easily. I was making 90 degree cuts but it looks just as easy to make cuts from 30 to 90 degrees without more than moving a bolt along a calibrated arm. And, once you've set the device up, you can cut an identical notch in about a minute. Just reclamp a new piece, measure, tighten and turn on the drill. Actual cut takes about five seconds.
I've used both torch and plasma but I don't see how those would be as quick or repeatable as the notcher. For the price of the HF notcher (?$45) and a set of bimetal hole saws, it seems a simple way for a novice to prepare tubes for welding. If I was undertaking a serious project I'd probably invest in one of the US made notchers but for general duty notching of thin wall tubing up to about 2 inches I was impressed with the HF (after shimming). All I needed after the cut was to file the burrs and weld. Pretty efficient.
I've used both torch and plasma but I don't see how those would be as quick or repeatable as the notcher. For the price of the HF notcher (?$45) and a set of bimetal hole saws, it seems a simple way for a novice to prepare tubes for welding. If I was undertaking a serious project I'd probably invest in one of the US made notchers but for general duty notching of thin wall tubing up to about 2 inches I was impressed with the HF (after shimming). All I needed after the cut was to file the burrs and weld. Pretty efficient.
