Cold cut saw

[dragoneggs]

Dragon, the ONLY Evolution saw I've been referring to is the EVOSAW380 - the Rage2 is a TOTALLY different saw - I've seen a few gripes about that one, a couple on this site; and if you compare the pictures zoomed in

Evolution Power Tools EVOSAW38 15-Inch Steel Cutting Chop Saw - Power Circular Saws - Amazon.com

Evolution Power Tools RAGE2 Multi Purpose Cutting Chop Saw, 14-Inch - Power Circular Saws - Amazon.com

you can see why - Rage2 has a stamped steel base, thinner bent steel vise parts, no quick release on the vise, a cheesy little chain and hook to stow it for travel, and isn't capable of taking a 15" blade -

The EVOSAW380 has a cast base, thicker CAST vise parts, a flip-up vise release that lets you put a work piece in and just push the vise handle forward til it hits, then a turn or two to tighten, an actual steel PIN for travel position, and weighs 9 pounds more (mostly the difference between stamped thin steel parts in base AND vise)

Dunno how long the price at discountsteel.com is good for, but that's the cheapest I've found the EVOSAW yet. In my experience, the saying "buy once, cry once" seems to be valid MOST of the time so to me, paying a bit more up front is usually worth it. That's why I have a Miller mm252 and a Hypertherm PM45 - I've had both for about 6 years, and they (along with my Jet 8x12 band saw) have never done ANYTHING but WORK.

I know it sounds like it, but I'm really NOT tryin' to push you into something you don't wanna do, only make sure you know some of the things they DON'T say in descriptions... Steve

Steve, I think we are of the same ilk... after soul searching on other more recent tool purchases, I bought a Miller 211 and my latest toy, PM45XP. Both are too good for me but I love them and expect them to be the last of that kind of tool I ever buy. Most probably I will kick myself if I go cheap... learned that lesson long ago.

I did recognize the difference between the two Evolutions and I think you are right on getting quality. BUT... the Rage2 is now only $149 at Homedepot.com!

Evolution Power Tools 14 in. Multi-Purpose Chop Saw-RAGE2 - The Home Depot

I suppose another thing to consider would be the cost of 15in blades vs. 14in or even 12in if I go with the Makita LC1230 for $419. I haven't priced out the blades specifically but I can imagine there will be a significant difference in price. Looking at that now.

Makita LC123 12-Inch Metal Cutting Saw - Power Metal Cutting Saws - Amazon.com

 

[Ford850]

I suppose another thing to consider would be the cost of 15in blades vs. 14in or even 12in if I go with the Makita LC1230 for $419. I haven't priced out the blades specifically but I can imagine there will be a significant difference in price. Looking at that now.

Both of those Evo saws come with a 14" blade if that matters. The EVOSAW380 has a 15" capacity, but it comes with a 14" blade.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Kick back could be exciting!

I was thinking the steel could be clamped to the table and the blade raised into it...

The saw top is about 3' x 4', so there's plenty of room to support the steel and clamp it.

SR

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I was thinking the steel could be clamped to the table and the blade raised into it...

The saw top is about 3' x 4', so there's plenty of room to support the steel and clamp it.

SR

That's an interesting idea. 14" blade? Is the wheel to raise the blade in a convenient spot? If it's trunion-mounted direct drive you could probably rig a weighted pulley system.
Set the cut, release the weight for a smooth, consistent cut!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Here's a pict. of it when I brought it home,

I've stripped the table extensions and feeder off it, you can see the hand wheel to raise/lower the blade... It's made to accept a 14 or 16" blade...

It's one he!! of a saw, but I already have two Unisaws in my shop, so I could use this one for metal work if I wanted...

SR

 

[dragoneggs]

Both of those Evo saws come with a 14" blade if that matters. The EVOSAW380 has a 15" capacity, but it comes with a 14" blade.

I think other than the blade capacity the big difference is the build quality and sturdiness of the base.

 

[Ford850]

I think other than the blade capacity the big difference is the build quality and sturdiness of the base.

I think so too. I bet the difference in that base is more apparent after the saw is used some and things get a little loose of sloppy on the lesser one. I mentioned the 14" blade on the 380 to point out you could buy 14" replacements if they are less expensive.

 

[dragoneggs]

I think so too. I bet the difference in that base is more apparent after the saw is used some and things get a little loose of sloppy on the lesser one. I mentioned the 14" blade on the 380 to point out you could buy 14" replacements if they are less expensive.

Yes sir. Since I for one, am looking for the last dry cut saw I buy rather than the first, the quality/build is very, if not most important. If I get into a situation where size is a problem, I have my LWS store where I buy almost all of my metal that does $1 per cut. Hard to beat that other than convenience.

 

[Whatswrong]

I`m glad I started this thread ,there has been great sharing of opinions .No one answered my question but all the other discussion has .
First off I finally found blades in Quebec at the right price for my old saw so I don`t have the drive to build and secondly the cost of a slow speed blade is about the same price as a cheap saw and I would still have all the uncertainty of the build which could be a failure .
I have no doubt the 150.00 saw would last me as long as I plan to be McGivering things together .

 

[dragoneggs]

I`m glad I started this thread ,there has been great sharing of opinions .No one answered my question but all the other discussion has .
First off I finally found blades in Quebec at the right price for my old saw so I don`t have the drive to build and secondly the cost of a slow speed blade is about the same price as a cheap saw and I would still have all the uncertainty of the build which could be a failure .
I have no doubt the 150.00 saw would last me as long as I plan to be McGivering things together .

Ha ha... now I remember! Sorry as I was one of the sidetrackers! :ashamed: I think I would be more excited to get on with other projects with a reasonably priced off the shelf tool instead of MacGyver'ing something with what you have and still need to buy, and get it all to work well. That said I like the idea if you have the time and materials.

On a side note... are you in Saskatchewan?

 

[Rustyiron]

I thought the original question was a saw for...

 

[Teachu2]

I bought a Makita LC1230 about a dozen years ago, and it's still going strong. I use it for everything but rebar and bedframes. Fast, clean, precise cuts. One of my abrasive saws is for rebar, bedframes, and other unknown junk, the other got a diamond blade and does brick and the like. My cutting torch is mostly a heater, as my cheap Chicom plasma is so much faster.

I only weld for myself these days, quit taking outside work when my day job expanded by 13-20 hours a week. It's pretty sweet being able to fab up whatever I need as the need arises, and all the equipment paid for itself long ago. Try finding a ROPS for a 1984 Mitsubishi CUT, or a cage for a Kioti, or a couple of inches of tack weld when you need it....

 

[dragoneggs]

Earlier I was wondering whether a compound mitre metal saw exists. Now that I have stumbled on a couple my decision just got much harder.

ChuckE2009 posted this on the Trajan...
The Only Saw You'll Ever Need?!? Cuts DUAL MITERS in Steel - Aluminum & Wood! - YouTube

And I found the Evolution version on Amazon...
Evolution Power Tools RAGE 3-DB 1-Inch TCT Multipurpose Cutting Double Bevel Compound Sliding Miter Saw - Miter Saw Blades - Amazon.com

 

[Whatswrong]

Ha ha... now I remember! Sorry as I was one of the sidetrackers! :ashamed: I think I would be more excited to get on with other projects with a reasonably priced off the shelf tool instead of MacGyver'ing something with what you have and still need to buy, and get it all to work well. That said I like the idea if you have the time and materials.

On a side note... are you in Saskatchewan?

Yes ,I'm from Saskatchewan .We are about 70 miles east of Alberta and 10 miles north of Montana.

 

[Teachu2]

Earlier I was wondering whether a compound mitre metal saw exists. Now that I have stumbled on a couple my decision just got much harder.

ChuckE2009 posted this on the Trajan...
The Only Saw You'll Ever Need?!? Cuts DUAL MITERS in Steel - Aluminum & Wood! - YouTube

And I found the Evolution version on Amazon...
Evolution Power Tools RAGE 3-DB 1-Inch TCT Multipurpose Cutting Double Bevel Compound Sliding Miter Saw - Miter Saw Blades - Amazon.com

I'll stick with the Makita - there's a lot of force cutting steel, and I have no confidence that a dual miter double bevel compound sliding saw that weighs less than a half a ton and costs less than 5 figures is going to be up to the task. If I going to have to grind it to fit, I'd like to have at least ONE edge be true! Even the Makita blades deflect on angled cuts if you go too hard. It's extremely rare that I need a double bevel, and when I do I either grind to fit or spend the time to lay it out and use a torch - or cheat a little with shims when I cut on the Makita.

The Makita is a smaller diameter blade, and that limits the material size - but it also limits blade deflection. I use a lot of 2" sq .120 wall tubing, 2x3x.180 rect. tubing, 3" channel, and 3" or smaller angle. I almost never deal with cutting steel greater than 3/8" thick. If it gets past that, it goes on the bandsaw or gets the torch, or gets cut elsewhere and welded at home. I try not to build anything that I'll need a crane to move!

 

[BukitCase]

Dragon - "Earlier I was wondering whether a compound mitre metal saw exists. Now that I have stumbled on a couple my decision just got much harder."

Not mine - I saw NOTHING in EITHER of those saws that impressed me much - the Rage3 appears to be a glorified single bevel slider, with only a 10" blade and the same cheesy hold-down my DeWalt 12" slider has and a slower motor. If I were gonna cut steel with that, I'd have to set it on a solid base and clamp the work with at least one, probably two F-style welding clamps. The slower speed does it NO FAVORS when cutting wood either, watch the vid and see how slow they're cutting - The color scheme is the one Evolution uses for their "joe homeowner" tools, and I've tossed enough of that sort in the garbage for one lifetime...

The Trajan didn't look much different, and I've personally gotten tired of Chucke's "revenue enhancement" habit of hawking tools - I quit watching Ron Popiel a long time ago too...

My vote (hopefully before long) stays with the Evosaw380 from discountsteel.com (no affiliation, no commission, my only motivation here is to hopefully keep people who have NOT pissed me off (if you're reading this, that's you) from buying something they may regret later... (oh, and the $360 price incl. shipping)

I confess that I'm NOT planning on building any fun hotrods (got a neighbor I can watch for that ) that might need compound mitered frames, but if a project requires that, I'm perfectly capable of using trig functions, hoists from rafters, wedges, and/or my favorite, the Wixey angle cube in order to "get there from here" -

No offense meant to anyone, I'm just gettin' too dang old to be subtle sometimes...:soapbox:...Steve

 

[dragoneggs]

Dragon - "Earlier I was wondering whether a compound mitre metal saw exists. Now that I have stumbled on a couple my decision just got much harder."

Not mine - I saw NOTHING in EITHER of those saws that impressed me much - the Rage3 appears to be a glorified single bevel slider, with only a 10" blade and the same cheesy hold-down my DeWalt 12" slider has and a slower motor. If I were gonna cut steel with that, I'd have to set it on a solid base and clamp the work with at least one, probably two F-style welding clamps. The slower speed does it NO FAVORS when cutting wood either, watch the vid and see how slow they're cutting - The color scheme is the one Evolution uses for their "joe homeowner" tools, and I've tossed enough of that sort in the garbage for one lifetime...

The Trajan didn't look much different, and I've personally gotten tired of Chucke's "revenue enhancement" habit of hawking tools - I quit watching Ron Popiel a long time ago too...

My vote (hopefully before long) stays with the Evosaw380 from discountsteel.com (no affiliation, no commission, my only motivation here is to hopefully keep people who have NOT pissed me off (if you're reading this, that's you) from buying something they may regret later... (oh, and the $360 price incl. shipping)

I confess that I'm NOT planning on building any fun hotrods (got a neighbor I can watch for that ) that might need compound mitered frames, but if a project requires that, I'm perfectly capable of using trig functions, hoists from rafters, wedges, and/or my favorite, the Wixey angle cube in order to "get there from here" -

No offense meant to anyone, I'm just gettin' too dang old to be subtle sometimes...:soapbox:...Steve

Okay well how about this one... I just realized instead of a double bevel mitre, Evolution has a 'single' bevel mitre version for $199 Amazon Prime/free two day shipping. Can only bevel from one side but you have full 45deg in each direction on one axis at least. I know, I know... but take a look. The mitering is what is attracting me.

Evolution Power Tools RAGE3 1-Inch Multipurpose Cutting Compound Sliding Miter Saw - - Amazon.com

I understand and feel the same about paid advertising and wasn't intending to promote ChuckE... that said here is a review (probably paid, but not ChuckE) on youtube. I actually thought this was a pretty informative and fair review and you get a good look at the build/material quality.

Evolution Rage 3 1 Inch Sliding Miter Saw Review In 4K - YouTube

It's just that I won't be using it everyday and did I mention the easy miter cuts! :licking: This will be a dedicated metal cutting saw... first thing would be to upgrade the blade. I already have a fancy Dewalt 12in double bevel mitre and the optional stand. I could mount this on the same stand.

 

[BukitCase]

I liked the review too, seems like he covered both good and bad - I have one of those Rigid "MSUV" stands, wanted an "offroad" chop saw so mounted an inexpensive Hitachi 10" miter saw. Had a similar problem, the Rigid wants your mounting holes to be in a rectangle but the Hitachi thought a trapezoid would be nice - I took a piece of scrap 3/4 cabinet ply big enough to mount the saw on, then drilled holes in THAT for the Rigid mounting bars.

Speaking of stands, did you mean you'd mount BOTH your saws on ONE stand? That definitely would NOT work for me, I keep wood and metal working in separate areas to avoid contamination - want frustration? Try getting ANY finish to work on wood that's been silicone contaminated, or getting a nice finish with a router bit that's hit a metal shaving at 20,000 rpm, etc-

Next - Dedicated metal cutting saw? What do you think the biggest/heaviest piece of metal you wanna cut might be? Then see if that would (a) FIT on the rage3, and (b) NOT pretzel it... If you're happy with the answers to those, AND really think you'd actually CUT many true compound miters, then maybe this IS the saw for YOU - in the end, only YOU can answer that one so it's best if you're honest with yourself (as far as possible, without being able to foretell the future much further than day after tomorrow) :laughing:

For me, most miters I do are at 45*, so I've built 45* inserts for both my small and large band saws, that way I can leave them set up for perfect 90* cuts unless I end up doing some 9.46* angles on uprights for a 2/12 pitched steel framed roof (NOT making that up ) - for stuff like that, trig functions and a small digital protractor make quick work of setting the Jet saw (and getting it BACK to square)

'Bout bedtime, got more helpless pieces of steel to terrorize manana... Steve

 

[Ford850]

A benefit of the sliding miter saw is the cutting edge is started out on the front of the steel and not the top. That means it eliminates the issue of cutting on the flat surface of the steel, since it approaches from the front.

 

[dragoneggs]

I liked the review too, seems like he covered both good and bad - I have one of those Rigid "MSUV" stands, wanted an "offroad" chop saw so mounted an inexpensive Hitachi 10" miter saw. Had a similar problem, the Rigid wants your mounting holes to be in a rectangle but the Hitachi thought a trapezoid would be nice - I took a piece of scrap 3/4 cabinet ply big enough to mount the saw on, then drilled holes in THAT for the Rigid mounting bars.

Speaking of stands, did you mean you'd mount BOTH your saws on ONE stand? That definitely would NOT work for me, I keep wood and metal working in separate areas to avoid contamination - want frustration? Try getting ANY finish to work on wood that's been silicone contaminated, or getting a nice finish with a router bit that's hit a metal shaving at 20,000 rpm, etc-

Next - Dedicated metal cutting saw? What do you think the biggest/heaviest piece of metal you wanna cut might be? Then see if that would (a) FIT on the rage3, and (b) NOT pretzel it... If you're happy with the answers to those, AND really think you'd actually CUT many true compound miters, then maybe this IS the saw for YOU - in the end, only YOU can answer that one so it's best if you're honest with yourself (as far as possible, without being able to foretell the future much further than day after tomorrow) :laughing:

For me, most miters I do are at 45*, so I've built 45* inserts for both my small and large band saws, that way I can leave them set up for perfect 90* cuts unless I end up doing some 9.46* angles on uprights for a 2/12 pitched steel framed roof (NOT making that up ) - for stuff like that, trig functions and a small digital protractor make quick work of setting the Jet saw (and getting it BACK to square)

'Bout bedtime, got more helpless pieces of steel to terrorize manana... Steve

Well in dedicated I mean I will only be cutting metal with it. I have a new 45XP plasma cutter, a Milwaukee portaband mounted to a Swagoffroad table, and a Dewalt 14in abrasive saw. I know I would definitely cut more miters if I did have this saw. Hard to miter (handle) long pieces on the portaband table.

On the stand... No, I would not mount them at the same time. Just gives me an option to use the stand for two different tools if I wanted and I could utilize the out rigger supports for the long pieces which currently is a pain for me.