Please recommend a good chop saw

[pharmvet]

Ive been borrowing chop saws for the past 20 years from various friends and neighbors. Guess its time to get one for myself. Can you recommend a good brand. This may be the only chop saw I ever purchase so I may as well get one that I can expect to use with little maintenance or problems. Not wanting some chinese made plastic one project use machine. Are there any older mfg. to watch for (auctions, garage sales etc) or should I choose a new one from Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, etc.) What are your thoughts.

 

[Topstrap]

I bought a Dewalt a few years ago and it started to arc around the brushes. The armature was ruined. It was just a bit over a year old at the time. I was telling my neighbor about it and he also had one that he bought a bit before mine. He talked to Dewalt and they sold him a new armature. It also went bad at just over a year old. I was buying some welding rod and talking to the fella working there and he thought I got maybe a cheaper version since it came from Lowes. He talked me into another one that he said he's never had any problems with. It's identical to the both of our previous models but so far it's held up well. I was going to try the Makita brand if this one goes by the wayside.

Topstrap

 

[Big Bri]

i've got a ridgid 12" chop that i bought 7 or 8 years ago, it has served me well. I've used it on every thing form 4x4 treated fence post to vinyl siding. i usually don't buy store brand (you can only get them from home depot) but when i bought them they came with a life time warranty.
my dad has a dewalt, has had it for about 6 years. i know his break doesn't work any more but other than that his has been trouble free.
good luck

 

[pharmvet]

I guess I should have made sure to specify Im talking about a metal cutting saw as in welding and fabricating. I need it to cut anything from small angle iron to 3x3 square tubing. thanks

 

[Big Bri]

I guess I should have made sure to specify Im talking about a metal cutting saw as in welding and fabricating. I need it to cut anything from small angle iron to 3x3 square tubing. thanks

I have a ridgid one of those also. . . it's ok but nothing to write home about.
doesn't get a lot of use, one of the feet has fallen off an it is heavy as heck. i also think the motor is under sized. I've been looking at cold metal saws after reading a thread here about them.J_J listed one he had that he liked alot, think it was a dewalt. I'll look to see if i can find the thread and send it to you.

 

[/pine]

not very fancy but effective...look for old Rockwell 3400 (I think) series miter saws (original "Chop Box")

they were one of the first motorized miter saws on the market...many a shade-tree fabricater has put an abrasive blade on them and went to work..!

you can find them in pawn shops for $30-$40....they are cog/gear belt driven and that is the most vulnerable part...about $20

 

[Big Bri]

here is the link
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/152836-metal-cutting-saw.html

 

[jenkinsph]

pharmvet,
I have a Makita 14" chop saw going on 13 years now without a problem. I have used it to cut up to 4x4 boxtube. Nothing fancy but it keeps turning the blade and that is all I expect of it. I certainly got my money's worth out of it years ago and would buy another one like it if and when it fails.

These are cheap enough to buy new, I wouldn't bother with a used one.

 

[MNBobcat]

Chop saws are okay but they tend to be very dirty, take a wide kerf and the blade wanders making them inaccurate.

I just bought a harbor freight metal cutting bandsaw with a 20% off coupon I found online. Cost me $153.00. You might want to consider one of these versus a chop saw.

I have a milwaukee chop saw. Now that I have the bandsaw, I'm not sure I'll use it much if ever.

 

[mjncad]

Since you want this to be a long term purchase instead of a throw away, I'd look at Milwaukee's cold saw, and Bosch if the make one. I have a Bosch 10" slider for wood/plastic that's been great.

There is a 10" sliding chop saw for metal out that piques my interest; but I haven't seen one in the flesh yet. 10" Multipurpose Sliding Miter Saw, Cuts Steel Aluminum & Wood, Professional Miter Saw, evolutionrage.com

Also, don't discount a 5"x6" horizontal bandsaw. I have the following that I use a lot. G9742 5" x 6" Metal-Cutting Bandsaw w/ Swivel Head

Jet and others are marketing the same saw now too. The Jet has a nicer cabinet, metal handwheels, and a couple of other convenience niceties the Grizzly doesn't.

 

[Scooby074]

Makita.


If i was buying again, id strongly consider a cold saw. No sparky sparky, plus cleaner , straighter cuts.

Amazon.com: Makita LC1230 12-Inch Metal Cutting Saw: Home Improvement

 

[woodlandfarms]

So how long does a blade last on a cold saw? I would like one as well, but the price seems prohibitive for replacement blades.

 

[SpecElim]

I have a Titan Industrial 14" chop saw that I have had no issues with. It will allow cuts up to 45 degrees and cuts relitively fast with a good cut off wheel.

These are relitively cheap compared to other brands as well. I have used a Bosch at school and one works just as well as the other. It also only uses 2000 Watts of power where some could draw upwards of 5-6000 watts.

 

[Scooby074]

So how long does a blade last on a cold saw? I would like one as well, but the price seems prohibitive for replacement blades.

I dont have a "dry" type cold saw, but from what ive read, everyone seems to say that the blades really last. I imagine that alot depends .on the thickness being cut and operator technique.

Also i imagine that some blades are better than others. Replacement blades are around $80 IIRC. A good chopsaw blade is $10. Considering the carbide cold blades can be resharpened and you get much more life per blade before sharpening, it should work out equal or maybe cheaper than the abrasive saw.

My local metal supply has a wet cold saw (coolant flood) and the blade LASTS a LONG time in a production environment. But that machine is a different animal and much more money ($4k +).

Check some of the threads over at Millerwelds and the other welding sites, There is some good discussion about the blades and quality of the different dry saws available. Makita seems to be the favorite, having the best base and vise, but they say the blade is only middle of the pack.

 

[gsganzer]

I'd buy a Milwaukee portaband. They also make an attachement that turns it into a bench mounted unit. Much better than throwing sparks and grit with an abrasive wheel chop saw.

 

[s78wingrider]

Don't know if you would ever see an add for one but the one I use to cut small angle, ect, is an old shopcraft, very heavy and well built. Aaron

 

[/pine]

FWIW...Northern Tool is having a special "Free Shipping" on power tools right now...several chop saws (metal) and some other types too

Power Tools | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[dan c]

It all depends on what it will spend most of its life chopping

For me a good general purpose saw was the Milwaukee 14'' ? amp. It cuts most of what I need. Victor makes another good saw that uses ocy / acetylene gas for the rest of what your saw won稚 fit:thumbsup:

 

[lostcause]

i've never had any interest in a chop saw, but from the looks of the replies here, i guess a lot of people use them. for the last 15+ years i've used one of the harbor freight metal cutting band saws. i think they retail them for around $200, give or take. it's most likely the same saw that someone posted about earlier that they got for $150ish. blades are about $10 each. they leave a very small kerf and they make very little noise, with no dust or sparks in the air. i just recently saw virtually identical ones at a tool dealer made by jet and a couple other makers. they really looked identical.

i wouldn't hesitate on the harbor freight brand though, it seems durable enough. the only thing i wouldn't buy is their blades (or any cutting and grinding consumables, for that matter) i bought 6 blades for a total of under $10, and they are too soft. i don't think i could break one, no matter how i twisted the blade, but they almost have to be forced through the metal. my local home depot stocks delta 64 1/2" blades for the saw at around $11, and they work much better.

 

[Scotty370]

I use, or I should say "used" a Ryobi 14", 'til it recently "pooped-the-bed"! I'm looking for a replacement to! I liked it because of the 'quick-vise' and cast iron table. Those thing have gotta be a 'tough' rascals, what with steel dust flying, and a cooling fan sucking in air and magnets, armatures, brushes,......and well..............you know! I'm sad to see it die! I'll be watching this thread! ~Scotty

PS- Guess I'm going to look hard at /Pine's suggestion! ~S