Chop Saw Recommendations/Reviews???

[TomVeatch]

A few weeks ago I wasted some resources buying a HF Chicago Electric Heavy Duty Chop Saw. Other than being virtually impossible to set an accurate cut angle or cut square to the table, it's really a pretty good saw At least when you pull the trigger, the blade spins

Now, I've finally wised up and want to replace that POS with something that will not only spin the blade but cut at least semi-square to the table with a crosscut angle that's fairly easy to set and somewhere close to what's wanted. I'd like to get one of those 6" band saw's, but floor space is limited and I'm not quite disgusted enough to spend that much money (yet!).

I'm a "weekend warrior", farm/home, hobbiest type with no aspirations for any professonal production work. Applications would be mostly for small shapes; channels, angles, square tube, etc. no thicker than about 1/4 inch and mostly 1/8 or thinner . If you guys have any experiences, recommendations or reviews of metal cutting chop saws that might satisfy my wants, I'd really appreciate your sharing them with me.

Yeah, I know this is a welding forum, but I figure before you weld the pieces together, you got to cut them to size, right?

[stick man]

Hey Ive got a DEwalt 14'' it's been a good saw I use it manly on square tubing up to 3/16 thick or hand rail pipe 1 1/4 or 1 1/2, it's paid for it's self at least 10000 times hope this helps

[68 Massey]

Hi Tom. I've got a Bosch 3814. I've cut angle & pipe up to 3",both square & 45. Cuts good enough, for me anyway.
Bobby.

[FusionKing]

I have a Milwaukie and it does afine job also.

[jamlit]

I have a Black & Decker Industrial 14" chop saw. Had it 15 Years now and it hasn't given me one once of troulble. I bought a band saw last year and never want to use the chop saw again unless I haft to. If you can get the band saw, I would say you wont regret it. No sparks, dust, and allot easy on the ears.

[SkidSteerSteve]

I have a Ryobi that I bought from Home Depot several years ago. I was in a bind and out of town and needed to cut some stuff, thinking if it got me through, then that was all I needed. I still use it some every now and then if I need to do something out of the shop. The best money I spent was on a small band saw. I second the fact that it is MUCH quieter, no nose clogging dust/smoke, and its cutting capacity doesn't diminish as the blade wears. Nothing like having to put on a new abrasive blade just to cut that last half inch of something. Plus I think band saws are a lot safer than cut off. I've thrown/broken some bands before and all it does is sit there. I've thrown an abrasive as well....let's just say I needed to change the ol under shorts on that one

SSS

[Toysrme]

My vote. Skipchop saws all together. If you need it cut & welded a chop saw is not the way to go.
Buy a bandsaw. The cuts are quicker, easier, and infinately more accurate.



Oddly, to quote myself an hour ago on a car fourm where this question of 14" chop saw VS 4*6 bandsaw was asked in building exhaust manifolds / exhaust setups on a car:

Make sure it's a ginzu tho!
Bandsaw ftw by such an ungodly margin...
You can get the red (better) harbor frieght one for $130-170 most of the time.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...262&pricetype=
$179.99 minus the 20% off any single item coupon = $144.00 pre tax.


or you can get the "new" version of the Grizzly copy model which is the same thing with a MUCH bigger, better motor (For the rest of the year only tho b/c Grizzly does that with entry items only). Better stand, looks better, should work better, etc.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0622

$298.25
Or you can get their older version for $25 more
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G1010

$319.25

I'd buy the newer model. It's a full 1hp 110v motor instead of the 1/2hp of the older grizzly. The harbor freight motors are grossly over-rated. They're normally only 1/3 to 1/2 their rated power output. :\

Hope that sort's it out for you.

I love all my expencive Grizzly woodworking tools. I'd most likely buy the new Grizzly one when I burn my second one up...

Na. If someone were gunna make a living, they wouldn't be looking at little 4*6 bandsaws!

And lookup/google things about them. Step one is always ditching the blade for a bi-metal blade for better blade life & faster cutting. Step two is converting to a water cooled setup to extend blade life further & speed cutting yet again. Step three is converting to a hydraulically controlled arm.

And sometimes you have to build, or brace in a new stand. No big deal... If you're on this forum you've got a welder & in this case you just bought the saw to cut the bracing out with!



Oh... And whatever oil they use in the gearbox, etc. Ditch that dumb **** too right off the bat for some Mobil1!

I just think that for a hair under $300 shipped. The new white grizzly is the way to go. Come ****, or high water I'll buy one this year. Especially if my second red HF one burns up... Again... Pieces of ****...
Never buy anything with moving parts from harbor freight unless it's expendable!!!!!!!!!

[Toysrme]

JET has a copy of those also.

It's 1/2hp, but it can be wired 110v or 220v.

It's the king sorta. It's less powerful than the new grizzly one even when wired 220v. But it's really a 5*6 bandsaw, not a 4*6.
Round Capacity at 90° (in.) 5
Round Capacity at 45° (in.) 3
Rectangle Capacity at 90° (in./W x H) 5x6
Rectangle Capacity at 45° (in./W x H) 5x3
Throat Depth (in.) 6
It's also normally found right around $400. Which is prohibatively expencive for most people.

[arc]

i love my makita chop saw but i put a cold cut blade on it and it cuts any thing i can fit into it. just love it!!!

[bruceb]

i love my makita chop saw but i put a cold cut blade on it and it cuts any thing i can fit into it. just love it!!!

I thought the cold cut blades were supposed to be run at around 1200 RPM...not the 3000 RPM that a regular abrasive saw runs at.