metal chop saw.

[hayden]

i am in need of a saw to cut metal i want a 14 inch chop saw but i know people are going to bring up band saws. any body have a good experience with the hf 14 inch saw? this one Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

so what do yall suggest? im just getting into metal working and im not sure if its something i will stay in so i don't want to spend a couple hundred bucks at a time.

[Hent]

Chop saws are nice, but I think you'd be better off getting a porta-band. I say this because your chop saw won't cut something in a tight spot.

Something like this:

Milwaukee 6232-6 Deep Cut 4-3/4 Band Saw with Case NEW - eBay (item 120317716203 end time Dec-12-08 09:31:49 PST)

There are cheaper ones, I'm sure, but that one just popped up.

If you think you'll be doing more production type stuff, chop saws are great. But, my recommendation is for a porta-band.

[rudedog]

Thing is, both pieces of equipment would be great to have. But at the same time, they both have their uses and good points where the other might fail. We have a DeWalt porta band, you can flip it upside down and the forward handle serves as a "stand" and makes it a bit more stable. The only time I've ever had opportunity to use a chop saw was years ago in HS during shop class. I will say the telescoping style will allow you to make one single cut-pass on multiple pieces of whatever stock you're cutting.

[jim fallon]

i have used chop saws for years a 14" saw is really big i don`t know what you plan on cutting but i doubt your cutting a 7" piece of steel .the 12" saw with a metel blade and i mean a metal not carbon blade. metal blades do not bend or flex when you make cuts when i worked at sea-ray boats as a welder /fabricator we used a dewalt 12" saw and a dewalt steel metal cutting blade and they work great and cut like a laser spend the money and buy a good saw you get what you pay for .

[hayden]

all i really need the saw to do is cut up to 4x4 square tube (gas tanks) and make 90 and 45 degree cuts. im going to make a bike soon and im pretty much stuck till i get a saw.

[jeep2003]

Why not just use a cut off wheel on a grinder? Thats what i used for years. I recently got a 14" milwaukee saw to save from using up grinder disks although they do last a while. It was 200$. I wouldnt buy any no name brand electric tool no matter how limited the use. If you buy a better saw and dont use it much you can get atleast half your money back on the resale. If you buy junk you wont be able to sell it at all. Thats if it lasts that long. One issue i had with my milwaukee is although its rated for 15 amp i had to use a 30 amp braker to keep from blowing it because the startup amperage is higher.

[hayden]

i cant get a square cut with the grinder. il probably get the cheapest name brand thing at home depot.

[Hent]

You can make square cuts with a grinder or porta-band, you probably haven't had enough practice yet.

[Jim Criste]

One thing to consider is the sparks and dust from the saw. I have a Jet band saw that I like to use. I try to use cut-off wheels outside as much as possible.

[steven Durham]

I have a Black & Decker Commercial 14 inch chop saw and it does make a mess in the shop as well as the 4 1/2 inch cut off wheels. I looked up the cost of the metal saw blades and I could possably live with the price but they still throw the metal particals around and you have to clean that up too .
Band saws of the floor model take up a lot of floor space. Let's face it we make a big mess in everything we do.
Steve