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I Forge Iron

Smoked my chop saw Which one to buy?


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I've noticed that I never break/burn-up/bend or kill a tool unless I'm using it and I'm in the middle of a large project. Funny how that works out. Current saw was a Milwaukee, the one before was a B&D and I don't remember the saw before that. Money is tight before Christmass which is what I'm working on. LOL So I'm thinking in the $200 range. What really sucks is my dry cut saw needs a $100 blade .......... So what do you like and what do you dislike...THX, Keith

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My original saw was a 14" B&D - it lasted about 25 years and cut thousands of bars. It finally got to the point where the bearings were worn so much that the cut would wander off about 5 degrees from straight - but it still works and I continue to use it for coarse work. I bought a Porter Cable as a replacement and it has been going just fine for about a year but I can't comment to longevity.

I don't care for 12" ones I have used and prefer the 14" models but I'd bet they're all made in 2-3 factories in China, regardless of brand.

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I bought a cheap 12" Delta chop saw with a good miter lever and used a metal cutting blade on it. I've used it for years and it has done well. I looked for a good miter lever that will hold the angle and moves easily. I've never like the miter system on metal cutting chop saws. They are very inaccurate and not easily changed. A good cold saw is the best but the most expensive. Please let us know what your final choice will be.

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I hate to even mention this but it might help you and others on a budget. If you buy a saw from Harbor Freight. The last time I checked, a 14" was under $200 not on sale. If you buy this saw and the one year waranty for $15 you can replace this saw as many times as you want for any reason and renew your waranty for $15. Say the saw runs for a year and does not brake you can renew your waranty the day before it runs out for $15 or just take your old one in and get a new one and $15. You don't even have to bring it in they will come and get it from you and bring you another. This will go on and on for the $15 waranty. You can get 13 at saws to make up the cost of one saw at $200 plus the $15 waranty and thats just in one year.

On the other hand I have had a Makita and a Milwaukee dry cut. The Milwaukee is gone bearings went on it. The Makita I still have and have had for 24 years I don't use it much at all anymore just to cut rebar every now and then, but it still runs.

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I just burned up my Milwaukee last month after its second time being in the repair shop. bought a band saw went with the one from harbor freight for the same reason $20 2 year warranty and the model came with with a 1 hp motor all the others on the market were 1/2 to 3/4 hp. I figured if it is going to break down it was going to happen in the first year. When I get a new chop saw I will do the same thing. Just not worth the big bucks. I have has b&d, Bosch and Milwaukee all quit after the warranty was up.

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I won't buy Delta, Milwaukee. ridgid, B&D or any other American brand that's made in China.....I'd rather buy a Japanese Makita or Hitachi (which are quality tools)made in China cause I don't care about Japanese workers losing they're jobs......If you buy an ''off'' brand Chinese saw at HF you'll regret it........ ;)

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Chop saws, cold cut carbide tip saws , band saws , table and hand held. I got 'em all, and still prefer my trusty victor torch and the thin cut wheels for a 4-1/2" grinder. Here is why, I get a 100 piece bundle of 1/2" square bar delivered, after lifting it off the truck with the chain fall and spreader bar, I lay all on "saw horses", and spread the bars out. This is where i find the bent bars and cull them from the pile. Making sure all the ends are lined up and square, I can draw a line across all at 4' from the end, at 8'.These 4' bars ,200 of them are for scrolls. 4' being the longest piece I put in the forge and power hammer, and have room to swing around a scroll jig easily. As the ends ALL get hammered to a taper a torch cut is just fine as is and does not need grinding. The remaining bars go on the rack for use as frames for the scroll panels. For the cutting and fitting the scroll work designs to match the full size template, I have found no method faster or easier than a thin cut- off wheel in a 4-1/2" side grinder. Beeing old and lazy I do not want to handle the 20' material, one at a time , feeding any kinda table saw. Not everybody is doing production scroll work , I know. This way works for me.

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We use the Dewalt saws for metal stud framing and they last a long time. We sometimes cut heavier material on them. Our guys are hard on equipment and the Dewalt holds up well.
I have a makita here in my shop, I found myself in the same situation a few years back. I was doing a side job nights and weekends and my old Black & Decker went out. The Makita is less money and fine for what I am doing

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Selling off two sets of level three body armour to buy to buy a swivel head bandsaw but that won't happen soon enough. So I was looking at a Milwaukee 60180 5.4 HP $210 (Taiwan) or Dewalt D28715 $217 (China). I don't have a problem buying 'throw away' tools at HF but I have repeatedly failed to notice the warranty dates that I etched into the tools. I have some mechanic tools from Taiwan that are 25 years old and show only normal wear. I've heard that their metalurgy standards are better. On that same line of thought, Craftsman and Blu Point ratchets are now made in China which is indicative of where this country is going. Then the bakers at Hostess went on strike, the company went bankrupt. Guess that didn't work out all that well. Good thing I started hording Twinkees early. And no, they are not for sale..... LOL

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Chop saws, cold cut carbide tip saws , band saws , table and hand held. I got 'em all, and still prefer my trusty victor torch and the thin cut wheels for a 4-1/2" grinder. Here is why, I get a 100 piece bundle of 1/2" square bar delivered, after lifting it off the truck with the chain fall and spreader bar, I lay all on "saw horses", and spread the bars out. This is where i find the bent bars and cull them from the pile. Making sure all the ends are lined up and square, I can draw a line across all at 4' from the end, at 8'.These 4' bars ,200 of them are for scrolls. 4' being the longest piece I put in the forge and power hammer, and have room to swing around a scroll jig easily. As the ends ALL get hammered to a taper a torch cut is just fine as is and does not need grinding. The remaining bars go on the rack for use as frames for the scroll panels. For the cutting and fitting the scroll work designs to match the full size template, I have found no method faster or easier than a thin cut- off wheel in a 4-1/2" side grinder. Beeing old and lazy I do not want to handle the 20' material, one at a time , feeding any kinda table saw. Not everybody is doing production scroll work , I know. This way works for me.
This is faster it makes 48 strokes a minuet.http://www.rogers-mfg-inc.com/. It will cut stock faster than you can feed it in. No dust, sparks or consumables to use up. I bought one used about 10 years ago made thousands of cuts and punched thousands of holes with it. I hate cut off wheels with a passion I only use them where there is no other option even if it takes a bit longer. I just don't understand what is so great about them they make a nasty mess, they smell, make smoke sparks, and are loud not to mention they kick back and break from time to time. They are not a very safe tool and there are many alternatives.
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Sam's saw is the way to go..... However the "pivot point " should sit between the blade and the motor with a 10% bias toward the motor side ie. if you let go the blade lifts instead of "digging in. And you should think about having the switch in the front.

Sorry Sam,I don't want to sound like the h&s gestapo but small mods and its much safer. P.s. I mount a 3KW 380V motor on ours and that don't take no prisoners.

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Sam's saw is the way to go..... However the "pivot point " should sit between the blade and the motor with a 10% bias toward the motor side ie. if you let go the blade lifts instead of "digging in. And you should think about having the switch in the front.

Sorry Sam,I don't want to sound like the h&s gestapo but small mods and its much safer. P.s. I mount a 3KW 380V motor on ours and that don't take no prisoners.


No worries man, those are awesome valid points!
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Tim, I have been wishing for an ironworker ideally a Piranha 75 T for many years , I saw an old Rogers ironworker and wondered if a new one would last better with TLC.The old machine had a lot of side slip and was just wore out , it cut a 1/2" mild steel bar in a sorta rattle.. jerk ! and left a kerf all bent and sharp. But any machine is always gonna be WAY OVER THERE when I am at the fab table, and need a fast cut . I hold the work in a small vise and cut it with a 1/16" cut off wheel . I know how to hold the grinder so very little of the wheel is not covered for me to see the wheel start to cut. From the bottom of the bar and up the nearside in a newyork second. After nearly total cut off is reached I stop and break off the bit left holding. Smokey... a little, but not as nasty as chopsaw smoke. and I have a 20" box fan with a 20" x 20" aircondition filter taped to the intake side . I am always moving this fan to blow all smoke away from me and filter the air I breathe,, a little . These wheels are so very dangerous that there should be a test to buy them. They can cause a lot of stitches to be needed very fast .

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The Rogers Press shear and a Parana 75 tone iron worker are really two very different machines. The beauty of the rogers machine is its light it can be mounted on casters and rolled up to the work. It is meant for production railing shops it cuts up to 2" by 1/2" flat bar. I have cut 100's of scroll blanks with it. I set my stop and feed in a bar you can cut up a 20' in to 8" Pieces in about 2 min once your set up. It is a fast machine 48 cuts per min. It runs on 110v. If the machine was sloppy, it most likely just needed to be tightened up its one of those wrench and an oil can type of machines, it requires periodic adjustment. I also have a 40 tone Scotchman ironworker its a wonderful machine but the rogers machine will bury it as far as speed goes in the size stock it is rated for. If I can't bring the work the the saw or shear I will sometimes use a cut off wheel but I also like to use the portable band saw too. Remember in the winter my shop is closed up and dust gets to be an issue anything I can do to reduce it is a good thing.

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I used a harbor freight cheapy chop saw for about 10yrs but the switch finally broke. They now have two models, a lighter weight one and a heavy duty one.
I bought the heavy duty one which was on sale for $89 and had a 20% off coupon. It really is a heck of a lot heavier than my old one.
I didn't buy the warranty because I figured if it lasts me 10 years at that price who cares.

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