Carbide cut off saw

[plane_crazzy]

I have been using a standard 14" abrasive cut off saw for a while and was considering making the leap to a carbide tipped saw.  I have been looking at the rage saws at sears, both 7.25" and 14" and wondering if anyone has owned or used either, or if they could recommend a good one at a reasonable price.  I of course like the 150 dollar price tag of the 7.25" but the 1/4" thick rating for material it can cut worries me.

[SoCal Dave]

I have used Metal Devil carbide tip saws for some time.  I use them only when I want to make precise cuts, like a 45 degree cut and it's without burrs.   They make one for aluminum that is good also.  For all the rest where exact cuts are not necessary and can be cleaned up with a sander/grinder I use the composite blades.  Much cheaper.  Carbide tip blades have their place for me.  

[plane_crazzy]

working in a smaller shop, the shower of sparks, and where they land, are a concern for me. I do the cutting in a separate building from my forge so I do not have spark arresters around the important things. Hot chips arent a great solution, but I think it might be a better one.

[JNewman]

I bought a Metal Devil carbide saw for a  specific job and find I use it a lot instead of my industrial bandsaw.  If I didn't cut a lot of 1-3" dia alloy steel I would probably get rid of the bandsaw.   While the blades are a lot more expensive than the abrasive blades they will cut a lot more than an abrasive blade and can be sharpened if you don't damage too many of the teeth,  I think your cost per cut is probably lower with the carbide blades as long as you don't abuse the blades.   As well they cut at least 4-5 times as fast as abrasive blades and don't fill your shop with abrasive grit.    I wouldn't be without an abrasive saw for cutting hardened material but it sits on the shelf 99% of the time. 

[plane_crazzy]

What size blade do you have newman?