Cold cut Chop saw?

[Utukku]

Hi, am slowly getting my little workshop together, volkzone deal all sorted, and bottles now awaiting use. Tig welder just waiting for me to practice and post the first few up here. But I was reading here I think about an evolution cold cut Chop saws?

This would be a good deal better than a hacksaw, so was wondering what the general consensus is about them? Also I see they have a pro and diy model, but they don't look much different. I'll only be using it for Diy jobs, and not on a daily or weekly basis.

Cheers
Jon

 

[gordon stephenson]

I have found mine to be excellent,but VERY noisy

 

[owas]

I have the Raptor version and think it is a great tool, use it for everything. I'm not sure about the lower models though.
Agree about the noise but if you wear ear protection (like you should) its fine

 

[zardoz]

Im after a horizontal band saw instead, simply because of the noise. There is noisy and then there is ear bleeding noisy, then after that are cold cut chop saws.

 

[Utukku]

Thanks guys, will keep the noise thing in mind

 

[gordon stephenson]

About the noise, Yes of course wear ear plugs/muffs etc, I was more meaning what his neighbours with think!

 

[AndyStobbs]

Friend of mine bought one and gave me a whirl on it. It made such a mess cutting 304 tube that I went back to my trusty hacksaw. Hopeless was my interpretation of it.

 

[Windy Miller]

I have one. It IS noisy, and you ought to wear a full face sheild as it throws out loads of red hot shrapnel, and aims it directly at your mouth wherever you stand.

Probably with a bit of fettling it woud cut straight, but out of the box it certainly won't. Mine seems to have a lot of sideways play in the blade, but I've never bothered to try to sort it.

It cuts very fast. That's about the only positive thing I can say about it really!

Maybe with some attention it could be a handy tool, but as it stands, I'm not overly chuffed with it.

 

[Utukku]

Well that's the nail in it's coffin for me. Damned glad I asked, saved me a bundle :-)

 

[KemppiFrog]

Humm. Made my own with a 4hp motor and 355mm blade. It now cuts 90% of my tube and bar (with earmuffs) Replaced an abrasive cutter and is much better. There are very occasional hot chips coming my way, but not of interest. It cuts as square as you set it up for.. Vastly nicer than the abrasive disc job re dust etc.
BTW. A cold cut chop saw is not what we are talking about here. That would be a slow speed lubricated saw. Much quieter and often with an HSS blade. Preferred by the pros and usually heavy cast bits of kit. Though I have seen them in lighter forms suitable for home/DIY use. I might get round to making one, if I can't find one on the bay.

 

[gordon stephenson]

The Evolution cuts fast and accurate, Yes the chips are warm, but not ever coming close to RED heat, you can touch the cut ends as soon as they are cut, Have you tried youtube for demo's?

 

[hotrodder]

As Kemppi, cold cut saws are very different beasts and in a different league everywhere including price and size (for a given cutting capacity). TCT chop saws are dry cut, decent ones cut straight and don't throw the chips in your face (provided the chip deflector thing is adjusted properly)

A selection of cuts made with my Dewalt and a thin section 80T blade which wasn't ideal for the ally angle. From left to right below that are 304L stainless, grade 2 titanium and some mild steel ERW. None of the cuts have been deburred

Regular blades don't like stainless/Ti much and will go blunt very quickly. There are specific stainless blades (not cheap) and all blades are relatively fragile i.e. can last a long time between sharpening/replacement but can also by killed in a single cut if used by a animal. Trying to continue with a blunt blade makes a right mess and will kill one that just needs sharpening
They're about the loudest method of cutting metal in the universe

 

[Windy Miller]

As Kemppi, cold cut saws are very different beasts and in a different league everywhere including price and size (for a given cutting capacity). TCT chop saws are dry cut, decent ones cut straight and don't throw the chips in your face...

I think you've hit the nail on the head there.

Chunko has a DeWalt, and he really rates it.

I think there are a few different versions of the Evolution saws. The dearer ones are supposed to be pretty good, but I've had a couple of the cheaper jobs, and they're really not worth bothering with.

 

[Utukku]

Thanks again everyone, all comments greatly appreciated.

Gordon, I have watched the YouTube demos, as well as read lots of reviews on the evolutions. But there is never a substitute for information from experienced gained using the thing.

Much as I would love to have a bandsaw I just haven't the money or more importantly the space. So hacksaw it is until something changes that allows me to move up.

 

[hotrodder]

Looking at some pics of the various different flavours of Evolution it appears as though either you get no chip deflector or it's designed to try catch them rather than steering them out the back? I know from experience that if you tweak the chip deflector in mine to try and make it catch them you get a lot more thrown at you. Never used any of the orange or green flavour Evolution gear but it wouldn't surprise me if the pivots and things were a lot sloppier than the blue / steel range as the motor specs and a bunch of other details are cheaper too. Not surprising when you can buy a complete saw for far less than the list price of a saw blade for Dewalt, Makita etc. Speaking of Makita i've read several times from people that've used both that the Makita has a much sturdier bed and fence. Being 305mm instead of 355 probably helps it feel beefier too

Utukku, as long as you don't need to be cutting stuff over 2.5 - 3" dia keep your eyes peeled for a 'stayer clarke cold saw' (google pics will get some threads on this forum which should have the actual cutting capacity). No longer made i believe but about the same size as a regular chop saw and do turn up from to time used

 

[dan.taylor.1]

I also have a dewalt, abused by previous owner but still cuts straight!

Dan

 

[Maker]

Humm. Made my own with a 4hp motor and 355mm blade. It now cuts 90% of my tube and bar (with earmuffs) Replaced an abrasive cutter and is much better. There are very occasional hot chips coming my way, but not of interest. It cuts as square as you set it up for.. Vastly nicer than the abrasive disc job re dust etc.
BTW. A cold cut chop saw is not what we are talking about here. That would be a slow speed lubricated saw. Much quieter and often with an HSS blade. Preferred by the pros and usually heavy cast bits of kit. Though I have seen them in lighter forms suitable for home/DIY use. I might get round to making one, if I can't find one on the bay.

I NEED a picture of your one. And thanks for clearing up the whole coldsaw thing, everyone had me wondering if evolution made a real coldsaw.

 

[Maker]

This wouldn't be yours by any chance?

 

[owas]

The evolution saw only gets steel hot if the blade is blunt.

I brought mine used a while ago and thought it was normal for it to cut slow, hot and with burrs, changed the blade and it cuts through 3" box section straight and very quickly, only wear safety goggles and never had a piece of shrapnel hit me.

I did mess with the clamp to get it to actually clamp pieces straight to the blade though .. took 5 mins, only issue I've the had with the thing.

 

[MrFluffy]

Theres never seems to be any forum love anymore for a old power hacksaw as a option for general workshop duties and they pop up fairly cheap now and again if you keep looking for this reason. Theyre a bit slow to cut sometimes but I wouldn't be without mine, I just set it off cutting and wander off and do something else, then I hear a thud a bit later as the offcut drops into the bin I leave alongside for that purpose. I regulary jam large diameter parts into it, use it to saw up car halfshafts etc, though I did have to replace the blade this year after only two years use. Its quiet too, just this rythmic slish slish noise. I have a vertical bandsaw and various other options, but the donkey saw is the one I use the most.