New Clarke cold saw

[Thrashsmith]

I just noticed this Clarke cold saw on the Machine Mart site:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cpmcs1-portable-metal-cutting-circular

I only ever hear good things about cold saws, what are peoples' expectations of this one?

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Looks quite small, I think if I was going to spend that amount I would look at a second hand industrial one with a full size blade.
But then it wouldnt be portable as this one is.

 

[sardine]

Clarke / machine mart are rebadged Chinese medium to low quality but with a price tag that makes them look equal to proper tools.

 

[shed or dead]

I always see 'proper' ones ending cheap on hers https://www.apexauctions.co.uk/auction/home.htm

takes a while to browse through the auctions, and work out travel costs etc. But easy to register to bid, and welcoming of us hobbyists. I bought my Kemppi Mig through there for £180 but advised my estimated bid limit would be £150 but all went through smoothly.

These are industrial auctions but lots of single phase stuff goes through, just be careful to check the listing if you don't have 3ph!

 

[Maker]

A cold saw needs to be really stiff to be any good (Think of them as milling machines with massive cutters) and it only weighs 30KGs so I would be inclined to say it's a bit really thin and flimsy. The blade is nine inches diameter and turns at 86 RPM, that gives a cutting speed of about 200 SFPM which is only any good for free cutting steel, it's too fast for steel and too slow for aluminium (yes, it will cut these, it's just not ideal for them) Oh, and it's 85dB, that's about the noise of a busy motorway. Also, it only tilts one way

I would definitely go for a nice heavy used one.

 

[Gareth J]

I've got an earlier model of one of these. Bought second hand and did the job for a year or so until I bought an industrial unit. Pump was terrible but would cut anything I could fit in the jaws albeit with careful pressure regulation.

Wouldn't buy a new one, but also wouldn't be without a cold cut saw....

 

[chevy2]

I've had one of those saws since about 1990?
cant fault it for doing general smallish stuff,
yeah the pumps are junk, i still keep a bath of soluble in the base and just brush the blade when needed,
as said they're light enough for mobile jobs.

 

[johnward]

yeah the pumps are junk

i bought one of these about a year ago(wired it into the trigger) and it's still working well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0-24-Outl...905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43bbd4b3e1

 

[chevy2]

i bought one of these about a year ago(wired it into the trigger) and it's still working well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0-24-Outl...905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43bbd4b3e1

Good idea, did you fit an inline filter before the pump to pick up any swarf?

 

[johnward]

yes and a one way check valve as the fluid kept draining down as the pump needed priming before it would start sucking!!.

 

[Gareth J]

I bought a cheap plastic fish pond pump for the same purpose on my bigger saw. The cutting fluid is gradually destroying the plastic and I had to filter the fluid through the standard coarse mesh, then a maze of magnets. It's still going a year later but a hardier pump would be sensible!